My first Wizard, opinions please.

[irdeggman]

The speed for dwarves is so low that I'd pick up Expeditious Retreat instead of Obscuring mist.

Ditto the comments on armor.

When 3.0 came out I ran a dwarv wizard and found quickly found out why they tend not to survive. Their speed is too low and they get caught far too quickly.

For a tough to survive at low level game I'd suggest startign at 1st level with Fighter (for a dwarf) and then switch to wizard. The extra hit points, feats and BAB will make a differenc in the long run. Fighter is a favored class for dwarves so no multi-class penalty when yu switch.

Losing a single level of spell casting will not have too much of an effect for the character and the benefits are too great to not consider it.

As soon as you can, create some scrolls of mage armor and/or exp retreat. Then don't memorize mage armor anymore.

Improved Initiative is a better choice of feat than point blank shot for a dwarven wizard. You really need to go as soon as possible in combat in order to get off those defensive spells.

 

[Pickaxe]

Looks solid to me. Although IMO unless you plan on taking precise shot, point blank shot is a sub-optimal feat choice. I don't know what source's you have available, but there are plenty of feats I'd prefer for a Wizard.

While a feat with some immediate value (like Improved Initiative, as some have suggested) is a good choice, think about what you want your wizard to be like in the future. Yes, you get some bonus feats, but there are lots of feats just in the core rules for wizards to take, especially metamagic and, if the campaign favors it, item creation.

Just out of curiosity, any particular reason you elected not to specialize in a school?

--Axe

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

I think it's a terrible idea to take a level of fighter. Behind a caster level forever, in exchange for a point of BAB that isn't very useful to a wizard, some weapon proficiencies, a bonus fighter feat, and six hit points?

Only do this if you plan on becoming an Eldritch Knight.

Ken

 

[Haffrung Helleyes]

Also, I'd ditch one of your spells (like say, obscuring mist) and pick up Color Spray. This spell is a must for low-level wizards.

Ken

 

[baudbard]

Ok... I retired a elven wizard at 20th level after 11 years of roleplayin him, so I have some opinions I believe are solid... especially when comparing wizards to sorcs. I'll list them as individual points... disregard anything not useful to you,

1) as a Wizard, your big game mechanic gun over a sorc is your ability to KNOW a huge variety of spells.

2) Quicken Spell. Own this... only a wizard can do this justice on the arcane side of magic.

3) Decide early on if you are playing a "artillery" wizard, or a utility wizard. If you are planning on playing more of a supporting role your feat choices will not support a more agressive roll later, and vice versa. For example... a utility wizard may take extend spell, while a artillery wizard would go more towards spell pen. These choices, though they seem small at lower levels, dramaticaly affect the usefulness of a caster at higher levels.

4) try to pick spells with multiple uses before solely weapon spells.

5) avoid losing caster levels due to multi-classing or PrC... your spell progression is a class strength not to be given away lightly.

6) whether you are a assailant, or a rear echelon buffer, be ready for things to go wrong. I recommend keeping a "Oh Crap" spell prepared whenever possible. Mirror Image<Dimension Door<Teleport were my "Oh Crap" spells as my wizard progressed.

7) make copies of your spellbook when you can afford to do so. DM's are paid to be evil...

Good Luck... Scribe Often... Convince another party member to play a 2nd wizard and share spells... and remember, your always the first to die.

 

[Cabral]

If you want the defense, carry a shield +1 or 2 AC and you can stow it when you're casting a spell and it stacks with mage armor (but not with shield). This would serve you better (in my opinion than the leather armor)

 

[Mistwell]

If you want the defense, carry a shield +1 or 2 AC and you can stow it when you're casting a spell and it stacks with mage armor (but not with shield). This would serve you better (in my opinion than the leather armor)

I agree.

I also agree with the idea of crafting scrolls. You have the feat - use it. Get those Mage Armor scrolls going.

Also remember to seek concealment and cover as often as possible. Hence, obscurring mist isn't such a bad idea (though personally I prefer silent image, since it can create total concealment against opponants, which the caster can see right through).

You might consider wearing Monks Robes. If NPCs mistake you for a monk, they are less likely to want to try and grapple you. It might get you nothing (depending on your DM), but it's worth a shot and it might make a couple of NPCs think twice here and there.

 

[Angerland]

The Stats were rolled 4d6 drop the lowest, It was a pretty good roll up, best I have had in a long time, usually I am the guy in the group with average stats so I am pleasently happy. I rolled 16,16,15,15,12,10 and you can figure out the placement. I saw your emoticon and there were no hard felleings from me, but that is hard to convey through a keyboard I guess .

Wow! thanks for the outpouring, now to try to catch up on some of the comments and perhaps explain my thought process a bit. The Leather Armor/Mage armor thing was merely me not fully reading and understanding that one would not stack with another.

A lot of folks had good ideas about spell selection, my current choices aren't in stone yet so they may flex as I learn more about what is useful and what is not.

I chose not to specialize as this is my very first wizard. With that said I didn't want to limit myself by throwing 2 schools completely out the window, although that may make spell selection easier for me as it is leass spells to try to read and learn the rules for.

My choice of point blank shot has generated quite a bit of a stir. Improved Initiative is a feat that I plan to pick up in the future. I know how useful it could be now but I DO have a +3 to Init from Dex. Also, PBS carries over to the crossbow that I will have to rely on for back up when things go south (i.e. out of spells) In no particular order here are the feats I have earmarked for this character: Scribe Scroll, Point Blank Shot,Precise Shot, Empower Spell, Spell Penetration, Greater Spell Penetration, Quicken Spell, Improved Initiative, Extend Spell, Craft Wonderous Item, Craft Magical Arms and Armor, Craft Staff. I know that there are probably better feats in Complete Arcane like the Sudden feats but I feel, perhaps wrongly so, that I have a solid feat selection going. Getting them in the best order may be tricky...

Keep the posts coming, I am learnign SO much!

 

[HeapThaumaturgist]

My wife is currently playing a wizard, and her survival can be owed to two things.

1) Find cover. Quickly. Once combat starts, make a mad dive for a secure position from which you can take cover.

2) Kneel. Kneeling, like prone, hoses you in melee ... but you shouldn't be anywhere near the melee. It makes you more of a stationary target, but you get an additional +2 AC vs. ranged weapons that may be targeting you. As there's no actual rules for what is involved to go to or get up from kneeling, you're free to speed-talk your GM into whatever you can eek out of it. (I'd suggest free actions that don't provoke either way, or free/move-no provoke, but that's me.)

With some cover and kneeling (like any good modern ranged combatant) you'll be able to cast your spells with a pretty high AC vs. ranged combatants. Unlike your Mage Armor and Sheild spells, your cover and kneeling bonuses still apply vs. those pesky Ranged Touch rays (as far as I know, anyway, they're unnamed AC bonuses, and not Sheild, Armor, or Natural Armor bonuses).

--fje

 

[Pickaxe]

Obscuring mist is a good "Oh crap" spell, and probably the only first level one. Battle going badly for you? Cast this and get out of Dodge. It's also a good choice for scrolls, since it involves no save and has a one minute per level duration.

--Axe