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Maxing my Spell DCs

   
Maxing my Spell DCs

I'm working on a Wizard that I want to be a master Illusionist. I've always loved the RP value of Illusion spells, so I'd like to try making one. My problem is that most of these spells just get canceled when a Will Save is made. And since everything at high levels has exorbitantly high saves, I know I have to work extra hard to get it working well. So I want to try and buff his DCs to the max. Here's what I have so far:

10 levels of Wizard / 10 levels of Master Specialist
Gnome Racial Trait = +1 DC
Spell Focus (Illusion) = +1 DC
Greater Spell Focus (Illusion) = +1 DC
Tattoo Focus (Illusion) = +1 DC
Minor School Esoterica = +2 DC
Spellcasting Prodigy = +1 DC
Consecrate Spell & Spell Focus (Good) = +2 DC
Sacred Vow & Vow of Nonviolence = +4 DC
34 Intelligence = +12 to DC
Fox's Cunning = +2 to DC
Aaaand that's about as high as I can get it: 35 DC on Illusion spells, 31 DC on spells that deal no actual damage to humanoids, 27 DC on spells that do.

Does anyone have any ways of getting this even higher? Perhaps some better PrCs to throw into the mix? I just went 10/10 because I couldn't find anything else that boosts DCs. Plus casting Silenced, Stilled Illusion spells for free 3 times a day is fun. :P

If you trade Gnome for a +Int LA0 race (Grey Elf?), then that's another +1 DC to other spells while keeping the same DC for Illusions.

Facechanger (Reserve feat from Complete Mage) will give you +1 DC caster level for glamers. Some protection against dispels there, which is another thing you should worry about.

I've looked around for some LA 0 races that give Int bonuses and most of them don't really fit the character concept. Gnomes work really well because (at least in my mind) they're notorious for their Illusions. When I think of Elves, I think of Enchanters and powerful death-dealing magi. (I'm much more for the RP value in my characters. I mean, I looked around on Giants in the Playground and found many ways to severely boost your DCs, but the builds just don't make any sense RP-wise.)

Face-changer is a good feat; it's actually, like, my favorite one ever. It's basically like having a Hat of Disguise for free. But I've already used up all my regular feat slots. I only have 2 bonus metamagic feats left, so I'd like to keep to feats that up my DCs. XP

Better off working on decreasing your enemies saves one way or another with spells like feeblemind and Mind Fog.

Of course, suppose you are going to buy one of the tome that increases your int permanently by +5 and wears a headband of intellect+6 .

Quote:
Originally Posted by Chaos Emerald View Post
Better off working on decreasing your enemies saves one way or another with spells like feeblemind and Mind Fog.

Of course, suppose you are going to buy one of the tome that increases your int permanently by +5 and wears a headband of intellect+6 .
Oh yeah, I'll definitely be spamming those things like crazy.

And those things are already factored into the 34 Int. 18 + 5 (Levels) + 5 (Tome) + 6 (Headband) = 34

Being old gets you +2 Int (and Wis and Cha) for -3 to all your physical stats.

Ability Focus applies... in some capacity. Applying it to a single choice spell ought to be fair. And that spell should probably be Silent Image on a Shadowcraft Mage.

Quote:
Originally Posted by Pragz View Post
And those things are already factored into the 34 Int. 18 + 5 (Levels) + 5 (Tome) + 6 (Headband) = 34
Ah. Then you'll want to take Fox' cunning out of the equation, since that bonus doesn't stack with the headband.

I can't find additional feats to suggest. Clearly, there are a few magic items that will help.

Just offhand, I'd suggest the +3 Int bonus from being Venerable. Presumably, you'll find some way of dodging the physical ability hit, but that's peripheral to the discussion.

Really, the fact of the matter is that 'disbelief', and by extension illusions in general, depends a great deal on how your DM interprets the rules in question. Exactly what constitutes a meaningful interaction with an illusion is an open question, and different DMs see it more or less generously... interpretations range from "if you can see it, you get a will save every round" to "you don't get a save unless you spend your turn poking and prodding at it, and if you fail, you can't try again unless someone else saves and tries to prove it's an illusion". Coming to the table with a min-maxed build designed solely around jacking your save DC up as high as possible is likely to inspire annoyance in your DM, which in turn is likely to hamper the effectiveness of your illusions far worse then multiclassing as a fighter. Which is saying something.

My advice to you would be, instead of dancing around with theoretical builds, simply to sit down and have a chat with your DM about his views on the power and limitations of illusions, and how he intends to run them in his campaign. Doing this before you make a primary illusionist tells you firstly if your idea is viable, and secondly just how important it'll be for you to improve your DCs. At that point, you can consider just how far you need to and should go with the min-maxing.

Pragz, I heartily recommend the Shadowcraft Mage from Races of Stone for any Gnome Illusionist. I also recommend the gnome substitution level that makes Silent Image a cantrip, and heighten spell. With it, you can basically prepare Heightened Silent Image in a pile of slots to get any conjuration or evocation effect of lower level and a couple other great effects.

Definitely check it out if you aren't set on Wizard 10/Master Specialist 10, because having huge DCs isn't the same as having things that do 60% of their normal effect on a failed save anyway.




 

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