Wizard help for a one-shot

[Jon Potter]

After the success of my one-shot all-dwarf game at my local game day, I've decided to try a similar formula for the next game day, this time with all elves. It'll be a 3.5 game. My character builds for the games are heavily influenced by Badaxe Games' Heroes of High Favor series, so it multi-class builds with the race's favored class. With the dwarf game it was mostly Fighter2/Other Class 3 across the board and it worked out really well.

Because I know fighters, how to play them, and what makes them fun to play

But I don't know wizards that well, which is a major stumbling block for the elf game. I realize that I've already crippled the characters' spellcasting ability with the multi-class builds, but those builds are the central conceit of the one-shot (and since I'm designing the adventure around the characters, I remain optimistic about their viability).

So how can I make each character unique and fun to play when the majority of the group has a similar skill set? I envision the first player saying, "I cast Magic Missile." followed by a refrain of "Me too!" as we go around the initiative order. And that's not what I want. I want each character to fill a different role with his/her spells.

I need some major help with spell lists, to make that happen. Any would be appreciated!

I have:

Wizard 2/Swashbuckler 3 (built with an eye toward Bladesinger)

Wizard 2/Rogue 3 (built with Arcane Trickster in mind)

Specialist Wizard 3/Master Specialist 2 (the only full caster - and I can't even decide what his Specialization should be)

Rounding out the group (if you can call this group "rounded") is a 1/2 elf factotum, a sprite druid, and an elven archivist. But really, it's the three arcane casters above that have me worried.

Help.

 

[Thanael]

Well you could use the elven subraces for further variety. Wild Elves and Wood Elves have different favored classes to boot so if you wanted you could replace the archivist and druid characters by a more iconic Wood Elf Rgr3/xxx2 (or Rgr5) and a Wild Elf Sorc3/xxx2(maybe druid?). Maybe make the Master Specialist a Grey elf.

Anyways careful and interesting spell selection alone will be more than enough to differentiate them. Add to that different feats and i see no problems at all.

BTW which Bladesinger are you aiming for?

Also how about raising the overall level from 5 to say 7. That way the multiclass builds are nearer to their respective PrC and the casters can have some more fun with higher level spells and each PC has more feats to differentiate.

 

[Thanael]

Trickster:

1st level spells: grease, detect secret doors, hold portal, diguise self, animate rope, expeditious retreat, jump, feather fall, silent image, ventriloquism, magic aura, colorspray.


Bladesinger:

1st level spells: shield, mage armour, true strike, magic missile, shocking grasp, burning hands, magic weapon.

Feats: Combat Casting

 

[Kat']

I disagree about Combat Casting unless you need it as a prerequisite for a perstige class. Skill Focus (Concentration) is much, much better. Granted, it only nets you +3 instead of +4, but you get it all the time, not just for casting defensively, but also for casting while grappling, violent motion etc.

 

[Lord Slaw]

Often times, a different specialization with each Wizard provides plenty of variety. Instead of having one say, "I cast Magic Missile," followed by a like chorus, you get something like, "I cast Protection From Evil," then "I cast Summon Monster I," followed by "I cast Cause Fear," and THEN "I cast Magic Missile."

I would also recommend the Elven subraces bit (though I personally don't allow Grey Elves as LA +0, but that's my call - they aren't full casters, so that +2 to Int won't do too much damage).

Other than that, Unearthed Arcana (in the SRD) had a lot of ways to diversify Wizards, especially with their Specialist variants. You can also get creative with roles - for example, a multiclass Fighter/Transmuter can make a nasty melee combatant, and a Rogue/Illusionist works quite well. Think in terms of the non-casting class defining their role, and accent it with the Wizard levels.

 

[Thanael]

AFAIK Combat Casting is a prereq for Bladesinger. Now this being a one-shot, that does not really matter but still.

As for spell selection, I have always found the Spell Path System very useful for that. I've used the original 2E version by Kuntz/Baur from Dragon 216 quite a bit. A revised excerpt can be seen here: http://hep-www.colorado.edu/~jladue/path.html

Sean K Reynolds adapted the basic system to 3E: http://www.seankreynolds.com/rpgfil.../pathmagic.html
And Green Ronin did an even better version in their Advanced Player's Manual, for their Eldritch Weaver class. See some additions and examples on this site: http://home.gwi.net/~rdorman/frilond/rul/dm/weaver.htm

So (referecing the first link above) the Trickster would pick spells from the Trickster's Road and the Leprechaun's Path, while the Bladesinger-to-be picks the Archer's Road, Knight's Road, Road of Swords and perhaps the King's Road later.

A quick and easy way to get differently themed spell lists.

 

[Jon Potter]

Well you could use the elven subraces for further variety.

I already have. I didn't mention that part (since it wasn't presenting itself as a stumbling block).

Maybe make the Master Specialist a Grey elf.

Have you been reading my notes?

Anyways careful and interesting spell selection alone will be more than enough to differentiate them. Add to that different feats and i see no problems at all.

Yep. But spell selection is the only bit I'm having trouble with.

BTW which Bladesinger are you aiming for?

Well, since it's a one shot, I'm not REALLY aiming for any of them, but to make building the character easier I followed the prerequisites for the one in Complete Warrior. Is there another "official" version in a later book?

 

[Jon Potter]

Trickster:

1st level spells: grease, detect secret doors, hold portal, diguise self, animate rope, expeditious retreat, jump, feather fall, silent image, ventriloquism, magic aura, colorspray.


Bladesinger:

1st level spells: shield, mage armour, true strike, magic missile, shocking grasp, burning hands, magic weapon.

Feats: Combat Casting

Now that's what I was hoping for! Thank you.

 

[Jon Potter]

I disagree about Combat Casting unless you need it as a prerequisite for a perstige class. Skill Focus (Concentration) is much, much better.

I completely agree, but it's a prereq for Bladesinger.

 

[Jon Potter]

Often times, a different specialization with each Wizard provides plenty of variety. Instead of having one say, "I cast Magic Missile," followed by a like chorus, you get something like, "I cast Protection From Evil," then "I cast Summon Monster I," followed by "I cast Cause Fear," and THEN "I cast Magic Missile."

Okay. I've already decided that one of the available PCs will be a Master Specialist. What school of magic would be the most fun in a one shot? Evoker is the obvious choice, although it doesn't really match the tree-loving nature of the elves. Necromancer likewise seems a poor fit. I originally thought Conjurer, but that's a headache in play with all the Summoned Monsters - doubly so when there's already a Druid in the party.

You can also get creative with roles - for example, a multiclass Fighter/Transmuter can make a nasty melee combatant, and a Rogue/Illusionist works quite well. Think in terms of the non-casting class defining their role, and accent it with the Wizard levels.

Well that's what I was trying to do, but I freely admit to being inexperienced with caster builds. As I said in my original post, my fear is that everyone will have very similar spell lists OR that the spells I choose won't be fun.

As an example, in my dwarf game I had a duskblade as one of the characters, but I must have chosen lame spells because the player only cast two spell in a five hour session!