What can a wizard do....

[Sharkon]

....to escape from a grapple check against creatures with high grapple score ? Assuming that he has access only to player's handbook spells and items from dungeon master. Spells like teleport can work but it is a 5th level slot; is there a more simple way ?

 

[Nifft]

Dimension door is the gold standard for escaping grapples. Only component is V, so you don't need any freedom of movement to cast it.

 

[Dandu]

Ring of Spell Storing + Blink

Or, if you want to spend less money, hold a Rod of Still Spell in hand and cast a Still Blink if someone grapples you.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Dimension door is the gold standard for escaping grapples.

That's still a 4th level spell, though.

 

[Dandu]

Blink is third level.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

We simu-posted- fixed it for clarity in my original post.

 

[Dross]

Grease is first level.

But it is problematic in that:
it has V,S,M requirements (glove of storing may alleviate some of that)
the +10 to escape may not be enough to get out of the grapple anyway.

Then you start looking at the wizard crying for help from its companions.

 

[Axel]

Crying for help is probably a good idea. No character should be good at utterly EVERYTHING in the game.

If this sort of thing happens regularly, a minor ring of spell storing is a fairly cheap way of storing a Blink spell for "oh the party is being eaten alive" situations.

If you happen to have access to 6th level spells, Contingency and Dimension Door is a sure-fire way of getting out of a Grell's tentacles (if you know you're going to face one...). Be careful if your DM asks you to specify the DD direction/position when casting Contingency (something like immediately to the rear of Jozan the Cleric may be safest).

 

[Dandu]

I either set the direction as "Up, max distance" or use Resilient Sphere centered on myself.

 

[Wyvernhand]

Outside of core:

If you are a Specialist Conjourer, you can take the Abrupt Jaunt ACF which lets you port 10' as an immediate action +Int times per day.

Note that NO spells in the Teleportation Subschool (except Teleportation Circle) have somantic or material components. That means that they are verbal only. Benign Transposition (SpC) is a level 1 and swaps places with you and another party member. Swap in your familar or swap out a big burly co-party member who CAN escape or swap out a summoned creature you might have in play already. According to the SRD

Cast a Spell

You can attempt to cast a spell while grappling or even while pinned (see below), provided its casting time is no more than 1 standard action, it has no somatic component, and you have in hand any material components or focuses you might need. Any spell that requires precise and careful action is impossible to cast while grappling or being pinned. If the spell is one that you can cast while grappling, you must make a Concentration check (DC 20 + spell level) or lose the spell. You don’t have to make a successful grapple check to cast the spell.

So, BTing out of a grapple is only a DC21 Concentration check. Not trivial, but not impossible.

Another great option outside of core is the spell Heart of Water. It gives you a small degree of fortification and a slight increase in move speed, but when you discharge it, it gives you Freedom of Movement for 1 minute as an immedate action. Heart of Water lasts for HOURS per level until you discharge it. Not bad.

In core, yea...there aren't a whole lot of options other than smart positioning and mindful team mates until you get access to things like Dim Door or Contingency.