Could a Beguiler replace a Wizard?

[Calaca94]

I'm playing a generalist wizard in a 3.5 party composed thus:
- A Barbarian ( THE BSF; who's gonna be a Runescarred Berserker)
- A Binder ( half a BSF; who has multiclassed as wizard just to continue as an Anima Mage)
- A Bard (sort of a Face, although only interested in bardic music; planned to advance as a Virtuoso)
- A Druid (in love with summon nature's ally and wild shape, planned to stay a Druid)
- A Favored Soul of Lathander (the healbot, planned to advance as a Sacred Exorcist for the DMM cheese)
- Me, the Wizard (a conjurer domain wizard planned to dip in mindbender and be mainly a IoT7V)

I'm usually the magic babysitter of the party, taking care of everything they can't handle (this includes almost everything we've experienced, since none of them has a decent mastery or knowledge of their classes' capabilities). Now i was thinking of replacing my wizard with a beguiler, but, although he would improve the party on the "roguish" side (the bard refuses to do that), i'm afraid he would lead to party's death in the blink of an eye (since until now we're alive only due to my wizard's powers)
If this can help, we're on the point of beginning the trilogy of "Cormyr - The Tearing of The Wave", "Shadowdale - The Scouring of The Land" and "Anauroch - The Empire of Shade". I don't know anything about these modules, so i can't imagine if a beguiler could be useful or not. Do you have advices or thought about it? I'd really appreciate any help you can provide.

[Nunkuruji]

The encounters in the trilogy are fairly optimized, I'd say its a strong campaign, as it cherry picks from a lot of good material available over all of 3.5.

You could consider Beguiler/Wizard/Ultimate Magus as well, and buddy spellbooks with the Anima Mage.


Here are some relevant spoilers if you so dare

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I don't remember there being a lot of traps/trapfinding.

You will deal with lots of diminished(-CL)/dead magic zones. FYI, psionics is not affected.

The second book involves infiltration, thus staple beguiler spells are useful, assuming you're not in the dead magic zone. Granted, these spells are just as available to a generic wizard.

The third book, I'm pretty sure all of Anauroch is a DMZ, though you're not necessarily there the whole time.

The party I DM'd, the caster was a high-CO wiz/totem druid(tiger)/arcane heirophant/mystic theurge. Mostly buff/bfc and the Tiger kept him much safer in the DMZs. He still died once on a boss fight either in book 1 or 2. Primarily setup the BSF ranger/momf to beat things down.

[Calaca94]

there aren't known ways to deal with magic dead zones?

[phaedrusxy]

Oh god... dead magic zones? Maybe play a psion/thrallherd? You can personally ignore the DMZ (according to the spoiler by Nunkuruji), and your thralls can provide the arcane utility that you can't personally access. Or maybe even a StP Erudite, if your DM is insane...

[Calaca94]

but no ways for a wizard or a beguiler, right?

[phaedrusxy]

but no ways for a wizard or a beguiler, right?

It's quite tough... There is a 9th level spell that will let you ignore AMF/DMZ for the next spell you cast. I think it's from Lords of Madness, but I forget the name.

Hmm... you know... if you are a Shadow Weave user in FR, I think you can actually cast in AMF/DMZ, as you don't use the same source of magic as everyone else. I'd definitely look into that. Shadow Adept/Shadowcraft Mage is a great build, no matter if you start out as a wizard or beguiler. Hell, it's definitely more of a power boost for the Beguiler. I'd say a beguiler/SA/SCM would have no problem "replacing" the wizard in a standard D&D party.

[Tonymitsu]

but no ways for a wizard or a beguiler, right?

It's quite tough... There is a 9th level spell that will let you ignore AMF/DMZ for the next spell you cast. I think it's from Lords of Madness, but I forget the name.

Invoke Magic, Lord of Madness pg 212.

It's a 9th level Evocation spell of personal range that requires a swift action to cast and lasts for one round, it has a 1000gp material component cost, and it only allows you to cast one spell of 4th level or lower.  The normal go-to function is an emergency escape hatch to get the wizard out of an anti-magic field using Dimension Door.
I doubt that's going to help much with a DMZ.

[phaedrusxy]

The normal go-to function is an emergency escape hatch to get the wizard out of an anti-magic field using Dimension Door.
I doubt that's going to help much with a DMZ.

Yeah, that's why I didn't mention it. If the DM follows the fluff for FR, where these adventures occur, then using the Shadow Weave should work, though (unless it is also broken in Aunaroch).

