Flavor my Ice Mage

[MichielHagen]

Hi,

i want to build a wizard in a D&D 3.5 game completely focused on Ice spells. But i do not want him to suck, so i will try to pick the best "ice" spells i can find.

Currently i have:

Level 1:
Grease (flavored to be ice)
Lesser Orb of Ice

Level 2:
Ray of Ice
Frost Breath

Level 3:
Sleet Storm
Shivering Touch

Level 4:
Wall of Ice
Orb of Ice

Level 5:
Flesh to Ice

Level 6:
Freezing Fog
Freezing Glance

Level 7:
none yet

higher will not be neccesary for some time.

I also want to summon Ice/Cold Elemental, do they already exist, or should i make one myself?

I need some more flavorful tips, spells, items, familiar, feats, ....

any help is appreciated :D

[Zaq]

Summon Ice Beast, from It's Cold Outside, should handle your summons. It tends to be slightly weaker than normal Summon Monster, but it gets the job done.

Anyway, most of the spells from It's Cold Outside should help you.
It's Cold Outside is sometimes known as Frostburn.

[MichielHagen]

Yes, i am reading it page by page now, forgot to mention it, i am looking for anything outside of that book.
Or maybe a pointer to things in the book that are so important i should not forget it.

[wormwood]

Energy Substitution(Cold) + whatever spell has an energy type = good.
I actually just built an Ice Mage for a one-shot game... that turned out to be chock full o' undead and constructs. It was all-around suckage for me.

Once you get into higher levels, you might want to consider Piercing Evocation. It's not great but it lets 10 points of energy damage become untyped and, thus, hurt even baddies that are immune to Cold.

[nekomata2]

You're missing Ice Lance from the SpC, its 6d6 with a stun. Energy Substituton could be your friend. Complete Arcane has the Elemental Savant, and Its Cold Outside has the Frostmage, I don't think either of them are particularly great...I think Its Cold Outside also has a metamagic that lets your cold spells overcome cold resistance.

[Serpentine]

Chocolate! No no, wait... Mango! Lemon sorbet!

Try looking in Frostburn?

[Optimystik]

From SpC:

7: Ice Claw (Grasping Hand (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/graspingHand.htm), but made of ice. No save.)
8: Field of Icy Razors (save-or-suck)

From FrB:

4: Ice Shield (Stoneskin, made of ice instead.)
9: Ice Assassin (Duplicate target creature to murder it. Can use all abilities of the prey.)

Instead of Piercing Evocation, get Piercing Cold from Frostburn - your cold spells deal full damage to cold-resistant enemies, and half-damage to cold-immune enemies.

[Grumman]

Level 3: Energy Vulnerability would make your spells 50% more effective, and it's a low enough level that you can quicken it.

Frostfell is level 9, but would be very stylish once you can cast it. So would an Energy Substitution (cold) Detonate: target creature freezes and shatters, dealing 20d6 cold damage to everyone within 20 feet.

[MichielHagen]

Energy Substitution(Cold) + whatever spell has an energy type = good.
I actually just built an Ice Mage for a one-shot game... that turned out to be chock full o' undead and constructs. It was all-around suckage for me.

Once you get into higher levels, you might want to consider Piercing Evocation. It's not great but it lets 10 points of energy damage become untyped and, thus, hurt even baddies that are immune to Cold.

Doesn't the metamagic feat Piercing Cold fix this?

[Zaq]

My understanding was that Searing Spell ignored fire resistance and mitigated fire immunity, but Piercing Cold only ignored cold resistance and left cold immunity untouched. I don't have my book open, so I might be wrong, but that's my understanding.

Flash Frost Spell is a metamagic feat from PHB2 that has a fun ice flavor. It's not super-powerful, but it's fun.

[Starbuck_II]

Hi,

i want to build a wizard in a D&D 3.5 game completely focused on Ice spells. But i do not want him to suck, so i will try to pick the best "ice" spells i can find.

Currently i have:

Level 1:
Grease (flavored to be ice)
Lesser Orb of Ice

Level 2:
Ray of Ice
Frost Breath

Level 3:
Sleet Storm
Shivering Touch

Level 4:
Wall of Ice
Orb of Ice

Level 5:
Flesh to Ice

Level 6:
Freezing Fog
Freezing Glance

Level 7:
none yet


Ice Dagger?
Snowball Swarm?
Dragon Breath? (choose cold dragon like White)
Elemental body? (if you want to become a cold/Ice elemental)

[Cyclocone]

Well, Simulacra are made of snow.
Yup, you should definately use Simulacrum alot.[/lie]

I forgot if Fleshshiver is [Cold], sure sounds like it would be though.

