Author Topic: Best Warmage Spells  (Read 2554 times)

Offline Storyteller_Arc

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Best Warmage Spells
« on: July 10, 2020, 12:38:23 PM »
Okay, so I think pretty much every optimizer who has looked into the Warmage is aware of the Rainbow Warsnake build, going into the Rainbow Servant Prestige Class as a Warmage in order to add the entire cleric spell list to your Warmage’s Spell list, meaning you can now spontaneously cast every single cleric spell in existence.

This thread is not about that.

This thread asks the question: Assuming you have the means of any possible spell (Which Arcane Preparation + Wyrm Wizard should give you access to every single spell possible, if limited to a choice of 5 spells). What would be the best spells for a Warmage to use for the purpose of acting as a Warmage? I.E. Being a Blaster?

I know some good spells already: The Lesser Orb and the Orb line of spells that the Mailman build uses so effective. Combust, which does an impressive 1d8/Level, far more than most 2nd levels spells do, and finally, Dalamar's Lightning Lance. Probably the best, single-cast, damage-dealing spell in the game. At caster level 15, this fourth level spell lets you deal a whopping 39d6 damage, 9d6 impact damage, and 30d6 electric damage. Admittedly, it takes 3 ranged attack rolls to do that damage, but I think the damage is worth it.

I’m wondering, however, if there are any spells that I have missed that I should consider as a blaster? Maybe there are some spells that really take advantage of the Warmage’s signature class feature: The Warmage’s Edge? It is, admittedly, not exactly the most powerful class feature in existence. Adding only 2-4 damage per spell, but I wouldn’t be surprised if there are some spells - either alone or with metamagic enchantments - that can really take advantage of this extra damage, that I simply did not know about beforehand.

... I will admit, on writing this thread, I had one or two ideas of my own, and some rule clarifications about these ideas specifically, but I want to wait and see what other people come up with first.

So please, people of Minmax, go wild!

Offline Garryl

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #1 on: July 10, 2020, 11:23:05 PM »
We had a discussion on Discord earlier this week about optimizing Warmage's Edge at level 1. I think we got up to 30 Int for a magic missile doing 12-15 damage at 1st level.

Offline Storyteller_Arc

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #2 on: July 11, 2020, 05:45:17 AM »
Not exactly what I had in mind... but I admit, that does sound rather amusing.

How did you get Intelligence 30 at level 1?

Offline Garryl

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #3 on: July 11, 2020, 08:50:24 AM »
Quote from: Maya date=07/08/2020
how high can you get your int at level 1?
18 +4 racial (primordial giant half-giant)
what else can you get?

Quote from: >That Guy date=07/08/2020
+3 Venerable Age.
If your DM lets you pick age and doesn't make you roll, that is.

Quote from: Maya date=07/08/2020
so that's 25
isn't there the warp touch result that gives big brain?
yea +4 int
so that's 29
sell your soul to pazuzu for a wish for +1 inherent and that puts you at 30, for 1d4+11

Offline Storyteller_Arc

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #4 on: July 11, 2020, 06:36:12 PM »
Impressive.

Entirely theoretically, but impressive. Would make you an absolute demon once you get to level 3, two missiles a spell would really start messing encounters up with that unmissable damage.

Offline KellKheraptis

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #5 on: July 24, 2020, 10:53:00 AM »
I believe there was a similar setup in one of the low level builds threads for E6 - the E6 Macross Missle Massacre if you will.

I will also add (and might require using Eclectic Learning or a feat, as I can't recall if it's even ON their spell list) that Telekinesis or Chained Telekinesis on a bunch of greatswords with Warmage Edge can result in a nasty pile of stab even more so than doing it as a wizard, but that's likely overkill :P

Offline Kethrian

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #6 on: July 31, 2020, 09:17:42 AM »
Fire Seeds, Holly Berry Bomb version.  8d8 + (8*CL) damage, uncapped, is pretty devastating.  Average of 132 damage at level 12, before WE is applied, hits 196 average by CL 20, and is uncapped.  Now try empowering that.

Stored Lightning Bolt can be nice, since you can put all the damage dice into the stored part, and dump it into the stone floor your foe is standing on to immediately trigger it on him for up to 40d6 damage.

