Pale Trapper for new players (Human 18/2 Wizard/Rogue)

[Ancient]

But now i have an other question : if we are based on CC and instabnt death, why do we take empower and maximize?

This BUILD is based on CC and instant death. Palemasters mix quite nicely with archmage to produce a solid direct damage platform for shiradi... but that is a different build.

But the CC and Instant Death guides almost always claim the "Palemaster" tiitle

[Vulkoorex]

How well will a Drow Pale trapper do in EE? Assuming completionist, +6 tomes (when I buy it), and Epic completionist.

Is the DC impossible for instakill in EE?

[EllisDee37]

How well will a Drow Pale trapper do in EE? Assuming completionist, +6 tomes (when I buy it), and Epic completionist.

Is the DC impossible for instakill in EE?

A pale trapper will be 1 DC and 2 spell pen behind a pure pale master, assuming both are the same race, due to the pale trapper not getting the capstone and having two fewer wizard levels.

The two rogue splash is more attractive now than it has been in the past due to various game changes. Andoris has two different pale master guides of interest:

Pale Master Guide (pure)

Shadovar Infiltrator (18/2 wizard/rogue)

Both are dc casters. The main difference is that the infiltrator splashes 2 rogue and switches to melee (using harper int to attack/damage) for red names.

[Caprice]

Note though that Andoris has posted a recommendation in that thread for a SWF Heavy Armor Wiz18/Ftr2 variant instead. The extra PRR/MRR from Heavy Armor makes EE content much more survivable.

[Archdruid_of_Malatos]

Is it possible to do a variation of this build like Artificer 1/Fighter 1/Wizard 18?

I was thinking of doing this for a first life and I would probably go drow and grab the -ASF enhancements so I could were full plate.

[pappo]

Is it possible to do a variation of this build like Artificer 1/Fighter 1/Wizard 18?

I was thinking of doing this for a first life and I would probably go drow and grab the -ASF enhancements so I could were full plate.

What are the -ASF enhancements ?

[Archdruid_of_Malatos]

Arcane fluidity for the -15%

[Caprice]

The Artificer 1 / Fighter 1 variant is viable, and IMO the superior choice right now. You get more spell points, a few okay spells (e.g. Enchant Weapon also grants +3 spellpower), bonus feats, and a lever puller for soloing a few quests where that's needed. Evasion is still useful but the PRR/MRR from heavier armors is almost always better.

[EllisDee37]

The Artificer 1 / Fighter 1 variant is viable, and IMO the superior choice right now. You get more spell points, a few okay spells (e.g. Enchant Weapon also grants +3 spellpower), bonus feats, and a lever puller for soloing a few quests where that's needed. Evasion is still useful but the PRR/MRR from heavier armors is almost always better.

Agreed, but wizards already have their own lever puller for 2 AP.

[Archdruid_of_Malatos]

Agreed, but wizards already have their own lever puller for 2 AP.

Hes also quite useful for smashing doors.

Dos anyone know the lowest level I could feasible get no ASF full or half plate?

[Caprice]

Agreed, but wizards already have their own lever puller for 2 AP.

True, although you didn't take it in the listed enhancements. The skeleton also scales on Wizard levels so you can actually bring it out for combat purposes, which is nice. Its DPS is terrible with just 2 AP spent but so far I have been happy with its ability to distract enemies on my own PM Trapper (currently just back to epic levels) and as you say it pulls levers like a champ.

[Caprice]

Hes also quite useful for smashing doors.

Dos anyone know the lowest level I could feasible get no ASF full or half plate?

If you are talking about absolute minimum, then Cannith Crafting is your friend. You can craft Twilight and Greater Twilight armor to make that happen pretty early. Mastercrafted Twilight is -10% ASF and ML:2, and Mastercrafted Greater Twilight is -20% ASF and ML:6 (assuming nothing else on either). Neither bonus will stack with any other item bonuses (e.g. Seven Fingered Gloves, Augments) but are available much earlier. Fortunately both can be crafted in "unbound" form and traded; unbound Twilight is Arcane 35 and unbound Greater Twilight is 95, and neither recipe requires unusual ingredients, so finding a crafter who can do them should be pretty easy if you cannot yourself.

