Playing a wizard at low levels

[Pell-Mell]

A couple of other tips:

For the scrolls, focus on some of the longer duration spells that can be setup before combat. Mage armor is great example. For 12.5 gp and 1 XP, you get a +4 AC for 1 hour. This can free up your available slots for more useful spells. At this point, even 1 minute/level spells, like enlarge person for the fighter, can be very helpful and can turn a fight your way.

Don’t forget your zero level spells. Spells like daze could buy you or the fighter an extra round against a humanoid foe. Even the damage dealing cantrips, like acid splash can be helpful. Sometimes you really just need to do a little damage to end a fight and a ranged touch attack is easier to make.

Wand of Magic Missiles. Even a 1st level one is great. It might not do much damage, but you can do it consistently. For high AC foes, if you fighter can hold them off, you can sometimes bring them down by attrition. Also useful for incorporeal creatures, like a shadow, which at this level can be very hard to defeat, as you might not have magic weapons available yet.

 

[Grimstaff]

SIlent Image is also a low-level wizard's best friend. It can be a wall of fire, a bottomless pit, turn the orcs' weapons into snakes, etc, provided they fail the old Will save, which isn't uncommon for low-level opponents.

 

[kenobi65]

True Strike, If I remember correctly, is range personal so it will only work on the caster

You are correct.

and SM spells only last 1 round/level which would net you one round or flanking.

Also true...and it takes a full round to cast a Summon Monster, so it won't come into play until Round 2.

 

[EvilGM]

More Spells/day
Focused Specialist (CMage34, Wizard Alternate Class Feature) - lose one spell per spell level, but gain two additional spells from your specialty school each day (in addition to the one you normally get) - you have to pick another opposed school though.

See if the DM will let you start with some scrolls in addition to your spellbook. Try for a scroll of each spell in your book. You should be able to purchase some with your starting gold as well, or maybe the DM will let you have ~10-25 exp to scribe some scrolls right away (1st lvl scroll = 12.5gp, 1xp). Con the DM into giving you some 2nd level scrolls as well - use them or save them to put in your book... tough choice.

Fun Factor
See if the DM will let you take (up to 2) flaws from Unearthed Arcana for added roleplaying flavor and some bonus feats (some consider these cheesy).

Elves have lots of flavor to them (the Con penalty is steep though) and the bow/longsword proficiency is real nice. Plug away with the bow and save your spells for when someone gets in close (Color Spray is a good choice). As stated before, Precise Shot can come in handy both for spells and mundane ranged weapons.

I'd take Craft (bowmaking) so you can trick the party out with Mighty bows.

Craft (alchemy) is functional at low-mid levels, especially if you gain experience slowly and drag those levels out.

Knowledges are great to have, especially with your Int bonus... might as well take at least a point in each "big" knowledge and a point in the "lesser" ones. Check with the DM to see if he's using the standard knowledge skills or the Wilderlands knowledges (there are many more in the Wilderlands).

There are so many routes to go with a wizard. I would recommend reading through the Complete Mage and checking out articles on wizards.com.

Stats
Intelligence 16+
Constitution 12+ (14+ is much better)
Dexterity 12+
the rest really don't matter

Gotta go, might post more later. Hope this helps!

ps - I don't know if you considered the Duskblade class, but if you haven't, check it out. Its a nice alternative for a more battle-oriented "wizard". The Abjurant Champion prestige class is pretty sweet as well.

 

[Warren Okuma]

The first commandment of wizards is know thy spells. That is the core of what a wizard is. Knowing your spells is the difference between victory or you being a rotting corpse.

Think very, very hard before sacrificing a wizard level. You need every spell you have and you never have too much spells. Plus at higher levels that's a 5% verses spell resistance. The difference between a 1Ftr/4Wiz verses a level 5 wizard is fireball, lightning, or dispel magic. Look at the next level spells and think can I wait another level for them? Since this is your first wizard, my advice is stay a wizard, see how it plays and if you like it.

Oh, you might want to look up Arcane Study (Player's Handbook 2), Scorching Ray (PH1, level 2 spell), Empower (PH1), spell penitration (PH1) and energy substitution.

