Advice on wizard PC

[Grand Poobah]

Hi,

I'm going to be joining a game in a few weeks time and intend to play a wizard. I've not played a wizard since 2E and would appreciate any tips or advice on my current idea for my PC. I've read Logic Ninja's guide and have taken on board alot of the advice but I'd also like to hear other peoples' thoughts.

I'll be starting at 3rd level (4468 xp) and normal WBL. The DM has said the campaign will finish at high level so assume that'll be around 20th.

Only core books allowed although he is willing to look at non PHB races.

Stats are standard 25 point buy (p169 DMG). Good alignments only.

Currently, this is what I've built.

Grey Elf (+2 INT & DEX, -2 STR & CON)
Stats (post racial modifiers)
Str 8
Dex 12
Con 12
Int 19
Wis 10
Cha 8

Specialist - Conjurer with Evocation and Enchantment as banned schools
Feats:
1st - Spell Focus: Conjuration
3rd - Spell Focus: Illusion
Familiar: Bat (primarily for blind sight ability)
Spells:
1st - Mage armour, colour spray, ray of enf, alarm, enlarge person, grease, prot vs evil, silent image
2nd - Web, mirror image, glitterdust, hypnotic pattern, minor image

The other PCs in the party are also 3rd level - Monk , Cleric, Ranger, Warlock, plus one other undecided but probably/hopefully a fighter type.

Next few levels I think will go something like this
Stats boosts all INT
Feats: 5th - Extend spell, 6th - Imp Init, 9th - Greater SF Conj or Ill, 10th Craft Wonderous.

I'm still mulling over whether to go Archmage, Loremaster or stick to Wizard.

So, some specific questions...
Is it worth going 14 DEX, 10 CON instead for added AC plus higher ray to hit?
Is Gnome (either PHB version, air gnome or lesser snervneblin) a better option for their +1 DC to illusions?
Any advice on PrC? Are the A'mage's and L'master's abilities worth taking fully/as dips?
Taking into account the other PCs in the party is there a specific role I should fill or is the party so suboptimal that I need to fulfill a multitude of roles?
Any advice of feat selection?
Any other advice, observations etc are most welcome.

Thanks

 

[Dandu]

I'd go for Con over Dex. Grey Elf is powerful, but the Con penalty hurts; if you decide that you want to be a Gnome, that'd be a fine choice. Loremaster and Archmage are both useful; there's no reason you couldn't take levels in one and then the other. The exact number of levels is something you will have to decide based on what you want out of the prestige classes.

I think you should get rid of Ray spells, though. You may have a hard time hitting. Focus on things that either don't allow a save or mess people up even on a save, like Web.

I think you should wait and see how your party interacts at the table before settling into a role; every group's dynamic is a bit different, and you'll be able to best judge yours after seeing it in action.

Ask the monk to buy a Pearl of Power so you can share Mage Armor with him. Suggest he buy other gear that you could also use, so that if he dies, you can loot his corpse more efficiently.

As for feats? Pick up Improved Initiative, and Quicken Spell.

 

[emoplato]

Hi,

I'm going to be joining a game in a few weeks time and intend to play a wizard. I've not played a wizard since 2E and would appreciate any tips or advice on my current idea for my PC. I've read Logic Ninja's guide and have taken on board alot of the advice but I'd also like to hear other peoples' thoughts.

I'll be starting at 3rd level (4468 xp) and normal WBL. The DM has said the campaign will finish at high level so assume that'll be around 20th.

Only core books allowed although he is willing to look at non PHB races.

Stats are standard 25 point buy (p169 DMG). Good alignments only.

Currently, this is what I've built.

Grey Elf (+2 INT & DEX, -2 STR & CON)
Stats (post racial modifiers)
Str 8
Dex 12
Con 12
Int 19
Wis 10
Cha 8

Specialist - Conjurer with Evocation and Enchantment as banned schools
Feats:
1st - Spell Focus: Conjuration
3rd - Spell Focus: Illusion
Familiar: Bat (primarily for blind sight ability)
Spells:
1st - Mage armour, colour spray, ray of enf, alarm, enlarge person, grease, prot vs evil, silent image
2nd - Web, mirror image, glitterdust, hypnotic pattern, minor image

The other PCs in the party are also 3rd level - Monk , Cleric, Ranger, Warlock, plus one other undecided but probably/hopefully a fighter type.

Next few levels I think will go something like this
Stats boosts all INT
Feats: 5th - Extend spell, 6th - Imp Init, 9th - Greater SF Conj or Ill, 10th Craft Wonderous.

I'm still mulling over whether to go Archmage, Loremaster or stick to Wizard.

So, some specific questions...
Is it worth going 14 DEX, 10 CON instead for added AC plus higher ray to hit?
Is Gnome (either PHB version, air gnome or lesser snervneblin) a better option for their +1 DC to illusions?
Any advice on PrC? Are the A'mage's and L'master's abilities worth taking fully/as dips?
Taking into account the other PCs in the party is there a specific role I should fill or is the party so suboptimal that I need to fulfill a multitude of roles?
Any advice of feat selection?
Any other advice, observations etc are most welcome.

