D&D 5E Treantmonk's Guide to Wizards 5e

Grim Harvest: My opinion is that you aren't going to kill many things with the lame duck Vampiric Touch. In addition, if you are down a huge amount of HP, maybe going into melee to do a touch spell isn't your best course of action.

There are two ways to use Vampiric Touch + Grim Harvest:

1.) You can abuse it to regain HP between combats by killing inoffensive creatures like chickens (1 cp each!).

2.) You can use it during combat to try to tank. I have a PC who does this with his necromancer: plays him basically like a fighter. AC 15 (Robe of the Archmagi) + 4 (DX bonus, he's an elf with good rolled stats) + Shield spell = AC 19 or 24, which combined with the bonus HP from Vampiric Touch makes him a pretty formidable tank.

However, I think #1 is the primary usage.
 

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Celtavian

Dragon Lord
I'm going to add some of my views on spells. Given the greatest strength of the wizard is his ability to change spells to fit the situation, I feel a few spells deserve a bit more description:

1. Protection from Evil: This is an extremely good spell in a campaign featuring undead, fiends, or the types of creatures it protects against. It does take a concentration slot, which hurts its value. It gives the same benefit as a blur spell against the creatures it protects against without being obviated by Truesight, Blindsight, or any other means to see through illusion. It protects completely from any spell that applies the charmed or frightened condition. If you're fighting a Legendary Creature like a lich or demon lord that can shrug off most of what you cast at him, this can be an amazing defensive spell cast on your martial. You fight more powerful fiends and undead at higher level. It's use becomes more valuable as you fight more powerful enemies of the type it protects against.

2. Dispel Magic: This spell is powerful in 5E. You can automatically dispel an effect of equal level or use a higher level slot to dispel a higher level spell automatically or use a lower level slot to try to dispel a higher level spell. This last use is incredibly powerful for an abjuration specialist because you can use a 3rd level slot to dispel an 8th or 9th level spell like mind blank or foresight for the cost of a 3rd level slot. If you have Portent, you can also use a high roll to dispel a higher level slot with a 3rd level spell. If you have an ability that gives Advantage or an Inspiration, you have a chance of dispelling a higher level slot with a 3rd level spell. You can get rid of spells like planar binding or mirror image automatically with no roll which ruins a costly component spell. Dispel Magic is as valuable to have as counterspell because there will be many occasions when you use your reaction for something like shield, lose your reaction to an opponent ability, or are going against a caster that has cast spells prior to entering battle. This spell allows you to eliminate their magical advantages.

3. Magic Circle: This spell is essential to taking advantage of gate and planar binding later in level or for managing creatures you want to bind. If you plan to bring summoned allies with you later, you must take this spell at some point.

4. wall of fire: And similar spells. These spells can be great in conjunction with knockback effects. A creature takes damage each time they enter the effect. If you cast it on them, they take damage. They run out, the fighter knocks them back into it and they take damage again. Or you thunderwave a group into it. You can make effective group use of spells of this kind.

5. Planar Binding: This spell confused me at first as well. What they did is make summoning more like traditional fictional summoning. You use this spell in conjunction with magic circle and some other summoning spell to trap a creature and bind it. It allows you to have summoned creatures without using concentration. If you have sufficient financial resources, you can bring a small group of summoned creatures along on adventures or use them for specific encounters. Given the wizard's spell list versatility, it makes the wizard the best summoner of the arcane casters. It's not such a great spell at the level you get it at, but it can be quite powerful in later levels when you have more cash and time to prepare. You can use a high level slot during your down time to summon and bind a powerful creature or three for months at a time. You do have to be concerned with opponents dispelling your creatures or banishing them, but you can counter some of these spells and casters are not nearly as common as they were in previous editions. If they do try to do get rid of your creatures, it still takes an action to do so that they can't spend destroying your party. This spell doesn't shine until higher level.

Note: I love the new summoning rules. It is one of the new rules of 5E that sold me on the game. The new method for summoning and binding a powerful creature mirrors fiction much better than 3E or Pathfinder. It has a very traditional feel. The image of the wizard or witch creating a binding circle, summoning a creature, and forcing it to serve using a long, complicated ritual is pure traditional fantasy.

6. Hold Monster or Hold Person: These spells can be quite powerful. Even a round of being held can increase damage output substantially since every hit by a creature within 5 feet of the target is a critical hit. This can be especially good for a rogue or paladin.

7. Teleport: During downtime this is a spell you can use to make money if you have a DM willing to allow it. You should learn as many teleportation circle keys as possible to make yourself as valuable as possible. This is more of a role-playing element. I don't think it is a hard sell to a DM that being able to travel long distances nearly instantaneously is a highly valuable service. Given how few wizards are truly capable of this, I would think your service would be valuable.

