[3.5] Best Crafting feats for a wizard?

[karnalsyn]

So I've read through the fabled "Being Batman: the Logic Ninja's Guide to Wizards" post made a while ago. I've read it from cover to cover. So I fully understand his take on which crafting feats should be taken and which shouldn't.

However, I'm coming here today to get other views on the topic. Looking to pick the minds of the community. I currently have a free slot on my 10th level wiz and am at odds between which crafting skill to pick.

Wondrous and Arms/Armor are already in the party. So no need to choose from those.

I've basically reduced MY picks down to either brew potion or craft wand. Brew potion I believe would be good to outfit the melee with handy buffs that they can then employ themselves when the need arises....leaving me to handle other matters such as group/mass buffing, etc. I figure if the 2-4 melee in the party (we have a party of 6) were to all down a pot of enlarge person or displacement, while I hit them all with a haste. Then round 1 is basically a double buff round to be ready for the battle to begin with little time wasted.

Wands obviously also have their use, but with our party having only 1 wiz and 1 UMD user presently, it doesn't seem to be the parties best overall value right now.

I've done my best to weigh the pros and cons to picking one over the other. And eventually I hope to have both feats anyway. But in this particular moment I need to pick one and am looking for a few tips/experiences that you all might have which could help.

Thanks.

[ShneekeyTheLost]

A two-level dip in Chameleon for all of them?

[deuxhero]

Potions are overpriced (compare their costs to that of a wand or wonderous item), go with wands. Wands are helpful for the many first or 0 level spells you are always casting (and if you have someone who can cast cure light wounds, have them make some wands of it with you, best gold/heal ratio in core)

Also I assume by "UMB" you mean Use Magic Device. What class? If rogue make him a wand of acid splash so he can Sneak Attack at range.

[karnalsyn]

A two-level dip in Chameleon for all of them?

Chameleon is not currently an available choice in our campaign.

Any further suggestions should consider core rules and most of the complete series for reference if that helps. Though some aspects of the complete series haven't been included in our campaign just yet.

I'm also not looking to 'dip' into anything for the purpose of including both. This is really a '1 feat to fill, which is best feat to take' scenario.

[deuxhero]

Who has craft wondrous items and craft magic arms and armor? Is there a house rule that allows a non-caster to take the feat, or does your group have another caster?

[karnalsyn]

Potions are overpriced (compare their costs to that of a wand or wonderous item), go with wands. Wands are helpful for the many first or 0 level spells you are always casting (and if you have someone who can cast cure light wounds, have them make some wands of it with you, best gold/heal ratio in core)

Also I assume by "UMB" you mean Use Magic Device. What class? If rogue make him a wand of acid splash so he can Sneak Attack at range.

Yes, UMD, just went back and edited it.

I realize that low level wands are the best bang for the buck. But when I consider being the only true buffer in the party, spending time to enlarge 2-3 people or what have you...takes a good 2-3 rounds I may not necessarily have. Which is why I began toying with the idea of potions.

The UMD user is a warlock.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I've basically reduced MY picks down to either brew potion or craft wand.

Pick up the spell Quick Potion from the Spell Compendium.

[karnalsyn]

Who has craft wondrous items and craft magic arms and armor? Is there a house rule that allows a non-caster to take the feat, or does your group have another caster?

Cleric currently has them both.

[deuxhero]

Then wands all the way, wands of cure light wounds=good

If you want to make potions of haste as your primary reason for brew potion. If you can convince your DM to allow it and you can convince the warlock to take it, Neverwinter Nights 2 has a lesser invocation (http://nwn2.wikia.com/wiki/Flee_the_Scene) that replicates haste.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Then wands all the way, wands of cure light wounds=good
Wizard can't cast CLW unless he's a Rainbow Servant or something.