Try looking at Kaupaer's Quickblast (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/mb/20050112a), it's pretty decent with Fell metamagic.

Anyway, I think MotP has Cold Elementals, and Improved Familiar could get you an Ice Mephit.

BTW: Piercing Cold doesn't work on (cold) creatures, but other cold immunes are go.

[ghashxx]

2nd level, Flash Freeze, close range, 10 square feet/level, drains stone, earth, and water of heat. Freezes water up up to 1' thick.

2nd level, Creeping Cold, close range, 3rounds, fort save for 1/2 damage, does 1d6 cumulative damage for the three rounds.

3rd level, Column of Ice, close range, permanent duration, reflex save negates, crate column of ice of 10'radius with height of 5'/level and when it hits the cieling it's 4d6 crushing damage. If on and doesn't hit the ceiling then balance check DC 10 to not fall off it.

4th level, Freeze Armor, close range, good times against all in metal armor

5th level, Call Avalanche, long range, 10'radius/level, reflex 1/2 damage, only works outside, ice and snow dumps dealing 8d6 crushing on large and smaller sized creature. Reflex to not be buried, if buried then 1d6 nonlethal damage each round, and another 1d6 nonlethal per minute.

5th level, Blizzard, long range, rounds/level, 100'radius/level, temp drops to below 0 degrees C, blizzard erupst reducing visibility to 5', one foot of snow/round, spot/search/listen checks and ranged attacks are impossible, 1d6 damage if unprotected from elements with fort save to negate.

5th level, Mantle of the Icy Soul, creature touched, hour/level, give the cold subtype.

6th level, death hail, medium range, cylinder of 40'radius 20'tall, round/level, hails rains down dealing 1d2 str & con damage per round with fort for 1/2 damage.

6th level, Snow Wave, 30' Cone, creates a wave of snow that knocks prone, 4d6 crushing and 1d6 cold, fort save for 1/2 on cold damage, reflex save to negate being knocked prone.

7th level, Whiteout, long range, cloud of 120'radius that's 20'tall, 1hour/level, creates snow and strong wind. Inside of the area, -2 to ac, lose dex to AC, move at 1/2 speed, -4 to all checks requiring vision, total concealment, whiteout stacks with local wind and snow, visibility to 5'. Moving needs survival check of DC 10+caster level or wander around lost. Cant' leave the area of whiteout, groups can use one survival check if tied together. Can only do one check per hour. This thing is absoflippanlutely amazing for "no, I don't want to get killed, so all of you are going to wander around lost for the next 13+ hours. So it's like the most amazing version of timestop if you're wanting to heal etc.

[erikun]

0th level:
Ray of Frost

1st level:
Glaze Lock - Frostburn
Ice Dagger - Magic of Faerûn
Kaupaer's Quickblast - internet
Orb of Cold, Lesser - Complete Arcane
Shivering Touch, Lesser - Frostburn
Snowball / Snilloc's Snowball - Unapproachable East

2nd level:
Brumal Stiffening - Frostburn
Claws of Darkness - Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Cold of the Grave - Dragon #347
Frost Breath - Dragon #312
Frost Weapon - Frostburn
Heat Leech - Frostburn
Ice Darts - Frostburn
Ice Knife - Complete Arcane
Icicle - Frostburn
Kelgore's Grave Mist - Player's Handbook II
Leomund's Tiny Igloo - Frostburn
Numbing Sphere - Frostburn
Obscuring Snow - Frostburn
Ray of Ice - Dragon
Snowball Swarm / Snilloc's Snowball Swarm - Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting
Zone of Glacial Cold - Frostburn

3rd level:
Arctic Haze - Frostburn
Blood Snow - Frostburn
Control Temperature - Frostburn
Glacial Globe of Invulnerability - Frostburn
Hailstones - Dragon #304
Icy Burst - Tome and Blood
Ice Shape - Frostburn
Icelance - Player's Guide to Faerun
Shivering Touch - Frostburn
Sleet Storm

4th level:
Circle of Cold - Dragon #317
Column of Ice - Frostburn
Fire Shield
Glacial Ward - Frostburn
Ice Cloud - Dragon #307
Ice Storm
Ice Web - Frostburn
Jhanifer's Deliquescence - City of Splendors: Waterdeep
Mindfrost - Frostburn
Orb of Cold - Complete Arcane
Wall of Coldfire - Frostburn
Wall of Ice

5th level:
Anticold Sphere - Frostburn
Boreal Wind - Frostburn
Cone of Cold
Fire Shield, Mass - Compele Arcane
Gelid Blood - Frostburn
Icy Sphere - Dragon #317

