The truism is that player > build > class. Of course, the truism is sometimes improperly used to imply that class doesn't matter; it does, just not as much as build and player. The easiest way to hold the more important variables constant is to play with and DM for the same group of optimizers over a long period, which I have done. The low tier characters they/I play generally do a bunch of damage and have a few other neat tricks, similar in nature to the Hood mentioned. The casters, on the other hand, change the entire scope of the game.

Also, an Incantatrix should utterly steamroll RHoD/most modules once they have metamagic effect.