D&D 3E/3.5 3.5E wizard build for old newbie

[Shipwreck]

Da elf

I love that collegiate wizard, elven sub level... I played one as a GRAY ELF from MM 1... MMM that 20 Int gave me 12 spells to start my spell book with... and instead of three 0 level and one first, I got two 1st level spells of any school that I could rock... my DCs started at 15 and only got beefier as I grew in levels... Boy that Elf, combined with his pompous attitude, and generous alignment made for interesting role play... I believe he made a killing selling useful scrolls and eventually potions to the locals (shut up, you may level slower, but once you get a ring of wizardry, you hand everyone their own tails)

 

[Noumenon]

I'm just glad to see I'm not the only person who took up 3.5 this year! If you played 3.0 before this, here's a list of some of the important changes.

What frustrated me the most about being a wizard was all the spells I had that didn't work and I didn't know why. So make Knowledge checks and ask the Cleric, "Will I be able to hypnotise this undead?"

 

[irdeggman]

The campaign is in the Eberron setting, and the party will include a war cleric and some kind of front-line heavy, and maybe an NPC tagalong rogue.

So I'm looking for the basics: advice on initial build, spell selection, tactics, magic item acquisition. etc. What works well, what doesn't, what shouldn't but does, what should but doesn't. We're not limited to the core books, but I don't have anything other than the SRD; I prefer to keep it simple anyway.

Thanks!

You absolutely need to get your hands on the Eberron specific books, especially races of Eberron.

There are a ton of campaign specific feats, spells and more uniquely "magic items" listed in those books. Look at the everlasting wand (I think that is its name) - a wondrous item that allows an arcane caster to cast a specific spell 1/day (and this spell does not need to be on his spell list - so a wizard can use this item to cast cure light wounds 1/day).

Personallly instead of an elf wizard I would go with a Kalashtar psion. But that is me and is very campaign (Eberron) specific.

If you are playing an Eberron setting game - you absolutely need some repair spells - since without a doubt a Warforged will pop up as an ally.

 

[Ydars]

Another great thing to do if you are playing a low level wizard is to remember to scribe scrolls in any downtime.

This only works if your campaign has a realistic time scale (days off) but I always have an enormous scroll hoard for casting utility spells prepared as scrolls are not so useful in combat (move action to take out scroll, standard action to cast), though I use them all the time anyway.

If you have spell compendium then I cannot recommend magic tatoo enough; the spell provides nice buffs that last 24 hr to a level 3 caster. As your caster level increases, it becomes even more powerful.

I would prepare lots of shield and mage armour scrolls so you are protected in combat and perhaps some expeditious retreat and benign transposition as well for battlefield recovery.

Benign transposition in particular, can be used in so many ways. I always use a summoned monster (as a Rogue 7/ wizard 1, but caster lvl 5 due to practised spellcaster feat) to appear behind the monsters and then benign transposition to swtich in the rogue (myself). It can also be used to swap characters who have been grappled or engulfed (with a summoned monster) or who are submerged and drowning. I have saved so many people using this spell as trip attacks to make charaters prone and grappling can be brutal but this spell gives you a way out of both.

Backbiter is another favourite of mine that targets weapons and causes the next attack by a monster to be automatically successful; on itself! There is also NO saving throw unless the weapon is magical.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

I would prepare lots of shield and mage armour scrolls so you are protected in combat and perhaps some expeditious retreat and benign transposition as well for battlefield recovery.

Benign transposition in particular, can be used in so many ways. I always use a summoned monster (as a Rogue 7/ wizard 1, but caster lvl 5 due to practised spellcaster feat) to appear behind the monsters and then benign transposition to swtich in the rogue (myself). It can also be used to swap characters who have been grappled or engulfed (with a summoned monster) or who are submerged and drowning. I have saved so many people using this spell as trip attacks to make charaters prone and grappling can be brutal but this spell gives you a way out of both.

