Pale Master Build Feedback Request

[The_Brave2]

Revamped Feats:
1 Insightful Reflexes
1 Extend
1 Toughness
3 Mental Toughness
5 Maximize
6 SF Necromancy
9 Spell Penetration
10 SF Enchantment
12 GSF Necromancy
15 Quicken
15 Empower
18 GSF Enchantment
20 Heighten

1 Insightful Reflexes
1 Extend
1 Toughness
3 Mental Toughness
5 Empower
6 SF Necromancy
9 Quicken
10 Maximize
12 GSF Necromancy
15 Spell Pen
15 SF Enchantment
18 GSF Enchantment
20 Heighten

Changed the level for a couple things you take, taking quicken and empower sooner will improve your leveling experience, I guarantee it Also, Empower before maximize since you don't have as much SP at low levels. You don't need spell pen or enchantment until cap so taking them early has no effect

[Oran_Lathor]

Looks great. Might want to change the order in which you take the feats.

Spell penetration, in particular isn't needed until you the Vale of Twilight (minimum level 12, quests level 16)


Edit: The_Brave beat me to the punch. His list looks good to me. Personally I would take quicken later and heighten earlier (unless you plan to run a lot of stuff on elite at level, in which case early quicken is good).

[Vellrad]

I admit, I din't readen the whole thread, just saw couple of replies.
IKD why, but I can't read any palemaster build after I see that its not a dwarf

Anyway, IMO, Insighful Reflexes is very valuable feat, adding +15 or more to reflex save, allowing to save at most spells and traps, even at epics. Even without evasion its a huge change- would yoou prefer to take 300-500 damage, or 150-250 hit? Not to mention, that most traps hits at least twice.
Also, spell focus enchantment is very useful, as you will still be casting a lot of disco balls and mass holds, hard to find group of mobs who won't save against circle-wail-mass hold combo, not to mention that if you sometimes hold instead of instakill, melees in team feels needed, and there is chance to reduce 'ZOMFG!1! castors are way 2 op, nerf now plox!!1!' threads, which are quite numerous on forums since U9 .

[mwgarn]

I'm really leaning on Insightful Reflexes too

The Brave2 list looks good except I do like heighten sooner and quicken later I also feel Enchantment helps sooner as well, would also take Insightful Reflexes a bit later too since at the earlier levels traps and spells tend not to hurt as much.

1 SF: Enchant
1 Extend
1 Toughness
3 Mental Toughness
5 Empower
6 SF Necromancy
9 Insightful Reflexes
10 Maximize
12 GSF Necromancy
15 Spell Pen
15 Heighten
18 Quicken
20 GSF Enchantment

As far as enhancements go, the good thing about them is that you can adjust them very easy.
Go full fire from lvl 1-15 with as many of the metas you can fit in, then go cold and elect again with as many of the metas you can fit in.

And for UMD, at cap even with 8 char with some good items/gear/buffs and human versatility you can still hit the magic 39 if you put max skill points in it each lvl.

11 Base
3 Charisma (8 base,+6 item,+2 tome = 16 gives +3)
4 GH
6 Shroud Item (Con Opp)
3 Big Top
5 Seven Fingered Gloves
2 Luck
5 Human Versatility
39! No fail heal scrolls when out of form. Useful for you and party members.

This is pretty much what I'm going to be going for on my final life though I'm still going back and forth between Spell pen or GSF Enchant

It comes down to play style though.. everyone plays a little different so you'll get a lot of different advice!

[Dalmorn]

I thought the same thing at first also, but for a new capped caster it is important to have high DC's/Spell pen, so the GSF necro AND Enchantment is going to help him a lot.

Yep, he does have the major things right, should be a good build.



Didn't realize you didn't need mental toughness for lich, if this is indeed the case, I would agree. Dropping Mental Toughness for quicken and Empower would make more sense if you are highly against dropping IR

However, if you do drop IR I would keep mental toughness for more SP.

