best mythic feats for spellcasters

[thkiwow]

I always take expanded arsenal, spell mastery[mythic], spell penetration[mythic] and ascendent element.

expanded arsenal is just that great. you get +4 extra dc and even some extra for caster level for the price of one feat, allowing your caster to not overspecialize. it's overpowered as hell and I'm not sure why don't most builds take it. maybe builds have the min-maxing disease and fail to realize just how great this is. basically a bargain. 3-4 feats in the price of one. I almost always focus on necromancy, conjuration or enchantment. those are the ones that require the hard saves, if you fail which the spell is just not gonna work.

spell penetration and ascendant element are just necessary if you want to do damage. or anything in the case of spell pen.
the spells that require hard saves (don't/barely work if save fails) are not necessarily very damaging even if you take all the feats. boneshatter would only do mediocre damage throughout the game, and even though most spells have aoe damage output from casters is mediocre. spells won't work without the absurd bonus of mythic spell penetration and greater spell penetration. which means that casters who don't take it like wolfjiv are better off going the buff route. which is not that bad since there are plenty illusion buffs to make him overpowered in defence.

ascendant element is just a must have for a damaging caster. all enemies in the game have resistances to most if not all elements. so specializing in lightning or fire then going for hellfire ray spell specialization or chain lightning spell spec is almost necessary. you can do damage with other spells like finger of death, but that only works on some enemies or mobs. it's one of those spells that still does 'decent' damage only if you pass the save. but still not something to really brag about if you compare it to wendu damage output.

I don't get the negative energy element specialization if you're not lich. for ember it just sucks throughout the game. better take fire. it requires a close range touch attack with a save and just has below average damage. unless you take harm which is just overpowered and one of the strongest spells in the game.

imo for doing damage if you compare spellcasters to archers then spellcasters are rather weak early on. especially on lower difficulties. archers can do massive damage early on in the game. most enemies have elemental resistance and spell. so if you don't take the right feats the spellcasters will fall behind. if you do end game they might do damage. spell pen for example is a must without which no spells would work, but others are also necessary.

[Ghost]

my main party right now has a Lich / Sorc, Winter Witch and Skald that are stacked with these mythics and it's extremely good. everyone has Rupture Restraints and Last Stand as well. very very good.

[Bishop]

Expanded arsenal is a must just don't use it with school that already has mastery/greater mastery. It also stacks with every school mastery you have AND arcane bloodline mastery, so it can be pretty broken. My azata sorcerer is currently sitting on 58 evocation DC for lvl 9 spells. Kinda boring because nothing can really throw a save against this BS anymore, but I guess that's the point.

Spell penetration depends on your build and mythic path. For example as an elf/half elf you can get +2 racial bonus, azata (and I assume other mythic paths as well) gives +4 bonus from a long duration spell and double spell penetration roll from favorable magic. Then there's also items that can increase this number for another 8-10 points. I never failed penetrating spell resistance without mythic spell pen, don't even know how much I stacked at this point, probably around 40.

Ascendant element is no brainer.

Mythic spell focus works together with expanded arsenal, so each school will add another +2 DC. Whatever it worth it or not is another question. It's good for a secondary school, like enchantment, but I wouldn't waste points on it just to boost expanded arsenal.

Another decent one for endgame is sorcerous reflex. One quick 6-7 lvl spell per battle is pretty good, can be used to throw some sirocco or chain lighting without wasting rod charges.

[thkiwow]

Originally posted by Bishop:

Expanded arsenal is a must just don't use it with school that already has mastery/greater mastery. It also stacks with every school mastery you have AND arcane bloodline mastery, so it can be pretty broken. My azata sorcerer is currently sitting on 58 evocation DC for lvl 9 spells. Kinda boring because nothing can really throw a save against this BS anymore, but I guess that's the point.

Spell penetration depends on your build and mythic path. For example as an elf/half elf you can get +2 racial bonus, azata (and I assume other mythic paths as well) gives +4 bonus from a long duration spell and double spell penetration roll from favorable magic. Then there's also items that can increase this number for another 8-10 points. I never failed penetrating spell resistance without mythic spell pen, don't even know how much I stacked at this point, probably around 40.

Ascendant element is no brainer.

Mythic spell focus works together with expanded arsenal, so each school will add another +2 DC. Whatever it worth it or not is another question. It's good for a secondary school, like enchantment, but I wouldn't waste points on it just to boost expanded arsenal.

Another decent one for endgame is sorcerous reflex. One quick 6-7 lvl spell per battle is pretty good, can be used to throw some sirocco or chain lighting without wasting rod charges.

expanded arsenal stacks?
WHAT???!!!
♥♥♥♥ I had no IDEA this stacks on every bloody spell focus. this changes everything. what is this completely broken feat? it's definitely a bug. I thought it just picks the highest bonuses. it STACKS???!! jesus. what the hell??? better get a full focus for necromancy conjuration and abjuration. damn.

[revan1229]

Originally posted by thkiwow:

damage output from casters is mediocre.

This is not true... Early game, of course, they are weak at DD, but they are broken when they come online (especially caster MC).

