Wizard options

[Mari01]

Well guys I've been posting a lot recently about my Dm's newfound hatred for ToB. He went through and made a list of things that are banned after we all crated our first characters and my crusader (and a swordsage not of mine) were on the list. So I've decided to play a wizard when I die since w elack a primary arcanist. My question is this. The other players are currently: A shaman who buffs a bit and then goes melee with his gorilla, a soon to be duskblade, and the swordsage who has decided to do some ranged combat when he dies (range/scout). I know wizard isnt quite what the group needs but I havent played one in a while.

TL;DR Not too cheesy wizard. We're currently 5th level. No flaws. Almost all books except for ToB and BoED. I'm thinking battlefield control type maybe specializing in conjuration or transmutation. I'm also partial to a necromancy based wizard. Not mass undead but more so controlling positive/negative energy. Let the guys with pointy sticks do their pointy stick damage.

[Manateee]

Since you're just looking for general build advice, I'm just going to point you toward Dictum Mortuum's Wizards Handbook. It could give you some ideas on how to put the character together. And as for spell selection, you might want to peruse Treeantmonk's Necromancy school breakdown.

I can't think of any great arcane necromancer prestige classes off my head. Pale Master from Libris Mortis isn't awful - it loses a caster level to provide some mostly flavorful benefits, but some of the abilities are nice, like free Animate Deads and ASF reduction on bone armor.

[blazingshadow]

you could try a focused specialist transmuter with master specialist prestige class. take the variant that gives you the ability to change banned spells to transmutation and use all that as the starting point for whatever your building. buff your party and debuff your enemies with your spells.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Go Conjurer, possibly even Focused Specialist (CM) for just as many spells/day as a Sorcerer. Drop Enchantment, Evocation, and probably Necromancy; Enervation is the source of considerable cheese anyway. Get the PH2 ACF for Abrupt Jaunt instead of a Familiar. Use either Enhanced Summoning or Martial Wizard (Improved Initiative). Go Wizard 3/ Master Specialist 2, probably take Paragnostic Apostle and maybe Divine Oracle. You could get Arcane Disciple for the Lust domain to qualify for both a Mindbender dip and Thaumaturgist.

If you don't go Conjurer, then make the character an Elf (Gray Elf or Fire Elf) and get the Elf Wizard 3 substitution level in Races of the Wild. Get a Hummingbird familiar (Dragon 323, gives +4 initiative, Thrush stats), and use Martial Wizard to get Improved Initiative instead of Scribe Scroll. That's +12 initiative without even considering Dex or spells like Nerveskitter. You don't have to take all the Elf Wizard sub levels, you can skip the first one if you want to specialize and just get the 3rd one.

Obligatory Batman Wizard guide.

[Mari01]

Many thanks you guys. I do have a quick question. In Unearthed Arcana it says a wizard doesnt gain any bonus spells for being a specialist. Does this also apply to being a focused specialist?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Many thanks you guys. I do have a quick question. In Unearthed Arcana it says a wizard doesnt gain any bonus spells for being a specialist. Does this also apply to being a focused specialist?

It basically means you don't get the bonus spells that would normally be given for being a specialist. Bonus spells you get from other sources, such as Focused Specialist, are not lost. Regardless, I would not recommend any of the UA variants that give up your bonus spells. You can get Enhanced Summoning without taking Rapid Summoning or Spontaneous Summoning.