The Grave Robber is a Human Pale Master(18) Rogue(2)

* Free to Play
* lockpicking and looting with Dragonmarks of Finding
* disable, search and spot skills always at max level
* self healing
* Evasion

Strategy

* Necromancy, Pale Master Touch (mainly this to kill stuff)
* Instant Death with Finger of Death, Circle of Death, Undeath to Death
* Acid DoT vs. spell resistant and death immune
* Horrid Wilting for acid immune
* Some enchantment spells for disabling eg Otto's

Issues

* Low Spellpoints
* No skeleton summons
* No Wraith or Vampire Form
* Two free wizard metamagic feats to ponder


Looking for some help from experienced players to troubleshoot the build. Please remember I am a Free to Play newbie with little content experience and access. Hoping to use the class as a mainstay on each server to collect the in-game turbine points.


Q: What to do with two metamagic feats?

I picked Quicken for emergencies at level 12. I picked Heighten mainly to increase the DC of Undeath to Death for the level 17 feat. However (!) after reading on forums that metamagic affects dragonmarks I am wondering what the effect would be applying Maximize & Empower to the Greater Dragonmark of Finding? Would I get a +3 chest loot level instead of +1? Dramatic pause.


Q: Acid, Fire or Force?

I buffed Acid on the basis that conjured acid bypasses SR - the spidey sense tingled a bit thinking +5 spell penetration still might not be enough for instant death & Necrotouch to carry me all the way through the game. Then I noticed Firewall has no SR check either. Although going fire would depower a ton of spells (Acid Spray, Melfs, Acid Burst, Cloudkill, Black Dragon Bolt) fire might still be an option. Last consideration, should I instead plough the spellpower AP's into Force and wait for the almighty Horrid Wilting? If the Wiki is correct it nukes everything with no SR or resistance (untyped damage).


Q: Human Improved Recovery

Hoping it has been coded as heal% increase and will therefore amp negative energy healing. Could someone confirm this please? otherwise the (painful) 12 AP's would be of benefit to reclaim.


Q: Dragonmarks or something else?

Possibly the most contentious question to ask. On the basis I am Free to Play, will the lack of access to chests in expansion content (and the better loot tables for those chests) compromise the Dragonmark of Finding? Am I realistically going to get any benefit buffing Free to Play content chests?


Q: Chaotic/Lawful or True Neutral?

Read some sterling advice somewhere to be of Neutral alignmment in order to avoid Good damage. It got me thinking that with respect to items which end of the neutral scale is best for a Pale Master? Just checking to see if there are any aligned weapons/items that I should plan ahead for.


Thanks for reading, here is the Grave Robber. I didn't look at epic levels or items, tomes etc.

Grave Robber
Level 20 True Neutral Human Male
(2 Rogue / 18 Wizard)
Hit Points: 256
Spell Points: 1306

BAB: 10/10/15/20
Fortitude: 10
Reflex: 17 <--w00t!
Will: 11

Abilities, 28 Point, (Level 20)
Strength: 8
Dexterity: 8
Constitution: 16(18)
Intelligence: 18(26)
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 8

Feats Summary:
Insightful Reflexes
Eschew Materials
Toughness
Spell Focus: Necromancy
Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
Spell Penetration
Greater Spell Penetration
Quicken Spell
Heighten Spell
Least, Lesser & Greater Dragonmark of Finding

Enhancements Summary:
Pale Master III - Zombie & Lich
Spell Penetration III
Wizard Intelligence III
Human Versatility (CON & INT)
Human Improved Recovery III
Racial Toughness III
Wizard Energy of the Scholar III
Acid Manipulation VII
Corrosive Spellcasting I
Deadly Acid I
Force Manipulation I
Rogue Skill Boost I
Human Versatility I
Extra Dragonmark II

Spells Summary:
(1) Expeditious Retreat, Feather Fall, Acid Spray, Nightshield, Pro. Evil, Summon Monster I, Obscuring Mist, Repair Light Damage, Master's Touch(for shield proficiency)
(2) Resist Energy, Melf's Acid Arrow, False Life, Lesser Death Aura
(3) Displacement, Acid Blast, Summon Monster III, Rage
(4) Death Aura, Negative Energy Burst, Fireshield, Burning Blood
(5) Cloudkill, Mind Fog, Firewall, Summon Monster V
(6) Circle of Death, Undeath to Death, Reconstruct, True Seeing
(7) Finger of Death, Ott's Sphere of Dancing, Banishment, Mass Protection from Elements
(8) Horrid Wilting, Black Dragon Bolt, Mass Critical Repair, Summon Monster VIII
(9) Energy Drain, Wail of the Banshee, Power Word Kill, Summon Monster IX

Needs to include Symbol of Pain(5) and Jump(1).


Level Planner (skip from here, just the build for enhancements & spell picks)


Level 1 (Rogue)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Human Bonus) Least Dragonmark of Finding
Enhancement: Rogue Skill Boost I
Enhancement: Human Versatility I

Level 2 (Rogue)

Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Eschew Materials
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
Spell (1): Protection From Evil
Spell (1): Nightshield
Spell (1): Summon Monster I
Spell (1): Repair Light Damage
Spell (1): Master's Touch
Spell (1): Acid Spray
Spell (1): Obscuring Mist
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use I
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation I
Enhancement: Force Manipulation I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I

Level 4 (Wizard)
Spell (1): Feather Fall
Spell (1): Expeditious Retreat
Enhancement: Corrosive Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I

Level 5 (Wizard)
Spell (2): Melf's Acid Arrow
Spell (2): Resist Energy
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Constitution I
Enhancement: Deadly Acid I
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation II

Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Lesser Dragonmark of Finding
Spell (2): Lesser Death Aura
Spell (2): False Life
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery II
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II

Level 7 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Spell Focus: Necromancy
Spell (3): Displacement
Spell (3): Summon Monster III
Enhancement: Extra Dragonmark Use II
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II

Level 8 (Wizard)
Spell (3): Rage
Spell (3): Acid Blast
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master I
Enhancement: Shroud of the Zombie

Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Dragonmark of Finding
Spell (4): Death Aura
Spell (4): Negative Energy Burst
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation III
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I

Level 10 (Wizard)
Spell (4): Fire Shield
Spell (4): Burning Blood
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II

Level 11 (Wizard)
Spell (5): Cloudkill
Spell (4): Summon Monster IV
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetraation II

Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell
Spell (4): Wall of Fire
Spell (5): Mind Fog
Enhancement: Human Improved Recovery III

Level 13 (Wizard)
Spell (6): Circle of Death
Spell (6): Undead to Death

Level 14 (Wizard)
Spell (6): Reconstruct
Spell (6): True Seeing
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master II

Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Spell (7): Finger of Death
Spell (7): Otto's Sphere of Dancing
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation V

Level 16 (Wizard)
Spell (7): Banishment
Spell (7): Mass Protection From Elements
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration III

Level 17 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell
Spell (8): Summon Monster VIII
Spell (8): Horrid Wilting
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III

Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Spell (8): Black Dragon Bolt
Spell (8): Mass Repair Critical Damage
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Intelligence I

Level 19 (Wizard)
Spell (9): Summon Monster IX
Spell (9): Energy Drain
Enhancement: Racial Toughness III
Enhancement: Acid Manipulation VII

Level 20 (Wizard)
Spell (9): Wail of the Banshee
Spell (9): Power Word: Kill
Enhancement: Shroud of the Lich
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master III