Wizard/Techsmith/Thaumaturge(?)/Archmage(?) build, need help

[WatWatsen]

Title says it all! I've never made any kind of wizard before so I'm totally clueless, just sounds really fun.

Plot twist: I want to build with a race with an int penalty, so I can't start any higher than 16. What kinda stats do I wanna start with? Plausible spreads I can think of are 14/14/14/16/10/6, but the str would only get me carrying weight really, so maybe I want 10/16/14/16/10/6 for bit more AC, or 10/14/16/16/10/6 for bit more HP. All stat points would go into int, obviously.

I know I definitely want wizard and techsmith, I was thinking thaumaturge might synergize well, helping to buff my summons and the Gondsman... is archmage a good fit? Arcane scholar of candlekeep? Master alchemist? I am ignorant of the arcane PrCs. I usually play clerics and fighters, sorry, just had this idea bouncing around in my head...

What kinda feats do I want besides the pre-reqs?

What kinda skills do I want besides the pre-reqs?

Apologies for the vagueness, and I can't even look on the DB for examples... please give me some ideas and we can flesh this out. Thanks!

[vexedart]

Enjoy your one man army, I've a similar build, except it is a master alchemist, instead of archmage. You get cheap 20d6 fire bombs you can throw, it's actually pretty damn good, if not great, also elixirs are spell slot insurance pretty much, and takes care of my 'sort' of at will damage, I stockpile bombs, lol.

I went necromancy specialty for the free spell slots, and shades granting premonition anyways. (being really the only good arcane divination buff besides clairvoyance and sometimes Aellis astronomical alignment)
Epic focus conjuration is fantastic for the build as well.
Also snagged improved familiar, because why not, minionmancy and all that good stuff.
Get extend spell, it's really the only metamagic you really need.
Don't forget to buff all your new friends. Also get a vampiric weapon for your Gond, and bring some band-aids(Healing kits) to heal your minions occasionally.
Dex isn't really needed for ac, use mirror images and displacement instead. Stack int, then con.
Get a lot of lvl 3 and 4 spells slots, you want to be able to buff all your long term minions with improved mage armor, spiderskin, and greater magic weapon, stoneskin, extended hastes, the list can go on and on.

To maximize your minion slots, take a look at this as well.

http://bgtscc.wikia.com/wiki/Summoning

Class requirements can be found here I believe.

http://bgtscc.wikia.com/wiki/Category:Playable_Class

[WatWatsen]

So here's what I'm thinking, tell me how much it sucks:

10/8/18/16/10/6 (could throw all or some of those con points into dex?)

Thinking generalist. Specialization in conjuration would make sense, but transmutation has a lot of the juicy buffs I'd want...

1 wiz, spell focus: conjuration
2 wiz
3 wiz, greater spell focus: conjuration
4 wiz int 17
5 wiz, craft wondrous item
6 wiz, skill focus: craft alchemy
7 wiz
8 Techsmith, int 18
9 Thaumaturge, extend spell
10 Th
11 Th
12 TS, int 19, feat?
13 TS
14 Th
15 Th, brew potion
16 TS, int 20
17 TS
18 Master alchemist, improved familiar
19 MA
20 MA int 21
21 TS, epic spell focus: conjuration
22 TS
23 TS feat?
24 TS int 22
25 TS feat?
26 MA
27 MA feat?
28 wiz int 23
29 wiz feat?
30 wiz, bonus feat? maybe craft magical arms and armor?

Not really sure what to take in the epics besides ESF: conjuration.

Also not really sure where to go with the skills, I know I can hit the pre-reqs for techsmith and thaumaturge by those levels. I tried building this in JEGS, only got to lvl 7, can't get the feat required for techsmith (givefeat 2582 gives alertness) and the latest version of JEGS is corrupted for me. But otherwise, keep pumping crafting skills, concentration/spellcraft, lore:planes, maybe more diplomacy...?

[Babuguuscooties]

One thing to remember about specializing in BGTSCC is that there is a feat you can click on once you're in-game at level 1 that allows you to CHOOSE your prohibited school. So if you choose Conjuration as your specialization you can pick any of the other schools to be prohibited. Just thought it was worth noting!

