Phantasmal Shattermantle

[davidolson22]

The idea behind this build is to be able to take out elite level drow with PKs. Tested it out at level 18, and it worked fine. It's just intended as a fun build to get a wizard past life in, not as a end game powerhouse. It's definitely near useless in epic challenges since it's dps is low and everything there has epic death ward. But in regular questing it should lead kill count at higher levels since you'll just be prepping everything with a Wounding repaeting crossbow of improved shattermantle, then pressing PK button.

Why elf? To make up for the lower spell pen you'll have for splashing artificer.

Why Artificer? To help hit stuff with the crossbow with insightful strikes and for construct essence. You need 3 levels of artificer for this though, which is why you'll need a wounding of improved shattermantle repeating crossbow at higher levels.

Up to level 10, you'll just be using the crossbow as DPS. Everything dies so fast it's ridiculous if you have a good crossbow, and the damage from your dps spells will be a bit low because of artificer splash.

Around level 11 make a wounding of improved shattermantle repeating crossbow. Shoot stuff with it then instant kill them. At level 18 you'll be able to circulate between PK, PK sla, FoD, and circle of death. I did try improved cursespewing as the prefix, but the DC of the curse is so low that any mob will make the save on a 2 or high above level 10 quests, especially on elite.

Gear:
wounding of improved shattermantle repeating crossbow
+3 bolts from House D favor vender
+2 necro focus item (FoD, CoD)
+2 conjuration focus item (web)
+2 illusion focus item (Pk and PK sla)

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.12.01
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Phantasmal Shattermantle
Level 18 Lawful Good Elf Male
(15 Wizard \ 3 Artificer) 
Hit Points: 192
Spell Points: 1369 
BAB: 9\9\14
Fortitude: 9
Reflex: 9
Will: 13

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(36 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 18)
Strength             10                    13
Dexterity            14                    17
Constitution         14                    17
Intelligence         18                    28
Wisdom               10                    13
Charisma             10                    13

Tomes Used
+1 Tome of Strength used at level 3
+1 Tome of Dexterity used at level 3
+1 Tome of Constitution used at level 3
+1 Tome of Intelligence used at level 3
+1 Tome of Wisdom used at level 3
+1 Tome of Charisma used at level 3
+2 Tome of Strength used at level 7
+2 Tome of Dexterity used at level 7
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7
+2 Tome of Wisdom used at level 7
+2 Tome of Charisma used at level 7
+3 Tome of Strength used at level 11
+3 Tome of Dexterity used at level 11
+3 Tome of Constitution used at level 11
+3 Tome of Intelligence used at level 11
+3 Tome of Wisdom used at level 11
+3 Tome of Charisma used at level 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 18)
Balance               3                    10.5
Bluff                 0                     1
Concentration         6                    27
Diplomacy             0                     1
Disable Device        8                    32
Haggle                4                     7
Heal                  0                     1
Hide                  2                     3
Intimidate            0                     1
Jump                  0                     4
Listen                0                     3
Move Silently         2                     3
Open Lock             6                     9
Perform               n/a                   n/a
Repair                4                    10
Search                8                    36
Spot                  4                    12
Swim                  0                     1
Tumble                3                     4
Use Magic Device      4                    24

Level 1 (Artificer)
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Artificer
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Cleric
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Cleric
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Cleric
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Favored Soul
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Favored Soul
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Selected) Point Blank Shot


Level 2 (Artificer)


Level 3 (Artificer)
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Enhancement: Artificer Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Improved Concentration I
Enhancement: Improved Disable Device I
Enhancement: Improved Search I
Enhancement: Improved Spot I
Enhancement: Artificer Wand and Scroll Mastery I


Level 4 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Spell Focus: Illusion
Enhancement: Elven Arcanum I
Enhancement: Elven Perception I
Enhancement: Elven Perception II
Enhancement: Elven Keen Eyes I
Enhancement: Elven Keen Eyes II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Improved Use Magic Device I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I


Level 5 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Elven Arcanum II
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I


Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Mental Toughness
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II


Level 7 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Improved Concentration II


Level 8 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell
Enhancement: Repair Manipulation I
Enhancement: Repair Manipulation II
Enhancement: Repair Manipulation III
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II


Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Construct Essence
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage I
Enhancement: Archmage Spell Mastery I: Illusion
Enhancement: Illusion I - Invisibility


Level 10 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Elven Arcanum III


Level 11 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Repair Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II


Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Illusion
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage II
Enhancement: Illusion II - Blur


