Calling all wizards ...

[danlan]

There is no real incentive for wf caster to wear freedom boots too, esp on wf wizard which you would most likely take insightful reflex.

[Viisari]

There is no real incentive for wf caster to wear freedom boots too, esp on wf wizard which you would most likely take insightful reflex.

Insightful relfex isn't an optional feat for any endgame wizard, it's something you get, period.

It's so good that I'd even drop toughness for it, 40-60 extra hp won't help you when you fail three saves against epic fireballs and ding instantly.

And yeah pretty much the only situation I can think of where fom boots would be nice on a wf arcane is in Lord of Blades, though even there a spell cast by someone is sufficient. Nice if you die and can get your own fom from the boots quickly though.

[slimkj]

So which do you prefer... Drow lich or Robo-mage?

Had a Drow PM, TRed to Human PM. Have had WF Enchant/Conj AM, Evoc/Enchant AM and Necro/Conj AM. Also, now, WF PM.

On balance, I prefer Sorcs. Keeding.

I think it's a toss up between any non-Drow for me. As I generally play defensively I don't really like the CON penalty, tho an Elf life is looking very tempting these days with the Spell Pen bonuses. Really, each have their benefits and style and all are workable. My two main wizzies will end up as Human PM pure and WF PM 18Wiz/2Mnk I think, the second being a high HP flavour variant.

As usual my advice is to have both.

[darkrune]

I just tr'd my wf pm (500-600 hp, ~2500sp) wizzy into an elf for the exact reasons mentioned above. +4 additional spell pen with bonus sp as well. As a pm you really have little need for anything other than spell pen feats and the prereqs.

I just gave up 44 int to go to 46 with higher dcs for all classes. The +3 supreme just made the decision to pull the trigger a little easier as now I don't have to regrind the tomes I am losing just the gear switch from Docents to robes.

[Barashkukor]

I have a Drow PM, and am struggling with deciding between Elf PM and Toaster PM for my TR, sometime after Mabar and a few 20th completions.

Archmage just doesn't feel right to me, but if I were to go AM it would be a WF. It just doesn't factor in at all for my decision. On this TR, at least.

[cdemeritt]

I love my human PM with 617hp and 45+ DCs self, not store buffed. Matter of prefference between apples and oranges really. All that matters is gear (and to lesser extent TRs).

Well... lol... I'm gonna answer this by saying I know you're just showing off... And the thing to remember is that my WF AM Wiz/Rogue, is a first lifer still gathering gear, and doesn't yet have access to some key buffs... So I feel he isn't bad.... Survivability, and soloability is great, and evasion is tops (love laughing at Epic fire elementals as they try to hurt me)

Now as for the WF/Fleshy vs PM/AM I'm glad to see that it isn't a absolute clear cut decision... gonna be a tough one... Now the Feat selection for a PM/ Necro Specc'd AM are the same, If I recall? If so, (If I go WF) I may just try them both and see how function...

The Rogue Splash, well, I've been trying to figure this one out for months... For Leveling I think it is nearly (since I solo a lot) essential.. have considered changing this several times, but then something happens (like being in a Ebig top without a rogue) and getting the traps was great... Hard to say the best course here.....

[Bargol]

I have a level 20 first life WF AM. He is awsome and nearly unkillable with reconstruct spell and scrolls. His 41 DC's are good enough for epics and is a blast to play.

I have a TRed human PM. He is awsome and almost nearly unkillable with the aura and busts. His DC's are good, but is not level 20 yet.

I am finding that with PM I have to adjust slightly from the easy healing of a WF to the healing of a PM. Also running quests with undead are a bit of a pain as you have to adjust to not heal all the undead around you.

However, they are both fun, viable, a blast to play, and welcomed in any group I have joined.

Personally I value the extra feat and more hp from human over the +1 extra dc and less hp of a drow.

[slimkj]

Now the Feat selection for a PM/ Necro Specc'd AM are the same, If I recall? If so, (If I go WF) I may just try them both and see how function...

My WF PM has all the feats set so I can respec into AM: Necro/Conj if I wish (and have done). It's definitely a nice option and means you can change build at a whim if you want to do something slightly different, or farm where endless web is useful for example.

[KingofDiamondz]

Drow spell resistance is 100% irrelevant in all endgame content where it could actually matter.