[WatWatsen]

I'm reluctant to pick any as prohibited. I hear divination is the least-useful mechanically but a lot of those spells sound important for RP especially as a tinkerer/thaumaturgist he'd have an interest in the planes and tracking and whatnot. Is generalist a viable option?

Here's what I'm thinking, after a bit of tweaking:

10/16/14/16/10/6 (could dump dex to 8 and get 18 con but then I wouldn't be able to hit anything with my dinky crossbow and my AC would be garbage at low levels before I get the juicy buffs. Should I accept those and suck it up and appreciate the HP at higher levels?)

1 wiz (generalist), spellcasting prodigy
2 wiz
3 wiz, spell focus: conjuration
4 wiz int (17)
5 wiz, craft wondrous item
6 wiz, skill focus: craft alchemy
7 wiz
8 Techsmith, int (18)
9 TS, greater spell focus: conjuration
10 Thaumaturge
11 Th
12 Th, int (19), extend spell
13 Th
14 Th
15 TS, brew potion
16 TS, int (20)
17 TS
18 Master alchemist, improved familiar
19 MA
20 MA int (21)
21 TS, epic spell focus: conjuration
22 TS
23 TS, great int (22)
24 TS int (23)
25 TS, epic spell: epic gate
26 MA
27 MA, great int (24)
28 wiz int (25)
29 wiz, great int (26)
30 wiz, craft magical arms and armor

Anything I'm missing or forgetting or will wish I'd taken that I'm not? Appreciate it, wizard build wizards.

[WatWatsen]

Also, can anyone confirm that techsmith of Gond doesn't require any cleric levels as the class description in-game claims? I am reading that once I can cast 4th level spells and have craft wondrous item, skill focus: alchemy, and craft armor/alchemy/weapon 6, I should get the qualification feat, but I can't get that to work properly in the testing module.

[Tsidkenu]

Wiz 7 will qualify for Techsmith, assuming you've met the other requirements as well.

[Babuguuscooties]

Also, can anyone confirm that techsmith of Gond doesn't require any cleric levels as the class description in-game claims? I am reading that once I can cast 4th level spells and have craft wondrous item, skill focus: alchemy, and craft armor/alchemy/weapon 6, I should get the qualification feat, but I can't get that to work properly in the testing module.

Also, generalist is more or less the best pick under any circumstances as far as I can tell. All choosing a specialization does is give you a bonus spell slot (its a bit more complicated than that, but that's the gist of it) in exchange for restricting an entire school of magic, or two if you're a Red Wizard. I think specializing is mainly an RP thing, since mechanically you can "specialize" by choosing the spell focus feats without actually having to choose a specialization.

[WatWatsen]

I hit level 7 and I don't have the qualification feat yet... I should have it, yes? Level 7 wizard (can fast 4th level arcane spells), deity is Gond, have the feats craft wondrous item and skill focus: alchemy, have 6 ranks each in craft armor, craft weapon, and craft alchemy. Have tried logging out and coming back the next day. The in-game class description still says it requires cleric but I understand that was a bug and was fixed, am I missing something?

Edit: Hit level 8, am still unable to select techsmith at level up...

Edit 2: Chambobo on the BGTSCC discord called it, I'd tried re-logging once I hit lvl 7 (so 4th lvl spells, last qualification I needed) but never got the feat. What did it was re-logging once I hit lvl 8 (the first level I could actually take the class) and then I got the qualification feat... in case anyone else has this issue.

[Vartigy]

Edit 2: Chambobo on the BGTSCC discord called it, I'd tried re-logging once I hit lvl 7 (so 4th lvl spells, last qualification I needed) but never got the feat. What did it was re-logging once I hit lvl 8 (the first level I could actually take the class) and then I got the qualification feat... in case anyone else has this issue.

Yep thats a common fix for any feat related issues with character builds.
Glad you got it sorted.

[Dragonvisper]

yue ned to cast a level 4 spell for the server to know yue at level 7 caster level, then yue vil get the feat:)