Need an Archmage Build please

[C-Shell]

can anyone quickly help me out with a first life drow archmage build? i dont really know which spell foci i should get and where to put my enhancements points in.

eg: when picking the necro line; is it worth it all all to pick the according sla abilities? enervation is nice and stuff, but thats a lot of sp you have to sacrifice for it. maybe not getting any sla at all so i can keep the sweet amount of sp?

whats a good secondary focus?

plz no pm vs. am discussion. i know the benefits of pm.

[Ellihor]

I see you play since 2009 so first i need to know:
- Do you have any characters at cap atm?
- Can you afford getting expensive andgame gear?
- Would you grind all fate points with this character?
- Do you prefer to solo or to play with party?

[t0r012]

For SLAs only take the ones you want and the prerequisite ones you need to get them.
For instance I have a force spec Evo. I stopped getting SLAs at chain missile. Not with the sp after that for my build.
Yet I had to get gust of wind but it's ok.

For a secondary ; choose one you think you will like and use.

[nibel]

A pure wizard have 12 feats.

You absolutelly need at least Mental Toughness (pre-requisite), Heighten (for CC), and Maximize (for damage). You need Greater Spell Focus with at least one school for Archmage 3.

By the limitation on the Archmage line, you can get as many level 1 SLA you want (but you need Spell Focus), a max of two level 2-3 SLA (since they requires Spell Mastery, and you can only have 2), and only one level 4-5 SLA (since they requires Spell Mastery II). This table will help you decide which SLAs you want.

Now comes the personal opinions:

The only Level 1 SLA I think is worth it is Hypnotism, because it gives a cheap -3 Will area debuff. Since it is a SLA, you can augment it as much as you want (quicken, heighten, enlarge), and it will still be cast with 1 SP.

For level 2-3, we have a bunch of options:

• Magic/Chain Missile is good for a generally cheap nuke (since they can be empowered/maximized), and are better than Arcane Bolt/Blast (since they allow no save).
• Web is an awesome CC spell, and being used for 3 SP makes it even better.
• Otto's is a good spell, and have a bigger duration than the irresistible version. Can be chained with the 1 SP hypno that you get as the enchantment tier 1.

Level 4 and 5 SLA are VERY build-dependent, since while a lot of them are good spells, they require a payment of a good bunch of your SP pool (100-125 SP). They are spells that usually are cast with a cost of 20-30 SP, and turning it a SLA will make it cost 10-15. so it is worth it only if you cast that spell more than 10 times per shrine in every quest you run.

• Hold Monster is a reasonable option, but if you are enchantment-focused, you'll generally use Mass Holds with low chance of failure. The single-target version might be worth it to grab the oddball that saved against the mass version, if you have quick fingers to select and cast it. Also can be used to hold Beholders, because SLAs can still be used under a antimagic field.
• Enervation is an awesome spell, and turning it a SLA makes it a natural rotation spell to lower saves/HP of the mobs. The only problem with it is that the level 1-3 necromancy SLAs are... subpar. You need to cast it a lot to pay for the cost of all the SP you lost to get it.

Myself, I would go with an Necromancy archmage (for instakills) with Conjuration/Enchantment focus, and Web/Hypno SLAs. That would make the Feat list something like this:

W1-Mental Toughness
01- Maximize Spell
03- Toughness
W5- Spell Focus: Necromancy
06- Spell Focus: Enchantment (Get Archmage I, get Hypno SLA)
09- Spell Penetration or Active Past Life: Wizard (Get archmange II)
W10- Heighten Spell
12- Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy (Get Archmange III, get Spell Mastery I in Necro)
15- (Greater) Spell Penetration (Get Archmage IV, Spell Mastery II in necro, think if you want Enervation SLA)
W15 - Spell Focus: Conjuration (Secondary Spell Mastery in Conjuration, get Grease and Web SLAs)
18- Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment (Archmage V for 75 more SP)
W20- Quicken, Extend, Enlarge, or Greater Spell Penetration

[HastyPudding]

Adding on to what Nibel said about enchantment SLA's:

I've done 2 lives of archmage on my caster character, and I've found that the hold person SLA is actually very good. Sure, mass hold is more practical, but you have to get mobs grouped up, which isn't always as easy as it sounds. I found that, in the higher levels, running around spamming my hypnotism, web, otto's resistible dance, and hold person SLA's was amazingly effective, and very SP efficient (provided your DC's are high enough).

By all means use your mass holds and disco balls, they're very effective in time management compared to SLA's, but don't neglect what the archmage has to offer with low cost SLA's. You might balk at first at the SP cost to get them, but once you get to using them you realize it's a worthwhile investment.

[Kinerd]

Web SLA is incredible. I can't imagine building an Archmage without it. Not to say that you would be unviable without it, but that it's so powerful for such a small cost that I can't imagine why I would purposefully avoid it.

Enhancement wise, you should be able to fit in two elements at 7/1/1 without too much difficulty. Cold is a very versatile and powerful choice, I can't imagine building any wizard without it same as above. After that it's pretty murky: Electric and Eladar's, Acid and various, Force/Untyped and various are all interesting.

I know you say you know the benefits of PM, but self-healing is just so powerful, do you mind if I ask why you don't want it?