Maybe so but what about the other 16 levels of content that could be considered not end game. The OP said he was TR'n. Hes just not just respec'n at end game.

You're also immune to energy drain all the time and have *huge* burst heals, PM selfhealing cannot cope with huge burst damage, WF can.

If I recall your also immune to energy drain in undead form.

Casters, especially WF ones, have so high reflex and fort saves that FtS and earthgrab are meaningless anyway. It's a nice bonus that you're immune to them but in no way a real reason to go WF.

Hold monster is a will save, plus you an always roll a 1 when it comes to saves. Depending on your playstyle rolling a 1 might mean certain death. It can really suck to roll a 1 vs something like that while dragging big groups of mobs to AOE. And im sure you know how rolling 1's can go, always happens at the worst time.

Stuns are easily avoided by active playing, light spells can be a bit harsh for palemasters. WF are immune to holds too which nice in case you don't want to wear fom boots (I for example lose +3 caster lvl for evocation spells when I have to use fom boots)

Im pretty sure sooner or later your gonna get hit with a soundburst no matter how good you are at avoiding stuff. Nobody's perfect. You might be able to avoid it a lot running with more people but any solo attempts on elite content with enemy divines, you'll eventually see it get thrown at you.

[Viisari]

Maybe so but what about the other 16 levels of content that could be considered not end game. The OP said he was TR'n. Hes just not just respec'n at end game.

Yes spell res is decent while leveling, not great, but decent.

If I recall your also immune to energy drain in undead form.

It's not always smart to be in undead form, robot is immune to it all the time.

Hold monster is a will save, plus you an always roll a 1 when it comes to saves. Depending on your playstyle rolling a 1 might mean certain death. It can really suck to roll a 1 vs something like that while dragging big groups of mobs to AOE. And im sure you know how rolling 1's can go, always happens at the worst time.

Robots are immune to hold monster, no saves needed, PM's should be too while in undead form. Rolling a 1 also doesn't mean death. Besides, any enemy casters should be your first target with cc and instakills so that is very rarely an issue. For casters melee trash and even bosses are pretty much irrelevant, it's the enemy casters they're afraid of.

Im pretty sure sooner or later your gonna get hit with a soundburst no matter how good you are at avoiding stuff. Nobody's perfect. You might be able to avoid it a lot running with more people but any solo attempts on elite content with enemy divines, you'll eventually see it get thrown at you.

You'll pretty much only ever get hit by soundburst if you're standing still and haven't already killed enemy divines, and even then you'll have to fail the save. Basically, not going to happen if you're doing it right. I think the last time my wiz got stunned was by the boss in partycrashers guest rooms. Because I was sneakhumping him O_o

[KingofDiamondz]

It's not always smart to be in undead form, robot is immune to it all the time.

Very true, most of the time you'll be good tho, since undead form is up most of the time.

Robots are immune to hold monster, no saves needed, PM's should be too while in undead form. Rolling a 1 also doesn't mean death. Besides, any enemy casters should be your first target with cc and instakills so that is very rarely an issue. For casters melee trash and even bosses are pretty much irrelevant, it's the enemy casters they're afraid of.

For some crazy reason this whole time I keep thinking PM is not immune to hold. I could of sworn I got hit by it when using zombie form around lvl 7 but maybe that was user error on my part, sometimes Ive switched out of form on accident and didnt even realize it. So many hotbars on casters, easy to click wrong thing. Sorry, I got myself confused. Who knows maybe it was a game bug and Im not really crazy

You'll pretty much only ever get hit by soundburst if you're standing still and haven't already killed enemy divines, and even then you'll have to fail the save. Basically, not going to happen if you're doing it right. I think the last time my wiz got stunned was by the boss in partycrashers guest rooms. Because I was sneakhumping him O_o

I totally agree that it can be avoided most of the time, but there will be those rare spots that come up where youll get flanked or just surprised by a caster you didnt realize was in the area. Ive been stunned in mid strafe + jumping before but I would imagine lag had a little play in that. Collision detection can be a little glitchy sometimes when you got a lot things going on at once.


Thanks for your feedback tho you bring up some good points to my posting and Im glad we kept it respectful. Hopefully the OP has gotten the info needed out of our arcane debates and my bad with confusing the hold thing.