On the enhancement side the low hanging fruit in EK are the Wizard level 3 Core for -5%, and the tier 2 Light Armor Proficiency is worth another -5%. The next available is the tier 4 Medium Armor Proficiency for another -5%, but that takes 22 AP and thus a minimum of level 6. After that it's another -5% in the Wizard level 12 Core or the tier 5s (-15% possible, but locks you out of better trees). Elves, Drow, Half-Elves, and Sun Elves can get -15% for 4 AP (incl. the base point) as early as level 1.

So for an elf-type, with 6 AP in EK and 3 into the racial tree you can wear Mastercrafted Twilight Half Plate at level 3 (30% ASF - 30% in reductions = 0%). You can upgrade to Mastercrafted Greater Twilight Full Plate at level 6 and free up some AP in the process since you exceed what you need (35% ASF - 40% in reductions).

Non-elves have to wait until level 6 minimum to wear Mastercrafted Greater Twilight Half Plate and invest 8 AP into EK for both early ASF reductions (30% ASF - 30% in reductions). They have to wait until level 12 to upgrade to Full Plate, as they need at least one of the level 12 core from EK and/or the tier 5 EK enhancements (which also require level 12). The latter choice locks you out of better trees for this sort of build but you would no longer need the crafted armor as you can hit -35% just from the EK tree at that point.

[EllisDee37]

While updating the formatting of the build I've made a few minor changes.

The new concept is to use the Archmage Chill Touch SLA (w/maximize and empower) in the early levels as your bread and better, so I swapped Maximize with Spell Focus: Enchantment to get the metas asap. This also means we no longer need any enhancement resets while leveling.

I dropped the fifth archmage core (which isn't as useful in the necro school) in favor of a second human action boost.

Here's the previous version for comparison, or reference if you're in the middle of leveling:

Character Plan by DDO Character Planner Version 03.16.01
DDO Character Planner Home Page

Pale Trapper
Level 28 Human
(18 Wizard / 2 Rogue / 8 Epic) 

Abilities          28pt    32pt    34pt    36pt
Strength            10      14      10      12
Dexterity            8       8       8       8
Constitution        16      16      18      18
Intelligence        18      18      18      18
Wisdom               8       8       8       8
Charisma             8       8       8       8

Skills              Ranks
Concentration        23
Spellcraft           23
Heal                  7
Repair                4
Perform               2
Search               23
Spot                 23
Disable Device       23
Open Lock             5 
Balance               4
Jump                  4
Haggle                4
Swim                  2
Tumble                1
UMD                   1

Feats
 1 : Insightful Reflexes
 1H: Toughness
 2W: Empower Spell
 3 : Spell Focus: Enchantment or Past Life: Arcane Initiate
 6 : Extend Spell
 6W: Heighten Spell
 9 : Maximize Spell
12 : Spell Penetration
12W: Spell Focus: Necromancy
15 : Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
17W: Quicken Spell
18 : Greater Spell Penetration
21E: Epic Spell Penetration
24E: Great Ability: Intelligence
26E: Nullification +20
27E: Great Ability: Intelligence
28E: Toughness

Magister
Intelligence VI
Unearthly Reaction II
Necromancy Specialist III
Sigil of Energy Negation II
Piercing Spellcraft III
Arcane Adept
Twist 1: Energy Burst
Twist 2: Endless Faith


Level 1 (Rogue)
Skill: Balance (+4)
Skill: Disable Device (+4)
Skill: Haggle (+4)
Skill: Jump (+4)
Skill: Open Lock (+4)
Skill: Repair (+4)
Skill: Search (+4)
Skill: Spot (+4)
Skill: Swim (+2)
Skill: Tumble (+1)
Skill: Use Magic Device (+1)
Skill: Concentration (+2)
Skill: Heal (+2)
Skill: Perform (+2)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness


