Spell Power feats (ala Archmage, Shadow Adept, etc)

[Synde]

Hey everyone,

I was just a little confused as to what exactly the Spell Power feats effect (like the one from Archmage for example). From the description it says it increases caster level by one, right? So that would just increase damage and durations depending on the spell right?

From the reading I've done about archmage a lot of people talk about taking some of the spell power feats, but I feel like I'm missing something, because I don't really see what the draw is. If a spell has already reached it's maximum damage potential, this spell still wouldn't expand it past that, correct?

Do these feats effect anything other than duration and damage? Why are they considered good?

(The reason I'm asking is that I'm debating if I want to take 10 levels of Archmage over 10 levels of Wizard, but I'm not sure that I want to give up the two bonus feats I'd get with wizard. My mage is DC based focusing on Enchantment and Illusions.)

[Karond]

The spellpower feats provide +1 Caster Level (CL) each.

Casterlevel does increase spell damage, that's true, but for level 30 casters it's already maxed unless you cast something like Flame Arrow (extra damage at CL 32, 36 and 40) or Ice Storm (extra damage at CL 33, 36, 39, 42). Even then, the extra damage isn't that much.

Casterlevel also increases duration. This is pretty good. An extended haste will last +2 more rounds with 1 spell powerfeat. If you cast haste all the time, you'll notice that it might eventually save you 1 spell slot or such.

Casterlevel has another benefit. It defeats Spell Resistance (SR). This is very useful against bosses, or in PvP vs drow and such. They've an SR of 41. The roll to defeat it is D20+CL. So the higher you have, the easier it is.

Casterlevel has one final benefit, increasing DC. When your caster level is 23, 26, 29, 32, 35, 38 or 41, you get a +1 DC for each step. This is the usual reason for picking spellpower. Take a level 30 caster. Pick 2 spellpower feats, and you've a CL of 32. That means you get +1 extra DC. In general, taking the third spellpower feat is not worth it, because it costs a level9 slot.

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The trick in building your character is trying to get your CL to end at one of the above numbers. If you're a 10 wizard, 10 arcane scholar, 10 archmage, you'll take 2 spellpowers so you get CL32.

If you're a 10 wizard, 10 archmage, 10 shadowadept, you also take 2 spellpowers so you get CL32 in general, and CL35 with spells from the necromancy, illusion and enchantment schools.

A 10 wizard, 10 red wizard, 10 archmage, might want to aim for that third spellpower feat. They've CL35+3 for the spellpower feats. This means with their greater spell penetration, they'll ignore drow SR for their chosen school.

Many spellcasters also abuse Practiced Spellcaster (PSC). Take a build like 10 wizard, 10 shadowadept, 7 Archmage, 3 Palemaster. This build has 33 CL+2 from archmage spellspowers, +3 from shadowadept. That's CL38 for the necromancy, illusion and enchantment schools. With just a simple spell penetration feat added, you'll ignore drow SR for these three schools. Plus, you get a really high DC (35+spell level. Imagine DC44 Wails )

[Synde]

Thanks Karond!

I appreciate you writing all that out for me. It was crazy helpful! I didn't think about SR and DCs from CL.

[Unastine]

I have got a question quite close to this topic's content please.

I have got a level 19 arcane caster (5 wizard, 4 Archmage, 2 Palemaster, 8 Shadow Adept), I got 2 spellpower feats from Archmage and currently have greater spell focus for Enchantment and spell focus for Necromancy schools. I have 9 int modifier (with +4 int buff) also have Practised Spell Caster feat. When I test my level 5 enchantment spell (dom person), the DC is 30.

So the calculation is: Base (10) + Int Mod (9) + Greater Sp Foc Enchantment (2) + Spell level (5 but innate level 4) + Epic bonus for each 3 level steps after lvl 20 + Spellcasting Prodigy (1) . So a) where does that extra 3 (or 4 in case innate level is used in calculation) DC come from b) What is my Caster level for General, Shadow Adept supportive schools and Opposing Schools c) What would be the DCs of my evocation and transmutation spells as Shadow Adept drops them a bit?.

I must be getting 2 DC from Shadow weave user and 2 more on top of it from Shadow Adept Spellpower to DCs, is that correct?

Thanks!!

[Rhifox]

I have got a question quite close to this topic's content please.

I have got a level 19 arcane caster (5 wizard, 4 Archmage, 2 Palemaster, 8 Shadow Adept), I got 2 spellpower feats from Archmage and currently have greater spell focus for Enchantment and spell focus for Necromancy schools. I have 9 int modifier (with +4 int buff) also have Practised Spell Caster feat. When I test my level 5 enchantment spell (dom person), the DC is 30.

So the calculation is: Base (10) + Int Mod (9) + Greater Sp Foc Enchantment (2) + Spell level (5 but innate level 4) + Epic bonus for each 3 steps after lvl 20 + Spellcasting Prodigy (1) . So a) where does that extra 3 (or 4 in case innate level is used in calculation) DC come from b) What is my Caster level for General, Shadow Adept supportive schools and Opposing Schools c) What would be the DCs of my evocation and transmutation spells as Shadow Adept drops them a bit?.

I must be getting 2 DC from Shadow weave user and 2 more on top of it from Shadow Adept Spellpower to DCs, is that correct?

Thanks!!

Base 10 + Int (9) + GSF (2) + Prodigy (1) + Shadow Weave (2) + Epic Bonus (caster level 4 on Ench spells, level 19+4 = 23, so 1) + Spell Level = 29 if it uses innate level, 30 if it uses 5th level.

Now I always thought it used the innate level, but based on what you've listed, it might count as a 5th level spell for the purpose of DCs, since that's the only way I'm getting 30 unless we've missed something.

Your caster level:

Ench/Ill/Necro: 27 (but only 23 for the purpose of DCs since Shadow Weave User bonus CL doesn't count for epic spell DC)
Evo/Trans: 17
General: 21


Provided my math is right.