Orion
Hey TheSquid!
Great to hear back from you. Also that you were working with the 40 Int idea too. I learn a lot from discussions and questions, reading other players ideas, so thanks for commenting and your thoughts are very valuable to me.
I think the gnome suggestion is really good. Gnome is probably more powerful than human here. It loses a feat (which I use for toughness anyway, so the HP ends up the same), 43 skill points (which the build doesn’t really need), and gains SF: Illusion, Evards Immunity, Perception bonuses from small stature, AC bonus from small stature, Concentration bonus, Listen bonus, Combat bonuses versus giants/reptilians etc, Will save bonus against mind affecting spells. I think I chose human in the end because I never used a lot of illusion spells and a bit of carry capacity early on (which actually, I find is a quality of life issue early on, later on its not an issue at all with all that RDD str). Also maybe being medium sized the character might be harder to knockdown, making discipline somewhat useful, although to be honest I will use Knockdown Immunity items if they are available, but if they aren’t perhaps it makes a difference. The Evards Immunity is in fact, the most powerful fact of the gnomish goodies that I listed. Spamming those tentacular black fields of death, then sitting around in it as a gnomish wizard is devastating for melee-only AI opponents who are vulnerable to Evards (which also goes through spell immunity). As an gnome RDD 10 you could also make use of the fire immunity and drop a few incendiary clouds and walls of fire into the Evard fields of death, although I honestly never thought that highly of the damage output of such spells, the proof of the pudding (is in the eating) I have been taught.
RE: Maximize Spell versus Silent Spell -> if I am honest, a lot of this boils down to Maximize IGMS, Maximize Flame Arrow and Maximize Ice Storm, Max Firebrand being used more by my casters during gameplay than Silent/Still IGMS, Silent/Still Wilting etc… Silent is very nice for spell slot management, as is Extend Spell, although damaging spells can’t be cast Extended (unless you count Mestil’s Acid Sheath or Elemental Shield). I just chose that based on my Sorcerers using Maximize more than Silent
Dropping SF/GSF for Craft Wand and Silent (or Extend Spell) is a very reasonable variation, although I am working on trying to rely more on scroll crafting rather than wands (a 10 pack of Mord scrolls, or Bigbys 6, or Summon IX, does wonders, for example), wands are very valuable in rest restricted environments, and to share with teammates with UMD.