wizard and artificer questions

[doomboy]

first off, wizard: i hear people talking about 40+ DCs on enchantment DCs and stuff, yet mine are around 36 or so. i did take 16 int, so i know i messed up there, but where else? i took int at every chance for extra stat points, i have a +6 item bonus, even have the war wizard amulet and bracers. i have the normal and greater spell foci too.. anything i'm doing wrong, apart from the initial stat point break-up?

artificer: i keep hearing all these people raving about how great it is, and i've made a level 20 one which is a lot of fun, but somehow, it never seems to be as 'strong' and 'self sufficient' as people claim to be. what might be wrong? (it's a human one, i use heal wands and scrolls for it)

[TekkenDevil]

first off, wizard: i hear people talking about 40+ DCs on enchantment DCs and stuff, yet mine are around 36 or so. i did take 16 int, so i know i messed up there, but where else? i took int at every chance for extra stat points, i have a +6 item bonus, even have the war wizard amulet and bracers. i have the normal and greater spell foci too.. anything i'm doing wrong, apart from the initial stat point break-up?

artificer: i keep hearing all these people raving about how great it is, and i've made a level 20 one which is a lot of fun, but somehow, it never seems to be as 'strong' and 'self sufficient' as people claim to be. what might be wrong? (it's a human one, i use heal wands and scrolls for it)

Well you need a good Heavy Repeater Crossbow, for one thing, with a base damage rating of 15.
Then power up your Electric and Force spells. (Lightning Motes + Blast Rod for light nuking, Blade Barrier for AoE) For self sufficiency, just get a hireling. BYOH isn't really a thing at end game anyway, you simply have a lot of other things to spend Enhancements on. Or you can just buy a ton of Serious Repair pots. Lastly, put on a Medium Armor for extra AC. Arties don't NEED to be squishy.

[doomboy]

Well you need a good Heavy Repeater Crossbow, for one thing, with a base damage rating of 15.
Then power up your Electric and Force spells. (Lightning Motes + Blast Rod for light nuking, Blade Barrier for AoE) For self sufficiency, just get a hireling. BYOH isn't really a thing at end game anyway, you simply have a lot of other things to spend Enhancements on. Or you can just buy a ton of Serious Repair pots. Lastly, put on a Medium Armor for extra AC. Arties don't NEED to be squishy.

well, i use the old black dragonscale as i'm a trapper arti. i have a mid tier GS xbow, so that's sorted. i'll redo my enh soon. but i'm a human arti, 'cos i don't have the WF class.

[MysticElaine]

first off, wizard: i hear people talking about 40+ DCs on enchantment DCs and stuff, yet mine are around 36 or so. i did take 16 int, so i know i messed up there, but where else? i took int at every chance for extra stat points, i have a +6 item bonus, even have the war wizard amulet and bracers. i have the normal and greater spell foci too.. anything i'm doing wrong, apart from the initial stat point break-up?

You can get +1/+2 to DC items (shard of xoriat is a +2 enchantment trinket, for example)
Yugo pots
Exceptional stat (+1/+2)
Tomes
Ship buffs

*edit: since the war wizard amulet gives +1 to all DCs, you can only improve with +2 items

[pseudomasochist]

Here's an example of a typical wizard's necromancy DC:

19 - level 9 spells and Heighten
16 - 42 intelligence
2 - Spell Focus and Greater Spell Focus feats
2 - Greater Spell Focus item
2 - Shroud of the Lich or Archmage Spell Mastery I and II
= 41

That's assuming 18 starting intelligence and no Yugoloth potions, PL: Arcane Initiate, or epic levels/destinies.

[Forgeborn]

intelligence:
18 base int (yours is lower by 2)
6 level-ups
3 wizard int enhancements
2 wizard capstone enhancement
1 exceptional intelligence (tod ring or eberron epic item slotting)
3 insightful intelligence (planar focus/spidersilk; all available unbound)
8 enchantment intelligence (spidersilk robes/planar focus/stone heart; all available unbound)
3 inherent intelligence (unbound tomes available ingame 'easily' now)

-stable standing 44 intelligence = +17 modifier (without selecting a PRE)

base spell DC:
xx intelligence modifier
10 base spell
9 spell level (heighten might apply/be required)
1 spell focus (feat)
1 greater spell focus (feat)
1 epic spell focus (feat)
2 greater spell focus (item enhancement)


=24+intelligence modifier DC's (again, without having a PRE selected)

additional modifiers:
Prestige enhancements: mutually exclusive, either pale master or archmage
+1 to all DC's (+2 int from lich form: pale master lich form
+1 necromancy DC's: pale master lich form
+2 to any one main school of choice: archmage enhancements (archmage)
+1 to any one non-main school: archmage enhancements (archmage)

gearwise; assuming you'd otherwise slot a greater focus of the respective schools
+1 to enchantment DC's: major enchantment focus (twilight, element of magic; two handed raidloot weapon)
+1 to evocation DC's: major evocation focus (twilight, element of magic; two handed raidloot weapon)
+1 to necromancy DC's: major necromancy focus (necromancer's staff; two handed weapon)

potions:
+1 to all DC's: deneith turn in pot with +2 alchemical int (not adviced as duration is short)
+1 to all DC's: essence of cunning yugoloth pot

feats:
each passive sorcerer up to the third: +1 evocation DC
each passive cleric up to the third: +1 conjuration
active wizard: +1 to all dc's
completionist: +1 to all dc's (due to +2 int)


epic destinies:
+3 spell school specialist (any one school)
+2 precise spellcasting (conjuration/evocation)


Aaaaand pretty sure I'm forgetting stuff and people will correct me for it.

[MysticElaine]

Great post Forgeborn!

I would add that you can get +2 exceptional intelligence, not just +1
The 3 insightful and 8 enchantment are lvl 22 items
You can also get +1 enhancement for Human or Helf racial enhancements
Litany of the dead provides a +1 profane intelligence
Ship buffs are cool but wouldnt count on

[pseudomasochist]

I would add that you can get +2 exceptional intelligence, not just +1

+2 exceptional bonuses were converted to +2 insightful with the release of MotU. Insightful bonuses of different values don't stack the way exceptional does.

[Forgeborn]

Great post Forgeborn!

I would add that you can get +2 exceptional intelligence, not just +1
The 3 insightful and 8 enchantment are lvl 22 items
You can also get +1 enhancement for Human or Helf racial enhancements
Litany of the dead provides a +1 profane intelligence
Ship buffs are cool but wouldnt count on

the underlined:
1: has been changed to +2 insight, so doesn't stack with the +3 insight I counted
2: takes trinket, could of course swap the +3 insight one for it, and add a +2 insight one, however, that's exchanging on a one by one bases, so int remains the same (and the 'new' trinks are infinitely easier to get)

The bolded I actually forgot, however, for 'max int' he could go drow instead... which has a +2 racial modifier, instead of a possible +1 enhance

and I didn't account for shippies because of that, I only accounted sustainable/renewable in quests.