[karnalsyn]

Well my thoughts behind taking Brew Potion is so that the majority of the party can have buffs on hand. I'd be the one handling the AoE buffing, with spells such as haste. The idea is, less rounds wasted on buffing the party overall. If I'm the sole buffer in the group, then I don't want to waste the first 4-5 rounds of combat hitting single target buffs. Not to mention that if the battle is already well underway, I could be putting myself in harm's reach while trying to buff someone.

So I guess what it comes down to is, do the ends justify the means with regards to full party buffs. Obviously later on, I'll have a larger selection of AoE buffs to work with.....it's surviving to the point of 'later on' that I'm trying to achieve here.

And also, I'm open to other crafting ideas, if people have found others to be beneficial at this stage of the game.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Quick Potion is a first level SPC spell that allows you to quickly create a potion of a spell that you can cast, of third level or lower, which lasts for 1 hour/level. It's better than the feat.

[deuxhero]

Oh, just recalled. Haste as a spell targets many people, potions of haste target 1.

[Darrin]

Pick up the spell Quick Potion from the Spell Compendium.

Quick Potion has a duration of 1 hour/level. You can buy Gremma's Cauldron (Expedition to Undermountain p. 217, 5000 GP) to pick up the Brew Potion feat if you don't have it.

[karnalsyn]

Quick Potion is a first level SPC spell that allows you to quickly create a potion of a spell that you can cast, of third level or lower, which lasts for 1 hour/level. It's better than the feat.

Quick Potion is wiz2 actually.

I was about to type out reasons why I don't find it to be a sufficient replacement for the feat. Then I stopped and thought outside the box.

Are you getting at the idea of making a wand of Quick Potion? Then use it in conjunction with a wand of X (X = buff spell)? Because if so, then I think you just won the day my friend.

[deuxhero]

Oh, you might also want to look into craft rod (unless it has a prerequisite I forget) lesser extend rod is pretty good for buffing.

[Cieyrin]

I've always found potions to be more last ditch effort, really. Wands don't provoke when used and are basically the cheapest per use of such items. They also have a higher max level than potions do. The only benefit of a potion over a scroll or wand is that anybody can use one. So my recommendation is to go after Craft Wand over Brew Potion.

EDIT:
Quick Potion is wiz2 actually.

I was about to type out reasons why I don't find it to be a sufficient replacement for the feat. Then I stopped and thought outside the box.

Are you getting at the idea of making a wand of Quick Potion? Then use it in conjunction with a wand of X (X = buff spell)? Because if so, then I think you just won the day my friend.

That is an excellent plan of attack, giving you the best of both worlds without having to expend the resources for both. I'm not sure of the wording of Quick Potion but using it with multiple wands may or may not work. It also may be worth your time to make a wand of Extended Quick Potion, to ensure that your Quick Potions last.

[karnalsyn]

What is the original source for Quick Potion? I'm looking for the pre-SpC version.


Nevermind, I found it.
Darsson's Potion, from Magic of Faerun (which is wiz4 in this source).

Chances are extremely high, like 99% high that I'd be forced into using the original source of this spell by my DM. Making its use worthless, and it being made into a wand expensive (not that it couldn't be done, so this is still an option).

However, I think I'm leaning more and more towards wands when I consider their usefulness outside of my original mindset of simply buffing party members. And being that I have access to most 'mass' versions of the buff spells I've been looking at (and soon to have more once I gain access to 6th level spells), I think wand will be the better choice in the long run.

[Stegyre]

Wizard can't cast CLW unless he's a Rainbow Servant or something.
He doesn't need to; he just needs a friend (or other source) who can, to assist in the item creation:

A spell prerequisite may be provided by a character who has prepared the spell (or who knows the spell, in the case of a sorcerer or bard), or through the use of a spell completion or spell trigger magic item or a spell-like ability that produces the desired spell effect. For each day that passes in the creation process, the creator must expend one spell completion item or one charge from a spell trigger item if either of those objects is used to supply a prerequisite.

It is possible for more than one character to cooperate in the creation of an item, with each participant providing one or more of the prerequisites. In some cases, cooperation may even be necessary.
SRD: Magic Item Basics (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicItemBasics.htm)