Archmage archetype soon?

[Wahnsinnig]

We really need an archmage archetype asap.

I want to play a Gandalf type wizard, not an undead monster.

[Targal]

I want to play a Gandalf type wizard, not an undead monster.

Do you mean this?

[mr420247]

A red wizard of they evoker would be good something like that

[unbongwah]

We really need an archmage archetype asap.

If/when we get a wizard Archetype, it won't simply be an Archmage buff, it'll be a new tree based on a PnP class like Arcane Trickster (adds sneak attack damage to spells) or Geomancer or whatever.

I want to play a Gandalf type wizard, not an undead monster.

You can already play e.g. Archmage / Feydark Illusionist, the problem is even if you have zero interest in Necromancy spells, there's still caster & survivability benefits from 6+ APs into Pale Master which can't be replicated elsewhere.

[FuzzyDuck81]

It'll likely be a similar thing to how divine disciple got an overhaul. Wizard is a somewhat trickier one though since with the spell school specialisation there's a lot more scope for different options & the archmage tree needs to account for all the spell schools rather than just a light/dark approach. If anything, I suspect for the wizard archetypes the archmage tree will be the one replaced to allow for better specialisation.

A few ideas off the top of my head:
Abjuration themed - leans towards anti-outsider capabilities as well as a number of buffs & defensive magics for self & party, would tie in really well with eldritch knight in particular as well as the idea above of Gandalf being in the thick of the battle. Bonus points for a "You Shall Not Pass!" type of skill, i'm kind of envisioning a combination aggro-drawing ability combined with mastermaker's unbreakable forcefield
Transmutation themed - shapeshifting options for self buffs (iron body spell?) as well as offensive transmutations (not just frogging but "you have no mouth how do you cast?" & similar debuff type of effects.
Evocation themed - the most straightforward, blasty power style, potentially adding extra effects like an additional DoT (similar to bombardier alchemist) or debuff to certain spells, maybe an ability that lets you toggle certain spells to be a different element. I know in PnP there's stuff that can boost magic missile for example. This could also double up with a sorcerer archetype for a non-elementalist based one.
Enchantment themed - heavy on crowd control, confusion & charm type abilities but could include some additional party morale-boosting buffs.

[Aelonwy]

I want an Archmage that dual wields staff and orb like wizards from fairytales.



Okay I know the image isn't a fairytale its just the most iconic version I had at hand to post.

[KurtS]

We really need an archmage archetype asap.

I want to play a Gandalf type wizard, not an undead monster.

To me the existing wizard setup is kind of the archetype. It's the necromancer archetype (with the pale master and archmage trees being the key ones).

A "new" wizard archetype in my mind would need a tree to replace pale master that would make it more of a "regular" wizard rather than an undead one. Maybe a "war magic" tree that would be based on the War Magic tradition in Xanthar's 5E. I think a tree like that that might give some offensive SLA's that maybe let a wizard be more like a specializing sorceror in damage spells and some defensive bonuses to counter losing the self healing lost from pale master would be more like what i've always though of as a regular wizard. You can still dip to eldrich knight if you want the ability to use a long sword.

Perhaps some enhancements that add temporary HP or a minor heal effect when using damaging spells would fit this type of tree.

[nobodynobody1426]

When they introduce it, they will also decide to upgrade the EK tree by removing the spell dice and replacing them with positive spellpower and confetti.

[droid327]

An Elemental DPS Casting tree would be a viable archetype tree for a pure caster Wizard, and really that's what its lacking for that "classic" Wizard pure-caster archetype...though I think it'd probably replace EK, not PM, since that's the "non-caster" Wiz tree, especially the ASF reductions and armor support. Then you could still build, e.g., a pure caster Lich Mage that specializes in Elemental nukes. Especially if it specialized in multi-element casting, to keep it better differentiated from Sorc

But before we can even start talking about that, we need an Archmage overhaul, so we know what we're working with. Is it a Force casting tree? A DC casting tree? A general crit-chance tree? What SLAs does it provide? AM right now is so woefully out of date that I dont think its useful to even speculate how it might fit in to various pure-caster pairings...be they AM+PM necromancers, AM+Elemental classic wizard, or AM+EK non-undead hybrids

[EinarMal]

I would be careful what you wish for, they will add a new wizard archetype and do some "streamlining" to archmage and palemaster making them noticeably worse.

You think archmage is bad now, wait until they re-design it.

[Eantarus]

We really need an archmage archetype asap.

I want to play a Gandalf type wizard, not an undead monster.

Go pure wizard warforged. Repair spells for self-healing, then do tier 5 EK and enough points to get int-to-dmg from Harpers. Alternatively play any flesh race you like and get your self-healing from destinies(or forgo self-healing entirely) and use EK/Harpers to melee. That's what Gandalf would do.

[droid327]

That's what Gandalf would do.

Gandalf would try to solo facetank a purple name, and then use a Cake after he gets OHKOed

[tarrith_dourden]

We really need an archmage archetype asap.

I want to play a Gandalf type wizard, not an undead monster.

I'd love a Necromancer that raises undead from the bodies of my foes and fallen allies.
The undead created could be more powerful the higher the teir with a "champion" undead at 5th teir.
The undead could have a perspiry time making them die no matter how much negative healing they get like a normal summons.
The maximum amount of undead that could be created could be like Turn Undead X amount per rest.

I'd happliy replace the Archwizard tree with this.

[Mindos]

The undead could have a perspiry time

When the undead see a party of nothing but Paladins and Clerics...