D&D 5E Rating Wizard Traditions at 2nd Level
Sacrosanct
Legend
I haven't played with them all, but I know that portent is probably one of the best. Followed by sculpt spells. In my experience at any rate.
TwoSix
Dirty, realism-hating munchkin powergamer
Top tier: Bladesong, Portent
Useful tier: Arcane Ward, Sculpt Spells
Meh tier: Hypnotic Gaze, Grim Harvest
Ribbon Tier: Minor Conjuration, Minor Alchemy
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Tier: Improved Minor Illusion (not lower than ribbon tier, but so dependent on DM adjucation of illusions that it's hard to rate)
Useful tier: Arcane Ward, Sculpt Spells
Meh tier: Hypnotic Gaze, Grim Harvest
Ribbon Tier: Minor Conjuration, Minor Alchemy
¯\_(ツ)_/¯ Tier: Improved Minor Illusion (not lower than ribbon tier, but so dependent on DM adjucation of illusions that it's hard to rate)
Arcane Ward - 6; starts off as pretty useful, has less use as time goes on. Still, extra hp as a buffer is always good. Don't really think much of it outside combat, though.
Minor Conjuration - 9. Surprisingly useful. Forgot a ladder or a 9 foot pole? Need alchemist fire or acid to get through a lock? Oil for a door rusted shut? You always have the necessary tools for the situation at hand. People complain about flying or teleports ruining adventures. I've seen creative players bypass more dungeon challenges trivally with this ability than any other. Much like improved minor illusion, I consider this to be a game changer, in that it literally changes the way players approach the game.
Portent - 7. Being able to replace a bad roll is pretty good. While needing to make the call to use them early on is less handy, but it lets you plan ahead a bit, making this a good defensive ability or a good buff for the party, depending on the day's rolls. Luck manipulation is always handy in so many ways. I'm rating this lower than usual, though, because of two reasons. First is that I've seen far too many average rolls, which is less handy than something on the extremes. Secondly, because it needs to be before a roll, you have to be on the ball with watching combat, and you'll always wonder if it was necessary to use the die.
Hypnotic Gaze - 1. I want to like this. I really do. But spending up your action to just freeze a monster in place, and not being able to move, and to maintain your action? Its a variation of hold-monster, I suppose, except it takes up all your actions, and can't be relied on in most places. Its a desperation move in combat, and I can't see many situations outside of combat, given the obviously magical nature ofthe charm. Alter Memories is practically REQUIRED to make this worthwhile, and that's a level 14 ability.
Sculpt Spells - 10. You can use explody spells without worrying about injuring your companions. This is awesome, in that you can fight in the middle of a town and not burn it down. You can also brute force things like doors or bolders and not harm your environment. Its lets you treat your spells like a sledgehammer without friendly fire or collateral damage. That's amazing.
Improved Minor Illusion - 10. Illusion spells are the bomb. This is great for distractions, avoiding combat, etc. Less handy if you have a game that encourages just running up and smacking enemies all the time, but any situation with a need for subtlety? This is your ability. Its something I've seen arcane tricksters multiclass into wizard specifically for. Its very good and can be used for a wide scope of situations, especially preparing ambushes or any other kinds of distractions. Much like minor conjuration, I consider this to be a game changer, in that it literally changes the way players and their characters act.
Grim Harvest - 3. while hp is always nice, especially at low levels, its not something that really helps the necromancer, who's really just starting out other than minor survivability. This is rated less than Arcane Ward not only because of the less hp recovered, but the lack of necromancy attack spells until level 5+ outside a cantrip, which doesn't even apply to this ability.
Minor Alchemy - 1. Not very handy except in niche situations. I see it primarily used trying to break down something by making it weaker. Ovreall, its outshone by minor conjuration.
Bladesong - 10 to 5. 10 because its necessary for a magic swordsman to do their thing. 5 because its less useful as a devoted spellcaster than some make it out to be, given the wealth of defensive magics available to a wizard. Might be good in some situations, but not often in my experience. Just kind of there, and its really only good for combat. It can't be reactive like a ward either, and its only twice per rest, so it runs out of steam in time, meaning you have to bank it and not splurge on a difficult walkway or dungeon part, etc.
