A simple and effective first life instant killer

[Strimtom]

Good morning, I am Strimtom and today I bring to you a very fun instant killer I just had the pleasure of playing. This character was a joy since the idea of just deleting monsters from your screen might sound fun, but slapping the tab key and working your way through a whole crowd is just way more satisfying than I remembered. While having past lives for getting into the super endgame is helpful, for elite and low reaper this character was a blast without any of the caster past lives to help it along the way. So you if you are looking for a little instant in your killing, go no further than deep gnome illusionist necromancer!



Note: This character will be getting a big buff in U51 with the new EDs by being able to use shadowdancer for more instant kills or magus of the eclipse for high single target damage, which this character does lack for boss killing.

Illusionist Palemaster
Wizard 20
True Neutral Deep Gnome


Stats
. . . . . . . .32pt . . 34pt. . .36pt . . Level Up
. . . . . . . .---- . . ----. . .---- . . --------
Strength. . . . 12. . . .12 . . . 10. . . .4: INT
Dexterity . . . .8. . . . 8 . . . .8. . . .8: INT
Constitution. . 16. . . .16 . . . 18. . . 12: INT
Intelligence. . 20. . . .20 . . . 20. . . 16: INT
Wisdom. . . . . 10. . . .10 . . . 10. . . 20: INT
Charisma. . . . .6. . . . 8 . . . .6. . . 24: INT
. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28: INT

Skills
. . . . . 1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9 10 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
Repair. . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Spellcr . 4. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 1. 23
Heal. . . 2. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. . .11
Search. . 2. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. . .11
Swim. . . 2. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. . .11
Haggle. . . .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .1 .1 .1 .1 .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ . . 11
UMD . . . 2. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. ½. . .11
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .½ .3 . 7
Perform . 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Concent . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .1 . 1
Tumble. . 1. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
. . . . .------------------------------------------------------------
. . . . .28. 7. 7. 7. 7. 7. 7. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 9
Max . . .28. 7. 7. 7. 7. 7. 7. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 8. 9. 9. 9. 9. 9


Feats

.1. . . . : Spell Penetration
.1 Wizard : Spell Focus: Illusion
.3. . . . : Greater Spell Focus: Illusion
.5 Wizard : Spell Focus: Necromancy
.6. . . . : Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
.9. . . . : Quicken Spell
10 Wizard : Extend Spell
12. . . . : Insightful Reflexes
15. . . . : Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment
15 Wizard : Spell Focus: Enchantment
18. . . . : Greater Spell Penetration
20 Wizard : Heighten Spell
21 Epic . : Arcane Insight
24 Epic . : Master of: the Dead
26 Destiny: Epic Spell Power: Negative
27 Epic . : Embolden Spell
28 Destiny: Toughness
29 Destiny: Deific Warding
30 Epic . : Epic Reflexes
30 Legend : Scion of: Shadowfell


Spells

1. Nightshield (1), Merfolk's Blessing (1), Shield (1), Feather Fall (2), Hypnotism (7)
2. Resist Energy (3), Blur (3), Knock (4), Gust of Wind (6), Glitterdust (9)
3. Haste (5), Displacement (5), Magic Circle Against Evil (6), Halt Undead (8), Rage (11)
4. Negative Energy Burst (7), Death Aura (7), Dimension Door (8), Remove Curse (10), Crushing Despair (13)
5. Teleport (9), Protection from Elements (9), Cyclonic Blast (10), Break Enchantment (12), Prismatic Ray (15)
6. Undeath to Death (11), Circle of Death (11), Greater Dispel Magic (12), Greater Heroism (14), Globe of Invulnerability (17)
7. Finger of Death (13), Mass Hold Person (13), Mass Protection from Elements (14), Otto's Sphere of Dancing (16), Prismatic Spray (19)
8. <Any>, <Any>, <Any>, <Any>, <Any>
9. Mass Hold Monster (17), Wail of the Banshee (17), Acid Well (18),. .Meteor Swarm* (19), <Any>

Enhancements (Spent: 80 +0r +0u / Max: 80 +0r +0u AP)

Pale Master (41 AP)