Maw of Chaos does uncapped CLd6 damage per round, and save vs daze, so you can lockdown your enemies and keep them getting blasted every round.  WE applies every round, too.

Speaking of applying damage every round, Boreal Wind can give you multiple rounds of decent damage plus knockback, redirectable every round.

Kyristen's Malevolent Tentacles is EBT with added energy drain.
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Offline KellKheraptis

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #7 on: July 31, 2020, 10:38:44 AM »
Don't forget to uncap your lower level spells.  I'm away from the desk, but one of my favorite go-to combos is (I think this is it to uncap it) Elder Giant Magic + Sculpt Spell + Widen Spell + Hail of Stone to play "Rocks fall, everyone dies" to everyone within a 40' radius.  Combine with some of the trademark CL boosters for ridiculously high damage from a level 1 spell slot, or chain it (or stick 3 of them in a tryptic, in a matrix, and chain THAT) for an army killer.

Snowcast it to give it (Cold) subtype, and then admixture or sub to acid, and it makes for great demolition as well (or sonic if using the older version of Energy Substitution).

Your best friend for force multipliers is Incantatrix, by far.  Giving up a school of magic is trivial, as you technically don't have them - you have a set list that you know from level 1.

Offline Storyteller_Arc

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #8 on: July 31, 2020, 03:24:52 PM »
Fire Seeds... an odd blasting spell, and requires quite a bit of preparation to use, but if you can get it to work, adding the Warmage's Edge damage to all 8 Holly Berry's is a very effective use of the feature! Even if I'm not actually sure it works from a rules perceptive. Same goes for the Tentacle range of spells, I'm not sure if Warmage's Edge extra damage would apply to them or not, as your creating something that does damage, rather than directly doing damage with a spell.

Boreal Wind probably needs to be directed carefully, as it affections friend and foe alike, and it hasn't got the widest range... buuuuut, it does have Long Range, and it starts from you and goes all the way out to full range.... it could probably serve as a rather effective anti-army spell with only a 4th, or more likely, 5th level spell slot. Especially in a narrow place like a mountain path.

As for uncapping... most people got for Reserves of Strength, I don't know if Elder Giant Magic works for that purpose.

Offline Kethrian

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #9 on: July 31, 2020, 05:28:23 PM »
@Storyteller_Arc  WE will only apply to one of the holly berries.  But it's fine, because WE is practically unneeded.  Is there another spell you can think of that adds an average of 8 damage with every caster level increase?  Oh, and it can be used on the fly, because it does not state that detonating them takes a standard action, meaning you could toss them (5 feet out, putting you just outside the tiny blast radius) or drop them from above if you want to Sculpt Spell them into a much larger area, then detonate them on the same turn.

Boreal Wind may not be the widest, but a 20 foot wide line out to long range ... and you can move every round to move its point of origin with you and change its direction ...
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Offline Storyteller_Arc

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #10 on: July 31, 2020, 06:19:32 PM »
I suppose Fire Seeds would be more of a Warmage Spell than a WE spell, shame.

And I do agree, Borel Wind does look like a solid choice for a spell.

Offline KellKheraptis

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Re: Best Warmage Spells
« Reply #11 on: August 01, 2020, 06:20:42 PM »
Fire Seeds... an odd blasting spell, and requires quite a bit of preparation to use, but if you can get it to work, adding the Warmage's Edge damage to all 8 Holly Berry's is a very effective use of the feature! Even if I'm not actually sure it works from a rules perceptive. Same goes for the Tentacle range of spells, I'm not sure if Warmage's Edge extra damage would apply to them or not, as your creating something that does damage, rather than directly doing damage with a spell.

Boreal Wind probably needs to be directed carefully, as it affections friend and foe alike, and it hasn't got the widest range... buuuuut, it does have Long Range, and it starts from you and goes all the way out to full range.... it could probably serve as a rather effective anti-army spell with only a 4th, or more likely, 5th level spell slot. Especially in a narrow place like a mountain path.

As for uncapping... most people got for Reserves of Strength, I don't know if Elder Giant Magic works for that purpose.

RoS is what I was thinking of - wrote that after being up for like 18 hours and a long shift  :banghead