So, there you go. In case you couldn't tell, I put a lot of stock in the abilty to use these abilities out of combat as well as inside it. Combat is easy, but I find that tactics matter far more at lower levels than high, and at high levels, most of these abilities tend to get less use.
Minor Conjuration - 9. Surprisingly useful. Forgot a ladder or a 9 foot pole? Need alchemist fire or acid to get through a lock? Oil for a door rusted shut? You always have the necessary tools for the situation at hand. People complain about flying or teleports ruining adventures. I've seen creative players bypass more dungeon challenges trivally with this ability than any other. Much like improved minor illusion, I consider this to be a game changer, in that it literally changes the way players approach the game.
Portent - 7. Being able to replace a bad roll is pretty good. While needing to make the call to use them early on is less handy, but it lets you plan ahead a bit, making this a good defensive ability or a good buff for the party, depending on the day's rolls. Luck manipulation is always handy in so many ways. I'm rating this lower than usual, though, because of two reasons. First is that I've seen far too many average rolls, which is less handy than something on the extremes. Secondly, because it needs to be before a roll, you have to be on the ball with watching combat, and you'll always wonder if it was necessary to use the die.
Hypnotic Gaze - 1. I want to like this. I really do. But spending up your action to just freeze a monster in place, and not being able to move, and to maintain your action? Its a variation of hold-monster, I suppose, except it takes up all your actions, and can't be relied on in most places. Its a desperation move in combat, and I can't see many situations outside of combat, given the obviously magical nature ofthe charm. Alter Memories is practically REQUIRED to make this worthwhile, and that's a level 14 ability.
Sculpt Spells - 10. You can use explody spells without worrying about injuring your companions. This is awesome, in that you can fight in the middle of a town and not burn it down. You can also brute force things like doors or bolders and not harm your environment. Its lets you treat your spells like a sledgehammer without friendly fire or collateral damage. That's amazing.
Improved Minor Illusion - 10. Illusion spells are the bomb. This is great for distractions, avoiding combat, etc. Less handy if you have a game that encourages just running up and smacking enemies all the time, but any situation with a need for subtlety? This is your ability. Its something I've seen arcane tricksters multiclass into wizard specifically for. Its very good and can be used for a wide scope of situations, especially preparing ambushes or any other kinds of distractions. Much like minor conjuration, I consider this to be a game changer, in that it literally changes the way players and their characters act.
Grim Harvest - 3. while hp is always nice, especially at low levels, its not something that really helps the necromancer, who's really just starting out other than minor survivability. This is rated less than Arcane Ward not only because of the less hp recovered, but the lack of necromancy attack spells until level 5+ outside a cantrip, which doesn't even apply to this ability.
Minor Alchemy - 1. Not very handy except in niche situations. I see it primarily used trying to break down something by making it weaker. Ovreall, its outshone by minor conjuration.
Bladesong - 10 to 5. 10 because its necessary for a magic swordsman to do their thing. 5 because its less useful as a devoted spellcaster than some make it out to be, given the wealth of defensive magics available to a wizard. Might be good in some situations, but not often in my experience. Just kind of there, and its really only good for combat. It can't be reactive like a ward either, and its only twice per rest, so it runs out of steam in time, meaning you have to bank it and not splurge on a difficult walkway or dungeon part, etc.
So, there you go. In case you couldn't tell, I put a lot of stock in the abilty to use these abilities out of combat as well as inside it. Combat is easy, but I find that tactics matter far more at lower levels than high, and at high levels, most of these abilities tend to get less use.
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jgsugden
Legend
You're all underestimating hypnotic gaze. Nearly at will hold monster before you get 2nd level spells that doesn't require your concentration. Yes, there are risks to using it (you're on the front line), but this has so many uses.
