Nobody will play a wizard or sorcerer!

[SableWyvern]

On the sorcerer I would agree that at 1st level (especially if they use all their spells for self-preservation) they are pretty much dead weight. The Wizard however ought to be able to memorize sleep which can mean the difference between victory and defeat in a lot of low-level encounters

I've only played one session of 3e as a player, and my character was a sorcerer - with a barbarian mentality. When he wasn't casting spells he was using his crossbow; when he wasn't doing that he was in the thick of melee. Yeah, he got hammered, but he also had a ball letting the cleric know what a wuss he was.

While the rest of the party was fleeing the sinking island, he was the only one with the balls and the intelligence to hang around while the ankheg and the gargoyle battled it out, knowing that he had to get the gem out of the ankheg's head. My sorcerer, not the fighter or the cleric or the other fighter, finished off the ankheg and retrieved our objective. Dead weight indeed.

In the end I had no option but to multiclass him as a barbarian when he went up a level (not that it really matters, 'cause I doubt he'll ever be used again).

BTW, he took the Toughness feat. 4hp base + 3 Toughness + 1 Con = 8. Not bad for 1st level.

 

[Uller]

About 33% of the characters that I have seen played since 3E came out have been clerics.

And they kicked a**.

--Vulgar Spikey

I play a Dwarf Cleric and he is easily the most effective character in the party. People need to drop the "medic" stereotype of clerics. I generally cast other spells during battle(mostly to boost my own effectiveness) and if I have spells left over that no longer seem very useful, I give them up for cures...usually the other party members have to be close to death before I resort to that, though.

 

[Darklone]

I don't agree

The only reason why I have seen few spellcasters in any group was: They didn't know the system well and thought them to be too complicated.

Singleclass MUs kick butt. I don't have to repeat all those praises of the others here. As for the problem of them to survive the first few levels... Well. I never had problems with that part. Just stay right next to the groups archer and you'll be fine. And don't wear those silly hats and robes till you can afford it! If you look like a commoner, you will be treated like a commoner. Even if you got a spellbook on your back. And the goblin tribes usually fear the fighter in front more. Btw: Ever used spiderclimb or jump to get out of the range of the enemies? Expeditious retreat? Get into cover if the archers like to target you. But if you prefer to play frontpig... Die.

 

[Ferox4]

Wizards are definitely not for the neophyte player, nor are they too weak at 1st level. The very fabric of most D&D campaigns is Magic, and to be able to wield magic is a privilege. This privilege is offset with limited HPs, arcane spell failure for wearing armor, and lower BABs. I have not seen my players shying away from Wizard or Sorcerer in any edition.

And yes, SpikeyFreak, Clerics do kick ass. Spontaneous casting and their remarkable access to spells on a daily basis make them very attractive. Tired of being the party medic? Try charging for your Cure spells. Think about how much a Potion of Cure Light Wounds costs. Yeah, your fellow PCs might not take to it all that well at first, but they'll get used to it. Whenever I play my Cleric I have my comrades pay tithes to my church, or buy me something nice at the Magic Store.....

 

[Caliban]

I disagree about the elven wizards.

My highest level character is a Sun Elf Wizard in Forgotten Realms with a 10 con score. He's curently level 8 and has 26 hit points.

Of course he also has a 22 Int and the Spellcasting Prodigy feat (for an effective Int of 24 when it comes to spellcasting.)

Most fights I don't even bother casting Mage Armor.

The trick is to not get caught in combat if you can at all avoid it. My wizard is a physical coward, and at low levels spent half his action running from the fight.

Since 5th or 6th level, his first round is usually casting Haste, then Fly, then spending the rest of the fight about 60-100 feet overhead, or cowering against the ceiling.

He also doesn't dress like a spellcaster. (White silk shirt, leather breaches, boots, and a fancy rapier at his hip. He's never actually drawn the rapier.)

 

[Crothian]

We have no wizards or sorcerers, we do have a Druid and a Bard though. When we get around to the next campaign I doubt anyone will be playing a spellcaster of any sort. People have expressed a disre to play thes complicated characters and the feel spell casting complicates things. Personally, I hope to run that game.

