Looking for advice on running an effective 3.0 wizard.

[Bob5th]

Ok I'm looking for tactics and advice on running a good level 14 or so wizard. I want advice on a good spellslinger but something that can do ok without blowing his/her load of spells in one fight. Please try only to suggest spells and feats from any WotC book and the Book of Eldridth Might I and II.

I'm not asking for a build specificly just things that work well together. I'm already running a level 14 drow wizard in the last third or so of Deep Horizon. She can do good damage with chain lightnings and cones of cold being hasted but she quickly runs out of spell slots in a large fight and I don't care much for going through one fight and having to rest and relearn spells, even though with Mordikanen's Magnificent Mansion (sp) finding a spot to safely rest is no problem.

I guess I'm looking for something like a set of throwing weapons, or wands of whatever so even though I'm not doing full out damage I don't feel so useless.

So oh well anything you can tell me will be greatly appreciated.
Thanks

 

[Victim]

Evocations can get the job done, but they usually aren't very efficient. Still great fun though.

I'd look into packing some non-evocation attack spells. Good things to look for include A) no HP damage. From one point of view, fighters, barbarians, rogues, paladins, etc all do lots of HP damage. Therefore, a wizard should be using spells that don't do HP damage. B) Can't effectively be resisted. This requirement can take many forms. For example, spells like Confusion are hard to negate completely because all the targets have to succeed for the spell to be useless.

Slow, Confusion, and Stinking Cloud can all provide multitarget incapacitation effects. Enervation can weaken a single target, and is good against enemy casters.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

More to the point, make sure you have spells that have Fort, Ref, and Will saves.

Endurance will give you a hit point and Fort boost and it will last 14 hours in 3.0. The fighters will ask for Bull's Strength, but remember to keep yourself up first.

At high levels, I'm a firm believer that a +1 weapon of Sure Strike will get you farther than a +3 weapon. Cloaks of Resistance are not optional.

Good luck!

 

[Xavim]

The answer is wands.


Lots and lots of wands.
(specifically of True Strike and Enervation)

 

[Hammerhead]

More to the point, make sure you have spells that have Fort, Ref, and Will saves.

At high levels, I'm a firm believer that a +1 weapon of Sure Strike will get you farther than a +3 weapon. Cloaks of Resistance are not optional.

Good luck!

Why bother with Sure Striking? Ever hear of a little spell called Greater Magic Weapon? Clerics generally prepare several of them, use Beads of Karma to pump their levels, and bless all of the warrior's weapons. It gets much sicker with Chain Spell as well. Besides, no monster has more than DR +3 other some Celestials (who fights those?) and punks with Stoneskin. (If they have time for Stoneskin, they'll also have a billion other buffs that need dispelling.)

Conjuration/Summonings are some of my favorite spells. Good choices include Huge Earth Elementals (from Summon Monster 7), Celestial Dire Bears (Summon Monster 6), and/or Fiendish Girallons (from Summon Monster 5).

Also, a more efficient spell for resting is a 2nd level Rope Trick, instead of a much higher level Mansion.

Other fun spells for 14th level wizards that are also very efficent include: Power Word Stun, Reverse Gravity, Wall of Force, Disintegrate, Mass Haste, Greater Dispelling etc. Never underestimate lower-level spell effects either; a simple Ray of Enfeeblement can be crippling to other Wizards, Rogues, or Bards.

Another trick is lots of spells that don't depend much on level or Save DCs, like Summoning spells.

A good choice for a Wand is Enervation, or Maximized Magic Missile at 9th level if you're into dealing damage.

 

[BiggusGeekus]

Why bother with Sure Striking? Ever hear of a little spell called Greater Magic Weapon? Clerics generally prepare several of them, use Beads of Karma to pump their levels, and bless all of the warrior's weapons. It gets much sicker with Chain Spell as well. Besides, no monster has more than DR +3 other some Celestials (who fights those?) and punks with Stoneskin. (If they have time for Stoneskin, they'll also have a billion other buffs that need dispelling.)

Yeah, but Sure Strike is a +1 enhancement and this way the wizard doesn't have to tie up a nice spell slot of the cleric's. It's really just about personal preference. Mine is to "use" the +1 to have a 100% failproof weapon (until you get to epic levels at least) and to have the cleric's spell slot available for other buffs/heals.

Again, just my perference.

 

[Bob5th]

Well I've thought about making 3 +1 Returning Flaming Shocking Acidic Icy Daggers that she would GMW but this would be kind of expensive and I doubt that she would hit much. I've also thought about 3 shurikens built the same way and using here partial action form haste to cast true stike so damage would be around 3 (shuriken) + 12(ehancement) + 12d6 (fire, acid, cold, electric) right? I've also thought about wands and using the spell from whatever book it was in that allows you to use wands without draining charges. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

 

[Voadam]

I had great fun with the greater mark spells (1hr/level neat abilities) such as air for flying and fire for fire resistance and earth for DR.

Also extended charge with a good wand. This lets you save your casting spells for divinations and utility spells.

I found the loresights very useful in our campaign.

Energy buffer is great, 1 shot pre cast defense against any type of energy damage.It is from T&B.

Endure elements is another good one giving 5 ER against one type for all day.

Another good tactic for 3.0 is specializing in enchantments and getting the DC really up there with spell focus and greater spell focus, etc.

 

[Voadam]

Well I've thought about making 3 +1 Returning Flaming Shocking Acidic Icy Daggers that she would GMW but this would be kind of expensive and I doubt that she would hit much. I've also thought about 3 shurikens built the same way and using here partial action form haste to cast true stike so damage would be around 3 (shuriken) + 12(ehancement) + 12d6 (fire, acid, cold, electric) right? I've also thought about wands and using the spell from whatever book it was in that allows you to use wands without draining charges. Anyone know what I'm talking about?

Extended charge, from one of the BoEMs.

 

[Voadam]

GMW on the party archer's arrows worked really well in 3.0.