Recommended Caster Mage Build

[Verus]

Hello, I've poked around BGTSCC before, but never got deep into it. But recently I found myself really wanting to check this server out again.

I've gone back a few years on this section of the forums and while I've found some general advice and specific builds to fulfill requests. I can't seem to find any "quintessential" mage build for general PvE.

I'd be very grateful if someone could point me in the direction of just such a build.

[gotesu]

Welcome!

I think you need to ask yourself first what kind of gameplay will you enjoy with a mage?

Do you want to play an evocation canon focusing on dmg? if so you might want to consider a build that encompasses arcane scholar and frost mage

Do you want to play a wizard who focuses on effects (DC wizard) and if so, what kind of effects? (necro / mind control etc etc) if so you might want to think about several possibilities (depending on rp - like a bloodmage, a red wizard, a (and this one is also a heavy rp one) - shadow adept)

Another possibility is to go gish like mentioned above (a wizard/fighter combo) or the polymorphing wizard (wizard relaying on shapechage - can be a really good tank or even manage to hit some while still retaining the power to launch spells - depending on the build).

[Hoihe]

Welcome!

I think you need to ask yourself first what kind of gameplay will you enjoy with a mage?

Do you want to play an evocation canon focusing on dmg? if so you might want to consider a build that encompasses arcane scholar and frost mage

Do you want to play a wizard who focuses on effects (DC wizard) and if so, what kind of effects? (necro / mind control etc etc) if so you might want to think about several possibilities (depending on rp - like a bloodmage, a red wizard, a (and this one is also a heavy rp one) - shadow adept)

Another possibility is to go gish like mentioned above (a wizard/fighter combo) or the polymorphing wizard (wizard relaying on shapechage - can be a really good tank or even manage to hit some while still retaining the power to launch spells - depending on the build).

One thing I found fun for the last is:

Make a gish that doesn't need buffs, take a specialized school at lvl 1 for more spellslots.

You'll then be able to explode key targets without wasting spells buffing up, summoning and buffing something, wasting spells on trashmobs.

Few things as fun as throwing up ICE, MI, displ, going face to face with yuan ti queen, countering her spells with your mantles and then blasting her to kingdom come with a million IGMSes.

[Verus]

Thank you everyone for the responses. And for the very warm welcome!

I guess I didn't give enough information in my first post. I was looking to play a caster type that can handle PvE content. I will have a partner a lot of the time, but in my experience if a build is capable on handling things solo then they'll be perfectly fine in a group too (even if it's less efficient than something completely geared toward group support).

I do plan on going for a gish type down the line, but I really am just looking for an arcane caster type with generally effective use right now.

[Steve]

A pure mage idea would mean focusing on DCs to be useful in combat. In general, a mage always has RP potential in boat loads from skill points and usually a very high Lore: Arcane which identifies loot.

If you thus want to focus on a DC mage, the usual choice is specializing in Necromancy (which on BGTSCC, this school has the best damage and save or die spells).

I personally find it more interesting, which going for a DC mage, to choose the Enchantment School. Dominating mobs and having them "work" for you by buffing them and so, is lots of fun.

In that vein, there is the specialization in Conjuration, which combined with the Thaumaturge PrC and the fact of Dusty Tomes and epic named summons, there is a surefire way to deal with PvE content (let the Summons do all the work). And Thaumaturge allows for 2 summons at once.

You can get go for Evocation specialization and be a Blaster mage, but I've always felt that going there route demands being a Sorcerer.

Then there is the Transformation School, which nowadays provides lots more PvE fun because of the Polymorph/Shapechange implementation in recent years. Transformation used to be the best school for PvP antics, but now you can just Buff and Shift and whack your way through most PvE content (and technically, you're still not a gish, though you CAN build a Conjuration gish and be EVEN BETTER).

An easy build choice is going Wizard (10), Arch mage (10), Arcane Scholar (10). You can also get a lot of traction from a Wizard (7), Arcane Scholar (10), Arch mage (8), Thaumaturge (5) for Conjuration.

Myself, I've been alt playing a Conjurer/Transmuter Wizard 12 / Arcane Scholar 10 / Thaumaturge 5 / Rogue 3 that is lots of fun and I have lots to look forward to once it reaches Level 9 spells (as in Shapechange).

But pretty much, if you're starting out fresh on BGTSCC, as any type of Mage, Wizard or Sorcerer, you will be taking the most difficult newbie track. Your PC will probably die a lot, even if with another PC or grouped, until you OOC learn how the Server and Areas work. So don't get disappointed!!! It does get better!

[Tsidkenu]

Or if you want something interesting:

15 Wizard/ 10 Techsmith/ 5 Thaumaturge

You get 3 summons at a time (planar cohort + gondsman + summon), two of those are permanent unless killed.

[Dagesh]

Hello, I've poked around BGTSCC before, but never got deep into it. But recently I found myself really wanting to check this server out again.

I've gone back a few years on this section of the forums and while I've found some general advice and specific builds to fulfill requests. I can't seem to find any "quintessential" mage build for general PvE.

I'd be very grateful if someone could point me in the direction of just such a build.

Much of it depends on what kind of casting you're looking to do. There are things to keep in mind for a high DC build because not all spells schools are created equal. For example, enchantment is fun on the surface but spells, like dominate, have a save every round (ie 6 seconds in NWN2 time).

