Please don't squeeze the wizard (tactical advice)

[Savage Wombat]

My wife is about to play her first full wizard in 3rd ed. (The closest she's come before was an Arcane Trickster, who had a PC bodyguard.)

She's feeling nervous about surviving mass melee - specifically, that declaring your intent to stay away from melee doesn't help you if the meleeists are coming to you.

So, if you were an 11th level wizard, what precautions would you take against, say, being charged by a high-level monk with massive amounts of movement? All suggestions welcome.

 

[Volaran]

Flight. Flight's always good for avoiding melee.

 

[kengar]

Haste
Improved Invisibility
Bigby's Interposing Hand
Circle of Death



EDIT: *smacks forehead* D'oh! How could I have forgotten Fly?!?

 

[SpiderMonkey]

If you're using mini's, it's typically not _too_ difficult to keep friends between yourself and your foes. If not, try to capitalize on the dm's description of your surroundings, utilizing concealment and cover (kick over that table, for god's sake!), and terrain to your advantage.

For a low-level wiz., spells such as levitation, shield, spiderclimb, expeditious retreat, and mirror image are all great defensive spells that will help you in, or out of, melee.

Also, remember that a five foot step back away from a threatening opponent will allow you to cast spells without drawing attacks of opportunity.

Some (or all) of this may be fairly obvious. The problem arises in later levels with area effect spells and spell-like abilities where a failed reflex save likely means death for your fragile little finger-wiggler. I recommend +save items and resistances for spell-casters, as well as the contingency spell with a teleport destination to your temple of choice.

 

[Mortaneus]

So, if you were an 11th level wizard, what precautions would you take against, say, being charged by a high-level monk with massive amounts of movement?

Precautions? Don't come within a league of the bugger. High-level monks are pretty much custom made to screw with wizards. It's one of the few things they do REALLY well.

Against anyone else, though, circular walls of fire facing outward, invis, fly, repulsion, pro v arrows, stoneskin, wind walls, gaseous form.....there's plenty of options.

BTW, have the cleric buy a bracelet of friends to pull your bacon out of the fire if things really get hairy (like being hugged by a half-dragon advanced dire bear with a 60 str...saw it happen, only reason the mage survived was because the monk pulled him out with a bracelet).

 

[dead_radish]

One of my favorite tactics is to take leadership, and get a devoted defender cohort that can take the hits for you. With 3 devoted defender levels, they can take shots at people that hit you, swap themselves out for you, and deflect attacks against you. I'm fond of the Monk -> Devoted Defender path, since that gets you high reflex saves.

Also in the cohort vein - a Psychic Warrior with the Stand Still feat, combat reflexes and a reach weapon is invaluable as well - anyone trying to approach must typically make a fort save dc 20-25 to come near you - that helps.

There's also the polymorph/natural spell option if she's really worried.

Or just stay behind people, and blow stuff up if it comes near you.

 

[Cheiromancer]

I think the deflect strike trick was errataed to be an opposed attack roll, not a reflex save vs DC 20.

 

[dead_radish]

So it has been!

Thanks!

So all you need is someone with a high attack roll, instead of a high reflex save.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Mirror Image and Invisibility, Impr Invis. and Shield (+7 AC)

Inv is a must ... no targeted spells and no direct attacks. Just make sure you walk a bit far from group center so you wont take fireballs for free.

Higher levels I recommend Ghost Form, Energy Buffer and Haste.

 

[dead_radish]

Mirror Image is an excellent one. Blur/Displacement are very nice as well - 20% miss chance is very nice to have.