I don't think anyone has mentioned adding a Bloodline by using a feat for a Mythic Ability. +3 dice (with CB Sorc or CB Sorc dip) just from passives is really good. Improved Critical could be worth it for a ray caster.

[IlluminaZero]

I must admit I am a bit shocked that I am the first one to mention "metamagic" mythic feats. But I find that for any blaster mage; for example Ember with her Ray spells, metamagic "bolster" + "empowered" is a must.

If you add in Trickster's "completely normal magic" (iirc) feat you can have bolstered + empowered spells at +0 spell level. Then add in a metamagic rod (Maximize) and you have bolstered + empowered + maximized hellfire rays at base level. Yummy...

-----

While I am a very strong advocate for martial classes - Magic is no damage slouch either. Especially if you stack bolster + empowered + maximize. The biggest benefit however is simply being able to target either Fort/Reflex/Will or Touch rather than AC. Especially once enemy AC starts getting prohibitively high.

------ Team feat (Allied spellcaster)

I actually read that Allied spell caster stacks +2 per EVERY character with it. At present I intend to use a Cavalier to temporarily give all party members (animal companions included) "allied spell caster" to theoretically trivialize enemy spell resistance. If this works then; in theory, you could easily bypass spell resistance on demand via Cavalier/Inquisitor (ect) shared "Allied spell caster" or simply stack it among Spell casters + animal companions.

[Traveler]

Just get protection (mage armor, blur, ect ect) to last 24 hours. Completely OP.

[Selvokaz]

Originally posted by Traveler:

Just get protection (mage armor, blur, ect ect) to last 24 hours. Completely OP.

This. I would also suggest Favorite Metamagic Extend Spell to help with this. 24 hour haste yes please.

[Traveler]

Originally posted by Selvokaz:

Originally posted by Traveler:

Just get protection (mage armor, blur, ect ect) to last 24 hours. Completely OP.

This. I would also suggest Favorite Metamagic Extend Spell to help with this. 24 hour haste yes please.

Oddly I haven't found a haste scroll, are there none in the game?

[Selvokaz]

Originally posted by Traveler:

Originally posted by Selvokaz:

This. I would also suggest Favorite Metamagic Extend Spell to help with this. 24 hour haste yes please.

Oddly I haven't found a haste scroll, are there none in the game?

the healer npcs usually sell scrolls and potions regardless of discipline/spell book, i would check there first, or have neno scribe a scroll of it after you make her learn it as one of her first 3rd lv spells, at 5th lv.

[corisai]

Originally posted by Selvokaz:

This. I would also suggest Favorite Metamagic Extend Spell to help with this. 24 hour haste yes please.

Still not enough to make Haste (and any other 1 round/level) spell last a 24 hours. You need to reach CL:25th for it (very hard for anyone but Lich / Angel).

[corisai]

Originally posted by IlluminaZero:

I actually read that Allied spell caster stacks +2 per EVERY character with it.

It was recently fixed. Why Owls set a hard cap +2 spell pen from Allied Spellcaster (making it worst of all penetration feats) isn't clear to me.

[Abrusio]

Originally posted by corisai:

Originally posted by Selvokaz:

This. I would also suggest Favorite Metamagic Extend Spell to help with this. 24 hour haste yes please.

Still not enough to make Haste (and any other 1 round/level) spell last a 24 hours. You need to reach CL:25th for it (very hard for anyone but Lich / Angel).

Not that hard :

Scroll savant class (such as nennio) can use a cloak that gives +4C L when using a scroll (ActIV)
There is also a belt that gives +1 CL when using a scroll or potion (ActII)
The feat Spell specialization gives +2 CL for the selected spell
There are goggles that gives +2 CL for all spells (ActV)
Mythic feat school mastery gives +1CL to the spell of a school
Scimitar of Wind gives +1CL to transmutation spells (Act III)
Arcanists can get +2CL on any spell
Leyline Guardians can get +1D4CL to spells

It's more a specialized and/or late game thing but caster level stacking is quite possible.

Nobody mentionned persistant spell ? That's one of the best metamagic feat out there for save or die/suck spells...

[Bishop]

At that point you may as well just use some auto buff mod, and cast all your short duration buffs once before every fight. That's what I do using bubble buffs (40 long duration buffs, 100 medium duration buffs, 10 short duration buffs, 150 buffs in total). To even think about managing this manually causes me nightmares.

[Bishop]

Originally posted by Abrusio:

Nobody mentionned persistant spell ? That's one of the best metamagic feat out there for save or die/suck spells...

I use both persistent and selective metamagic, but these are not mythic feats. Also abundant spells and second bloodline for the sorcerer, these are no brainers too.

Persistent is pretty hilarious when combined with favorable magic of Azata. It forces enemies to roll 4 times.

[Selvokaz]

Originally posted by corisai:

Originally posted by Selvokaz:

This. I would also suggest Favorite Metamagic Extend Spell to help with this. 24 hour haste yes please.

Still not enough to make Haste (and any other 1 round/level) spell last a 24 hours. You need to reach CL:25th for it (very hard for anyone but Lich / Angel).

I will take a screen shot for you how about that?
Extended Spell Haste plus Endure Spell and Greater Endure Spell by end mid game is 24 hours.