D&D 3.5 - Complete Mage [OEF]

natural part of who and what you are. It is a part of the world
in which you live, not an implement to be exploited when
necessary and discarded. Everything you do, everything you
see, and everything you learn is examined and analyzed as it
relates to magic first, and to all other concerns second. You
know that you possess great power, but you feel certain that
secrets and understanding yet elude your grasp.
This doesn't mean that you have no other goals or
other loves. You might adventure
alongside your friends, serve your
king as advisor, or fight on the battlefield
for a cause in which you believe,
just like any other character might.
Even in the midst of all this, however,
you learn and study constantly, seeking
to understand how magic fits into
the events around you and what insight
those events can grant you that
apply to your magic.
Combat
You are, if anything, even less of a
melee fighter than other arcane
casters. Your levels in multiple
casting classes do little to improve
your base attack bonus
to say nothing of your hit
points. Stay back out of the
fray and take advantage of
the vast array of spells to
which you have access.
You are best served by area
spells or spells that prevent
enemies from getting too close to
you. Where possible, focus on groups
of enemies, letting the fighters in the
group tackle the single foes. When
you must focus on a specific opponent,
do what you can to take him
out as fast as possible, before
he recognizes you for
the threat you pose and does
the same to you.
Particularly at early levels, use the spells
from your higher-level arcane class for offensive effects. This
strategy maximizes both the spells' likelihood of success (due
to a higher save DC) and the overall effect (due to a higher
caster level). Later on, your two classes likely balance out, so
this becomes less of an issue.
Although you'll always lag behind a single-classed arcane
caster in terms of sheer power—your highest-level spells are
a level or two lower than those of such a character—your
caster level keeps up reasonably well (meaning your fireball
is just about as good as his). Also, your array of spells can last
up to twice as long in an adventure as that of a single-classed
character, and you have a few tricks up your sleeve that he
can't easily match.
Advancement
You were heavily devoted to the study and mastery of magic
even before you entered this class. Perhaps you were a born
sorcerer, and wished to better understand the nature of your
powers. Perhaps you were a wizard, and the discovery of your
spontaneous abilities led you to question the knowledge you
had already gained. Whatever the case, you are
a driven soul with no goal outside a true understanding
of arcane magic in all its forms.
You spend all your available time advancing
your skills and knowledge. Whether this
means battling monsters in the dungeon, unearthing
ancient lore, or simply reading books
at the university, nothing is more important
to you.
You'll want to keep skills such as
Knowledge (arcana) and Spellcraft high,
if not maxed out. Choose feats that
benefit both your casting styles, such
as Spell Penetration and Spell Focus.
Even with your extra metamagic
feats, it pays to learn as many as you
can (particularly those with low
level adjustments).
You'll face the complex conundrum
of where to assign newly
learned spells. Adding a spell
to your spellbook means you're
not necessarily stuck with it
when you don't need it, but
adding it to your list of spells
known means you can cast it
more frequently. It's probably
best to focus on spells you
need only occasionally for the
bulk of your spellbook, such as
identify, disguise self, resist energy,
see invisibility, and the like.
That frees up your sorcerer
spell slots for always useful
spells such as magic missile,
shield, ray of enfeeblement, web,
and so on. Always keep your caster
level in the two classes in mind—spells
that don't benefit from a high caster level are good choices
for your “weaker” class.
Kalind Leschay, an ultimate magus
Resources
Although no organization is devoted exclusively to your
particular mix of talents, you might well hold a position, or
at least possess contacts, within a wizards guild or similar
organization. Such cabals are fascinated by your abilities and
eager to learn whatever mystic secrets you have uncovered.
While they aren't likely to support you with finances or magic
items, they might aid you in researching specific topics, or
offer you the opportunity to trade spells with wizards, wu
jen, or other preparation casters.
CHAPTER 3
PRESTIGE
CLASSES
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