How do you play your wizard?

[Zaruthustran]

I recently made a 3rd level elven wizard. It's pretty standard stuff, but I've been making heavy use of the Scribe Scrolls feat.

What do you all think?

-S

No offense, but: duh!

There's a reason you get Scribe Scroll for free. If you've been playing with non-scroll using wizards, feel free to mock them at every opportunity.

Of course, the neat thing about scrolls is that they're like any other magic device in that they aren't bothered by armor.

My dwarf Ftr 1/wiz 10 wore full plate and was quite happy blasting foes with scrolls and wands. The only spells he memorized were Bull's Strength, Endure Elements, Greater Magic Weapon, and other long duration spells (cast before he put on his armor for the day) and Rope Trick, Alarm, and other utility/camp spells (cast when there's time to remove armor). For everything else, he had wands (no spell failure chance) or 1/day magic items (no spell failure chance and cheap). Scrolls were used for utility spells that are needed rarely, but when needed, are needed in a hurry: Invisibility Purge, Protection From Elements, etc.

Wands were for your evocations, dispel magic, dimension door, and haste.

So: good job about the scroll thing. Now get Create Wand and Create Wondrous Item, and you'll be all set.

-z

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

Actually, I think wands/scrolls for offense and prepared spells for utility is backwards--at least if the offensicve spells scale by level and/or have saves.

Magic items cost more if you want a higher caster level (magic missile or fireball for instance) and always have the minimum save DC possible for the spell.

Consequently, a wizard is much better off preparing:
Magic Missile x3, Burning Hands x2, Flaming Sphere x2, Glitterdust, Fireball x2, Dispel Magic

and having scrolls or wands of
Magic Weapon, protection from evil, shield, jump, mirror image, unseen servant, endure elements, rope trick, fly, haste

than the other way around.

 

[Mr Fidgit]

Some people I play with hardly use the wizard's ability to scribe scrolls (and have a large number of esoteric spells handy), but this seems like it ignores one of the wizard's strengths. I spent maybe 400 gold on the exercise, and about 16 xp, and I've already reaped rewards and have a large volume of scrolls left.

What do you all think?

-S

my experiences with 3e wizards have been much the same. most often, the wizard spends most of his time and money just aquiring and learning spells. time is a huge issue. in the games that i've played in or run, the PCs tend to have very little time off for any kind of item creation.

i think you're lucky that your DM gives you that kind of time!

 

[ConcreteBuddha]

shurai---

How do you play your wizard?

My Orc wizard doesn't give a hooey about scrolls. He'd rather reach for his Greataxe.

 

[Skaros]

My 3rd lvl Rashemi (FR) Wizard isn't too interested in anything resembling item creation...though he makes exceptions for scrolls.

He uses spell mastery/signature spell to be able to spontaneously cast his offenseive spells (one of them anyway...so far), and memorizes spells he needs less often. Its just more his style....he wants to feel he is mastering his craft, one spell at a time.

He also wants to avoid any areas of traditional learning that male Rashemi wizards are pushed into by the Witches of Rashemen.

-Skaros

 

[Rel]

Re: Re: How do you play your wizard?

my experiences with 3e wizards have been much the same. most often, the wizard spends most of his time and money just aquiring and learning spells. time is a huge issue. in the games that i've played in or run, the PCs tend to have very little time off for any kind of item creation.

i think you're lucky that your DM gives you that kind of time!

In past games that I've run, I've tended to push the party pretty hard with little downtime between adventures. But lately I'm thinking that I should ease up on that a bit. I think that if the party has a few weeks or months between major adventure runs, it gives a sense of time passing in the game. Characters actually get a chance to have a birthday once in a while instead of going from 1st level to 20th in the course of a year.

I'm currently running a solo campaign for my wife (who is playing a wizard) and I'm trying to give her plenty of downtime to make scrolls and such.