Drow Shadow Mage Build

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Drow4d20
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Drow4d20 » Sun Jan 14, 2018 2:18 am

For level 30 should I get ESF: Discipline or Conjuration?

Ability Scores:
Str 9
Dex 14
Con 18
Int 18 (+7+1GD=26)
Wis 8
Cha 8

Skills: Concentration, Discipline, Heal, Hide, Move Silently, Lore, Spellcasting, Tumble, UMD

>Wizard: (Concentration, Heal, Lore, Spellcasting)
1 Feat: SF: Conjuration
2
3 Feat: SF: Enchantment
4
5 Bonus Feat: GSF: Conjuration
6 Feat: GSF: Enchantment
7
8
9 Feat: Extend Spell
10 Bonus Feat: SF: Illusion
11
12 Feat: GSF: Illusion
13
14
15 Feat: SF: Transmutation, Bonus Feat: GSF: Transmutation
16
17
>Bard:(Concentration, Discipline, Hide, Move Silently, Spellcasting, Tumble, UMD)
18 Feat: Maximize Spell
19
20
>Wizard:
21 Feat: ESF: Illusion
22
23 Bonus Feat: ESF: Transmutation, HIPS
24 (Epic Wizard) Feat: Dragon Knight
25
26 Bonus Feat: Epic Mage Armor
27 Feat: ESF: Enchantment
28
>Bard:(Discipline, Hide, Move Silently, Tumble, UMD)
29
>Wizard:
30 Feat: ESF: ???, Bonus Feat: +1 Greater INT
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Harasha
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Harasha » Sun Jan 14, 2018 11:28 pm

Really minor things I would do different..

I'd start with 20 int if you're going to take the great intelligence epic feat. You can make do with less dex and even 16 con. If not then start with 19 int and don't take great intelligence. I'm sure you think you need more dex for sneaking but the extra skill points alone from maxing int will more than make up for it.

Taking SF Conj at 1 and GSF Conj at 3 gets you better summons and an infinite damage spell immediately, just a small quality of life thing that will help a lot at the early levels.

Epic mage armor is up to you, but it sounds better than it is for a non-spellsword. I'd take mummy dust myself for more summons options (which you need on a mage with no evocation.) Though I would also not stress out now about that choice since it's a long way away and you don't have to plan for it now.

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Drow4d20
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Drow4d20 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 6:51 am

I am already at level 7 with this build. Too late for max intelligence :(
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Drow4d20 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 7:39 am

I am strongly considering taking ESF conjuration, illusion, enchantment, and necromancy and ditching transmutation all together. I will take mummy dust and dragon knight.

I'll have HIPS, 30 tumble ranks, 30 discipline ranks, 30 hide, 30 move silently, 30 spellcraft, 20 UMD, 25 Concentration, 20 Lore, 30 heal at least.

I plan to try and stay invisible or hidden while using offensive buff spells to distract or disable my enemy, some elemental conjuration spells, illusion and necromancy death and aoe spells, and I will have plenty of summoning options.

With the drow light crossbow I will have 5d6 sneak attack damage (I think) and point blank shot. Drow get rapid reload for free. I will use essences, poisons, haste, and true strike if it will be of use. But I feel for PvP at higher levels I will most likely concentrate on spell casting. I haven't had a high level character in like 8 years...
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Opustus
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Opustus » Mon Jan 15, 2018 1:45 pm

Your infinite GSF-based spam spells and your daily casts might be strictly superior to any piddly ballistics from the crossbow. Colour spray, for one, can stay very effective throughout the game. Attacking single foes has the advantage of not aggroing them in herds, though.
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Drow4d20
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Drow4d20 » Mon Jan 15, 2018 2:00 pm

So eventually the crossbow will be obsolete and i may as well use a good staff. Meaning the four points in int are mostly pointless..?
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by PresidentCthulhu » Wed Jan 17, 2018 5:50 pm

That’s my go to shadowmage build using the classic bard dips. Feel free to swap craft wand and the specs. Also enchantment focus helps early level with spamming blind while your summon take cares of them up until lvl 12ish. Incidentally I use a bow too just to not stand idly and RP missing almost all shots. :)

