Help Needed - Spicing up a Half-Elf Wizard

[pawsplay]

You know, it's interesting. I initially thought from the title this would be a 3.5 thread, but there was no good reason to think that. Now having read the thread, I'm struck by the lack of options in 4e. In the 3.5 thread I was imagining, someone would be asking for some tweaks that would help the character pop out more as an individual. Instead, in this 4e thread, the focus is on mechanically differentiating the character.

So my suggestion is actually to "spice up" the character by coming up with approaches to playing the character that are appealing. To be interesting, a character should have goals, mannerisms, limitations, etc. It may not matter as much if you are stuck being a MM spammer if you intersperse banter with the other characters or challenge enemies to do their worst. Gandalf got a lot of mileage out of a simple Magic Circle Against Evil... "You shall not pass!"

I think together with the game mechanical advice already given, you can do a lot for this half-elf.

 

[Mustrum_Ridcully]

You know, it's interesting. I initially thought from the title this would be a 3.5 thread, but there was no good reason to think that. Now having read the thread, I'm struck by the lack of options in 4e. In the 3.5 thread I was imagining, someone would be asking for some tweaks that would help the character pop out more as an individual. Instead, in this 4e thread, the focus is on mechanically differentiating the character.

The only difference I see is that in 3.x, this would quickly have been moved to the Rules Forum, where the Character Optimization happened.

 

[malraux]

One of my players - the half-elf wizard - has recently shown some frustration with his character, The Great Haraj, when in combat. He has mentioned that it seems to end up that he is just firing magic missiles after magic missile, while the other characters are in the thick of it and seem to have a more options.

I was hoping that I could get some suggestions to rebuild him something a little more combat effective, something with a little more oomph.

So my suggestion is actually to "spice up" the character by coming up with approaches to playing the character that are appealing. To be interesting, a character should have goals, mannerisms, limitations, etc. It may not matter as much if you are stuck being a MM spammer if you intersperse banter with the other characters or challenge enemies to do their worst. Gandalf got a lot of mileage out of a simple Magic Circle Against Evil... "You shall not pass!"

I think together with the game mechanical advice already given, you can do a lot for this half-elf.

Of course, the OP wasn't asking for RP suggestions, but specifically for build options.

 

[Mentat55]

The wizard's power selection looks decidedly focused on the nuker -- all the spells are pure damage, with no interesting status effects or riders. So perhaps what the wizard needs to get into it a bit more are spells that do things other than just inflict damage.

Thunderwave, as already mentioned, is a great at-will and pushes targets around, which can be very fun. Flaming Sphere is much better than Acid Arrow, and because it can be sustained and moved around, it again has the benefit of being interesting and interactive beyond the initial attack. Icy Terrain, Color Spray, and Icy Rays all have effects beyond the flat damage done by Burning Hands and Shock Sphere.

Also, sometimes your fellow PCs get stuck in before you can go, making it harder to use use area and close attacks. Improved Initiative could help, as could simply talking to the party (not sure if this is happening, speaking in general).

And rituals...yeah, really emphasize those. He doesn't need to have a lot of rituals, but a few, perhaps even based around a theme, could help add that wizardly feel to the character.

 

[Remathilis]

My suggestion is to wait til next month when Arcane Power comes out.