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Here's a question: if the Wizard uses his Orb of Imposition power with the Sleep spell, does the saving throw penalty apply to both the Slow and Sleep effects, or does the Wizard have to choose one of these two effects to apply the penalty?

If it only applies to one, then it's very difficult to 'lock down' a Solo before level 29, when Legion's Hold becomes available - even with a Cunning weapon, a Phrenetic Helm, and Spell Focus, a Solo will still save on a 10+. If the Wizard has to choose between applying the penalty to the save vs. Slow or the save vs. Unconsciousness, it means he either risks a 55% chance of the solo failing to fall unconscious, or risks a 55% chance of the unconscious solo waking up each turn.

Obviously this problem goes away at level 29, but it seems to me that a lot of problems go away in the high Epic levels.

DDogwood wrote:

Here's a question: if the Wizard uses his Orb of Imposition power with the Sleep spell, does the saving throw penalty apply to both the Slow and Sleep effects, or does the Wizard have to choose one of these two effects to apply the penalty?

...that's a good question.

GeorgeFHarris wrote:

I'd like to point out this cheese:

Orb of Ultimate Imposition
Power (Daily): Free Action. Use this power when you use your orb of imposition class feature. Increase the penalty bestowed on your target by an amount equal to the enhancement bonus of this orb.

Once a day it is more powerful than a Cunning Weapon. (Many GM's would rule that you cannot use both on the same spell, because only one implement can cast a spell, and you only get that implement's powers and properties added on to the spell.)

Assuming a starting stat of INT 18, WIS 16 (as shown in the OP), this could generate by 28th level Archmage (adding Phrenic Crown (27th level), Spell Focus, and +6 Orb).

OoI (+7) + PC (+3) + SF (+2) + OoUI (+6) = +18 (+19 Demigod)

Using this Orb, a DO can totally lock out a Solo.

The SM/WotST build has the advantage of:

PC (+3) + SF (+2) + Cunning (+2) = +7

doing this to all of the other creatures in the encounter (15% escape).

I built my DO wizard pretty much with the same 1st level build (Scorching Burst instead of MM, and Icy Terrain but thinking of retraining to grasping shadows). But I did this before Swordmage and Cunning Weapon came out.

One thing I would suggest concerning the build is to start as a Staff Wizard at 1st level, and pick up Second Implement (Orb) at 11th level. My wizard will take Durable at 10th, and retrain it to Spell Focus at 11th level.

Is there a reason for not taking Staff of Defense?

GH

Not really; the free hand for Blade Initiate's power, perhaps? I'll shuffle things around, then.

Although the DO with the Orb of Imposition is more powerful 1/day, the Orbizard is not built with 1/day in mind (evidenced by picking Archmage and thus being able to recycle Daily powers). I fully expect to be able to savelock anywhere from 5 to 7 Solos per day at Level 29 (if I hit 'em all). To me, that's crazy awesome. Not only that, but the additional power is really overkill; I get to -16, which savelocks any Solo. That's enough for me.

And Cunning goes all the way up to a -4 penalty on saves, which makes the penalty -9, thus reducing the chance of escape to 10%. So I stun everything else out of the fight too.

DDogwood wrote:

The reason I ask is that "slowed" and "unconscious" are listed as separate effects in the rulebooks, and the Orb of Imposition says "an effect", not "a power". I can see how you can defend either reading, but I think it's important to know because it affects an orb wizard for the first 24 levels of his career (not 28, thanks lordduskblade!).

If you treat the effect as an upgrade (Slow -> Unconc) then the save works for both, and it means if he wakes up he's not slowed.
If it's separate, you'd have to decide which to apply to, and even if he wakes up he may still be slowed.

Personally, I think it's the latter to prevent a level 1 daily pwning a level 30 solo, but that's just me.