Arcane Thesis: Disintegrate

[Bobby Baratheon]

Incantatrix might help alleviate the feat bind, if I really need to. I'm thinking to invest maybe four to five feats in this; we run a campaign with accelerated feat progression (one every other level), so I'm hardly hurting for feats. That said, I don't want to overinvest in this one method because I don't want to be a one trick pony (though, as an eldritch theurge, I'm really not) and because I like spreading my feats around a bit with this character.
So, let's say five feats (minimum):
-Arcane Thesis
-Dragon Prophesier/Shaper (feats 2 and 3, giving me empower without adjustment)
-Maximize
-Split Ray

I might retrain a couple of other feats though, so let's say I have two more feats I'm willing invest in this over the course of my character's career. This is the kicker; should I go with guided spell (which I might just use in place of split ray)? Or a couple of lesser LA 0/LA 1? feats to tack on to the aforementioned basic combo?

[Khedrac]

First point, Empower and Maximize explicitly stack; the final result ... is max normal damage +half variable damage (so a normally 40d6 Disintegrate instead deals 20d6+240).

Actually, the metamagic applies to the save damage as well, so that would be 2d6+30 on a made failed save.

Minor nitpick but it matters on the made save.
Empower + maximize is not "maximum + half dice" it is "maximum + half rolled"
I.e. on a failed save: 240 + half (40D6)
And on a made save: 30 + half (5D6)

The difference is more noticeable on the made save (half 5D6 v 2D6) but it does affect the distribution (which has more effect the more dice involved).

[AvatarVecna]

Minor nitpick but it matters on the made save.
Empower + maximize is not "maximum + half dice" it is "maximum + half rolled"
I.e. on a failed save: 240 + half (40D6)
And on a made save: 30 + half (5D6)

The difference is more noticeable on the made save (half 5D6 v 2D6) but it does affect the distribution (which has more effect the more dice involved).

I'm not sure if you're correct, since the RAW on the interaction between the two feats is short and poorly-worded (giving an example would've been useful, but I digress). Regardless, while the distribution is different between the two, the way I'm doing it tends to be more much more time-efficient at the game table (especially for large dice sets), hence why my home group does it that way in the rare occasion it even comes up.

Your interpretation seems correct, to be clear, but I'm not totally sure.

[Troacctid]

I'm not sure if you're correct, since the RAW on the interaction between the two feats is short and poorly-worded (giving an example would've been useful, but I digress).

What do mean? The interaction between the two feats is spelled out very explicitly, including an example.

An empowered, maximized spell gains the separate benefits of each feat: the maximum result plus one-half the normally rolled result. An empowered, maximized fireball cast by a 15th-level wizard deals points of damage equal to 60 plus one half of 10d6.

[AvatarVecna]

What do mean? The interaction between the two feats is spelled out very explicitly, including an example.

I'm not seeing the example in the SRD entry for either feat; I guess it's in the Player's Handbook, then.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

Lords of Madness has two items of interest for this disintegrate strategem: the lens of ray widening and the Disintegration Finesse feat. The first one, unfortunately, has a low DC to negate the effects, but it does turn disintegrate into an AoE, which enables plenty of shenanigans, such as giving you the option of adding Sculpt Spell onto your roster. The latter allows you to control how much damage you deal with disintegration effects, as well as allowing you to choose what parts of a creature or object you disintegrate, without affecting anything else.

As for the weak DC of the lens, there's a feat (Enhance Item) that allows you to add your key casting score modifier to the DC of any item you make with one item creation feat. It's in the Epic Level Handbook but is not, itself, an epic feat. Since it only affects one item creation feat, choose one you'll use on every item you make regardless of item type, such as Extraordinary Artisan or Legendary Artisan.

[Bobby Baratheon]

That feat sounds pretty dang awesome, as do those items. Is there any way to get disintegrate earlier than sixth level? I'm kind of wanting to make a disintegrate mage for my next character.

[MaxiDuRaritry]

That feat sounds pretty dang awesome, as do those items. Is there any way to get disintegrate earlier than sixth level? I'm kind of wanting to make a disintegrate mage for my next character.

Duskblades get it as a 5th level spell, but that's the absolute earliest you can get it on a spell list.

You can, of course, cheat your way to it at level 1 via Heighten Spell, Sanctum Spell, Forceful Spell, Extra Slot, and Extra Spell, but it takes a very permissive DM and lots of retraining.

[Bobby Baratheon]

I figured that would be the only other way Oh well. It's not that long of a wait, and the disintegrate metamagics work just fine on scorching ray, which can be a decent enough placeholder with searing spell (which would be retrained later).