If you can get eternal wands, those may be better for some spells, in particular I always get an eternal wand of mage armor (and later on greater mage armor) and benign transposition. Mage Armor wand would give you 2 hours/day, possibly not enough. But benign transposition there is no reason to not get a wand / eternal wand of. No save, no SR, and the only improvement with CL is +10 ft range, as if 110 for CL 1 isn't sufficient. So, CL and casting stat don't matter. Perfect for an item. I agree on the grapple escape, at lower levels BT makes for a very nice poor man's dimension door. I've also used BT to give allies attack opportunities they otherwise wouldn't have, for example flying over an airborne enemy then swapping places with the greatsword fighter. Or better yet, someone who can grapple, to bring the sucker down to earth. If you don't want to use yourself as a human prop for BT, familiars come in very handy, too.

 

[Dingleberry]

Excellent - again, thanks to all for the advice! I definitely need to look up benign transposition and the Eberron-sepcific magic items.

I ended up going with a gray elf (20 Int!) with the domain wizard variant (evocation) and the Collegiate Wizard feat. Our first day-long session went very well: color spray turned out to be the big winner, and actually killed a guy since we were fighting in waist-deep water at the time I knocked him unconscious. As an elf, the longsword and bow did almost as much good as the spellcasting. In the downtime before the next adventure, I'm scribing a ton of scrolls of 0th- and 1st-level utility spells (including a few CLWs for the cleric).

Looking forward to hitting 3rd so I can add 2nd-level spells. Am I misremembering the 3.0 version, or did alter self get nerfed pretty hard in 3.5?

Also, any more thoughts for my 3rd-level feat? I'm leaning toward Spell Focus (evocation), but I haven't really looked at possible prestige class prereqs. The metapagics and item creation feats seem to be pretty useless at low level - do they scale well?

 

[FEADIN]

Then the Collegiate Wizard feat is your friend:




It's from Complete Arcane, but it's actually in the back of the book (p. 181) in a sidebar. The feat is designed for "mages who have trained in a dedicated college or academy" because they have, apparently, learned "different approaches to spellcasting" from the more traditional apprentice-master learning relationship.

In the same book and sidebar you'll find Precaucious apprentice, you get a second level spell slot to cast one 2nd level spell with a DC8 caster level check, you get a +2 bonus in Spellcraft checks and when you hit 3rd level you keep the additional 2nd level spell slot ....!

 

[Humanaut]

Just a thought.

I like Spell Foc(Evoc), make your spells harder to resist and can lead to PrC like Focused Specialist (CM) where Gr. Spell Focus is a bonus feat.

Looking ahead, perhaps the MM Sculpt Spell (CArc) would be nice to shape your Evocation spells. +1 adjustment only, and if you follow with another Feat: MM School Focus (Evoc) from CM, then 3/day you can reduce MM costs by 1 for Evoc spells. If that is your Wizard 5 bonus feat and level 6 feat combo, then your Lightning Bolts can burst like Fireballs, your Color Sprays too... "free" 3 times a day.

Boosting your DC's with Spell Focus, is good for evokers, along with Spell Penetration vs the Spell Resistance as you get to higher levels. The Spell Assay Resistance is also good against that.

Also, Energy Subsitution (CArc) after you know another MM, mix up your damage.

Too, for some flavah, the Reserve Feats (CM) allow you continous use of minor blasting with an energy of your choice. Might be sub-optimal at higher levels, but it's unlimited, and at low levels might still be better than a bow at close ranges.

my two cp

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

In the same book and sidebar you'll find Precaucious apprentice, you get a second level spell slot to cast one 2nd level spell with a DC8 caster level check, you get a +2 bonus in Spellcraft checks and when you hit 3rd level you keep the additional 2nd level spell slot ....!

Precocious Apprentice is a terribly weak feat later on, though it's amazing at level 1 and 2. My sorcerer with it did some amazing things with his web spell.

One fun trick to pull if doing a level 1 game is Precocious Apprentice (any fire spell, I like scorching ray) + the Fiery Burst reserve feat. At level 1, you can do 2d6 fire damage in a 5 ft radius (reflex half DC 12 +casting stat mod) as a Su ability at will! It quickly loses awesomeness with levels, but is incredible at level 1. It is slightly debatable if it's legal, though. (Feat prereqs say "can cast 2nd level spells," but the feat specifically only requires an unused 2nd level fire spell in order to work).

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Too, for some flavah, the Reserve Feats (CM) allow you continous use of minor blasting with an energy of your choice. Might be sub-optimal at higher levels, but it's unlimited, and at low levels might still be better than a bow at close ranges.

my two cp

I love the Reserve feats.