The PHB Wizard

[Grifthin]

Now here's a question for all you lads and lasses. we are running a dnd campaign at the moment where almost anything goes. Means spells from any splat book etc.

I'm playing a gnome, Evil, level 5, Specialist school necromancy, barred schools illusion and Enchantment. Here's the catch I only want to use PHB spells. What would you guys say is the essential list of spells to have if your a wizard. The staples or toolbox that's always useful.

From level 1-9, what would you guys say ?

Identify, mage armor, prestidigitation, Fly, Invisibililty etc. bearing in mind my barred schools.

[kamikasei]

Unfortunately some very useful ones are barred to you, but remember glitterdust, web, grease, haste...

[sadi]

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104002

Batman. Core only spell breakdown first, then other sources after. All in all a very good thread to have bookmarked.

[Kaiyanwang]

You can play an excellent Wizard core only. Other classes, expecially melee, IMHO, are faaar better with this or that splatbook, but a wiz can remain core and still be very good.

Consider this: in a lot of "Wizard is teh borkenn" threads, most people agree (me too) that most of the most poweful and at risk of game breaking spells are in the core.

[RelentlessImp]

Most of the items, too. Candles of Invocation? Core.

Wish? Core.
Shapechange? Core.
Enervation? Core.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

You can play an excellent Wizard core only.

Specializing in Evocation, barring Conjuration and Transmutation.

[Kaiyanwang]

Specializing in Evocation, barring Conjuration and Transmutation.

I said "you can", not "you will always". Without take splats.

And anyway, if you have fun with simply make things boom, why not?

Even if.. wow both Conj and Trans banned is really hard to manage...

[Pharaoh's Fist]

I said you can, not you will always.

And anyway, if you have fun with simply make things boom, why not?

Even if.. wow both Conj and Trans banned is really hard to manage...

And yet... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116095)

[Kaiyanwang]

And yet... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116095)

Good. Remember to link it in the nex "Evocation suxx" thread.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

The Druid doesn't have Wildshape, and the Monk is played by Giacomo, so this isn't quite your standard party either...

[mostlyharmful]

And anyway, if you have fun with simply make things boom, why not?

Here's something I never really got. Why everyone thinks an evocation specialist is a blaster or can only do that one thing. There's plenty of good stuff to fill your mandatory 1spell per level of evocation without taking anything blasty and beyound that you're still a full caster with anouther five schools to play around in. Wind Wall, Contingency, Gust of Wind, Wall of Force.... get's a little harder at high level but meh.

[Kaiyanwang]

Here's something I never really got. Why everyone thinks an evocation specialist is a blaster or can only do that one thing. There's plenty of good stuff to fill your mandatory 1spell per level of evocation without taking anything blasty and beyound that you're still a full caster with anouther five schools to play around in. Wind Wall, Contingency, Gust of Wind, Wall of Force.... get's a little harder at high level but meh.

Yeah, you are right. Mine was an oversemplification.

[Signmaker]

Here's something I never really got. Why everyone thinks an evocation specialist is a blaster or can only do that one thing. There's plenty of good stuff to fill your mandatory 1spell per level of evocation without taking anything blasty and beyound that you're still a full caster with anouther five schools to play around in. Wind Wall, Contingency, Gust of Wind, Wall of Force.... get's a little harder at high level but meh.

Cause most people fail to look past fireball, I think.

My personal favorite spells are transmutations which don't actually affect people.

[woodenbandman]

And yet... (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=116095)

Am I missing something? This seems like a pretty weak build to me.

[Eldariel]

Am I missing something? This seems like a pretty weak build to me.

Point being, it's still faring pretty damn well in the said dungeon. Sure, lacking Conjuration and thus teleportation is putting a hurt on her, and obviously she'd be better with Transmutation, but even without the two she's still performing quite well.

[Optimystik]

Am I missing something? This seems like a pretty weak build to me.

They are saying that the evoker didn't keel over instantly, despite what anti-evokers would have you believe.

(Although, if I were Jaya, Illusion would probably be barred long before transmutation. She and Chandra both hate it.)

[aje8]

Let me explain this as simply as possible.

Evocation doesn't suck. It's not a very good school and it's redundant with others making an excellent banning choice, but it does actually have some good spells. Not great, but not as bad as it's made out to be.

Blasters? Now they suck. Hard. Really Hard.

Also, just FYI, @OP: Why did you ban illusion again? Illusion is usually not a very good banning choice seeing as it's probably the 3rd best school after Conjuration and Transmutation. It gives alot of defensive spells like Mirror Image, Inviability and that sort of thing. It also has the silent image line which is pure win.

If your build is already finalized then please ignore me as it doesn't reallly matter.

[Whammydill]

Thats pretty much the only PbP I follow. It's very well done. About losing illusion, I dunno. Mirror Image has proven quite useful by itself.

[Morty]

Specializing in Evocation, barring Conjuration and Transmutation.

Perfectly possible. You won't be on your top effectiveness, but you'll do fine.

[Optimystik]

Also, just FYI, @OP: Why did you ban illusion again? Illusion is usually not a very good banning choice seeing as it's probably the 3rd best school after Conjuration and Transmutation. It gives alot of defensive spells like Mirror Image, Inviability and that sort of thing. It also has the silent image line which is pure win.

Not to mention the Shadow Evocation line, which... lets you blast. (Albeit, not quite as well in core-only.)

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Also, just FYI, @OP: Why did you ban illusion again? Illusion is usually not a very good banning choice seeing as it's probably the 3rd best school after Conjuration and Transmutation. It gives alot of defensive spells like Mirror Image, Inviability and that sort of thing. It also has the silent image line which is pure win.


Inviability doesn't sound very useful.

[Mongoose87]

Inviability doesn't sound very useful.

It is, when you cast it on others' ideas.

[Optimystik]

It is, when you cast it on others' ideas.

Ba-dum-tish

[aje8]

Extreme spelling fail for the lose.

Invisibility? That right? Spelling is not my strong suit.

[Myrmex]

Illusions are useful at lower levels, but if you end up fighting a lot of outsiders or casters at higher levels, True Seeing will pretty much ruin your day.

[mostlyharmful]

Illusions are useful at lower levels, but if you end up fighting a lot of outsiders or casters at higher levels, True Seeing will pretty much ruin your day.

Actually there's ways of using true seeing to ruin theirs so long as you know they're coming. Automatically seeing through things that can affect you sucks hard. esspecially if what you see and what your minions see are two different things.

[Pharaoh's Fist]

Extreme spelling fail for the lose.

Invisibility? That right? Spelling is not my strong suit.

In fact, you might say it's not... viable.

[Optimystik]

Actually there's ways of using true seeing to ruin theirs so long as you know they're coming. Automatically seeing through things that can affect you sucks hard. esspecially if what you see and what your minions see are two different things.

Ah, the old "illusionary painting over the symbol of death" trick. Gets 'em every time.

(Though the spell description says covering the symbol renders it ineffective, piercing the illusion with True Seeing could also satisfy the "remove the cover" clause of the spell trigger.)


In fact, you might say it's not... viable.

I pictured you with your pinky at the corner of your mouth a la Dr. Evil when I read that...

[ericgrau]

This'll help a bit: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=6787777&postcount=21
Even though it was for sorcs, the spell selection is the same.