Thanks

1. As a base wizard you are best as the guy with the big bag of tricks. You have a spellbook so you can learn spells completely outside the leveling structure allowing not only to have more spells known but use magical devices such as wands, rods, scrolls, and staves when you can't fit them in your slots.
2. Gnomes are a solid choice as a few really casting PrC's are available only to them or makes it easy to get them. Small is a good thing for a caster, especially at low levels the bonus to attack and AC comes in handy. Also the attributes work well, strength is utterly a dump stat for a base caster and constitution helps shore help full arcane caster weaknesses. They also have some handy utility spell-like abilities. The DC to illusion really is just the cherry on top.
3. Well, I guess the question what are you going for? Conjuration is a great school and versatile one as it is the source of crowd control, summons, buffs, and alternative movements. A wizard excels at this because many of these abilities do not require save DC's just knowledge and other feats to tag onto certain areas both of which you have over the Sorcerer. However I also notice you have illusion which is a decent school many defensive, distraction, and emulation type stuff but often require high DC ratings unless it is just yourself. I say pick one there are many good summon feats and abilities out there but we need a little more information on what you want to give you something concrete.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I'm puzzled- you say "core only", but there is a Warlock in the group- how are you defining "core?"

Personally, I'm a maverick when it comes to spellcasters, so take anything I say with a grain of salt...or an entire box of Morton's.

I prefer Dex over Con- both stats help with saves, but HP are an ablative combat asset. Dex bosts AC- a non-ablative combat asset- gives you initiative bonuses, and contributes to accuracy with ranged attacks- like rays Dandu thinks you should drop (and not without reason).

 

[Nezkrul]

if you specialize in Divination, you only have to give up one school, two if you take the focused specialist ACF, but that would give you +3 divination spell slots per level (including 0th)

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

I love Specialist and Focused Specialist Diviners...

 

[Empirate]

I'd go for Con over Dex. Grey Elf is powerful, but the Con penalty hurts; if you decide that you want to be a Gnome, that'd be a fine choice. Loremaster and Archmage are both useful; there's no reason you couldn't take levels in one and then the other. The exact number of levels is something you will have to decide based on what you want out of the prestige classes.

I think you should get rid of Ray spells, though. You may have a hard time hitting. Focus on things that either don't allow a save or mess people up even on a save, like Web.

I think you should wait and see how your party interacts at the table before settling into a role; every group's dynamic is a bit different, and you'll be able to best judge yours after seeing it in action.

Ask the monk to buy a Pearl of Power so you can share Mage Armor with him. Suggest he buy other gear that you could also use, so that if he dies, you can loot his corpse more efficiently.

As for feats? Pick up Improved Initiative, and Quicken Spell.

Great advice as usual, except for the ray thing. RoE is one of the best debuffs in the game and comes so early you're gonna use it a looong time. Many big, strong monsters have abysmal touch AC, and with an acceptable Dex, you'll be hitting most of the time. Figure in a race with Dex bonus OR a small race, then figure in that, often, you'll be invisible or the enemy will be blinded (opponents lose Dex to AC), and figure in a party-wide buff like Bless or Haste, and you're going to nail that touch AC. A good buff for Ray casters (and casters in general) is Reduce Person, btw.

I'm puzzled- you say "core only", but there is a Warlock in the group- how are you defining "core?"

Personally, I'm a maverick when it comes to spellcasters, so take anything I say with a grain of salt...or an entire box of Morton's.

I prefer Dex over Con- both stats help with saves, but HP are an ablative combat asset. Dex bosts AC- a non-ablative combat asset- gives you initiative bonuses, and contributes to accuracy with ranged attacks- like rays Dandu thinks you should drop (and not without reason).

I like to keep a balance between Dex and Con, but I must admit that Dex often does more for you than a few more HP and a slightly better Fort save can provide. My current wizard PC has higher Dex than Con, and I have yet to regret that decision, although we are playing at a rather low level so "I'm untouchable!" buff routines aren't online yet.

if you specialize in Divination, you only have to give up one school, two if you take the focused specialist ACF, but that would give you +3 divination spell slots per level (including 0th)

Name three divination spells per level that you absolutely want to memorize any day, every day. Can't? Don't play a Focused Specialist.
Regular Specialist is just fine, though! You basically free a spell slot each level in exchange for a single school, since there will always be some mileage you'll get out of a single divination at each level. Furthering the ray argument above, True Strike'd be my candidate for 1st level...

 

[Nezkrul]

Name three divination spells per level that you absolutely want to memorize any day, every day.

Ok; here goes-
0's- Detect Magic, Read Magic, Detect Poison
1st- True Strike, True Casting, Detect Secret Doors
2nd- Detect Thoughts, See Invisibility, Locate Object
3rd- Arcane Sight, Spellcaster's Bane, Tongues
4th- Detect Scrying, Assay Spell Resistance, Locate Creature
5th- Quickened True Strike, Quickened True Casting, Telepathic Bond
6th- Analyze Dweomer, True Seeing, Probe Thoughts (or more quickened true strikes)
7th- Greater Arcane Sight, Greater Scrying, Quickened True Strike
8th- Discern Location, Moment of Prescience, Greater Prying Eyes
9th- Foresight, Quickened True Strike, Chained Assay Spell Resistance

If you think you'll need more combat power, quickened true strike, quickened true casting, assay spell resistance, know vulnerabilities, and unluck are all good spells to sub in for the others listed.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Also, you don't need 3 different Divinations- sometimes, 3 of a kind is what is called for.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Also, since you're a Conjuror, take a look at the Reserve Magic feats- as I recall, there are more reserve feats for them than any others.

And consider the Metamagic Rods: 3 uses of a feat/day without requiring you have a precious feat is a decent tradeoff.