1st Level Character : score of 20 ?

[Rith the Wanderer]

And 14 dex for both quickdraw(another +2 init), and Arcane Reach which needs 15 dex and is great.

Why take quickdraw for a wizard? Wouldn't improved initiative get the job done better, I mean how often does a wizard switch weapons. Also, I think they are both feat bonuses so they don't stack. Although I think that Arcane Reach is worth the 14 dex by itself (although evasion helps out too).

 

[Danceofmasks]

Utility wands for starters ... not that I'm advocating wands of time stop. Oh no.

 

[Rith the Wanderer]

Utility wands for starters ... not that I'm advocating wands of time stop. Oh no.

Haha, I guess thats a good point. Although I'm not sure what you would do with those 20 extra standard actions considering you can't attack. I can't even figure out what to do with 2 standard actions unless someone is injured and I need to buff/heal them or me, and really the wizard isn't the best person to do this.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Wall of Fire and Stoneskin just to name a couple of options

 

[toxicspirit]

Quick Draw is quite useful for pulling out and drinking a potion in one minor action.

 

[FadedC]

Wall of Fire and Stoneskin just to name a couple of options

Except that those wands don't actually exist. None of the wands give daily spells, only encounter spells (and none higher then level 7). So even if your DM let you invent a brand new magic item, it shouldn't contain any of those spells.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Stoneskin wands exist ... but my reply was in response to "what do you do with 2 standard actions when you can't attack?"
Wall of Fire and Stoneskin, that's what.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Hmm ... having read it again, it seems powers in wands must be encounter powers, even the utility ones.
So no wands of stoneskin or time stop .. eh

 

[PrecociousApprentice]

Wizards want a high wis and int. If you play a wizard you are wanting to be a controller, and controllers will want the orb implement mastery. This uses wis. They might want a higher wis than int. Going for anything else over the long run will be sub-optimal. Maybe fun and fit a concept, but the tone of this thread was stepping on optimal, so I felt like I could go there.

Probably the best array for wizard is 8,12,10,16,16,12. Maybe 8,10,12,16,16,12 if you go with a second implement in paragon for wand mastery. Staff mastery will likely be best for gish characters that want to go wizard fo the spiral tower. Otherwise, controllers should stay controllers, leave the damage to the strikers. Take the Orb.

 

[Danceofmasks]

Wizards have plenty of control spells that don't require saves (or don't care if you pass)
Walls or bigby's or evard's come to mind.

In addition, massive AoE blams count as controls ... death is a very nice condition to inflict.