 

[Henry]

Caliban: Now THAT'S the way to play a wizard!

I will say that playing a 1st level wizard is difficult, but by no means impossible. You must accept that NO ONE must get in melee range of you, or you are likely to die. Playing a single-class wizard in a party of less than 4 PC's is dangerous.

I played a 7th level Dwarf Wizard in a recent one-shot. That was so much fun I will be doing it again if I get the chance.

As for clerics, I and others in my group wind up playing those a lot. One player has played a cleric in almost every game of D&D he has played with us so far - by preference. He LOVES the powers they get. In our Flat Earth Campaign, I play a level 12 cleric / level 4 fighter. Not only can he mix it up with a vorpal sword, he can switch to blad barriers and flame strikes if the battlefield gets too cluttered. Plus, neither of us (Me or my cleric-playing friend) I think have EVER carried a cure spell into combat. Screw that! There's potions in our potion belts if it gets too messy, and we can always swap spells after the battle (or even during if needed). We need slots for those Endurances, bull strengths, protection from elements, divinations, Greater Dispels, and energy immunities!

Playing a wizard is fun - just be sure to (A) use the scribe scroll feat, (B) gather as many spells as you can, and (C) DON'T get involved in melee. There are very similar rules for playing a sorcerer, except: (A) is: Pick very versatile spells, and (B) Metamagic, baby!

 

[Tar-Edhel]

Let alone the fact that a 1st level fighter can wreck a 3rd or 4th level mage in 1 or 2 rounds. Realistic maybe, if the mage doesn't have a nasty spell prepared, but pretty brutal if you are the mage. Particularly if the mage doesn't have the max 12 or 16 HPs by those levels.

????? You should take more than detect magic and Tenser's floating disc when you prepare your spells. A 4th level mage with sleep, magic missiles and other offensive spells (and no wizard in his right mind is adventuring without a few of those) is in no way in danger when facing a 1st level fighter. Given the same level of preparation and equipment (fighter has some range weapon? give the MU some ranged spells), the 4th level wizard will win the day against a 1st-level fighter most of the time.

MU are physically weak at low-level, true. They are fragile and should avoid melee and take cover to cast spells. But a well-played mage is a force to reckon, whatever the level. You won't do as much initially than the fighter-types but mages are not the 'dead weight' everyone is complaining about. And the power you wield upon obtaining 3rd level spells and higher is more than enough to make up for those few levels when you didn't dish-out as many damage than the fighters.

The problem with mages is that many effects give all-or-nothing results, while the fighter will be hacking at least a few hit points every round.

Of course, if no one feels like playing a wizard, they won't play one whatever you do. And I am afraid that you will run into serious balance problems if you try to buff them up. It might look ok the first few levels but when the MU will reach 5th level and more, you'll be in big trouble, believe me.

 

[Mal Malenkirk]

Low level protection against sniper (AKA the solution that do not waste a spell)

1-Don't look like a wizard.

Pointed hats and robes are a big no-no until you have the power to make that fashion statement.

2-Stand right behind the fighter (or whoever has the best AC). He'll provide you with cover bonus to AC if the archers still want to shoot you.

3-Rush for cover.

4-Hit the ground! If there are no cover, being prone is better than nothing. It'll improve your AC by 4 point against ranged attack.

 

[Vocenoctum]

Most of the campaign's I've seen tend to have a few mages. I was going to make one in the current game I play in, but there was already a sorcerer and wizard, so I made a barbarian cleric.

Cleric's do indeed kick @$$, but I need to get either brew potion or scribe scroll. I'm not going to expend all my spells healing. I'll make the party pay me the gold it takes to create the item too

But yes, when I was recruiting for a game that was missing a few player's, I specified that I needed clerics since I din't have any.

An elven wizard can work good if you've got a high dex, since crossbow's don't care about strength.

I would never have a wizard dress in robes and a hat, that's just a silly look to me