Feats for a 1st Level Wizard

[Brother MacLaren]

How about Improved Toughness at 6th level instead?

How lethal is the game? You might not survive to 6th level without Toughness. Toughness and a 14 Con result in a 1st-level wizard with 9 hp. That's not bad. If the Toughness feat is ever useful, it's for a 1st-level wizard.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

I like the Improved Initiative idea a lot.

I forgot that Combat Casting only applies, well, in combat. That's what I get for 90% of my 3e experience being Icewind Dale II.

 

[PwrMnky]

seconded

Alacritous Cogitation (Complete Mage) and Collegiate Wizard. AC lets you leave a spell slot open to (once per day, as a full round action) cast any spell in your spellbook of equal or lesser level. Collegiate Wizard gives you 6+Int Mod spells at level 1 and 4 at each level up.

I second this one.

Also, I suggest looking at Improved Intiative or Precocious Apprentice.

Two of those four ... you can't go wrong.

 

[Kaledor]

Also, I suggest ... Precocious Apprentice.

Could you tell me what that feat is and where is?
I've heard mention of it a few times on the boards, but don't remember seeing its text.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

As a high offense, low defense character Improved Initiative is very valuable.

Skill Focus: Concentration is a very solid choice. Concentration checks are easy for low level characters to miss. If you needed to make a Concentration check at all, your life is probably in real danger. Combat Casting is a weak feat IMO.

 

[krunchyfrogg]

Wasn't there a nigh-broken feat that any power-wizard would take from the FRCS? I can't remember the name.

 

[Kurashu]

Spellcasting Prodigy.

Primary casting stat as +2 for bonus spells per day.

It's FRCS though.

 

[Darklone]

Spellcasting Prodigy has been nerfed in 3.5.

Precocious Apprentice is in the same sidebar in Complete Arcane as Collegiate Wizard. It is a very nice feat for level 1 wizards in combination with Melfs Acid arrow and Acidic Splatter [Reserve]. You have a 2d6 spell-like touch attack with 10ft range.

Fiery Burst and Scorching Ray work too. You'll have a better range.

These reserve feats are in Complete Mage... Prec App isn't that useful anymore as soon as you can cast level 2 spells yourself... then it works as extra slot.

 

[Olaf the Stout]

For now it looks like I am going with Collegiate Wizard and Toughness as my 2 1st level feats. Now before you start wondering why the heck I picked Toughness when it generally sucks, the DM has said that we will be using the retraining rules from the PHB2. As such I will be able to retrain the feat at a later date by spending 50gp and 2 weeks on retraining. The only condition is that you can only retrain when you go up a level. He has also indicated that there will be a lot of downtime in the campaign so I don't think the 2 weeks retraining should be an issue.

I figure that I will keep toughness until about 3rd level so that I can then change it over for something more useful. Collegiate Wizard really fits in with my Generalist theme and my character's desire to learn and cast as many spells as he possibly can.

Olaf the Stout

 

[FoxWander]

I've got a linked pair of suggestions for you:

1) Be an elf and take the 'Generalist Wizardry' substitution level from Races of the Wild (pg. 157). This grants you 1 bonus spell for your spell book every level and (more importantly) the ability to memorize one extra spell of your highest spell level each day. You leave this extra spell slot open every day for...

2) Take the Alacritous Cogitation feat (Complete Mage, pg. 37). Allows you to leave a spell slot open and cast any spell you know of that level or lower. With the bonus spell slot of your highest spell level from Generalist Wizardry this means that 1xday you can cast any spell in your spell book!

Since this combo kind of makes Scribe Scroll look pretty weak (to me at least), ask your DM if you can swap out that 1st level Scribe Scroll feat for some other "wizardly" feat- and then you take Collegiate Wizard! Now your spell book is even better (5 new spells every level) which makes Alacritous Cogitation even betterer .