How can I keep my Blood Mage alive?

Question

I just made it to paragon tier! My wizard Bai has been focused on area damage with some control effects, especially slowed (save ends). I use Orb Mastery to make the opponents' saves more difficult for powers like Horrid Whispers and Twist of Space.

Defensively, I've been a get out of the way type, using Wizard's Escape to not be there for the attack in the first place. That's worked well when I've been able to stay behind the party. I'll still get hit a couple times before the end of combat, but it usually doesn't become dire. I actually believe I've done well at not being a sink hole for the cleric's powers.

This all is changing because I've taken the Blood Mage paragon path.

Now that I'll be taking damage much more often during combat (from the wounds I deal to myself!), I need to figure out a way to keep myself from dropping. So it looks to me like my strategy needs an update. (If I'm wrong, tell me why.)

My idea so far is to do healing on myself which might let me keep up with my own damage. Also, I think I read about some magic item that let you gain regeneration 5 when you're bloodied. I noticed the Heal skill powers in PHB3 which would let me spend a healing surge as a minor. Beyond powers and feats, I'm looking for good strategies and new tactics that would require minimal retraining, though retraining is not off the table. I'd also welcome any ideas for useful items I could put on my shopping list.

Answer 1

The magic item you're thinking of is probably the Potion of Regeneration. The level 9 version costs 160 GP a pop and gives you regeneration 5 while you're bloodied. It also costs a healing surge, which might be a problem for your wizard if you do a lot of encounters in a typical day.

Trollhide Bracers have a daily that also gives you regeneration 5, not just while you're bloodied, but those are a level 19 item so it'll be a while before you might have those.

Armor of Sudden Recovery is great for regeneration. You can, as a daily, convert any ongoing damage you're taking to regeneration -- so if you're taking ongoing 10, you can turn it into regeneration 10. I would strongly recommend a set. A slightly cheesy but amusing option: combine that with Dragonfire Tar, an alchemical consumable which does ongoing damage on the target. Use that on yourself. Check with your GM before using this one, though.

Back to non-cheese. For your neck slot, an Amulet of False Life has a daily that gives you temp hit points equal to your healing surge value. That's effectively an extra second wind once per day. I think that's better than the Amulet of Life, which allows you to spend an extra surge once per day when you spend a surge, since you have to wait for someone to heal you or use second wind with the Amulet of Life.

Diamond Cincture is another effective second wind, once per day. So that's pretty good. It fills your waist slot.

OK, let's see. Strategies -- don't forget about Shield. That's a very good defensive utility. With any luck it'll prevent one hit per encounter. For your level 10 utilities, you have a few interesting choices. Mass Resistance is a life saver if you're fighting anything at all elemental. It's party-oriented, which is nice. Blur is a great power to protect you -- you can't be seen by enemies more than five squares away, plus you get some defensive bonuses. If you have some way to fly, which you probably will eventually, this is a great way to stay safe in the air.

Answer 2

Your best bet is the application of temporary hit points. While, optimally, your leader should be pumping you full, they may be specced for other things.

In the trivial case, an excellent and consistent source of THP is a Wailing Tome It triggers whenever you use psychic or teleportation powers, and gives you its enhancement bonus in THP, or, if you elect to be dazed, 2*enhancement+stat. Dual wielding implements with dual implement spellcaster is advised, using your orb whenever you have THP. To deal with the dazed condition the Circlet of Arkhosia allows a save against the condition (and, cheesily, doesn't note that you can't save against conditions you can't save against.) In a less silly vein, the Circlet of Continuity allows you to sustain 1/encounter while dazed.

With the tome you're guaranteed a steady stream of THP, dropping dazed on yourself when you want to significantly injure yourself. While it won't completely eliminate incoming damage, it should ameliorate it sufficiently.

The Amulet of False Life also provides significant temporary hit points.

You may also enjoy the feat "Energy Recovery" which gives you wis mod THP whenever an enemy fails a save against one of your powers.