Wizard vs. Fighter duels

[Sparafucile]

Pretty much any kind of wizard has a good chance of sucess in this particular scenario. No need for magic items at all. . . but if you had to take them. . . metamagic rods can only help. Gloves of Arrow Snatching will cut down one of the incoming attacks.

The fighter, on the other hand, better be specialized and equipped in some kind of ranged weapon (longbow perhaps), so he can get a full attack on his first turn. Of course, a full attack at that distance means that he doesn't move forward, keeping the wizard safe for any kind of defensive spell. . . Wind Wall, Invisibility, or Displacement perhaps. Once that's cast, since the fighter didn't bother to close the distance, he's pretty much toast.

 

[The_Gneech]

Expected outcomes based on my own experience: About half the time both combatants will realize their conflict is merely displaced passion, admit their attraction to each other, and fall into a frenzied, writhing mess of sweaty flesh.

Man, how come -my- games never go like that?

-The Gneech

 

[tylermalan]

I hate the "every time" scenario.

A wizard will beat a fighter if he has range.

If they are within melee range the fighter will win.

These are pretty much always constant (excluding buffs and special preparation).

Any situation that is geared towards distance (greater or lesser) tips things in the favor of on of the two.

Typically a fighter will survive more "attacks" made by the wizard than the wizard will survive from the fighter. The question is how many "attacks" can the wizard get off before the fighter can get off his? Which is why distance favors the wizard and proximity favors the fighter.

The thing is, I don't think proximity favors the fighter - I think proximity just doesn't favor the wizard as much as distance does. The wizard essentially must die in the first round. If he doesn't, game over for the fighter (unless the dice say otherwise of course). It won't really matter how close they are, or how much damage the wizard takes, or anything - if he's not gone in the first round, say goodbye to the fighter (the only real exceptions to this are the grappling or stunning fist scenario - in which case, why don't we put the wizard against a monk instead?).

 

[lukelightning]

The only fair fight would be in a situation which gives neither profession an advantage. I suggest a dance-off.

You got served! It's On...

 

[Fishbone]

Wizards can fairly easy do tons of damage a round and find ways to energy substitute them so energy resistance doesn't matter that much. All it takes for the Wizard is to win his initiative check and the Fighter is Nova'd to Hell. Not to mention all of the save or die and spells that are no save in exchange for hitting with a ranged touch attack.
The fighter has to have 3 great saves, a very high touch AC, mobility, permanently on super expensive custom made buff items to replace the lack of spell support he'd get from the party, the ability to full attack on a charge or do enough damage with ranged attacks to drop the wizard in one round. All of this careful planning and twinking can be thwarted by 1 spell or a few contigencies. The Wizard, when not forced to take the Fighter on in some fabulously contrived scenario, wins.

 

[tylermalan]

Does a wizard get contigency by level 12? I forget what level the spell is.

 

[MarkB]

Does a wizard get contigency by level 12? I forget what level the spell is.

Contingency is 6th level, so the wizard could have it by 12th, but I'd consider contingency a pre-buff, and thus disallowed by the competition conditions.

 

[somecallmetim]

I guess since it is supposed to be a one-on-one fight it wouldn't be fair for the Fighter to take Leadership at 6th, 9th, and 12th levels and have 3 level 10 Cleric cohorts or 2 level 10 Cleric cohorts and a level 10 Wizard cohort would it?

Tim

 

[Goldmoon]

I guess since it is supposed to be a one-on-one fight it wouldn't be fair for the Fighter to take Leadership at 6th, 9th, and 12th levels and have 3 level 10 Cleric cohorts or 2 level 10 Cleric cohorts and a level 10 Wizard cohort would it?

Tim

Damn, beat me to it.

How about a horn of Valhalla?

 

[lukelightning]

In a "realistic" duel between a wizard and a fighter, you'd have to take into account that the fighter shouldn't know too many details about magic and the effects of spells. Sure, all players know that wizards get x number of spells, this spell does this and that spell does that, but a fighter probably wouldn't, unless he decided to put some skill points in spellcraft. And even then his knowledge would be limited.