Help me improve my wizard

[Elephant]

I'm playing a elven wizard, aiming for Loremaster at 8th and Archmage 13th, finishing as Wiz 7/Lor 10/Acm 3 at 20th level. In the last few game sessions, he's been rather underwhelming - the party is in the Underdark, clearing a Kuo-toan temple, and I'm running out of spells WAY too quickly. The game is set in Greyhawk, with core+completes+racial substitution levels allowed, "anything else check with me first" according to the DM.

In combat, I've been focusing on using Haste and Enlarge Person to help the melee guys, then blasting away with attack spells or shooting crossbow bolts. Other than that, though, I feel like I'm not contributing enough to the group.

Can anyone give me some hints on how to improve my character? I was thinking of crafting a wand of an attack spell - Magic Missile, Melf's Acid Arrow, or Scorching Ray perhaps. I don't want to craft a MM wand at level 7, though - I'd rather wait 'til 9th.

I've also been thinking about taking one of the Orb spells from Complete Arcane. Are they worth it? Also, should I jump on a feat like Empower Spell at 9th level, or am I better off focusing more on crafting?

Grey Elf Divination domain Wizard 7 - no banned schools
(http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#divinationDomain)
STR 6, DEX 16, CON 12, Int 21h , Wis 10, CHA 14
HP 29, AC 14 (18 with Mage Armor) Speed 30ft.
BAB/Grapple +3/+1, Saves Fort +4, Ref +6, Will +6
Skills: Concentration, Decipher Script, Know: Arcana, Know: Nature 10 ranks each
Spellcraft 7 ranks (+17 modifier)
1-5 ranks in all other Knowledge skills except The Planes
4 ranks in Craft: Alchemy
Feats: Scribe Scroll
Skill Focus: Knowledge Arcana
Spell Focus Divination
Spell Focus Transmutation
Craft Wand, Wondrous, Arms & Armor
Flaw(Forlorn - no familiar)
Languages Common, Elven, Draconic, Goblin, Sylvan, Orc, Gnoll
Gear: Light Crossbow + quarrels, Spell Component Pouch
Boccob's Blessed Book (~100 pages filled so far)
Scroll of Mage Armor CL 1
Scroll of Mirror Image CL 1
Clear Spindle Ioun Stone (sustain creature w/o food or water)
Ring of Protection +1
Cloak of Resistance +1
Brooch of Shielding (24 charges left)
Pearl of Power (1st)
Wand of Mage Armor (40 charges left)
2100 gp

Spells (DC 15+spell level)
4: Arcane Eye, Phantasmal Killer, Shout, Fear, Locate Creature, Scrying ***4th level spells for gaining 7th level have not yet been chosen - these were scribed from a foe's spellbook
3: Clairvoyance/audience, Displacement, Lightning Bolt, Vampiric Touch, Dispel Magic, Gentle Repose, Sepia Snake Sigil, Tongues, Water Breathing, Arcane Sight, Secret Page, Haste, Fly, Fireball
2: All spells that can be made into potions, plus Blindness/Deafness, False Life, Scorching Ray, Melf's Acid Arrow, Tasha's Hideous Laughter, Web, Knock, Summon Monster II, Whispering Wind, Arcane Lock, Scare, Detect Thoughts, See Invisible
1: most PHB spells

 

[painandgreed]

Wand of Magic Missles should do it for combat. It's a decent amount of automatic damage. I had to hold off on using mine because it felt too much like cheating.

 

[smilinggm]

I would craft a wand of scorching ray, As a 7th level caster. For the price of 1 charge you get 8d6 damage on 1 target or 4d6 damage on 2 targets. Talk about a bargain. Also it seams to me that you have forgotton that you have the scribe scroll feat. That feat can be one of the cheapest ways that your character can stock up on spells. Start scribing at every opportunity you can. You can easly double your spells by doing this. Yes it will start to get expensive, but on the flip side this can also give you more versitality. Start with utility spells that you often need and scribe alot of scrolls of this type. This will open up more spell slots for other needed spells IE combat spells.

 

[Baramay]

To maximizing your character, you should create wand that aid your party (haste and enlarge) use your own spells for attacks. You enemies will have a much harder time overcoming the DCs.

 

[Wooly]

Empower Sell + Craft Wand

Empowering spells for wand creation is a nice way to become a howitzer. A bit expensive to create, but you will become instant fire support if you use the right spells.

With offensive wands at the ready you can still buff your teammates, and have the capability to do significant damage.

Orb of Force is a good spell to learn since it bypasses pesky elemental resitances.

The last campaign I ran the Mage dominated the party as far as damage dealing. I had to come up with magic and/or elemental resistant foes so that the rest of the party would feel useful. She used an Empowered Fireball (6th Level) Wand and a Wand of Melf's Acid Arrow. She rarely ran out of spells during the course of a session.

 

[Thanee]

If you want to help in melee, Glitterdust, Slow, and Evard's Black Tentacles can be very useful.

For blasting support, the Orb spells from Complete Arcane are very good, as well as Fireball and Scorching Ray, of course, against non-fire resistant opponents.

Crafting wands for combat is fairly expensive, since you need to craft them at a high caster level. But if you have one, you will always have a weapon to use. Best spell is probably Magic Missile, since it works against most targets.

One question... why have you chosen Spell Focus (divination) (and not evocation or conjuration)!?

Bye
Thanee

 

[fafhrd]

One question... why have you chosen Spell Focus (divination) (and not evocation or conjuration)!?

Or abjuration...oh that's right, the spell compendium came out. Alas for Reciprocal Gyre

 

[Thanee]

Also, should I jump on a feat like Empower Spell at 9th level, or am I better off focusing more on crafting?

You have more than enough Craft feats, really.

Only feat in that direction, that could be worthwhile now, is Magical Artisan from the FR books, or the Eberron equivalent - those feats reduce the cost of crafting items.

Bye
Thanee

P.S. havn't seen the Spell Compendium yet... did they change Reciprocal Gyre?

 

[fafhrd]

P.S. havn't seen the Spell Compendium yet... did they change Reciprocal Gyre?

Oh boy did they. It now does 1d12 per spell active on the target. Forgive if you see me sulking about it in other threads. It was a fav.

 

[Elephant]

Best spell is probably Magic Missile, since it works against most targets.

One question... why have you chosen Spell Focus (divination) (and not evocation or conjuration)!?

Bye
Thanee

I'm keeping a feather in my cap for Magic Missile at 9th...I'm not convinced it's worth it at 7th, considering we gained 8th level at the end of tonight's session.

I chose Spell Focus: Divination in order to keep with the divination theme. I realize it's a very poor choice, but I would've felt funny going with something else while I have the whole divination domain thing going.