I've played a few wizards and my enchanter deep gnome has been my favorite. He is the only wizard I've played that never lacks for powerful, game impacting magic. Yes, he takes lumps when the enemy makes a save - but he has spells and defenses that keep him on his feet almost all the time. He rarely uses the 'continuation' with a full action on this power, either - he just uses it to prevent an enemy from doing one round of actions most of the time, although he has been known to lock down the powerful enemy while allies clean up the rest of the combatants. In battles versus a few powerful foes, that is huge. However, outside combat, he has used this ability to great effect to freeze a guard in place, to embarrass social rivals, and to otherwise control social encounters. When you combine it with the 6th level redirection ability (instinctive charm), both of which can be used many, many times before a long rest... plenty of spell power.
I've played a few wizards and my enchanter deep gnome has been my favorite. He is the only wizard I've played that never lacks for powerful, game impacting magic. Yes, he takes lumps when the enemy makes a save - but he has spells and defenses that keep him on his feet almost all the time. He rarely uses the 'continuation' with a full action on this power, either - he just uses it to prevent an enemy from doing one round of actions most of the time, although he has been known to lock down the powerful enemy while allies clean up the rest of the combatants. In battles versus a few powerful foes, that is huge. However, outside combat, he has used this ability to great effect to freeze a guard in place, to embarrass social rivals, and to otherwise control social encounters. When you combine it with the 6th level redirection ability (instinctive charm), both of which can be used many, many times before a long rest... plenty of spell power.
Cognomen's Cassowary
First Post
You use a pretty liberal definition of "creatures."
- Arcane Ward: 7/10. It's basically free hit points, which are always good. Not very exciting, however, and you can't apply them to anything but soaking damage.
- Minor Conjuration: 3/10. Absolutely vital in the right situation; for example, the party has been captured and stripped of their gear, and the fighter needs a weapon. Most of the time, though, it's useless.
- Portent: 10/10. Absolutely awesome. Incredible stuff. The only one I would consider taking in place of an ASI.
- Hypnotic Gaze: 7/10. Not as universally applicable as Portent, but still broadly useful. Lock down an enemy while you position yourself to attack or just walk past.
- Sculpt Spells: 8/10. For the dedicated fireball-slinger, the ability to bypass your allies is gold. If you're not a dedicated fireball-slinger, why are you taking Evocation?
- Improved Minor Illusion: 4/10. It's nice in theory, but never seems to come up much in practice. Minor illusion is just too limited to benefit much from adding sound.
- Grim Harvest: 2/10. Like Arcane Ward, it's bonus hit points. But you don't get the baseline of 2 x level + Int mod; you don't get the points for spells which don't directly kill the target (including your signature spell of animate dead!); and you don't get it for constructs or undead. It's way too finicky and the benefit is way too small.
- Minor Alchemy: 4/10. Mostly useful for swindling shopkeepers. However, it goes up to 7/10 if the DM allows you to apply it to portions of larger objects. In that case, the fact that you can turn stone into wood, hand the fighter an axe, and burrow into solid stone results in a big upgrade.
- Bladesong: ?/10. Don't have access to the rules right now and don't remember it well enough to judge.
Sacrosanct
Legend
He forgot to mention his adventure is taking place in the castle from Beauty and the Beast.
jgsugden
Legend
Portent is an interesting ability, but in play I've seen it fail more often than people indicate here. For example, people assume that the 11 roll will result in a failed saving throw by the enemy monster, but it is actually enough - or they do not realize that the monster has a reroll mechanic. I agree that if perfectly used, it is by far the best ability of the wizard 2nd level abilities - but I just don't think it is perfectly used that often. In my experience, about 1 in 10 portents seem to end up with surprising results.
the problem isn't the uses, or the risks. Its the drawbacks. 5 foot range, using up your turn (and subsequent turns), once a long rest, getting hit or moved pretty much ends it, getting shoved by a monster ends it, and more. It basically takes you out of the fight as well as the monster, and you basically take yourself out of the fight as much as the monter you're Holding. Its a powerful effect, but the downsides can make it worse.
Is that not the point of the rules lite? It fits within the theme and intent of the ability, after all. Or are you going to say that an evoker can't avoid destroying a wall with thieir fireball, but manage to avoid hitting a bag of rats in the dead center of the blast?
She. Not he.