6th level:
Entomb - Frostburn
Freezing Fog - Complete Arcane
Freezing Glance - Frostburn
Heartfreeze - Frostburn
Ice Rift - Frostburn
Move Snow and Ice - Frostburn
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
Supress Flame - Frostburn
Waves of Cold - Frostburn

7th level:
Freezing Cloud - Dragon #308
Glacial Ward, Greater - Frostburn
Ice Castle - Frostburn
Ice Claw / Zajimarn's Ice Claw Prison - Magic of Faerun

8th level:
Fimbulwinter - Frostburn
Frostfell - Frostburn
Polar Ray
Field of Icy Razors / Zajimarn's Field of Icy Razors - Magic of Faerun

9th level:
Iceberg - Frostburn
Obedient Avalance / Zajimarn's Avalance - Magic of Faerun

Yes, I have considered making a pure cold mage myself.

Manual of the Planes (3.0e) does have stats for an Ice Elemental, along with the other elementals. The Lord of the Uttercold feat (Complete Arcane) makes your cold spells deal half negative energy damage. The Energy Substitution feat (CA) will turn any energy type into cold for +0 spell level, while Energy Admixture doubles the damage.

While I'm away from the book, the Frost Mage prestige class (Frostburn) was rather good, getting the Piercing Cold feat for free and several of the Summon Ice Beast spells added to your spelllist. Frostburn also has the Blue Ice special material, which allows you to ignore ASF when casting a cold spell.

[Optimystik]

erikun, It looks like you were listing all the cold spells you could find, but you missed a pretty good one - Ice Assassin from Frostburn (9th level).

[erikun]

Looking it over, I also missed Flesh to Ice (Frostburn, 4th level spell). I just grabbed everything with the [cold] descripter from this website (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/), really.

Actually, it's probably missing quite a few. From what I recall, Ice Lance isn't cold-type, but acts as a mini-disintegrate (lot of damage and chance to instakill). The entire Summon Monster line can be cold by summoning the correct creature.

[Starscream]

I would call him "Snow Miser" and take a few levels of bard to help with the singing.:smallbiggrin:

[erikun]

Bards aren't that bad out of core, either. (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/cgi-bin/feats.pl?Snowflake_Wardance)

[wormwood]

I took a quick look at the books and it seems that Piercing Cold is better in most circumstances. It works on natural cold resistance and gives 50% damage through natural cold immunity. The Frost Mage class feature pointed out something very odd, though... it doesn't work against magical cold resistance or immunity. So, if they cast Protection from Energy or have on a ring, the feat does nothing.

Piercing Evocation works against natural or magical resistance or immunity... it just doesn't do as much.

If you're going into the Frost Mage PrC, skip them both until the class gives you Piercing Cold AND the added bonus that it works against magical protection.

The icy mage i built used flash frost spell... definitely not uber-powerful but fun. I added explosive spell to it in order to slap folks away from me and make them run over ice to get back to me.

[nekomata2]

Looking it over, I also missed Flesh to Ice (Frostburn, 4th level spell). I just grabbed everything with the [cold] descripter from this website (http://realmshelps.dandello.net/), really.

Actually, it's probably missing quite a few. From what I recall, Ice Lance isn't cold-type, but acts as a mini-disintegrate (lot of damage and chance to instakill). The entire Summon Monster line can be cold by summoning the correct creature.

Unless it's different than Icelance, you remember incorrectly, its a single target 6d6 fort save stun.

[Telonius]

Reflavoring could help quite a bit.

Flare: light glints off ice and blinds the foe.
Dancing Lights: lights appear to be shimmering snowflakes surrounding the target.
Hold Portal: door is held in place by ice.
Shield: appears to be ice-like and translucent; shatters if dealt sufficient damage by magic missiles.
Floating disk: appears to be made of ice.
Color Spray: looks like a whirlwind of snow.
Feather Fall: rename to "snowflake fall"
Fog Cloud: appears to be a whirlwind of snow.
Glitterdust: dust appears to be hailstones.
Phantom Steed: Reindeer.
Gentle Repose: corpse is encased in ice, preserving it.
Black Tentacles: appear to be icy hands.
Mage's Faithful Hound: looks like a Husky, Malamute, or St. Bernard
Wall of Stone: appears to be ice blocks (but has same stats as stone).
Blight: looks like the plant has been killed by a sudden frost

... and so on.

[Toliudar]

I second the effort to reflavour, so that you don't end up without a decent range of utility spells. Dimension Door becomes "swirl of snow". Mirror Image becomes "Who Says Every Snowflake is Unique", Rope Trick is your Crystal Palace. With a fair smattering of energy spells, the Energy Substitution feat and Piercing Cold, and probably the Frost Mage PrC, you're set.