• Dark Reaping, Shroud of the Wraith, +2 Necromancy DC, +2 Enchantment DC, Ghost in the Wind, Embrace the Void
  1. Negative Energy Conduit III, Spell Critical, Skeletal Knight I, Deathless Vigor III
  2. Spell Critical
  3. Negative Energy Adept III, Spell Critical, Intelligence
  4. Spell Critical, Shroud of the Lich, Intelligence
  5. Animate Ally, Necromantic Focus, Dark Discorporation: Reactive Discorporation, Ascendant Shroud

Archmage (23 AP)

• Invisibility, Blur, Displacement, Phantasmal Killer
  1. Energy of the Scholar II, Traditionalist Caster I
  2. Efficient Quicken III
  3. Spell Penetration II, Intelligence
  4. Efficient Heighten I

Deep Gnome (16 AP)

• Wariness, Intelligence, Wariness II, Intelligence
  1. Underdark Experience III
  2. Color Spray I
  3. Nimble Reaction II, Illusion Focus III
  4. Phantasmal Killer I

Destiny (24 AP)

Magister

1. Impregnable Mind II, Intelligence
2. School Specialist: Necromancy III, Intelligence
3. School Augmentation III, Intelligence
4. School Familiarity III, Intelligence
5. School Master III, Intelligence

Twists of Fate (27 fate points)

1. Arcane Hymn (Tier 3 Fatesinger)
2. Piercing Spellcraft (Tier 3 Exalted)
3. Draconic Presence (Tier 1 Draconic)
4. Intelligence (Tier 1 Draconic)
5. Intelligence (Tier 1 Shadowdancer)

[Peter_Principle]

Nice, a wizard build that isn't a melee. Always nice to see. I have some questions.

Abilities
•Points into strength instead of charisma. I've never found exhaustion attacks to be that common, but I'm always using UMD. Would the UMD not be more helpful?

Skills
•Why put skill points into Swim, Haggle and Repair, but almost none into Concentration, and short UMD (and Search) by half a point?

Spells
•Nightshield and Shield? There may be some overlap here, unless you don't have Resistance Saves slotted.
•Isn't Feather Fall better on an item (easily removed if you e.g. don't want to spend 10 minutes falling in Spies)?
•Merfolks Blessing, but no Sonic Blast? Surely you don't run around breaking boxes with a weapon like some sort of...paladin.
•You get PK from deep gnome and archmage, but you don't take PK as a 4th level spell? You have Remove Curse instead. I see the value of the other 4th level spells you've taken, but couldn't you just buy a stack of remove curse potions, and wand/scroll if you want to cast it on others?
•Why take Teleport instead of scrolling it?
•Why take Protection from Elements along with Mass PoE in your 7s?
•No Necrotic Ray? Seems like you could scroll one or more of Greater Dispel, GH or Globe.
•8th level spells are all open, but I would think Polar Ray, Otto's and/or Sunburst would be de rigueur.

Sorry if this is too many questions, I'm just curious what your reasoning is behind some of your choices.

[Orandil]

Feats

.1. . . . : Spell Penetration
.1 Wizard : Spell Focus: Illusion
.3. . . . : Greater Spell Focus: Illusion
.5 Wizard : Spell Focus: Necromancy
.6. . . . : Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
.9. . . . : Quicken Spell
10 Wizard : Extend Spell
12. . . . : Insightful Reflexes
15. . . . : Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment
15 Wizard : Spell Focus: Enchantment
18. . . . : Greater Spell Penetration
20 Wizard : Heighten Spell
21 Epic . : Arcane Insight
24 Epic . : Master of: the Dead
26 Destiny: Epic Spell Power: Negative
27 Epic . : Embolden Spell
28 Destiny: Toughness
29 Destiny: Deific Warding
30 Epic . : Epic Reflexes
30 Legend : Scion of: Shadowfell

If you were a second life wizard on this build, where you sub in Arcane Initiate Past life feat? Would you drop one or all of the greater spell focus feats, or switch out something like insightful reflexes?

[C-Dog]

Skills
•Why put skill points into Swim, Haggle and Repair, but almost none into Concentration, and short UMD (and Search) by half a point?

For the former, guessing he's relying on Quicken. (Not how I'd do it either, but maybe we're both missing something.)

And it's easy to swap skills around if you prefer something else, but remember this starts at 15, so you're starting in end-Heroic land. (I'm guessing the Repair is for party healing of Warforged. Again, not my personal priority, but I can see it.)

For the latter, full half-ranks = 11 1/2 ranks.