GameBanshee Forums

HEY! So I am working on my very first spell casting build, and I'm looking for advice. To anyone who likes this build feel free to use it in one of your games, thus far, it looks pretty savvy, but with help from you guys this build could be amazing! I'm only a second level now, so I have lots of time to plan out my next levels.

First off, I just want to say yes I know clerics on paper look a lot better, they get the spells they need faster, and can equip weapons and armor and blah, but wizards get MUCH more powerful spells, and role playing a wizard TO ME, is a lot more fun than playing a broken class like the cleric. It seems more balanced I think.

The books I am using are: Book Of Vile Darkness, Libris Mortis, Necromancy-Beyond the Grave, Crouching Monkey Hidden Toad, Complete Arcane, Unearthed Arcana, and the 3.0 Players Handbook for my Wizard build. (My DM said I could use the 3ED book for my wizard, since 3.5 cut out the wizard's bonus feats like a bunch of Nazis. lol!)

School Specialization: Necromancy. I took the "Enhanced Undead" Variant from Unearthed Arcana which gives your undead minions a +4 to STR a +4 DEX and +2 HP for every HD they have IN EXCHANGE FOR: your school specialty bonus spells per day.

TWO SPELLS WORTH MENTIONING: In Necromancy-Beyond the Grave, there is a 1st lvl spell for animating one medium size skeleton. The spell is simply "animate skeleton." This undead, does not count as one of the HD of skeletons you can control with animate dead or create undead/create undead greater, and you can only have one of them through this spell. There is also a 2nd lvl spell that is identical to this one in the same book, for Animating Zombies. I'm sure you can guess the name of the spell. lol. So this helps you out in early levels having a few trusty minions already.

FIRST LEVEL FEATS: Weapon Focus (Touch) and Toughness. (I kind of wish I didn't take toughness now, but 3 extra HPs helps out a D4 HD character that can't wear armor that's for sure.)

3RD LEVEL FEAT: "Corpse Grafter" in Libris Mortis. adds an additional +4 to STR and a +2 to HP per HD for each undead you controll.

SPELLS WORTH MENTIONING: "Bones of Steel" in Necromancy beyond the grave. This 2nd lvl spell permanently turns your undead's bones as hard as steel and grants them a +2 of natural armor.
"Graft Weapons" in Necromancy beyond the grave. This 4th level spell melds any weapon into your undeads arms, giving them a +1 to attack and damage with that weapon. You can also meld any weapon in each or both of their hands granting them a multi-attack even if they don't already have one, in exchange for the +1 to attack and damage.

5TH LVL BONUS FEAT: "Replicate the Divine" in Necromancy-Beyond the Grave. This Feat grants you one divine spell of death from a clerics spell chart. I'm most likely grabbing "Animate Dead" so I can start raising my legion!

6TH LEVEL FEAT: "Animation by Touch" in Necromancy-Beyond the Grave. This feat allows you to animate your undead without the pricey 50gp you need for each raising. This is the soonest you can grab this feat as a wizard.

I'm not sure when I want to go into my prestige class, but I'm thinking around 7TH or 8TH level. I'm thinking about going into The Necrophage in Necromancy-Beyond the Grave, because it works with my character concept. A Necrophage, still levels up his levels in spell casting, but also becomes a expert surgeon of body mods. He can replace his own limbs, bones, organs with that of a monster's and literally change his own ability scores and pick up supernatural abilities that monsters get, he can also modify his undead creations. At later levels they can also make Flesh Golems without the needed feats and spells.

So this is my creation thus far. I would love some input from you guys to help me perfect this character. Thanks.

Clerics are broken (which I won't dispute), but Wizards aren't? Take a better look at the core spells alone.

Anyway, have you considered the Dread Necromancer from Tome of Horror? It pretty much does what you want to, out of the box. Far from as overpowered as other fullcasters.

I wouldn't take Weapon Focus (Touch): touch attacks, especially after a few levels, are easy to make anyway. If you have to make them, use your familiar.

As for spells, the ones I can think of right away aren't Necromancy specific, but anyway: Web & Glitterdust. Especially the latter wins encounters. Haste is very good if you've got some minions. Fly. Greater Invisibility. Everard's Black Tentacles. Avasculate from Spell Compendium. Alacricity from PHBII.
Drain with some Metamagic fun, like Twin and Split and such.

Leadership has an undead specific variant I think. Quite cool.

As for Prestige Classes: I don't know the Necrophage, but as a caster, NEVER, EVER choose a PrC that makes you loose caster levels. Some exceptions do exist, and losing one caster level is acceptable. If you've got plenty of minions, the Warweaver from Tome of Battle is good, since you can quickly boost your underlings.

Keep that caster level up as high as you can, with Rings of Arcane Might, Magic Tattoo, etc.

Again, for this specific kind of question, check out the other forum I recommended: you'll get more and better answers there.