[Libertad]

Food for thought: DMZ is short for both Dead Magic Zone and De-Militarized Zone.

In both D&D and real life they're some of the most dangerous places in the world.

[CaptRory]

I dunno~ If I were a non-spellcaster I'd make my home and/or business a DMZ so I could whip any candyass spellslinger trying to get uppity. 

[altpersona]

i feel like in repeating my self, but...

Acorn?

[JohnnyMayHymn]

rainbow servant10!

[Keldar]

The normal go-to function is an emergency escape hatch to get the wizard out of an anti-magic field using Dimension Door.
I doubt that's going to help much with a DMZ.

Yeah, that's why I didn't mention it. If the DM follows the fluff for FR, where these adventures occur, then using the Shadow Weave should work, though (unless it is also broken in Aunaroch).

Shadow Weave would work... except who the villains are.  And if you have 9th level spells, you can Wish (part of) the damn zone away.

Initiate of Mystra works too, though it requires Cleric 3 to take the feat.  Being a Chosen of Mystra  would give you the ability to trash a DMZ about once an hour.


Regardless, keep a Detect Magic going if possible so you can always see the Dead Magic Zone coming.

[Bauglir]

i feel like in repeating my self, but...

Acorn?

Doubt it. Acorn is magical, gets shut down by the Dead Magic Zone. I don't think it'd protect itself, or at least I'm reasonably confident a DM would have to arbitrarily decide whether or not it does, and I know which one I'd pick if DMZs were relevant to the campaign.

[phaedrusxy]

Initiate of Mystra works too, though it requires Cleric 3 to take the feat.  Being a Chosen of Mystra  would give you the ability to trash a DMZ about once an hour.

Hmm... you know, being a cleric of Mystra might be a good direction to go. You could take Alternative Spell Source (or Southern Magician, etc) and go into Dweomerkeeper, and basically just be a "Cheater of Mystra". You'll want to really optimize your ability to make caster level checks to beat the DC to cast in DMZs, but with enough optimization and the Arcane Mastery feat, you can rest assured of success.

[Nunkuruji]

Problem with Thrallherd is simply the overwhelming # of PC characters on the board, please don't do that to your DM

More spoil

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Problem with Shadow Weave Magic is potentially being subject to Shar's (DMs) influence over the Shadow Weave. Relevant in this campaign.

Problem with Cheater of Mystra is the ability to cast in DMZ doesn't come online until late, and thus so-so. Wish can restore chunks of DMZ.

Again, psionics should be relatively safe, but psionics blows in terms of illusion equivalents. The Arcane Schooling feat would at least allow you to use wands, if you were just interested in a few staple spells. Spell to Power Erudite could work.

[Keldar]

Page 172, Players Guide to Faerun.

While psionics does not require the Weave to function, psionic powers are magical in nature.  Spells such as detect magic can also detect psionic abilities at work, and spells such as dispel magic or antimagic shell can negate, suppress, or completely cancel psionic manifestations.  In Faerun, psionics and magic are not transparent to each other, they interact exactly as magic interacts with other magic.

Dead Magic Zones are Antimagic fields, yet Psionics does not use the Weave.  Consult your DM before deciding if Psionics will solve your problem.

[Nunkuruji]

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In the Anauroch book, you find or encounter items/enemies with psionics and shadow weave items in the DMZ, it also directly states the fact that psionics still functions, but also encourages the DM in up the encounter difficulty if the PCs are such users

[X-Codes]

The functions of a rogue in a party of this makeup is really only a small handful of skills.  If you have any reason to expect traps, then I suspect the Binder has a Vestige for that, and such would likely be the most efficient method of handling the problem.  He should have a second bind before too long, so he can just use that to fill in for the Rogue and still be a mostly capable Binder/Wizard.

[TuggyNE]

Page 172, Players Guide to Faerun.

While psionics does not require the Weave to function, psionic powers are magical in nature.  Spells such as detect magic can also detect psionic abilities at work, and spells such as dispel magic or antimagic shell can negate, suppress, or completely cancel psionic manifestations.  In Faerun, psionics and magic are not transparent to each other, they interact exactly as magic interacts with other magic.

Dead Magic Zones are Antimagic fields, yet Psionics does not use the Weave.  Consult your DM before deciding if Psionics will solve your problem.

That quote is so weird. It says they're not transparent, and then outlines the ways in which transparency applies. Wat?