feats to improve direct damage

[molten_dragon]

I'm helping a friend with a mailman wizard build (has to be a wizard). What feats will help improve damage? So far I've come up with

Maximize
Empower
Energy admixture
Split Ray
Twin spell
Repeat spell

Anyone know of others?

[inertia709]

I'm helping a friend with a mailman wizard build (has to be a wizard). What feats will help improve damage? So far I've come up with

Maximize
Empower
Energy admixture
Split Ray
Twin spell
Repeat spell

Anyone know of others?

This technically doesn't increase damage directly, but Arcane Thesis (choose Orb of Fire or Force) allows you to stack on more of the metamagic feats you've already listed.

[Hiro Quester]

You will need to pay attention to prerequisites. You need energy substitution to get energy admixture.

[Rubik]

Any metamagic reducer will allow you to stack more feats on, thereby increasing damage.

And don't forget Chain Spell. Combine with Twin to double damage to everyone.

[Psyren]

Psionic Shot is a great boost at low levels, particularly with things like cantrips.

Sneak Attack is always a good source of extra d6 - combine with Spellwarp Sniper to strip the saving throws from some spells and you can really make them nasty. An Unssen Seer/Spellwarp Sniper/Arcane Trickster build can be a truly nasty blaster while also bringing skillmonkey utility to the table.

[Rubik]

It's not a feat, but a sorcerer's hand crossbow (AEG 117) gives +1 CL and [enhancement bonus] to attack with ray spells.

[bjoern]

Arcane thesis is great. But if you decide to get it I strongly suggest taking flaws at level 1 and maybe even being human. Arcane thesis is more effective when you dump multiple metamagic onto a spell. If all you have is empower and thesis, then thesis will be a waste of a feat. Also, PrC into incantatrix for the same reason (free MM feats)

Don't take maximize until you get to incantatrix 10. Use empower up to that point and retrain it to maximize once you get there.

[Anthrowhale]

To avoid missing, consider Searing Spell and Transdimensional Spell.

[Zanos]

Reserves of Strength if you can become immune to Stunning. 5d6 damage for +3 CL is pretty good even if you subscribe to less broken interpretation of the feat.

[Rubik]

Levels in a manifesting class with the Magic Mantle and the mind mage PrC would give you all sorts of options, such as applying both metapsionics and metamagics to your spells.

[Thurbane]

Bane Magic is useful, but pretty situational. If you find yourself fighting a particular creature type a lot, you can do an extra 2d6 with any damage dealing spell. Best of all there's no level increase to the spell.

As I said, though, it's pretty situational.

Also, Sudden Empower and Sudden Maximize...

Extend Spell will increase damage for spells with a duration, like Ice Storm.

[Segev]

This may or may not be allowed by your DM, as it can get silly, but... Launch Bolt. It's a 0th-level spell in the Spell Compendium that launches a target crossbow bolt as if from a light crossbow.

Apply Reach Spell so you can target it with a ray. This seems silly, by itself, especially as it ups it by 2 spell slots. But it's important, because it allows you to...

Apply Chain Spell. This adds another 3 levels to the slot it requires, but chaining a ray causes it to leap to your caster level in additional targets. The targets are crossbow bolts.

You're now firing your CL+1 light crossbow bolts for one spell casting. That's a standard action for (CL+1) d8 damage! You do have to roll to hit, though.

Now, this is taking a 5th level slot, which is a bit expensive. So apply Arcane Thesis to your Launch Bolt spell. Now you can cast it from a 3rd level slot.

As you get higher in level, Greater Magic Weapon on your crossbow bolts will make them do additional damage (and have an easier time hitting). Even at level 5, when you can first use a 3rd level spell slot to cast this, GMW adds +1 to hit and damage to each bolt (making the damage [CL+1]d8+[CL+1]).

[Rubik]

This may or may not be allowed by your DM, as it can get silly, but... Launch Bolt. It's a 0th-level spell in the Spell Compendium that launches a target crossbow bolt as if from a light crossbow.

Apply Reach Spell so you can target it with a ray. This seems silly, by itself, especially as it ups it by 2 spell slots. But it's important, because it allows you to...

Apply Chain Spell. This adds another 3 levels to the slot it requires, but chaining a ray causes it to leap to your caster level in additional targets. The targets are crossbow bolts.

You're now firing your CL+1 light crossbow bolts for one spell casting. That's a standard action for (CL+1) d8 damage! You do have to roll to hit, though.

Now, this is taking a 5th level slot, which is a bit expensive. So apply Arcane Thesis to your Launch Bolt spell. Now you can cast it from a 3rd level slot.

As you get higher in level, Greater Magic Weapon on your crossbow bolts will make them do additional damage (and have an easier time hitting). Even at level 5, when you can first use a 3rd level spell slot to cast this, GMW adds +1 to hit and damage to each bolt (making the damage [CL+1]d8+[CL+1]).

Twin Spell to double that number, since you target two bolts, each of which Chains off onto others. Repeating Spell to do the same again next round, for free.

[bjoern]

Twin Spell to double that number, since you target two bolts, each of which Chains off onto others. Repeating Spell to do the same again next round, for free.

Split ray would be cheaper since its a ray. Heck do both for x4

[Rubik]

And, being a ray, it works just fine with that sorcerer's hand crossbow I talked about earlier!

Muahahahahahahaha!

[Aracor]

You cannot chain a ray. Chain spell requires a targeted spell. A ray spell has no target entry.

[bjoern]

You cannot chain a ray. Chain spell requires a targeted spell. A ray spell has no target entry.

Oh, right.

Forget split ray then, chain and twin is way better.