Level 2 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+3)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Enhancement: AM Core: Grease
Enhancement: AM1: Energy of the Scholar I
Enhancement: AM1: Spell Critical
Enhancement: PM Core: Dark Reaping


Level 3 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment or Past Life: Arcane Initiate
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Empower I
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Empower II
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Empower III


Level 4 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM1: Deathless Vigor I
Enhancement: PM1: Deathless Vigor II


Level 5 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM Core: Shroud of the Zombie
Enhancement: AM Core: Web
Enhancement: PM1: Negative Energy Conduit I
Enhancement: PM1: Negative Energy Conduit II


Level 6 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell
Enhancement: PM1: Deathless Vigor III
Enhancement: PM1: Spell Critical: Negative Energy


Level 7 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM Core: Shroud of the Vampire
Enhancement: AM Core: Stinking Cloud
Enhancement: AM3: Intelligence


Level 8 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM3: Intelligence


Level 9 (Rogue)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+5)
Skill: Open Lock (+1)
Skill: Search (+5)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Maximize Spell
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Maximize I
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Maximize II
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Maximize III


Level 10 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: AM4: School Mastery: Conjuration
Enhancement: PM2: Spell Critical: Negative Energy


Level 11 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: AM4: Intelligence
Enhancement: PM3: Spell Critical: Negative Energy


Level 12 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Spell Focus: Necromancy
Enhancement: AM4: Improved Heighten I
Enhancement: AM4: Improved Heighten II


Level 13 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM1: Negative Energy Conduit III
Enhancement: PM4: Intelligence
Enhancement: Human Core: Human Versatility: Skill Boost


Level 14 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM Core: Shroud of the Wraith
Enhancement: AM Core: Dimension Door
Enhancement: PM4: Spell Critical: Negative Energy


Level 15 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
Archmage Tree Reset
Enhancement: AM Core: Hypnotism
Enhancement: AM1: Energy of the Scholar I
Enhancement: AM1: Spell Critical
Enhancement: AM Core: Otto's Resistable Dance
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Empower III
Enhancement: AM2: Improved Maximize III
Enhancement: AM Core: Hold Person
Enhancement: AM3: Intelligence
Enhancement: AM Core: Charm Monster
Enhancement: AM4: Improved Heighten II
Enhancement: AM4: School Mastery: Enchantment
Enhancement: AM4: Intelligence
Enhancement: AM3: Spell Penetration I
Enhancement: AM3: Spell Penetration II


Level 16 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: AM2: Spell Critical


Level 17 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell
Enhancement: PM2: Improved Quicken I
Enhancement: PM2: Improved Quicken II
Enhancement: PM2: Improved Quicken III


Level 18 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
Enhancement: PM5: Necromantic Focus
Enhancement: PM5: Improved Shrouding


Level 19 (Wizard)
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Heal (+1)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: AM3: Spell Critical
Enhancement: AM4: Spell Critical


Level 20 (Wizard)
Ability Raise: INT
Skill: Concentration (+1)
Skill: Spellcraft (+2)
Skill: Disable Device (+1)
Skill: Search (+1)
Skill: Spot (+1)
Enhancement: PM Core: Shroud of the Lich
Enhancement: AM Core: Hold Monster
Enhancement: H1: Human Adaptability: Intelligence


Level 21 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Epic Spell Penetration


Level 24 (Epic)
Ability Raise: INT
Feat: (Selected) Great Intelligence


Level 26 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Nullification +20


Level 27 (Epic)
Feat: (Selected) Great Intelligence


Level 28 (Epic)
Ability Raise: INT
Feat: (Selected) Toughness

<End of Build>

[Janus-SOK]

Any suggestions for dealing with Beholders solo? I just tried to solo Invaders at level 11 on Normal, because that seems to be the only source of a +Search item for me right now, and it's making me want to give up on this character. I got the part where you get ambushed by 3 at once, and just couldn't deal with it. It seems like a ton of meta knowledge is required to be an effective arcane caster, and I'm really regretting making this my first life character at the moment.

