How good of a build is this so far

[dragonfett]

I have a fourth level Drow Wizard and I wanted to know how well I am shaping him up so far.

Base stats (Modified)
Str: 8
Dex: 16 (18)
Con: 10
Int: 21 (23)
Wis: 10
Cha: 10 (12)

Feats
Combat Casting
Extend Spell
Maximize Spell

Skills Ranks/total
Concentration 7/10
Diplomacy 3/4
Haggle 3.5/5.5
Heal 3.5/3.5
Repair 4/10
Search 2/10
Spellcraft 7/13
UMD 3.5/4.5

Enhancements
Abjuration I: Shield (Arch-Mage Core)
Abjuration II: Resist Energy (Arch-Mage Core, consists of 5 individual spells for each element)
Arcane Bolt 1/3 (Arch-Mage)
Energy of the Scholar 1/3 (Arch-Mage)
Subtle Spellcasting 3/3 (Arch-Mage)
Traditionalist Spell Caster 1/3 (Arch-Mage)
Wand/Scroll Mastery 3/3 (Arch-Mage)
Spell Resistance (Drow Core)

Equipment Bonuses/Abilities
Head: Battered Helm (+1 Intimidate, +1 Haggle)
Necklace: Arcane Necklace (Arcane Mind +24 Universal Spell Power when Arcane Goggles are worn, +1 Int, +1 Cha)
Eyes: Arcane Goggles (Arcane Mind +24 Universal Spell Power when Arcane Necklace is worn, +3 Concentration, Power I)
Body: +4 Robes
Wrists: Dexterous +2 Bracers
Ring 1: Charismatic +2 Ring
Ring 2: Discarded Ring (Power I)
Feet: Boots of the Long Step (Striding +5%)
Hands: Frostproof Gloves of Protection +1 (Cold Resistance 5, Protect +1)
Waist: Armored Belt +3 (+3 to AC that does not stack with armor)
Cloak: Feather Cloak (Feather Fall 1/rest)
Primary Hand: Eternal Wand of Finger of Fire (Combustion +30 Fire Spell Power, Finger of Fire 50 charges/rest that also regenerate on their own and normally deals 1d4 damage + 1/caster level)
Primary Hand (alt): +1 Combustion Scepter of Fire Lore Club (Spellcasting Implement +3 Universal Spell Power, Combustion +30 Fire Spell Power, +1 Enhancement, Fire Lore +11% equipment bonus to crit)

Spells
First Level
All

Second Level
Cat's Grace
Fox's Cunning
Scorching Ray
Invisibility
Some others I don't remember off of the top of my head


Ok, so I know that my gear is not optimized. Half of it were quest rewards that I kept because I like one of the bonuses that it offered. That is why I have a ring that gives me a +2 Cha despite the fact that I get a +1 from my Arcane Necklace. The other half were Auction House finds (I only ever search for items with the Buy Now option) and simply haven't had the pp (and could never find) needed to get better gear.

[EllisDee37]

I'd suggest switching your Archmage focus from Abjuration to Conjuration for the cheap Web SLA, which can be heightened for free. (If you do that, swap out Combat Casting for Heighten Spell.)

For a dps option, go Necromancy instead of Abjuration/Conjuration and go nuts with Chill Touch, which can be empowered/maximized for free. (If you do that, swap out Combat Casting for Empower Spell.)

[changelingamuck]

If you're not planning toward taking the Mobile Spellcasting feat (which has Combat Casting as a prerequisite), I'd take just about any other feat than Combat Casting. Somebody on the forums who is on your server should be able to easily toss you the siberys dragonshards necessary to swap that out for something else. Mobile Spellcasting actually has an effect on gameplay though, so if you want that feat, then you have to take combat casting, of course.

[dragonfett]

Every time I have been logging on for the past couple days I have been seeing a notice saying that I have one free feat swap available, so that will take care of that.

[dragonfett]

On a related topic, who has the most current DDO Character Planner released, the one that I downloaded from http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/DDOCharGen.html doesn't have some of the same enhancements (such as Traditionalist Caster and no prerequisites for Wand and Scroll Mastery)

[unbongwah]

Every time I have been logging on for the past couple days I have been seeing a notice saying that I have one free feat swap available, so that will take care of that.

You probably did the Hall of the Mark quest, which grants a free feat swap. I actually prefer to save that quest for higher levels, when feat swaps become much more expensive, but that's a moot point now.

I recommend you check out the Pale Master Guide and ED37's Pale Trapper for lots of good wiz advice. While you don't have to play a Pale Master, it's a pretty strong PrE so you'd be stacking the deck against yourself if you don't; in particular, the self-unhealing which comes from undead forms + Death Aura + Neg Energy Burst is invaluable to a fleshie wiz.

TBH, I think you'd be better off restarting; your build made some suboptimal choices (for one thing, CON > DEX on any wiz) and at only lvl 4 it's not worth LRing. But that's your call...

[Psiandron]

I'd suggest switching your Archmage focus from Abjuration to Conjuration for the cheap Web SLA, which can be heightened for free. (If you do that, swap out Combat Casting for Heighten Spell.)

For a dps option, go Necromancy instead of Abjuration/Conjuration and go nuts with Chill Touch, which can be empowered/maximized for free. (If you do that, swap out Combat Casting for Empower Spell.)