This is true, you do not need Mental Toughness for Lich. However, you do not get Lich till Level 18. Wraith however you get at level 12. It looks intersting to play as a Wraith and the description on what a Wraith is and can do sounds promising.

Shroud of Wraith: You shroud yourself with negative energy and assume many traits of a wraith. The shroud lasts until resting, and 5 minutes cooldown, you gain 25% incorporeality (and ignore incorporeal miss chance), float as if affected by featherfall, have bonus +20 to move silently, and deal constitution damage on unarmed critical hits. Also you can't self heal. You have +100% fortification, are healed by negative energy, and are unaffected by positive energy or repair effects. You are considered undead rather than your original type for the purposes of most effects. This ability costs 100 spell points to activate. You may cast Death Aura, Lesser Death Aura to self heal. You don't make saving throws against helpful negative energy spells for half healing, and spells beneficial to Undead will no longer trigger spell resistance when cast on you by a Party member.

I figure If I don't like Shroud of the Wraith, I could always reset my Enhancments and drop Mental Toughness and add back GS Penetration to the Feats list.

New Break down of Feats and Enhancments:

Feats:
1 Insightful Reflexes
1 Extend
1 Toughness
3 Mental Toughness
5 Empower
6 SF Necromancy
9 Quicken
10 Maximize
12 GSF Necromancy
15 Spell Penetration
15 SF Enchantment
18 GSF Enchantment
20 Heighten

Enhancements:
Wizard Intelligence III (12)
Wizard Master of Magic (2)
Human Adaptability Intelligence (2)
Human Greater Adaptability Constitution (4)
Wizard Energy of the Scholar III (6)
Racial Toughness II (3)
Wizard Spell Penetration III (12)
Wizard Pale Master III (8)
Shroud of the Lich (2)
Shroud of the Wraith (1)
wizard Frost Manipulation VII (7)
Wizard Deadly Ice I (1)
Wizard Glacial Spellcasting I (1)
Wizard Storm Manipulation VII (7)
Wizard Deadly Shocks I (1)
Wizard Charged Spellcasting I (1)
Wizard Improved Empowering I (2)
Wizard Improved Maximizing I (2)
Wizard Improved Quickening I (2)
Wizard Improved Heightening I (4)

I will be updating my Original post to keep it updated as this becomes more refined. Hopefully this with be benificial to future people looking to roll a PM

[The_Brave2]

This is true, you do not need Mental Toughness for Lich. However, you do not get Lich till Level 18. Wraith however you get at level 12. It looks intersting to play as a Wraith and the description on what a Wraith is and can do sounds promising.

My suggestion was for once you are capped, while leveling it is a good idea. switching it out with the free feat once you are capped could also be done.

[Tirisha]

My suggestion was for once you are capped, while leveling it is a good idea. switching it out with the free feat once you are capped could also be done.

same here.

[Atr]

It's really better to take one improved metamagic enhancement for each feat instead on focus on one you use more often? As a level 15 palemaster I only use metamagic feats for final bosses or when I know I'll use a Shrine soon, and I thought that maybe focusing in one (maximize for example) I would use it more often.

[Alternative]

It's good to have a couple points in str on a PM since you will be getting hit with ray of enfeeblement A LOT and while in undead form making you encumbered, and there is no way to remove this status without leaving undead form (and then wasting 100sp to reenter it) other than a named ring with harm clickie from abbot raid, obviously won't be available to a first life wizard. Would be also great if PM advice were given by people who actually play a PM...

My PM has starting 18 con and 12 str but that's 36p build. 16 con is more than fine.

[budalic]

Insightful Reflexes is definitively worthwile. Not only you take less damage, but you don't get knocked down by cometfalls and Tharaak hounds; don't get webbed easily, and have few other perks. Wizard w/ Insightful reflexes, for example, can solo Wolf room in eADQ1 while rest of the team is doing central part/other rooms.

