Gear for a Wizard Slayer?

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With being able to only use weapons & armor it's a bit much imo but that's the game
What gear do you guys give your Wizard Slayers? I'm using the +5 Axe of Unyielding (my fav. weapon) but what else?

 

Anything that works well in melee. The stacking debuff doesn't work on ranged attacks. Since the debuff ignores Mirror Image and Stoneskin you could carry around a normal weapon for when Mages use Mantle/Improved Mantle.

Some people prefer dual-wielding for the extra attack/debuff application, but I prefer going two-handed. I don't like going out of my way to "humor" the Wizard Slayer's class feature when the Wizard Slayer is still basically a fighter and all fighters are excellent at wielding two-handed weapons. Besides, even while using two-handed weapons I still see casters (not just mages, but everything from clerics to demons) struggle against him. And it's fun to see magic effects just bounce off him.

Anyway there's the Boots of Speed (they can use those), an amulet with Magic Resistance that Wizard Slayers are somehow able to use (the reward from Ellesime, iirc) and just about any available armor, really. You'll need the best Full Plate +x if you dual-wield, but with two-handed weapons you can just choose any armor type that you think gives him the most advantage. Like Dragon Armors, for the resistances.

 

The Wizard Slayer was my first character in Throne of Bhaal. When the expansion first came out, I still didn't finish SoA (I first finished it pretty long after ToB came out), but still tried out the expansion a bit.

I dual classed it to a Thief. The idea was: Use any item -> Robe of Vecna for extra magic resistance / Scroll casting speed.

Maybe not the strongest build ever (never took that character to the end, either), but quite fun. I also would try it again.

 

Definitely axes are a good choice, but not because AoU. Throwing axes are your best buddies throughout the game. At the start of the game you should obtain ASAP the Azuredge. However it does little damage compared to the Rifthome Axe. Get that too by siding with Bodhi (no other way). In the end of the game you'll obtain the best axe possible, Kl'ogarath +4. However, you'd still need to invest some pips in Halberds, Flails, Warhammers and Short Bows if you intend to play the solo adventure. Dual-wielding is advised, because of more attacks per round. If you have a party behind your back to (improved) haste you whenever needed, then good, if not - dual-wield is a must.

Throwing axes allow you to equip a shield as well, which is very important in many encounters. Whether it will be fighting illithid with Rifthome axe main and Shield of Harmony off-hand, or fighting kuo-toans with Reflection shield off, or Beholders with Shield of Balduran off - shields are always recommended.

Armor reccomendation - Delver's Plate. With the additional 2 save bonus versus spells, it's the only way to decrease your spell saving throw to 0, thus negating all saves. Remember, there are many effects that require save vs spell but ignore magic resistance - Illithid's psionic blast being one of the very good examples!

If you run a solo Wizard Slayer, remember to buy all Arrows of Dispelling which you can find, and save them for the tough fights (dragons, for example).

If you intend to dual the WS to a Thief, that's good, but you won't get all the MR bonus if you want to ever regain that fighter levels again. Then again, with Use Any Item, you can enhance not only MR, but other stuff as well via items/potions.

The Amulet of the Seldarine is the only amulet which you can use with a pure-class Wizard Slayer. There are several more items which a WS can use as well:

Green Protection scrolls and Lesser Restoration scroll - just make sure that the WS has an intelligence of 9.
Rod of Resurrection - your best ally actually. You will find a total of 3, use them sparingly.
Brine Potions - if you play Ascension, then they will be useful in the Abazigal fight.
Control Circlets - for some unexpected allies in tough situations.

If you play Ascension with a solo WS, then you should focus on buying all items which improve Charisma and are useable by a WS - plate of Balduran, Hrothgar's Axe, etc, since if you wanna persuade Balthazar to join you, you can do so only by boosting Cha high enough.

In general, almost all weapons and armor, which grant permanent stat increase, resistance or immunity, or refreshable spell-like ability must be hoarded. You never know when you'd want, for example, Fire&crushing resistance of 127%, or Free Action, or even immunity to Backstab.

Oh yes...the pure-class Wizard Slayer is a Half-Orc.

 

Unless it is a bug in the game engine having a 0 in saves is useless as a roll of one always fails.

 

"best axe possible, Kl'ogarath +4"
I don't like the axe. It knocks things through walls. I just got surprised by a troll that wasn't supossed to be there but was because in another section of the Keep I knocked him through the wall

 

No, there are certain spells such as Chaos that give penalties to saves. Having saving throws lower than 0 helps negate those penalties.

 

Most notably Greater Malison, of course.

 

Through walls? I don't remember it doing that. I know it knocks enemies back a good distance, but I don't recall blasting them through walls. It does have the highest enhancement bonus for a throwing axe in the game though, unless you have an item mod installed of course. You could also use it as a non throwing axe and it's pretty fun to see things being knocked around, though irritating at times.

 

Axe is the best type of weapon for a solo Wizard Slayer because of the Str bonus being applied to ranged Axe attacks, and heavily enchanted throwing and regular axes available early in the game. Kl'ogarath's Knockback ability is more often a nuisance rather than an advantage, however it still remains the best possible weapon for a solo Wizard Slayer versus Ascension Mellisan - you don't want to get near her and still need to inflict considerable damage with a +4 or higher enchanted weapon.

 

Just remember that the penalty to casting does not apply to ranged weapons of any type (this includes throwing weapons). Not without mods, anyway.

 

Which was the mod that fixed that? Was it Baldurdash, G3 fixpack, G3 Tweaks, or something else?
I'd forgotten that detail.