Level 13 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Spell Focus: Conjuration
Enhancement: Conjuration I - Grease


Level 14 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III


Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Heighten Spell
Enhancement: Improved Concentration III
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage III
Enhancement: Archmage Secondary Spell Mastery I: Conjuration
Enhancement: Conjuration II - Web
Enhancement: Illusion III - Displacement


Level 16 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Elven Arcanum IV
Enhancement: Repair Manipulation V


Level 17 (Wizard)
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration II


Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Enhancement: Repair Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Wizard Archmage IV
Enhancement: Archmage Spell Mastery II: Illusion
Enhancement: Illusion IV - Phantasmal Killer

[Phidius]

... I did try improved cursespewing as the prefix, but the DC of the curse is so low that any mob will make the save on a 2 or high above level 10 quests, especially on elite.
...

You should try Roaring instead. I've not crunched the numbers to verify that the -2 to saves actually helps with landing spells, but it should do the trick.

Why Illusion and PK instead of Necro and Finger of Death? At least that way you could go PM and get some self-healing in Wraith form. PK has 2 saves (will and fort), while FoD only has one (fort), so it should be more effective.

Save your PK slot for Acid Rain

[davidolson22]

Roaring is an interesting idea. It would reduce their saves faster (unless it only works on crit? not sure). But wounding will keep decreasing their fort save by 1 for every 2 hits on them. So for stuff you have good odds of success on roaring is probably better, but if they have a high fort save and you need to reduce it a significant amount, I'd think wounding wins.

I went illusion mostly because you won't get finger of death in this build until level 18 (which is basically your last level before TRing). But it might make sense to switch from illusion to necro at level 18, although it would require switching 2 feats, and might be more pain then it's worth.

I'm not sure about going pale master with this build. With a 3 level splash you'd miss out on tier 3 of the PRE, just to gain self healing. But this build already has self healing in the form of repairs, albeit gimpy repairs, and 100% heal scrolls at around level 15, depending on gear.


On thing I forgot in the original build, is you should probably get rid of PBS are around level 10 and swap in maximize cause your firewalls and such are just gonna be better dps than your gimpy crossbow skills.

[Phidius]

Roaring is an interesting idea. It would reduce their saves faster (unless it only works on crit? not sure). But wounding will keep decreasing their fort save by 1 for every 2 hits on them. So for stuff you have good odds of success on roaring is probably better, but if they have a high fort save and you need to reduce it a significant amount, I'd think wounding wins.
...

If it takes that much prep work to land the spell, I think I'd stop casting the spell. Don't forget that PK has a will save too, and wounding doesn't help with that part.

...
I went illusion mostly because you won't get finger of death in this build until level 18 (which is basically your last level before TRing). But it might make sense to switch from illusion to necro at level 18, although it would require switching 2 feats, and might be more pain then it's worth.
...

FoD is a 7th level spell, which you'll get at level 16 (level 13 wiz). More importantly, Circle of Death is a 6th level spell, gained 2 levels earlier.

At that point in my Wiz build, I lead with a Circle, then PK'ed any who just got drained.

...
I'm not sure about going pale master with this build. With a 3 level splash you'd miss out on tier 3 of the PRE, just to gain self healing. But this build already has self healing in the form of repairs, albeit gimpy repairs, and 100% heal scrolls at around level 15, depending on gear.
...

Repairs? I don't follow that - do you mean the Curative Admixture: Cure Light Wounds?

To be honest, I'm not a fan of PM either, but that's because I'm so used to playing arcane WF.

[Myrrae]

Repairs? I don't follow that - do you mean the Curative Admixture: Cure Light Wounds?

To be honest, I'm not a fan of PM either, but that's because I'm so used to playing arcane WF.

No, he means actual repairs - construct essence lets you heal yourself with repairs in exchange for something like 50% reduction in healing from positive energy.

I'm not sure you couldn't do the same thing by going WF with 1 level of arti just for the repeater though? Unless there's something else you get from arti 3 that I'm missing. You do lose the elven spell pen, but with 2 more levels of wizard it makes up for it. (Admittedly I'm not an expert on artificer)

[TDarkchylde]

Unless there's something else you get from arti 3 that I'm missing.

Insightful Strikes as a spell - can't scroll it onto your own crossbow, meaning at least a 3 level splash is necessary for that. Without that, it'd be a lot harder for him to reliably hit with a debuffing crossbow.

At least, that's what I'm seeing.