 

[Thunderfoot]

Great stuff, also, your basic gear is cheap, if you start with a decent amount of gold, buy
the party off with gear upgrades for extra protection - Ex.

Hey fighter, I noticed that you are 5 gp short of picking up that better armor, I happen to have 5gp here, I can let you have it if you make sure I'm not eaten.

Hey cleric, I happen to have extra moeny so I thought, hey, a couple of vials of Holy Water would make a nice gift, here you go, just remember when its time to cast those Healing spells where this came from, wink wink.

Hey rogue, found this great little bottle of acid (tanglefoot bag) in an alchemist's shop the other day, thought you need it and so I picked it up for you, just remember to make sure nothing sneaks up on me when I'm casting, ok?


And speaking of which, alchelmical solutions are another great way to keep things productive. I find it interesting that most people choose crossbow when sling is available. Crossbows are great weapons, but they can't throw a vial of acid, or holy water, a sling can. The trick is being very shrewd and almost underhanded in some ways in your thinking.

 

[Warren Okuma]

Great stuff, also, your basic gear is cheap, if you start with a decent amount of gold, buy
the party off with gear upgrades for extra protection - Ex.

Hey fighter, I noticed that you are 5 gp short of picking up that better armor, I happen to have 5gp here, I can let you have it if you make sure I'm not eaten.

Hey cleric, I happen to have extra moeny so I thought, hey, a couple of vials of Holy Water would make a nice gift, here you go, just remember when its time to cast those Healing spells where this came from, wink wink.

Hey rogue, found this great little bottle of acid (tanglefoot bag) in an alchemist's shop the other day, thought you need it and so I picked it up for you, just remember to make sure nothing sneaks up on me when I'm casting, ok?


And speaking of which, alchelmical solutions are another great way to keep things productive. I find it interesting that most people choose crossbow when sling is available. Crossbows are great weapons, but they can't throw a vial of acid, or holy water, a sling can. The trick is being very shrewd and almost underhanded in some ways in your thinking.

Now that is original and brilliant.

 

[Nate Jones]

SIlent Image is also a low-level wizard's best friend. It can be a wall of fire, a bottomless pit, turn the orcs' weapons into snakes, etc, provided they fail the old Will save, which isn't uncommon for low-level opponents.

Except, if I recall correctly, it has a duration of 1 round, so before an enemy even realizes it's there, it's gone again.

 

[T. Foster]

Learn to draw maps.
Hire some men-at-arms (since you won't have anything better to spend your starting funds on).
Perfect the art of stuffing rags into oil flasks, setting them alight, and hurling them at monsters.
When combat comes, make sure there's always at least one friendly between you and the bad guys.
When combat comes, figure out hlpful/useful things you can do that don't involve melee -- keep a look out for bad-guy reinforcements, hold the door open (or shut), make sure the party's escape route isn't getting cut off, look for ways to affect the battlefield to the party's advantage.
Learn charm person and use it to make new friends who will happily do your fighting for you.
Dress like a thief (or, better yet, a 0-level linkboy or pack-carrier) so that the bad guys won't assume you're a spell-caster and automatically target you with missiles (if you're wearing a pointy hat and robes while you're 1st level and have 3 hp you're pretty much asking to get whacked)
And lastly, don't get too attached to your guy because, honestly, even if you do absolutely everything right as a 1st level mage you've still probably only got about a 1 in 3 chance of survival. But, on the plus side, if you do manage to survive you'll likely have picked up a lot of tricks about tactics, problem-solving, and outside-the-box thinking that'll serve you well no matter what class you're playing, plus when you finally hit 5th level and drop your first fireball or lightning bolt it'll feel so much sweeter knowing you've earned it

 

[roguerouge]

A wizard with a crossbow and a fistful of scrolls of true strike is never bored.

I'm picturing Clint Eastwood here:

"A Fistful of Scrolls"
"For a few spell scrolls more"

And, of course, for when you may be down to your lasts scroll or may be down to your last blank piece of paper:

"Do you feel lucky, punk?"