Is a Wizard a better buffer then a cleric?

[Sejs]

A wizard can be a better buffer than a cleric, particularly when it comes to buffing others.

However, clerics have some real cherries when it comes to buffing themselves. Divine Favor, Divine Power, Righteous Might.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

A well-placed Wall of Force is worth a lot of buffs.

 

[Nail]

Unless you have a RBDM who won't allow wizards to scribe divine spells.

He won't even allow the druid and cleric to collaborate on druid scrolls.

That's not "RBDM". That's "doesn't follow the rules" (DFTR) DM.

Quite different.

 

[Nail]

However, clerics have some real cherries when it comes to buffing themselves. Divine Favor, Divine Power, Righteous Might.

True, but I've found that clerics really are best when they buff others. They get alot more milage out of that (fewer party member deaths, quicker victories, more victories per day, etc) than they do buffing themsleves and wading in.

 

[Darklone]

True, but I've found that clerics really are best when they buff others. They get alot more milage out of that (fewer party member deaths, quicker victories, more victories per day, etc) than they do buffing themsleves and wading in.

Agreed, as long you don't play with DMM Persistant. If you do, they can do both.

 

[shilsen]

A multiclassed wizard can certainly scribe divine spells. After all, the rules are pretty lenient on this subject: "The creator must have prepared the spell to be scribed...

If I'm understanding seans23's post, that's not what he's referring to. He's referring to a wizard (with Scribe Scroll) collaborating with a cleric (who provides the spells and counts as the scroll's creator, so that he can use them) to create divine scrolls. Which, by the rules, is completely acceptable.

"Who is this "He" of whom you write? Any druid with Scribe Scroll should have no problem scribing a spell. Any druid without Scribe Scroll clearly has better things to do.

A druid without Scribe Scroll could very easily want to collaborate with a cleric (who has Scribe Scroll) to create scrolls of druid spells. Any druid without Scribe Scroll is only clearly a druid with other feats.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Until wizards get to add an enhancement bonus to armour, I'd see them as always being second class buffers.

I can't speak to supplements, but straight PHB it is difficult to see wizards as being even in the same ballpark as clerics in terms of buffing - especially not self-buffing.

 

[Brother MacLaren]

I can't speak to supplements, but straight PHB it is difficult to see wizards as being even in the same ballpark as clerics in terms of buffing - especially not self-buffing.

Defensively, I'd say you're correct. With PHB, a 9th-level cleric can add +2 Magic Vestment on armor and shield, plus a +4 deflection bonus from Shield of Faith, and with the Plant domain +4 natural armor enhancement from Barkskin. That's +12 AC.

The wizard can't give any of these bonus types except for deflection (and then only against certain alignments). A wizard can give a huge natural armor bonus with Polymorph, as well as providing a tremendous boost in offensive capability, but that spell is extremely troublesome.

 

[BASHMAN]

what you need is the War Weaver Prestige class from Heroes of Battle. That lets you use a single Buff spell on several targets at once! It is the ultimate wizard buffing prestige class.

 

[Choranzanus]

So I was looking a creating a wizard and I was a bit surprised at how good of a melee buffer a wizard could be.

I think wizard should be a bit better buffer than cleric. But then, he usually has better things to do than buffing.