Surviving as a low level wizard.

[airwalkrr]

Advice? How do I make my limited spell slots count? What feats should I take?

Very simple. You have already been provided with all the feats you need to make your spells count at low levels. Scribe Scroll is your best friend. For the mere cost of 12.5 gp and 1 xp, you can cast another magic missile, ray of enfeeblement, mage armor, shield, grease, or whatever other spell you wish. If your DM allows you a small bit of crafting XP at the start, use some of your starting gp to make a few scrolls. Otherwise, go kill a random encounter monster and then go back to town and do likewise before heading on your first adventure.

Now if your DM doesn't want to give you time to craft, well, I can't say much than besides the DM is ignoring a crucial balancing factor to prep casters at low levels and he is essentially nerfing you. Talk to him about this and see what he says. If he remains immovable, then get a wand as quickly as possible and buy a handful of scrolls until then.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Sleep has been mentioned a couple of times, but I'd recommend not going there at all - the spell has been nerfed beyond all recognition. Not only does it get a save and affects a paltry number of creatures, but it is a full round casting time. Nothing says 'I'm a wizard, hit me' like spending an entire round chanting away at a spell.

Other survival tips for a low level wizard:

Make some scrolls - it is pretty cheap once you've done a couple of adventures, and it dramatically improves your magical staying power.

Grease is an excellent 1st level 'battlefield control' spell, with some handy alternative uses.

Obscuring Mist can even the odds if you are outnumbered, especially by missile firing foes.

Featherfall can be a real lifesaver - since at low level even a 20ft deep pit can be a serious threat to life and limb!

Cheesr

 

[Votan]

Sleep has been mentioned a couple of times, but I'd recommend not going there at all - the spell has been nerfed beyond all recognition. Not only does it get a save and affects a paltry number of creatures, but it is a full round casting time. Nothing says 'I'm a wizard, hit me' like spending an entire round chanting away at a spell.

Yep. The only times I have ever made sleep work are at range (the start casting when the enemy is closing on a meeting engagement on an open field) or in a narrow corridor with the fighters in front of me. Open encounters just beg for somebody to decide that interupting spellcasting is a good idea.

Low level wizards can't soak hits even if they make their concentration checks.


As a slightly more on topic thought, a toad familar or the toughness feat can push up your hit points if you are in a very low point buy or elite array game. Probably not worth it otherwise but worth thinking about if constitution score is under 14.

 

[Len]

Grease is an excellent 1st level 'battlefield control' spell, with some handy alternative uses.

Plus, it has comedy value. My low-level wizard loved grease.

 

[KarinsDad]

Featherfall can be a real lifesaver - since at low level even a 20ft deep pit can be a serious threat to life and limb!

A low level Wizard cannot afford to take Feather Fall. Feather Fall is one of my favorite spells, but low level Wizards have too few spell slots to waste on it.

Instead, they should carefully walk only in places that other PCs have already walked (in a dungeon-like setting). This will not give them complete protection from falling, but using up a spell slot every day that will not be used most days is even more suicidal than falling into a pit once in a blue moon. At 4+ hit points at first level, a pit would have to be over 20 feet deep to actually kill a wizard before help could arrive and if the DM is pitting (pun intended) 30 or more feet deep pits against first level PCs, it's time for a new DM.

 

[KarinsDad]

Take a Gold Dwarf Wizard. Dex is good for Wizards, but Con is better. Boost your Con as high as possible and then get +2 more for being a Gold Dwarf. PS. You do not need Cha as a Wizard. Nobody likes Wizards anyway.

 

[dagger]

After INT max Con and Dex.


Con helps your Concentration checks, your meager Fort saves, and your HPs.
Dex help your AC (and Touch AC), your Initiative (get out of danger quicker), your Ranged Touch Attacks, and your normal ranged attacks (go elf for longbow).

 

[FalcWP]

Another thing I thought of, regarding your race - think small.

If you're restricted to the PHB, then halflings and gnomes both make good wizards. The Strength penalty means nothing to you, but the Dexterity or Constitution bonus is awesome. They get +1 to AC and +1 to attacks, along with a host of other bonuses. And, unlike weapons, spells still deal the same amount of damage from a small character. The only drawback is that lower speed, so expedititous retreat might be worth it. However, you'll eventually be able to do things like fly (or craft boots of striding and springing) to make up for your low speed.

Dwarves are also a good choice. Charisma is another dump stat for the average wizard, and the good constitution is always nice. They get a myriad of bonuses, although some (moving in heavy armor, waraxe and urgosh as martial weapons) are designed for fighters. Which is actually another benefit to a Dwarf - with fighter as the favored multiclass, you could consider picking up one or two levels for the extra hit points, feats, and boost to your fortitude save.

Humans, as always, are a decent choice. Elves are ok, though the Constitution penalty hurts. Of course, Elves do bring proficiency in a small handful of martial weapons to the table - wear padded armor, keep a longsword on your hip and a shield on your back, or just a longbow and a quiver of arrows, and you can pretend to not be a wizard. Might buy you a bit of time in the first couple of rounds, anyway.

 

[Plane Sailing]

A low level Wizard cannot afford to take Feather Fall. Feather Fall is one of my favorite spells, but low level Wizards have too few spell slots to waste on it.

Don't neglect the change to featherfall that lets it affect more than one target though - dead meat shields - sorry, comrades - can't protect you effectively and since we are talking about low level and not just 1st level I still think it is worth taking. You've got scrolls for lots of other spells, but featherfall has to be prepared to be any use.

Plus it can give an interesting mobility angle too, allowing you to make unexpected jumps off high places (or hindering others attempting same).

I'm assuming that low level means <5th level wizard here, other peoples assumptions may differ.

Regarding races, Gnome is my favourite - small size and a CON bonus make a good deal.

Another useful spell is silent image - as long as your DM isn't being particularly mean it has a number of uses limited only by your imagination.

Cheers

 

[rgard]

Advice? How do I make my limited spell slots count? What feats should I take?

For feats consider Able Learner from Races of Destiny. You can purchase cross class skill ranks at 1 for 1 as opposed to 2 for 1. You are still limited to your max number of ranks in a cross class skill though.

This is great given the few number of skills points per level (though this is offset by a high int score). Also, your character never will have to pay 2 for 1.

Combine a decent dex score with ranks in tumbling. That has helped my spell casters get out of tight situations many times. In fact the last 4 characters I've rolled up have Able Learner at first level.

Thanks,
Rich