Levels: 1-18 wizard, bard 19-21, 22-29 wizard, 30 bard

Feats
1 SF: Enchantment
3 GSF: Enchantment
5 SF: Abjuration
6 GSF: Abjuration
9 SF: Necromancy
10 GSF: Necromancy
12 SF: Illusion
15 GSF: Illusion, Extend spell
18 Craft wand
21 Mummy dust
23 ESF: Abjuration
24 Dragon-knight
26 ESF: Enchantment
27 ESF: Illusion
29 ESF: Necromancy
30 ESF: Discipline

Skills
1 - S.craft (4), Conc. (4), Heal (4), Lore (4)
18 - S.craft (21), Conc. (21), Heal (21), Lore (21)
19 - S.craft (22), Conc. (22), Heal (22), Lore (22), Disc. (22), Tumble (22), Hide (14), M.S. (14) UMD (10), Perf. (11)
20 - S.craft (23), Conc. (23), Heal (23), Lore (23), Disc. (23), Tumble (23), Hide (15), M.S. (15) UMD (12), Perf. (12)
21 - S.craft (24), Conc. (24), Heal (24), Lore (24), Disc. (24), Tumble (24), Hide (16), M.S. (16) UMD (15), Perf. (13)
22 - S.craft (25), Conc. (25), Heal (25), Lore (25), Disc. (24), Tumble (24), Hide (16), M.S. (16) UMD (15), Perf. (13)
29 - S.craft (32), Conc. (32), Heal (32), Lore (32), Disc. (24), Tumble (24), Hide (16), M.S. (16) UMD (15), Perf. (13)
30 - S.craft (33), Conc. (33), Heal (33), Lore (33), Disc. (33), Tumble (33), Hide (27), M.S. (27), UMD (25), Perf. (23)
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Drow4d20
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Re: Drow Shadow Mage Build

Post by Drow4d20 » Thu Jan 18, 2018 5:32 am

This is what I have come to. Kind of similar to your build, but I am thinking of going with Transmutation instead of Abjuration. Though I do love abjuration, I think it works better with a cleric. I also want the ESF Transmutation portal feature :D

They are updating Shadow Mages soon and I have a feeling they might add Shadow Dragons to the Dragon Knight stream. I don't know for sure, but I just have a feeling. If they do then I will keep Dragon Knight. If not then I am probably just going to top off Conjuration because I love having a diverse range of offensive spells, and the stronger the better. I also like being able to summon a lot of different things :D

STR 9
DEX 10
CON 17 +1=18
INT 20 +6=26
WIS 8
CHA 8

Wizard> (Concentration 21, Heal 15, Lore 10, Spellcraft 20)
1 Feat: SF: Conjuration
2
3 Feat: GSF: Conjuration
4
5 Bonus Feat: SF: Necromancy
6 Feat: SF: Illusion
7
8
9 Feat: GSF: Necromancy
10 Bonus Feat: GSF: Illusion
11
12 Feat: Maximize Spell
13
14
15 Feat: SF: Enchantment Bonus Feat: GSF: Enchantment
16
17

Bard> (Concentration 24, Discipline 20, Hide 25, Move Silently 25, Tumble 20, UMD 20)
18 Feat: SF: Transmutation
19
20

Wizard> (32 Concentration, 25 Heal, 32 Spellcraft)
21 Feat: ESF: Illusion
22
23 Bonus Feat: ESF Necromancy (HIPS)
24 (Epic Wizard) Feat: Mummy Dust
25
26 Bonus Feat: GSF: Transmutation
27 Feat: ESF: Transmutation
28

Bard> (Discipline 33, Hide 33, Move Silently 33, Tumble 30, UMD 30)
29

Wizard> (Concentration 33, Spellcraft 33, Put remaining SPs to Heal & Lore)
30 Feat: ESF: Enchantment Bonus Feat: Dragon Knight/ESF: Conjuration
"Do what thou wilt shall be the whole of the law."

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