In addition to web, which will give you great crowd control, you could also use Niac's Cold Ray, which is also conjuration and may be heightened. It can do some frightening amounts of damage if you have good cold spell power and the conjuration focus and later the heightening help you get past the save.

[UurlockYgmeov]

10 constitution?

Ouch....

'Glass Cannon' - means you hit hard, but if are hit you break into tiny little pieces.

Please take this with all good intentions:

Con is Not a dump stat.

"Have fun storming the castle! Think they stand a chance? No, they'd need a miracle." — Princess Bride

[dragonfett]

I had chose to keep my Con low to put more points into Dex so that I could hit more regularly with my spells. I haven't had much problems yet with a low Con.

[unbongwah]

Spells usually have a DC check and sometimes a Spell Pen check, but never a to-hit roll; DEX does nothing for them.

[UurlockYgmeov]

I had chose to keep my Con low to put more points into Dex so that I could hit more regularly with my spells. I haven't had much problems yet with a low Con.

two operative words: much and yet.

Many parties will refuse to group with a con-dump-stat caster. Just a heads up.

[Enderoc]

two operative words: much and yet.

Many parties will refuse to group with a con-dump-stat caster. Just a heads up.

So add two monk levels (*if you have monk) and choose toughness for both. If your dex is high that would give good evasion....until you choose insightful reflexes. If you go Palemaster it probably is a good choice as you can get that added melee effect. Then if you have harper spend points to use int to hit and damage, if not...see if you can squeeze in weapon finesse. (or zen archery and maybe one level of cleric for silver flame longbow prof. and bonuses to negative energy/heal) If you do go the archer route diplomacy is a pretty good skill to invest in as a caster imo to break aggro when you no longer want to kite. So one level Cleric at least...to benefit both the idea of long range combat and as a palemaster without gimping your DC's too much while allowing you to max heal and diplomacy.

[dragonfett]

Spells usually have a DC check and sometimes a Spell Pen check, but never a to-hit roll; DEX does nothing for them.

Really? I guess I that is one difference between DDO and the pen and paper versions that I never really noticed...

[Enderoc]

Really? I guess I that is one difference between DDO and the pen and paper versions that I never really noticed...

If you want to stay pure wizard I would say invest in the Eldritch Knight tree enough to use martial weapons so you could use a bow. In PNP wizards usually at least carried a dagger because they had limited spells, same here... hardly any caster goes without an alternate weapon and with low Con you want to stay at range. You should also even go beyond that and don some armor by using that same line. The right gear can ungimp almost any build. Its a tough ride first life being a wizard...so gear up to handle. Grind until you can. Con is not a big of a deal as it used to be. There are a ton of ways to beef your HP, in fact having High Dex may save your life more than you could imagine...as long as you can boost your AC high. If the mobs are too many, plate and shield... if not alternate between casting implements and bow. Weapon finesse is definitely a good option. So would a healthy supply of Tenser's scrolls.

[dragonfett]

If you want to stay pure wizard I would say invest in the Eldritch Knight tree enough to use martial weapons so you could use a bow. In PNP wizards usually at least carried a dagger because they had limited spells, same here... hardly any caster goes without an alternate weapon and with low Con you want to stay at range. You should also even go beyond that and don some armor by using that same line. The right gear can ungimp almost any build. Its a tough ride first life being a wizard...so gear up to handle. Grind until you can. Con is not a big of a deal as it used to be. There are a ton of ways to beef your HP, in fact having High Dex may save your life more than you could imagine...as long as you can boost your AC high. If the mobs are too many, plate and shield... if not alternate between casting implements and bow. Weapon finesse is definitely a good option. So would a healthy supply of Tenser's scrolls.

The spell Mage Armor still doesn't stack with worn armor, correct?

[EllisDee37]

On a related topic, who has the most current DDO Character Planner released, the one that I downloaded from http://www.rjcyberware.com/DDO/DDOCharGen.html doesn't have some of the same enhancements (such as Traditionalist Caster and no prerequisites for Wand and Scroll Mastery)

Character Builder Lite (linked in signature) has up-to-date game information.

[dragonfett]

Character Builder Lite (linked in signature) has up-to-date game information.

I wish that there was one that had the ability to assign gear as well, oh well.

[unbongwah]

Really? I guess I that is one difference between DDO and the pen and paper versions that I never really noticed...

One of the first things the PnP D&D fan has to learn when making the transition to DDO is...this ain't the D&D system you know. While it is still technically based on 3.5E rules and the d20 system, there have been so many additions and modifications over the years - not to mention a ton of power creep - that it's practically an entirely separate system. Attempting to apply what you know about PnP rules - or, in my case when I first started playing, the NWN/ToEE CRPGs - will lead you astray, likely as not.

[Hobgoblin]

10 constitution?



Con is Not a dump stat.

take this with a grain of salt. It is far better to say that HP is not a dump stat.

lets just take level 20 for an example and con 10 vrs con 14.

the difference between the 2 is only 40 hp.

with gear/tomes it can be made up, but it does require a lot of game knowledge, build knowledge and farming.

Lets take my last life on jaimmee.

I started at 11?12? base con.

However, With my tomes and gear, I still had over a 1000 hp at end game.

You probably don't have that gear yet.

So up to you if you want to start with a low con and make the farming harder.

As for the rest of your build,

I would think twice about extend, get rid combat casting, and pick up quicken later on, and grab maximize