I don't really think Mental toughness, SF: Enchantment and GSF: Enchant are worth it. Now, if you care for enchantmet, you want feats, OK; but I'd retrain out of M. Tougness after gaining lich form for something more useful... Greater Spell pen or something similar. (I also have Shield mastery instead of sf:ench feats - very good on a PM, IMO)

Of course, like you can see in this thread, there are many feat choices for Pale Master - I think you should experiment and find your own style once you get to cap. First tier of Argo favor gives you flawless shard, so you can change feats 2 times at cap for free if you have GH.

[Vellrad]

It's good to have a couple points in str on a PM since you will be getting hit with ray of enfeeblement A LOT and while in undead form making you encumbered, and there is no way to remove this status without leaving undead form (and then wasting 100sp to reenter it) other than a named ring with harm clickie from abbot raid, obviously won't be available to a first life wizard. Would be also great if PM advice were given by people who actually play a PM...

My PM has starting 18 con and 12 str but that's 36p build. 16 con is more than fine.

There are scrolls of harm avaible from collectors, and you can always say to cleric you need harming.

[wax_on_wax_off]

I'd do the 18 con, 18 int build. If you're new then you won't have the same HP gear that most players have so might as well make up for it a bit with the extra con (though it'll make the first few levels a bit slower).

For the feats, I'd take greater spell penetration instead of extend and plan to fit in heighten around level 10-12.

For skills, I'd suggest Concentration, Balance, UMD, Move Silently, Hide, Tumble (1), Jump (5) ... then other stuff.

[budalic]

For the feats, I'd take greater spell penetration instead of extend and plan to fit in heighten around level 10-12.

Since Death Aura is quite short non-extended, I doubt that's a good idea. Especially with new players.

[lhidda]

which feat you would swap out for wiz past life feat? empower? i guess i swap out SR, because you get +2 for each past life wiz (max. 3 times).

[budalic]

which feat you would swap out for wiz past life feat? empower? i guess i swap out SR, because you get +2 for each past life wiz (max. 3 times).

Yeah, swapping out spell penetration is best in my opinion, too.

You need empower fo spell damage... I don't think I'd swap that one out under any conditions.

[Dalmorn]

I am think about doing a LR when I hit about lvl 17 or 18 and pick up UMD. One thing I am having a hard time figuring out is what to drop to pickup the "Skill Focus: UMD" feat. In addition, what should I drop for Human Versatility and haw far should I go with it? Should I take Human Versatility to IV?

Currently this it what I am at:
Stats:
STR 14 +2
DEX 8 +2
CON 16 +2 (+1 from Enhancement)
WIS 8 +2
INT 18 +2 (+4 from Enhancements)
CHA 8 +2

Feats:
1 Insightful Reflexes
1 Extend
1 Toughness
3 Spell Penetration
5 Empower
6 SF Necromancy
9 Quicken
10 Maximize
12 GSF Necromancy
15 Gr Spell Penetration
15 SF Enchantment
18 GSF Enchantment
20 Heighten

Enhancments:
**Enhancements if Taking "Shroud of the Wraith"
Wizard Intelligence III (12)
Wizard Master of Magic (2)
Human Adaptability Intelligence (2)
Human Greater Adaptability Constitution (4)
Wizard Energy of the Scholar III (6)
Racial Toughness II (3)
Wizard Spell Penetration III (12)
Wizard Pale Master III (8)
Shroud of the Lich (2)
Shroud of the Wraith (1)
wizard Frost Manipulation VII (7)
Wizard Deadly Ice I (1)
Wizard Glacial Spellcasting I (1)
Wizard Storm Manipulation VII (7)
Wizard Deadly Shocks I (1)
Wizard Charged Spellcasting I (1)
Wizard Improved Empowering I (2)
Wizard Improved Maximizing I (2)
Wizard Improved Quickening I (2)
Wizard Improved Heightening I (4)

Stat wise, I am thinking about doing this:
STR 8 +2
DEX 8 +2
CON 16 +2 (+1 from Enhancement)
WIS 8 +2
INT 18 +2 (+4 from Enhancements)
CHA 14 +2

Again, not sure about Feats and Enhancments for squeezing in the UMD stuff.

Thanks,

Dalmorn