Wizard Spells

[Rashak Mani]

Just went through the Wizard's Handbook (online guide to 4e Wizards... and I'm a bit lost on some of the spell choices they make as well as the benefits of spells with save versus. Its my first 4e character.

Why recommend the at-will Thunderwave ?

Its close blast... so you have to be close to the fighting. Its area is the same as the more versatile and ranged Scorching Burst. (burst 1 fills a 3x3) Pushing people back doesn't seem all that great.

If you have only 2 at-will spells... its important to have a spell that hits only one creature at a time no ? Against a big bad guy its not smart to rely on burst 1 spells only.

As a Human wizard I'm thinking of getting magic missile (better damage vs individuals), ray of frost (slow and not fire damage) & scorching burst (easy to use area spell). Bad choice ?

I have the same problem with the encounter spell Burning Hands. Its nice... but in order to use it in every combat its complicated. How many times can you fill a 5x5 without hitting your friends or exposing yourself ? Isn't Force Orb better for clustered enemies ? Icy Terrain might do less damage but at least it knocks people to prone. Yet standing up doesn't give AOOs.

Finally... Sleep versus Acid Arrow. Sleep is vs. Will... nice... but unless you make them sleep close to your damage dealers... its a mute spells. Saves are too easy. Using a Burst 2 close to your allies might be complicated. Acid Arrow is a nice damage dealer... the only problem is you need them to cluster together.

Am I focusing too much on damage ?

 

[VannATLC]

Scorching Blast only affects 1 square.

Area '1' is a one square target.

As noted below, this was incorrect!

Sleep's range is huge, and if you get it off before they get to you, then slowing them down is going to be almost worth it, on its own.

Don't ignore Flaming Sphere, either, as it now operates as a portable AoE, that lasts multiple rounds, and does focused damage on one target, while doing minor AoE to the rest.

Acid Arrow is nice.. but the Flaming Sphere isn't dependant on a save for the ongoing, and will do around the same amount of damage, if you have a high int. The average damage of Flaming Sphere over a whole enconter will be higher. It does require sacrficing a Minor action to sustain it, however.

 

[Mort_Q]

Thunderwave....

Close spells do not provoke OA.
Monsters not in melee range can't melee with you... pushing is more useful than you think.
It's far more Wu Jen than the rest of the spells and I like the flavour.

It's actually excellent for a multiclass melee monkey.

 

[Sitara]

Cloud of daggers is also afantastic.

But anyhow, Burning Hands gets somewhat better in conjunciton with the astral fire feat. +1 damage you see.

 

[Nifft]

Scorching Blast only affects 1 square.

Area '1' is a one square target.

Perhaps you're thinking of Cloud of Daggers, which is indeed "Area 1 square".

Scorching Burst is an "Area 1 burst", which means 3x3 centered on the target square.

- - -

Thunderwave is a good choice because:

• Even if you do not seek close combat, close combat may seek you.
• Pushing foes away from you is good.
• Pushing foes into fire is awesome.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Sarck]

Scorching Blast only affects 1 square.

Area '1' is a one square target.

Its treated as an AoE, as opposed to a spell targeted at an object/creature. I'm not entirely sure why, however.

This is definitely incorrect. Scorching Burst is Area BURST 1. A burst starts in an origin square and extends in all directions to a specified number of squares from the origin square. It extends one square in all directions from the origin square in the case of Scorching Burst.

Otherwise it'd be the same as Cloud of Daggers.

Edit: Nifft is quicker to the draw, it seems.

 

[FourthBear]

I definitely agree that Thunderwave is a reasonable choice. Given the number of mobility powers we've seen in the game for monsters and PCs, I think there will be plenty of situations where a wizard won't be able to count on being safe and cozy away from melee. Whether that's often enough to justify taking an At Will or if you can make do with Encounter and Daily powers that can be used Close is the question.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Nothing stops you from using shifting back 1 square away from melee monsters and just using Scorching Burst instead of Thunderwave. (Burst 1 = 3x3)

Which 3 at-will would you suggest ? Is MM that useless ?


PS: I've never played 4th edition. Only read the book these few days...

 

[Mort_Q]

Cloud of Daggers is useful for turning a doorway, or the like, into a minion abattoir.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Cloud of Daggers is useful for turning a doorway, or the like, into a minion abattoir.

Wisdom modifier damage only... not much.