WF Archmage Transmuter

[Morrissey87]

The idea of this build is an Archmage Transmuter. Warforged for the superior self healing and better defenses, besides tired of always going PM as a Wiz.

Why Transmutation? It only has 3 good spells for Wiz but they are really good ones.
Flesh to Stone is a great fire and forget CC that works on most monsters except those not fleshy like golems and contructs in general, but it does work on undead. It lasts for the entire fight making the enemy helpless and you can get 2 versions for faster cc on groups later, the normal one and a short cd SLA.
Slow is a great aoe simple cc spell that works on red enemies and the attack speed slow part works on purples (but not the movement slow). Slowing by 50% move speed and 30% AS plus -1 AC, ref saves, and attack rolls. Once effectively apllied it remains for the duration (about 2 mins at level 20) and monster doesn't get extra saves to break free of it, enemies don't cast haste spell and doesn't get burned away or blown with a 2nd level spell.
Finally Disintegrate is one of the best single target spells in the game. As a ray spell it has double range, the damage caps at lvl 20 but it will still carry you over mid 20's where you will take Ruin and later Greater Ruin, it does untyped damage which can't be resisted by any monster or immune and works with force line SP (impulse/kinetic), and best part is one of the few damaging spells that doesn't have a ref save so evasion won't save them (but a good fort save will almost ignore the spell). The bad part is that a succesfull fort saves almost negates the damage and it can be intercepted by walls/other enemies between you and the target.

As a Wiz we don't have any resist/immune bypass (except for negative against undead only) so going with force line spells means you won't have trouble with that ever, except the force immunes/resistant which are very few in the game but you have untyped damage for those. Liches are still a pain but everything else in your kit works against them and many don't have disintegrate wards (or if they do it only protects against a few casts)

Now the build: First life version


Classes: 20 Wizard, 10 Epic
Race: Warforged · · · · · ·Alignment: Neutral

· · ·Start Tome Final · · ·Incorp:· · ·0% · · ·Displacement:· ·50%
Str:· · ·8· · 0 · ·12 · · ·HP:· · · · 390 · · ·AC:· · 35
Dex:· · ·8· · 0 · · 8 · · ·PRR: · · · ·88
Con:· · 18· · 0 · ·18 · · ·MRR: · · · ·10 · · ·+Healing Amp:· · ·0
Int:· · 18· · 0 · ·31 · · ·Dodge: · ·0/25 · · ·-Healing Amp:· · ·0
Wis:· · 12· · 0 · ·12 · · ·Fort:· · · 50% · · ·Repair Amp:· · · 40
Cha:· · ·6· · 0 · · 6 · · ·SR:· · · · · 0 · · ·BAB: · · · · · · 15
DR: 2\Adamantine· ·0\Adamantine
Immunities: Sleep, Energy Drain, Nausea, Sickness, Exhaustion, Paralysis, Magical Controls and Compulsion, Magic Missiles, Fear

You can get more str instead of wis but I prefer having better will saves in the beggining and wear a str item and later tome for the ray of enfeeblement.

Class and Feat Selection
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Level Class · · · · · ·Feats
1 · · Wizard(1) · · · ·Standard: Insightful Reflexes
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Metamagic: Maximize Spell
2 · · Wizard(2) · · · ·
3 · · Wizard(3) · · · ·Standard: Empower Spell
4 · · Wizard(4) · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
5 · · Wizard(5) · · · ·Metamagic: Quicken Spell
6 · · Wizard(6) · · · ·Standard: Adamantine Body (Start with Mithral Body at lvl 6 then swap to Adamantine at lvl 12 when you get subtle force I)
7 · · Wizard(7) · · · ·
8 · · Wizard(8) · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
9 · · Wizard(9) · · · ·Standard: Heighten Spell
10· · Wizard(10)· · · ·Metamagic: Spell Focus: Transmutation
11· · Wizard(11)· · · ·
12· · Wizard(12)· · · ·Standard: Spell Penetration
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
13· · Wizard(13)· · · ·
14· · Wizard(14)· · · ·
15· · Wizard(15)· · · ·Standard: Greater Spell Focus: Transmutation
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Metamagic: Mental Toughness
16· · Wizard(16)· · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
17· · Wizard(17)· · · ·
18· · Wizard(18)· · · ·Standard: Greater Spell Penetration
19· · Wizard(19)· · · ·
20· · Wizard(20)· · · ·Metamagic: Improved Mental Toughness
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
21· · Epic(1) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Wellspring of Power
22· · Epic(2) · · · · ·
23· · Epic(3) · · · · ·
24· · Epic(4) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Embolden Spell
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
25· · Epic(5) · · · · ·
26· · Epic(6) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Epic Spell Power: Force
27· · Epic(7) · · · · ·Epic Feat: Ruin
28· · Epic(8) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Hellball
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Intelligence: +1 Level up
29· · Epic(9) · · · · ·Epic Destiny Feat: Arcane Pulse
30· · Epic(10)· · · · ·Epic Feat: Greater Ruin
· · · · · · · · · · · ·Legendary: Scion of the Plane of Earth

