Best feats for a Wizard

[Thanee]

Re: Improved Initiative. I think going early on in a round is over-rated.

At higher levels, it is everything that counts. Basically an extra round (whenever that +4 pushes your initiative ahead of the opposition) means a lot, if combat lasts for only 2-3 rounds until total obliteration is reached.

Anyways, this wizard is not really high level... yet!


Good feats for low level wizards:

Spell Focus / Greater Spell Focus (if you use a lot of spells, which have a save from a single school, absolutely necessary for the spells, that have a save that negates the effect (i.e. Enchantment school)).

Point Blank Shot / Precise Shot (especially at the lower levels, a ranged weapon of some kind (i.e. light crossbow) is a good way to contribute in combat, if you ran out of spells, and even later these feats are useful for ranged touch attacks, i.e. Ray of Enfeeblement, Scorching Ray, Enervation, Disintegrate. Of course, you need a somewhat decent Dexterity (~14) to make good use of ranged weapons.)

More importantly, good spells make a lot of difference. While your feats can enhance your combat abilities a bit, your spells are your major combat abilities!

At 3rd level, these offensive spells are worth looking at (list not complete):

Magic Missile
Sleep
Color Spray

Glitterdust
Web
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Scorching Ray
Flaming Sphere
Blindness/Deafness

Bye
Thanee

 

[francisca]

Re: Improved Initiative. I think going early on in a round is over-rated. I find it easier, as a spellcaster, to use my spells to great effect once the battle is joined and I can spot weaknesses to exploit.

There is nothing about improved initiative that keeps you from holding your action until later in the round, getting the drop on whoever you decide to act against. Plus, with improved initiative, you stand a better chance of going early in the round when you need to.

I think Imporved Initiative is the all around best feat for any character. Anything that increases my chance of being on top of the initiative heap, thereby allowing me to choose when my actions take place, hence allowing me to dictate what happens, rather than react, I think is a good thing.

 

[Thanee]

Of course, with wizards and feats, oftentimes the selection is dictated by what prestige class one is heading for. I suppose, that you haven't really put much thought into this yet, but if the campaign is meant to go on for a while and you can get into prestige classes later, no time is too early to start looking for what you would like to and what the prerequisites are, so you can start learning those in time.

Bye
Thanee

 

[Plane Sailing]

For your 3rd level feat I'd suggest "craft wondrous item" and your 5th level feat "craft wand" - unless your DM informs you that he's not going to allow you time etc. to make stuff. You'll be able to craft all kinds of useful things with craft wondrous item (and it will be useful your entire adventuring life), and craft wand is excellent for giving you blasting power - a spell you will want to cast multiple times during an adventure.

At 3rd level you've got your first two 2nd level spells - this gives you lots of opportunity for really helping the party now. Scorching Ray might be worthwhile but you'll only get one shot and might miss. A better bet might be an area effect attack like glitterdust. Have a look at dcollins "2nd level spells" thread for some good ideas.

I'd avoid web unless you adventure almost soley in dungeons. In other environments you can rarely use it.

Cheers

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I'd take craft wonderous. At the moment it aint great but you can use it quickly to help the party overall by maing items.

5th level I'd take craft arms and armor and hook up your meat shields. A lot of people suggest craft wand but I think you get enough bang out of scribe scroll to not make this worth it especially considering how expensive wands get and how little money you have at these levels. By the time I can usually utilize craft wand I'm close enough to 12th that I'll just hold off a couple levels and get craft staff.

Improved initiative is a great feat but I almost never take it. I don't like feats that just give me a small boost I want a feat that gives me some new ability. While I wont deny its a good feat its just a boring feat to me.

I'd consider brew potion at 3rd and then wonderous then arms and armor. I'm not a big fan of potions with there 1-3 level limit but in the long run making the party some potions of fly, or invisibility, or see invisibilty etc pays off. Instead of wasting rounds with you casting these spells they can just drink a potion and take to the air or whatever. This is another one that is effective but for some reason bores me.(which is odd considering I like every other item creaiton feat except wands or and the new craft contingent)

 

[Kalendraf]

If your campaign isn't going to last long (I've heard about a surprisingly high number of campaigns that end before characters reach 6th level!), or it's just a one-shot type adventure, it's pretty hard to beat Toughness for a low-level wizard.

Improved initiative is good, and almost mandatory at high levels of play, but at lower levels, it often doesn't matter much.

Other good feats for a wizard to consider early on are usually ones like Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot, to allow you to use ranged weapons when your spells run out or when you want to conserve them. Both of those feats can help with ranged touch spells later on, so they won't be wasted feats.

 

[Sunderstone]

Im currently playing an NPC lvl 2 Human Wizard (since im dmming a party of wizardless players ).
The Toughness feat and a Toad familiar can net you 6 extra hp, giving you a maximim of 14 hp at first level with an 18 Con. I had 12 hp at first level (15 Con).
Combat Casting can save your life as well, and I prefer it over Improved Initiative.
Thanee had s good weapon suggestion with Point Blank Shot.
Id like to add that if you find yourself using a light weapon like a Dagger alot and have a good dexterity then Weapon Finesse isnt a bad feat to have. If youre ELVEN this gets better being that you can use Weapon Finesse with a Rapier that you get a free Racial proficiency with. The Rapier has a great Critical hit chance @ 18-20/x2.


The above is good to start a Wizard out but overall, taking feats depends on what you want to do with your Wizard. Take whatever Prestige Class you are considering into account regarding their requirements and go from there.

 

[Doug McCrae]

I feel a wizard's 5th or 6th level feat choice must be empower spell. It just rocks when used with Ray of Enfeeblement, Magic Missile, False Life, Scorching Ray and Fireball.

 

[irdeggman]

Im currently playing an NPC lvl 2 Human Wizard (since im dmming a party of wizardless players ).
The Toughness feat and a Toad familiar can net you 6 extra hp, giving you a maximim of 14 hp at first level with an 18 Con. I had 12 hp at first level (15 Con).
Combat Casting can save your life as well, and I prefer it over Improved Initiative. [/quote

Must be a 3.0 game. Familiar benefits were changed in 3.5 (affected my sorcerer/bard who had a toad familiar too). No more ability increases, the familiar benefits are much more "balanced" and IIRC the toad grants a bonus to fort saves now.

 

[Doug McCrae]

Must be a 3.0 game. Familiar benefits were changed in 3.5 (affected my sorcerer/bard who had a toad familiar too). No more ability increases, the familiar benefits are much more "balanced" and IIRC the toad grants a bonus to fort saves now.

No, Sunderstone was right. In 3.5 toughness (+3 hp) + toad (+3 hp) = +6 hit points. It's the rat that gives a bonus (+2) to Fort saves.

I believe in 3.0 a toad actually gave a bonus to Con, indirectly increasing hp. I think it was +2 which does seem overpowered.