Speaking of DCs, you'll need a solid target that is very high. Adding in caster level, spell focuses, and other mods, you can get it well into the 40's and maybe 50's but bear in mind that saves are whatever base number D20 so if you want to be absolutely sure of success, the higher the number the better (which means cranking everything into intelligence/charisma).

Some folks will find those spells that don't allow for saves and focus an entire build on those.

In the end, do you want to blast people into oblivion, have a strong companion do your fighting, or otherwise?

[Max Hatchet]

I personally find it more interesting, which going for a DC mage, to choose the Enchantment School. Dominating mobs and having them "work" for you by buffing them and so, is lots of fun.

THIS

(altho having both Enchantment and Necromancy is very doable)

[chad878262]

some good responses on here, but I just want to call out a few things that go unmentioned.

DC mage is perfectly viable for PvE, it is not like DC is the ONLY thing they can do. For example you can be a DC Necromancer and also gain the benefit of stronger Undead summons. You can be a DC Transmuter and still take feats to improve your Polymorph/Shapechange. Idea being you are a boss killer. When solo you still have summons and/or shapechange, but for boss fights you are looking to one-shot or otherwise debilitate and slay the boss and it's allies fairly quickly. Will it be as fast or strong in PvE as a Dragon Druid or Favored Soul? No, but it will be more than capable. Consider the Paladin... A full CHA epic turning great smiter is a boss killer that is weaker in PvE than a more standard EDM paladin. It is still more than capable in PvE, but has slightly lower AB and damage in favor of being able to spike damage and/or being able to turn the Balor for example. Same concept. DC mage might be weaker in PvE than a Gish, but makes up for it by being a boss killer...it all depends on what you want to do.

It has been stated by others above, but you don't have to be a DC mage or a gish, there are other options. For example the build Tsid called out is one of my favorites, and I would add that I believe you could also throw in five levels of Master Alchemist for some interesting benefits. (Wizard 10, Techsmith 10, Thaumaturge 5, Master Alchemist 5). MA would allow you to have some elixirs at CL30 in order to have some added buffs, effectively increasing your spellbook with some emergency stuff, for example a CL30 Etherealness if needed as an "Oh @#$!" button. Most wizards need to always have spells they keep 'just in case' but with elixirs you can effectively make potions that you keep just in case, meaning you can completely fill your spellbook with stuff you definitely want to use. This is key when you have so many summons which need to be buffed up! Another benefit of this is with a focus on conjuration your clouds tend to have solid DCs (not all clouds are conjuration, but several are).

So if you want to play a pure caster mage, go for it! Just consider the areas called out as making them difficult to play and then plan on how you might address those areas. For those who are saying they are too hard to level in the early levels, go buy a scroll of summon monster IV and eventually VI and see how fast you get to level 10+ Or, if you really don't like taking them from 1 use the free RCR to level an 'easier' build to 10 and then convert that PC to a level 10 wizard. You are free to play however you want, but IMO it is not difficult to level a caster wizard, it simply requires a different style of play.

[Verus]

Ultimately I really am only looking for something that would be effective arcane caster in PvE without any strong preference in playstyle. Blaster, summoner, controller, or w/e; just something proven to work. Thanks to all these great responses, It's starting to look like I should go for a summoner type for at least ease of use for now. I'm not sure if I should go full on Technosmith or just stick with Thaumaturge, but I sounds like I'll at least have some flexibility.

And for this first character full on caster (of any type) is more what I have in mind. Hopefully I don't regret that decision too much with easier options out there for beginners.

Anyway, thank you all again. I'll have to comb over nwn2db for some examples to follow. The only build limitations I have in mind so far for my character will be Human race with the fey heritage feat for RP reasons. Hopefully that leaves a fair amount open to me.

[Grendunor]

I'm going to throw something in here cheap and quick

Evocation mage (Blaster type) on BGTSCC is not viable as a means to do PvE content. If that is somehow something you wish to do. Stop it. get some help.

Wizard on BGTSCC shines best as a DC mage focusing on sub classes that increase it's DC capabilities

You can also Play summoner if you have netflix to catch up on and don't mind dumb AI

[Nemni]

Any mage who casts offensively risks running out of spells pretty quick, but at least evocation lasts you longer than it used to. https://wiki.bgtscc.net/index.php?title ... _Evocation

[Hoihe]

I'm going to throw something in here cheap and quick

Evocation mage (Blaster type) on BGTSCC is not viable as a means to do PvE content. If that is somehow something you wish to do. Stop it. get some help.

Wizard on BGTSCC shines best as a DC mage focusing on sub classes that increase it's DC capabilities

You can also Play summoner if you have netflix to catch up on and don't mind dumb AI

I found a way to make a blaster type work: Be a swash/du wiz with CL of 19-23. This way your combat prowess is good enough that you can solo almost every area except vault of the dead without any buffs, except maybe mirror image if surrounded.

This means your entire spellbook gets to be pure blasting spells. This means when it comes to the bossfight, you will delete them off the face of Faerun by slapping them with 8 IGMSes, 10 ILMSes, 16 lesser orbs and whatever else you can fit in using Silent spell.

[K'yon Oblodra]

Something that seems very strong would be a build with thaumaturge and then also spell focus transmutation to grab augment form.

It allows you to turn into a medium BAB character when transforming via shapeshift or its weaker pendant and adds yourself as able body to fight next to your summons.

[Lockonnow]

what is a none caster mage that is a mage?