Pacifist wizard: help me never deal damage.

redCartel

First Post
I want to play a Wizard who never deals any damage. The game is unlikely to get beyond 4th or 5th level.

I've settled on Gnome. I like illusion spells and creativity, and beyond that I'm open to any and all suggestions for spell selection, school selection, and tactics. My big question is what should I be using my action on at low levels?
 

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FieserMoep

Explorer
A big part of that question is: Does your party know this concept and is comfortable with it? Because the moment they attack the guy you CC'd or debuffed your pacifism approach went out of the window.
 

Obliza

Explorer
I want to play a Wizard who never deals any damage. The game is unlikely to get beyond 4th or 5th level.

I've settled on Gnome. I like illusion spells and creativity, and beyond that I'm open to any and all suggestions for spell selection, school selection, and tactics. My big question is what should I be using my action on at low levels?


Spell School Suggestion
Considering the campaign will not go beyond 4th - 5th, that doesn't leave many useful options.

War Magic
Arcane Deflection & Tactical Wit are both great.

Evocation
Possibly the best option, sculpting spells to avoid harm seems thematically appropriate.

Enchantment
Hypnotic Gaze is a useful damage free disable but its on a long rest.

Divination
Potent is Potent.

Abjuration
Arcane ward fits with a defensive style.

Bladesinging
Can't complain about Bladesong.

Spells
Cantrips
Minor Illusion
Mage Hand
Friends

1st
Fog Cloud
Hideous Laughter

Sleep

2nd
Blindness/Deafness
Suggestion
Warding Wind
Web


3rd
Sooo many great pacifist spells at 3rd level.
Bestow Curse****

  • While cursed, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw at the start of each of its turns. If it fails, it wastes its action that turn doing nothing.
Slow
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Hypnotic Pattern



Actions
Obviously you should be casting spells, otherwise your best bet would be grappling.

Grappling

When you want to grab a creature or wrestle with it, you can use the Attack action to make a Special melee Attack, a grapple. If you’re able to make multiple attacks with the Attack action, this Attack replaces one of them.


The target of your grapple must be no more than one size larger than you and must be within your reach. Using at least one free hand, you try to seize the target by making a grapple check instead of an Attack roll: a Strength (Athletics) check contested by the target’s Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check (the target chooses the ability to use). If you succeed, you subject the target to the Grappled condition (see Conditions ). The condition specifies the things that end it, and you can release the target whenever you like (no action required).

Escaping a Grapple: A Grappled creature can use its action to escape. To do so, it must succeed on a Strength (Athletics) or Dexterity (Acrobatics) check contested by your Strength (Athletics) check.


Moving a Grappled Creature: When you move, you can drag or carry the Grappled creature with you, but your speed is halved, unless the creature is two or more sizes smaller than you.


Hope this all helps

Edit:

Note, that if your character really is a pacifist, he is likely not alright with assisting for his 'allies' to slaughter the targets, the above spells are great but if they are all used to then have you sit back while your allies swing away I can imagine that just doesn't work.

You would want to convince your allies to bind criminals, monsters etc and all of that sounds exhausting.

What morals does your characters have? Do goblins have rights? Do wraiths have rights? Whats the morally correct thing for your character to do in these situations? Not a small task.
 
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pygmybatrider

First Post
Sleep is going to be fantastic early on, and usually gets swapped out at about 5th level, so in a short campaign it will maintain its usefulness. The poster above did a good job job of explaining relevant spells, and I'd also add Grease at 1st level as a nice CC that does no damage.

Taking 1 level or Magic Initiate in Bard to grab Vicious Mockery would also give you something to do with your cantrip every round that you're not CC'ing or disabling - you could handwave the damage part as not really damaging since it's psychic...or ask your DM to just grab the disadvantage effect.
 

Leatherhead

Possibly a Idiot.
How pacifist are we talking here?
Are we talking about a "Pacifist in Name Only" where you are OK with buffing your allies while they kill stuff, so long as you never directly dirty your hands?
 

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