[EllisDee37]

Rays have a longer range than beholder anti-magic. Assuming your draw distance is set high enough, you can kill them at distance safely using necrotic ray and polar ray. (Or scorching ray and frost lance or whatever.)

Of course, depending how many there are to kill in any one room, you might find yourself running backward to stay out of their anti-magic range, but it does work, particularly in Invaders!

For single beholders in small rooms where you can't easily stay out of range, circle behind them. Their antimagic field is cone-shaped, generated from their big eye, so there's no anti-magic field behind them. If you can get behind them, you can finger them quite easily. (No spell resistance and super low fortitude saves.)

EDIT: Regarding a search item, crafted is your best bet. Go into either crafting hall and ask if anyone can make you an unbound search +13 shard if you supply the mind essences. (Get the mind essences first.) If you're on Argo I'd be happy to make you one.

[Janus-SOK]

Rays have a longer range than beholder anti-magic. Assuming your draw distance is set high enough, you can kill them at distance safely using necrotic ray and polar ray. (Or scorching ray and frost lance or whatever.)

Of course, depending how many there are to kill in any one room, you might find yourself running backward to stay out of their anti-magic range, but it does work.

Thanks, I'll have to look for a run speed item to make that easier.

[Caprice]

Rays are really useful in Invaders but not in the spot that Janus-SOK is talking about, if it is the one I think it is. There are 3 beholders at a 4-way intersection, all linked for aggro, and because of the corners you can only kill one before the other 2 aggro on you and trap you in their anti-magic fields. Since there are 2 still alive the circle-strafe thing doesn't work very well, and since it is a narrow corridor you are pretty much stuck in the antimagic fields if you back up. It's a rough spot for a caster. I'd suggest picking up the skeleton pet and sending it in first, while you are stealthed at the top of the ramp or just behind the little pillar that juts out into the corridor, and then popping out with spells once the pet has aggro. You'll probably only get a couple off before you get aggro because of the "kill the casters" biased AI, but that may buy you enough time to whittle them down to one so you can circle-strafe the last (if you can get that to work). If you don't have the skeleton then you might try buying a Warforged Barbarian or Fighter hireling and send them in to get aggro first. Being WF they are not affected by some of the beholder rays, and you can Repair them if you slot appropriate spells and/or buy cheap wands. They probably won't last long against 3 beholders but you are just buying a little time.

If it is any consolation I believe Invaders is considered one of the hardest at-level quests in heroics.

I'll echo EllisDee37's crafting offer but for Sarlona. I can only craft the +10 skill shards myself, but I have guildies who can make +13s that are generally happy to help out.

[Janus-SOK]

Rays are really useful in Invaders but not in the spot that Janus-SOK is talking about, if it is the one I think it is. There are 3 beholders at a 4-way intersection, all linked for aggro, and because of the corners you can only kill one before the other 2 aggro on you and trap you in their anti-magic fields. Since there are 2 still alive the circle-strafe thing doesn't work very well, and since it is a narrow corridor you are pretty much stuck in the antimagic fields if you back up. It's a rough spot for a caster. I'd suggest picking up the skeleton pet and sending it in first, while you are stealthed at the top of the ramp or just behind the little pillar that juts out into the corridor, and then popping out with spells once the pet has aggro. You'll probably only get a couple off before you get aggro because of the "kill the casters" biased AI, but that may buy you enough time to whittle them down to one so you can circle-strafe the last (if you can get that to work). If you don't have the skeleton then you might try buying a Warforged Barbarian or Fighter hireling and send them in to get aggro first. Being WF they are not affected by some of the beholder rays, and you can Repair them if you slot appropriate spells and/or buy cheap wands. They probably won't last long against 3 beholders but you are just buying a little time.

If it is any consolation I believe Invaders is considered one of the hardest at-level quests in heroics.

I'll echo EllisDee37's crafting offer but for Sarlona. I can only craft the +10 skill shards myself, but I have guildies who can make +13s that are generally happy to help out.