Enhancements: 80 APs, Racial 1
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Warforged - Points spent: 17
1 Core ·(1) Improved Fortification I
2 Tier1 (1) Repair Systems: Mechanist
3 Tier1 (1) Repair Systems: Mechanist
4 Tier1 (1) Repair Systems: Mechanist
5 Tier1 (1) Construct Nature I: Construct Hardiness
6 Tier2 (1) Damage Reduction
7 Tier2 (1) Damage Reduction
8 Tier2 (1) Damage Reduction
9 Tier1 (1) Construct Nature I: Construct Hardiness
10 Tier1 (1) Construct Nature I: Construct Hardiness
11 Tier3 (1) Memories of the Last War I: Arcane Slinger
12 Tier3 (1) Improved Body: Adamantine Durability
13 Tier3 (1) Improved Body: Adamantine Durability
14 Tier3 (1) Improved Body: Adamantine Durability
15 Tier2 (1) Construct Nature II: Construct Thinking
16 Tier4 (1) Resolve
17 Tier4 (1) Memories of the Last War II: Spellcarved Soldier
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Arch-Mage - Points spent: 43
1 Core ·(1) Specialization I: Transmutation I: Jump
2 Tier1 (2) Spell Critical: Elemental and Force I
3 Tier1 (1) Wand and Scroll Mastery
4 Tier1 (1) Wand and Scroll Mastery
5 Core ·(1) Specialization II: Transmutation II: Knock
6 Tier2 (2) Spell Critical: Elemental and Force II
7 Tier2 (2) Efficient Metamagic: Efficient Maximize
8 Tier2 (2) Efficient Metamagic: Efficient Maximize
9 Tier2 (2) Efficient Metamagic: Efficient Maximize
10 Core ·(1) Specialization III: Transmutation III: Haste
11 Tier3 (2) Spell Critical: Elemental and Force III
12 Tier2 (2) Efficient Metamagic: Efficient Empower
13 Tier2 (2) Efficient Metamagic: Efficient Empower
14 Tier2 (2) Efficient Metamagic: Efficient Empower
15 Tier4 (2) Efficient Heighten
16 Tier4 (2) Efficient Heighten
17 Tier4 (2) School Mastery: Primary Spell Focus: Transmutation
18 Tier4 (2) Spell Critical: Elemental and Force IV
19 Core ·(1) Specialization IV: Transmutation IV: Stone to Flesh
20 Core ·(1) Specialization V: Transmutation V: Flesh to Stone
21 Tier3 (2) Intelligence I
22 Tier5 (2) Arcane Supremacy
23 Tier5 (2) School Mastery II: Primary Spell Focus: Transmutation
24 Tier5 (2) Secondary School Mastery: Secondary Spell Focus: Conjuration
25 Core ·(1) Master of Magic
26 Tier1 (1) Wand and Scroll Mastery
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Eldritch Knight (Wiz) - Points spent: 21
1 Core ·(1) Eldritch Strike
2 Tier1 (1) Improved Mage Armor
3 Tier1 (1) Improved Mage Armor
4 Tier1 (1) Improved Mage Armor
5 Tier1 (1) Toughness
6 Tier2 (1) Improved Shield
7 Tier2 (1) Improved Shield
8 Tier2 (1) Improved Shield
9 Tier2 (1) Action Boost Spellpower
10 Tier2 (1) Action Boost Spellpower
11 Tier2 (1) Action Boost Spellpower
12 Core ·(1) Spellsword
13 Core ·(1) Imbue the Blade
14 Tier3 (2) Arcane Barrier
15 Tier2 (1) Mystic Wards
16 Tier2 (1) Mystic Wards
17 Tier2 (1) Mystic Wards
18 Tier3 (2) Ability I: +1 Intelligence
19 Core ·(1) Subtle Force I
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Edit: I have +1 racial from ravenloft ultimate bundle but If you don't have any racial points you can remove one point from wand mastery, your reconstruct scrolls won't heal that much but you still have your self cast.

Main focus will be increasing Force SP and Transmutation DC, secondary Conjuration or Evocation but I prefer Conj because Cloudkill helps with fort saves and other usefull cc and damage spells but Evocation is a good choice too.

For damage spells I like going with magic/force missile and chain missiles first, then persistent like Wall of Fire and Ice Storm (which uses force sp if greater), then switch to disintegrate and cyclone blast if you are not using persistent effects. Later Acid well works great and Meteors too.
You can dispel shield spells from casters for your missiles to work early, but you should already have access to disintegrate.
Some other non persistent Aoe spell like ball lightning or fireball is a must too but later just use Acid Well as an Aoe and single target too along disintegrate and ruin/greater ruin.

Before fights, setup all your cloud spells stinking cloud works wonders but solid fog and cloudkill on top of those add the other effects too. Web also great. Just be sure not to use cyclonic blast if you setup clouds or fire spells if web (or if enemy uses those), then displacement and enemies wont be able to hit you.

You will have good reflex, fort and will saves so no insta death from an enemy disintegrate.

So far I'm enjoying this build, it's strong on almost every content except those that prevent you from casting like madstone rage, golems are disintegrated and it has lots of survivability. Great and fun leveling. I had more fun than with PM builds where all enemies are undead and you are always at half power at best.

Start leveling with Archmage SLAs and firewall/ice storm kite and you'll be fine. Take extra sp from tree. Then when you get mental toughness reset tree and invest on improved metamagics and start using them on regular spells. You can take mental toughness and improved mental toughness first and maximize and empower later, personal choice. But I prefer having an empowered low sp cost sla while leveling because you will end up with no sp in many long dungeons anyway. They are completely trash past lvl 10 but still work on some mobs that don't have evasion so still useful while leveling but never build around these in mind, their saves are bugged and they don't get your heighten in mind plus the damage is very low.

[mr420247]

Nice build might be fun if when ever we get an arch mage pass i'd probably go tiefling instead of forged though just so u can strip fire immunity

Then u can aoe with metors, dbfs, drac ebs, dbs, and your ruins