D&D 5E your fist level wizard has used their 2 spells. Now What?

[James Gasik]

Druids, Warlocks, and Artificers get access to Magic Stone. Two of the three are arcane types.

Admittedly, the thread is about wizards, who don't get this cantrip, but just wanted to note...

Yeah, it's fair, I was thinking about Wizards because most other arcane classes traditionally had better weapon selections. Old school players bring up "throwing darts and oil" a lot, and I remember some people thinking it was blasphemy when 3e gave them crossbows!

 

[Vaalingrade]

Taking inspiration from pirates and flintlock pistols, the party just takes a full brace of wizards with them, discarding them once they've fired their one shot, thus expending their usefulness.

 

[wicked cool]

1.) Light Crossbow or a cantrip are the most common answers.
2.) Help action is often a thing worth doing.
3.) Minor Illusion and Mold Earth also are worthwhile tools at first level.
4.) I know you said first level, but first level is incredibly short. My last wizard was an enchantment wizard - and the nearly unlimited Hypnotic Gaze saw * a lot* of low level use.

just saw this. i actually leveled last night and randomly chose this. unlimited or once a day?

 

[Seramus]

No no, throw darts! Unless you have oil available. Then throw oil.

I literally read their post, thought "No, you throw darts!" And yours was the very next reply. Brilliant!

 

[Stormonu]

I really don't like it, but I don't think that it is too powerful. Requiring concentration is a limiting factor, and most casters like that will invest in Dex anyway because it grants so many other benefits.

My dislike is due to it being thematically another spell that lets casters be better at martial stuff. Also that it impinges a little on some class abilities like the battle smith Artificer.

I dunno, wizards and sorcerers are pretty limited on weapon selection in the first place - daggers, darts, a club or quarter staff, maybe a spear. Combined with a general lack of armor (or burning a slot for mage armor), it’s not like they’re going to come anywhere close to threatening a fighter martially. They’d really have to lean into dedicating their spell and/or feats to being viable as a martial character - and in that regard, might just be better to go fighter/ranger/paladin instead.

I just wish Wizards (and maybe Sorcerers) still got d4 hit points per level, but that’s a burnt bridge I guess.

 

[the Jester]

ive used 2 spells shield and magic missile in my first combat. i have a cantrip that is somewhat useful but what does your low level wizard do when they dont have anything but cantrips left. What weapons do you take/equipment etc. What else do you do to help the party especially if theres back to back combat

Why wouldn't you use your cantrip? It's probably more likely to hit than a dagger or staff. It's almost always the best choice under the circumstances.

 

[Vaalingrade]

Personally, I feel like a primary having to use a weapon is a failure state in the game's design. Characters should be able to be their concept/archetype at all times.

 

[Dausuul]

Yeah, it's fair, I was thinking about Wizards because most other arcane classes traditionally had better weapon selections. Old school players bring up "throwing darts and oil" a lot, and I remember some people thinking it was blasphemy when 3e gave them crossbows!

Which is ironic, because throwing darts in 2E was better than shooting a crossbow in 3E.

just saw this. i actually leveled last night and randomly chose this. unlimited or once a day?

Unlimited, but once you use it on a creature (whether it saves or fails), that creature becomes immune to your Hypnotic Gaze for the rest of the day.

Yeah, the wording is a little wonky.

 

[James Gasik]

Which is ironic, because throwing darts in 2E was better than shooting a crossbow in 3E.


Unlimited, but once you use it on a creature (whether it saves or fails), that creature becomes immune to your Hypnotic Gaze for the rest of the day.

Yeah, the wording is a little wonky.

Crossbows have more range. If you're a low-AC guy whose HD is based on the pointiest of dice, the farther away you are from the enemy the better.

Of course, when you told Wizzo that he now suffers a standing -4 penalty on ranged attacks until he gets his hands on 2 Feats, you're better off standing around with your hands in your spell component pouch than throwing the money for ranged weapons or ammunition at enemies hoping for a high number.

You need to save money for scrolls and other magic items, and you only have 6 cantrips a day!

 

[jgsugden]

just saw this. i actually leveled last night and randomly chose this. unlimited or once a day?

@Dausuul is correct. Once per target per day, effectively, but an unlimited number of different targets.

There were a decent number of combats where I locked down the big bad with this power, and then just sat there whispering to them while the rest of the group beat down the fodder.

I'd note the details on the power carefully. To initiate it you need to see a foe within 5', and it needs to be able to see or hear you. Then, if you want to continue it, the creature needs to be able to see or hear you and you need to stay within 5.

It is not a spell. This has a few impacts. DMs may rule differently, but under RAW, a PC under the effects of a 2nd level invisibility can use this ability without losing their invisibility as it is neither an attack, nor a spell.

It also requires no spell components. I ran a wizard/druid for a brief bit that had this ability and used it secretly in wildshape to great and subtle effect (however, a DM may rule that you can't do this as you may need to have a voice - talk to your DM - but the purring cat that climbed in laps and mesmerized people was a lot of fun).

If you're hidden, a DM may rule that you do not need to leave hiding when you use this ability. In my games where I played the enchantment wizard (with boots of flying from a low level), I flew invisibly over foes, hidden, and then whispered in their ears to lock them down ... and the DM ruled I was revealed from hiding to the creature I was hypnotizing, but generally not to others.