Gnome illusionist for a low level game.

About to go on a week vacation with some friends and someone is preparing a "beginner friendly" game. He says it might turn into a real campaign when we're back in town, but we shall see. Sounds like a good game to optimize for something other than damage per turn, and so I'm going to play a character I've wanted to deploy for a while now: a Gnomish illusionist.

Here's my thought:
Forest Gnome

Str-8
Dex- 15
Con- 15
Int- 17
Wis- 8
Cha-10

Idea is to go +1 Dex / +1 Int at level 4, +2 Int at level 8, and Resilient Con at level 12. Probably Alert at level 16. But maybe none of that will happen. A Gnome Wizard can pretty safely dump Wis. Proficiency plus gnome ability means your Wisdom save won't matter too much and your role in gathering info is Investigation, not Perception.

Skills: Investigation, Nature (sylvan / fey backstory) , Arcana, Deception.
Poisoner's & Alchemists kits.

Carry a light crossbow. Dagger in the scabbard. Dagger hidden in the boot.

What I'd like some input on are cantrips and spells:
The big advantage of Gnome Illusionist at low levels is the two bonus cantrips.

Cantrips (5 by level 2)

I need Minor Image. My favorite attack cantrip is Frostbite. Character concept wants Prestidigitation.
I like Firebolt, Toll the Dead, Mage Hand, Create Bonfire (out of combat chaos), Message, Mold Earth, and Friends are all appealing.

Spells:
Silent Image, Find Familiar, Mage Armor, and Sleep are musts.

The rest I'm less sure on.

I definitely want Shield and Detect Magic by level 2.

I like Grease and Hideous Laughter.
I don't like Burning Hands or Magic Missile (track monster HP, ask about "bloodied" and Sleep does the same thing)

Also Comprehend Languages, Disguise Self, and Fog Cloud are nice. Long-term I like every ritual, but I'm going to write Library / Mentor into my backstory. We'll see how much extra study the DM allows.

At 3rd level I'm probably going to take Phantasmal Force (tremendously underrated, no language requirement, weakest save) and Invisibility.

At 4th probably Levitate and Misty Step. 2nd level spells aren't that deep in terms of what you can get.

5th Fireball & Major Image. Counterspell and Dispel very soon. Beyond that I think it's silly to plan.

Thoughts? Anything I'm not thinking of?

redCartel said:

Forest Gnome

Str-8
Dex- 15
Con- 15
Int- 17
Wis- 8
Cha-10

Idea is to go +1 Dex / +1 Int at level 4,

Click to expand...

Start Dex16 / Int16, odds are the tools of the devil.

Investigation =/= Perception. There will be times where your DM will call for a Preception check and having the extra point/proficiency will sometimes help. Perception will most likely be used more than any of your Charisma skills. Also wisdom saves to come up more often than Charisma saves.

Perception is not as universally needed as one may think. Yes, you might be surprised once in a while and you might not see everything, but combat without warning does not happen a lot. Enemies need to work for it.

Right but my character concept wants a decent charisma and dumping Wisdom isn't self-defeating on the level that, like, dumping Constitution would be. Especially with proficiency in the save and the gnome's advantage.