Neverwinter Nights 2 Character Builder

Ascendant Wizard (26), Pale Master (1), Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep (3)

Copy Build Export Build Author: ScottG
Created: 17th June 2009
Updated: 18th June 2009
Votes: 3 Tags: None  

Summary

Pros

Cons

• Level 30 Wizard build.
• Generalist Wizard: can cast any arcane spell in the Wizard's arsenal.
• Full Intelligence topping-out at 28.
• Full Stealth from level 6-7 onward.
• Capable of crafting wands by level 5:
• (..wands compensate for limited spells memorized per day, and also for spell failure due to armor or spells like Stone and Iron Body.)
• Silent Spell + Auto Silent Spell 1-9 at epic levels to avoid all problems with Silence.
• Capable of Persistent Spells by level 15.
• Improved Empower Spell by level 14.
• Capable of Listening (and Spoting) Stealth opponents for spell targeting with full Listen skill from level 15 onward.
• 2 Epic Offensive Spells.
• Full Spellcraft skill (as you would expect from any purist Wizard), enhanced with Skill Focus Spellcraft.
• Full Concentration skill (as you would expect from any purist Wizard), enhanced with Skill Focus Concentration.
• Full Diplomacy from level 10 onward.
• Good Search, Spot, and Heal skills.

• One less spell per day then a Specialist Wizard.
• Intelligence could be marginally higher at epic levels with additional feats a purist Wizard would have.
• Missing at least one feat when compared to a pure level 30 Wizard.
• Missing an additional feat expended for the sake of skills via Able Learner.
• Effectively missing 2 additional feats for the expenditures on Skill Focus Concentration & Spellcraft.  (..required for the Arcane Scholar of Candlekeep class.)
• Low attack numbers for both melee and ranged touch attacks, somewhat disabling for slightly more than half the build for those few spells with either component.
• Lacks the Still Spell grouping.
• Lacks Quicken Spell & Improved Quicken Spell (for quick defenses).
• Lacks Improved Maximize Spell.
• Lacks Spell Penetration Feats.
• Only 2 Epic Offensive Spells.

Outline

Notes

This is the build: NecroMaster under the NWN2 wikia.  This build however is fully "fleshed-out" here and does not emphasize Necromancy per se, further it was "arrived at" independently by me and perhaps many others for some very basic reasons:

If it were not for Stealth, Improved Empower Spell, and other basic skills - I'd opt for a full pure Wizard for the additional feats.

HOWEVER, each of those 3 factors is important to a powerful build, perhaps enough for any one of which to sacrifice a full pure Wizard build.  But all 3 factors compel a build like this to be favored - STRONGLY FAVORED.

Note that for the most part limitations from saves and spell resistance usually don't factor into a good purist Wizard build.  The reason for this is because there are several counter-spells/protection spells designed to handle various offensive and disabling spells.  In other words a well played Wizard really doesn't need any high saves or spell resistance.  Note however that you could just as easily choke down the level penalties from Drow or Yuan ti for Races with both spell resistance, and better attributes with enhanced saves.  Up to you.

A few enhancements need to be utilized to their fullest to get all the potential this build is capable of:

1. Intelligence Modifiers: get these as high as possible to receive better strength against saves from your spells.  It is crucial to this build (..and actually any purist Wizard build).

2. Stealth Modifiers: Hide and Move Silently need to be significantly augmented throughout the build - the final numbers should be greater than 45 for each.  Remember though that you have your Cat Familiar to improve these skills.  While not crucial it can result in a HUGE advantage for this build.

Stealth can be further augmented via Invisibility, particularly cast from a wand.  In effect you can move around while in stealth and cast an offensive spell.  THEN cast Invisibility from the wand and finally go back into Stealth mode.  It works out in timing and effect almost as if you had Hide in Plain Sight, but actually it can be better because:

1. Invisibility offers 50% concealment.

2. Unless an opponent has Blindsight or True Seeing ON, it makes it very difficult to target you as long as you are standing still.

Note that with the exception of the concealment, a very high skill level in both Hide and Move Silently can even render you untargetable to opponents with Blindsight or True Seeing.  HOWEVER, you have to be able to properly get into Stealth Mode when in visible sight of the opponent, and only Hide in Plain Sight or either Greater Invisiblity or Invisibility will do that.

Despite the importance of all the above, perhaps the most important thing about this build is the often over-looked quality that it is a Generalist Wizard.

No Wizard's arcane spells are "off-limits" to this character.  This is hugely important for dealing with ANY situation.

If you can't beat an opponents saves then you can always switch to a spell that either can (because its higher in level), OR a spell that doesn't have a save component.

If you can't beat an opponents spell resistance then you can always switch to a spell that doesn't have spell resistance as a component.

If you want to use a touch attack type spell and can't quite meet the attack numbers necessary to do this then you have several spells to choose from to augment this, notably True Strike.

OK - so why the addition of the focus feats in Necromancy?

1. The comments made on Vampiric Feast and Empowered Horrid Wilting on the NecroMaster build hold true, however:

2. Necromancy has some of the strongest area attack spells beyond those two - and Fortitude is the major save component in each spell, and is also the save most likely to be "high" on opponents - so is most likely to be saved against.  In particular Circle of Death and (for Undead) Undeath to Death as Empowered spells are some of the most potent offensive spells in the game.

3. Most of the better Evocation spells have either no save component, or a "halved" save component and are often based on Reflex saves which Opponents usually don't have as high.

Why the Auto Silent Spell?

NWN2 is BROKEN when it comes to the spell: Silence.  It works perfectly fine so long as the spell directly targets your character - THAT could be saved against or even potentially spell resisted by your character.  However 99% of the time Silence is lobbed near your character as an area effect that removes both save and resist components.  There are only 4 generally effective remedies to this:

1. Utilize spells that have been saved/memorized under the Silent Spell listing at one level penalty.

2. Utilize a full Bard with Joyful Noise, OR several Bard levels with Joyful Noise (..note however that you can't craft this into a Wand or Potion from a Bard's spell listing.)

3. Cast spells from Wands (limited to 4th level), or Potions only.

4. Utilize Auto Silent spell 1-9.

For an Epic Wizard - #4 is primarily the choice.

You can also move to another spot that is not Silenced, but chances are that once you have moved there your opponent will cast Silence again in that location.  You could Dispell this, but this would likely effect at least some of your protections (..though I need to check this out).

Why not other things like meta feats such as Quicken, Maximize, and Still Spell?

Maximize rarely results in much greater damage from an offensive spell than Empowered Spell, and even Improved its still higher in spell level "cost" than an Improved Empower Spell.

Quicken is usually used exclusively for placing defenses quickly.  In point of fact a well played purist Wizard should never have to put a defense up quickly.  In those instances where your playing ability is less than spectacular: Stealth can help tremendously.

Still Spell as Auto Still 1-9 would have been very nice to have had.  NOT for wearing armor or using a shield, but rather to use the spell Iron Body.  However there just were not enough feats to do this without removing Auto Silent which was deemed crucial to the build.  Also note that you can still cast spells from wands without penalty while in Iron Body - so the "Orbs" and Issac's Lesser Missile Storm (while un-empowered), are still potent offensive spells.

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