Yup, that's the exact spot! I did pick up the skeleton knight since I read in Ellis' Epic Challenge Farmer thread that it's really good for leveling up, but I didn't know about stealthing before sending it in to avoid aggro. The "kill the casters" AI became readily apparent when all the Beholders just ignored my hireling + pet even though I never cast a single spell. Although to be fair, when it comes to NPCs, I always kill the casters first too.

I'm actually on Sarlona as well, so maybe tonight I'll see how many Mind essences I have saved up.

[Postumus]

If you are talking about absolute minimum, then Cannith Crafting is your friend. You can craft Twilight and Greater Twilight armor to make that happen pretty early. Mastercrafted Twilight is -10% ASF and ML:2, and Mastercrafted Greater Twilight is -20% ASF and ML:6 (assuming nothing else on either). Neither bonus will stack with any other item bonuses (e.g. Seven Fingered Gloves, Augments) but are available much earlier. Fortunately both can be crafted in "unbound" form and traded; unbound Twilight is Arcane 35 and unbound Greater Twilight is 95, and neither recipe requires unusual ingredients, so finding a crafter who can do them should be pretty easy if you cannot yourself.

On the enhancement side the low hanging fruit in EK are the Wizard level 3 Core for -5%, and the tier 2 Light Armor Proficiency is worth another -5%. The next available is the tier 4 Medium Armor Proficiency for another -5%, but that takes 22 AP and thus a minimum of level 6. After that it's another -5% in the Wizard level 12 Core or the tier 5s (-15% possible, but locks you out of better trees). Elves, Drow, Half-Elves, and Sun Elves can get -15% for 4 AP (incl. the base point) as early as level 1.

So for an elf-type, with 6 AP in EK and 3 into the racial tree you can wear Mastercrafted Twilight Half Plate at level 3 (30% ASF - 30% in reductions = 0%). You can upgrade to Mastercrafted Greater Twilight Full Plate at level 6 and free up some AP in the process since you exceed what you need (35% ASF - 40% in reductions).

Non-elves have to wait until level 6 minimum to wear Mastercrafted Greater Twilight Half Plate and invest 8 AP into EK for both early ASF reductions (30% ASF - 30% in reductions). They have to wait until level 12 to upgrade to Full Plate, as they need at least one of the level 12 core from EK and/or the tier 5 EK enhancements (which also require level 12). The latter choice locks you out of better trees for this sort of build but you would no longer need the crafted armor as you can hit -35% just from the EK tree at that point.

If building a caster to use heavy armor, and these days why wouldn't you, I find going 19/1 Wiz/Art is a better way to go since I won't be able to use evasion anyway. This split gives you higher DCs, more SPs, and another pet you can use situationally to open things if you don't want to put enhancement points into the skeletal knight.

[EllisDee37]

Yup, that's the exact spot!

Are you talking about at the very start, when you first go north?

I ask because I farmed Invaders! for over a dozen* runs on my pale masters (pale trapper and epic challenge farmer) trying to pull Tharkuul's Bane for my swashbuckler life, but no joy. In all dozen runs I was able to kill pretty much all the beholders with the "ray and run" tactic, and would be happy to post a sample video, especially if it's the first encounter. (I'll always grab another chance at Tharkuul's Bane.) I ran it on elite in hopes for better drop rates, but of course it's still easier for an epic character with destinies to do elite than a level 11 to do normal.

The big advantage in Invaders! is that beholders can't fit through doorways.

*Plus another half dozen runs on my paladin, and even a few on my cleric. I got VERY sick of that quest after that couple days.

I'm actually on Sarlona as well, so maybe tonight I'll see how many Mind essences I have saved up.

Check the auction house to help supplement, and in a pinch you can transmute body essences into mind at the crafting vendor opposite the bank/ah in the crafting hall. It's better not to transmute because it costs 2:1, and body are super useful (they're used for Disable Device and Open Lock shards), but it's an option.

An unbound Search +13 shard (which will make an ML11 item) costs 42 greater and 102 lesser mind essences.
You'll also need them to make you a +6 potential shard, which costs 75 lesser essences of any type. (Use fire, water, lawful, chaos, or evil essences for this, as they're the least useful.)