8. Project Image: Treantmonk, if you do a cleric guide, look a the Trickery Domain. You sort of get this effect back.

9. Gate: Summoning effect must be used in conjunction with planar binding and magic circle to unlock its true power. This allows you to summon a big dog creature like a Goristro or a Yugoloth and bind it. This spell should become more valuable as they release more fiends and elementals. But you must do your research to find names of creatures or learn them in battle. It makes for cool role-play scenarios for buying the names of creatures that can be summoned.

10. Power Word Kill: Automatically kill a demilich. Automatically kill a wounded Legendary Creature that can automatically save with Legendary Resistance. There is no defense against this spell. Nothing is immune. Get them within the hit point range and end them regardless of AC, saving throws, immunities, damage resistance, special abilities, or the like. I think it rates at least a purple, perhaps a blue. It is a great fight ender.

11. Weird and Phantasmal Killer: I think a bit better than brown. The save every round sucks as does the concentration. It does do 4d10 Psychic Damage (very few creatures have Psychic damage resistance) and applies the Frightened condition which gives Disadvantage on all attacks. Given the fear is in its mind, it can't get out of line of sight of the source of its fear. It will have disadvantage on attacks as long as it misses its save. It's like a reverse blur for the entire party that does damage. Even a few rounds of this spell can destroy an opponent and reduce damage against the party.
 
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Mistwell

Crusty Old Meatwad (he/him)
I guess I'm missing a joke somewhere, because I found your guide to be arrogant, condescending, and inaccurate

I can see disagreeing with his views. But you missed that he's writing this from the perspective of an arrogant wizard who never once attacks someone - that is the joke, but will some real value in the guide itself. He's a good guy, with a good reputation, who puts a lot of work into these guides for use by others to consider and discuss. I'd like to see your guide.
 
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3. Magic Circle: This spell is essential to taking advantage of gate,conjure elemental, and planar binding later in level. If you plan to bring summoned allies with you later, you must take this spell at some point.

Why would you need to Magic Circle your own elemental (from Conjure Elemental) prior to casting Magic Circle on it? (The utility for Gate is obvious of course, but I'm asking specifically about Conjure Elemental.)
 

Celtavian

Dragon Lord
Why would you need to Magic Circle your own elemental (from Conjure Elemental) prior to casting Magic Circle on it? (The utility for Gate is obvious of course, but I'm asking specifically about Conjure Elemental.)

Just an oversight on my part. You only need it for gate or if you're using an illusion or similar magic to lure a known bindable creature into the circle.
 

Celtavian

Dragon Lord
Schools of Magic

1. School of Conjuration: Durable Summons: This ability is interesting when summoning multiple creatures using conjure minor elementals. All your mephitis having 30 temporary hit points can be very nice. This probably won't be a higher ranked ability until more multi-summoning spells are released.

2. School of Evocation: Interesting take on Overchannel. I wonder if the Sage intended it. I have asked Jeremy Crawford. You might be right. It does seem to read that way. Would make it slightly more valuable and yet not overpowered. You would still never use fireball over meteor swarm, but it might make you use an 8th level slot on a 5th or lower level spell.


The 5E D&D wizard is powerful again. I'm so relieved that 5E returned quite a bit of the wizard's power. It's what brought me back to the game. First character I played was a wizard to test it out. The power of the wizard class was going to decide whether I played 5E or not. It has passed my tests. He's weaker than 3E, but that was necessary. Yet way stronger than 4E, which I also feel was necessary. I find wizard abilities interesting again. I'm glad battlefield control is possible in a way it wasn't in 4E. It's a good class with quite a bit of power.

You may want to note somewhere that wizards are probably the best class at converting coin into power. Given the lack of purchasable magic items, the wizard is one of the few classes that can take gold and turn it into simulacrum's or summoned creatures. It is in the best interest of the wizard to hoard treasure. Even unused magic items he wants to convert into coin for his hoard. He needs that money to fuel his power. If your DM is willing, you can even engage in spell research to create spells not listed or research spells you don't know.
 
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CapnZapp

Legend
I guess I'm missing a joke somewhere, because I found your guide to be arrogant, condescending, and inaccurate
Know what?

I quite like advice with attitude.

I'd far read treeant's guide today and YOUR completely different guide tomorrow, Sacrosanct.

Much rather than reading a single guide that's afraid to take a position, voice an opinion, leave the "fireball is great. take it" trodden path, or, you know, hand out actual advice.

Chillin'
 

CapnZapp

Legend
There are two ways to use Vampiric Touch + Grim Harvest:

1.) You can abuse it to regain HP between combats by killing inoffensive creatures like chickens (1 cp each!).



However, I think #1 is the primary usage.
Sorry but that ain't gonna fly on my watch.

This is the edition where the bag'o'rats rule is in the actual rules.

So kill all the chickens you like. You're not getting any hp back.

Best part? It's in the rules!
 


PnPgamer

Explorer
Sorry but that ain't gonna fly on my watch.

This is the edition where the bag'o'rats rule is in the actual rules.

So kill all the chickens you like. You're not getting any hp back.

Best part? It's in the rules!

bag'o'rats rule? care to explain to a newbie, please? :)
 

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