PDA

View Full Version : Wizard Build [3.5 Forgotten Realms]



Volos
2010-05-20, 11:36 AM
I've never played in Forgotten Realms, and I'm wondering if there are any regions or feats that are particularly good for wizards. The campaign is starting at second level, but I need to flesh out my plan for my character for a few levels beforehand. I'm thinking of specializing in evoker, but I have no idea what schools to drop. If anyone can point me to a wizard's handbook thread, that would also be very helpful.

KurtKatze
2010-05-20, 11:49 AM
There is the Incan“tatrix Prestigeclass i dont think you will need more than that. Just a lot of Metamagic and good spell selection.

You are sure with evocer? Usually that is the dropped school because you only miss out on dmg and, what hurts more, Wind Wall, Contingency, Wall of Force.

Usually enchantment and evocation are dropped. If you have to go Evocer i think you could drop necromancy and enchantment.

Illusion: You miss invisibility + shadow evocation which allows you to use evocation spells even though you could drop evocation.

Transmutation: No , no, no fly, haste, polymorph, enlarge + reduce person are too good.

Conjuration: All the summoning and incredible field-Controll + the orb spells from MiC for dmg. Another NO.

Abjuration: Another no, dispell Magic, Anti MAgic field etc.

Divination: Handy spells like scrying, true sight, true strike, Assay Spell resistance, also definitely too good to drop.

Necromancy: Could drop this, a lot of save or suck only really good spell here is lvl 1 ray of enfeeblement but that one really kicks ass ^^ so i personally wouldn't drop nec.

The main thing usually is, that people drop schools where the spells can be done otherwise (via other schools) or other party members can make up for it. So it also depends on the compossition of your party.

imperialspectre
2010-05-20, 11:50 AM
The most commonly cited guides are here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=104002) and here (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19873034/Treantmonks_guide_to_Wizards:_Being_a_God). The first will tell you in no uncertain terms not to be an evoker; the second will just point out that it's somewhat suboptimal.

The Forgotten Realms are particularly friendly to wizards, and in fact FR books provide the majority of really ridiculous wizard cheese in 3.5 (at least, the majority of cheese that doesn't come from core). You can basically hardly go wrong with any of the prestige classes in Player's Guide to Faerun that advance wizard spellcasting.

Eldariel
2010-05-20, 11:56 AM
Well, Forgotten Realms is a magical christmas land. Fully half of the truly insane caster Prestige Classes are from there, and some of the more unfair spells are also FR-specific (Streamers, anyone?). One thing though, I'm somewhat certain Evocation is not really the specialty you want.

Evocation is a somewhat inflexible school, and it isn't really that good in the thing you'd expect it to be good at; dealing damage. Mostly, dealing high spell damage comes down to efficient metamagic and improving your caster level, with the spell mostly serving as a seed, and many of the better seed spells are Conjuration. The primary function of the seed spell is to make the damage get there as reliably as possible, and Conjuration ignores Spell Resistance (and as such, you can shoot them into Dead Magic Zones, which are all-too-common in FR, and Anti-Magic Fields and such).


But regarding Regions, it depends on what Prestige Class you want to aim for. Some of the strongest Prestige Classes offered by Faerun include:
- Hathran [PGtF]
- Red Wizard of Thay [FRCS/DMG]
- Halruaan Elder [ShiningS]
- Incantatrix [PGtF]
- Spelldancer [MagicoF]

Of those, Hathran, Halruaan Elder and Red Wizard have regional prerequisites (Rashemen, Halruaa and Thay, respectively). Incantatrix and Spelldancer are prerequisite-free. Incantatrix is one of the strongest metamagic users in the game, but it may well be too strong. Hathran, Halruaan Elder and Red Wizard all excel at circle magic (very strong with Leadership, Simulacrums, Planar Binding and similar abilities that generate underlings with specific ability sets), and have some metamagic capabilities.

Your PrC decisions influence everything from race to feats to region so it's worthwhile to plan that out before making those choices, so you can indeed play what you desire.

Volos
2010-05-20, 12:00 PM
Conjuration works well enough for me, I was planning on keeping a good supply of summoned monsters between me and whatever enemy I was facing at the time.

"You know how the game of chess is played... pieces must be sacrificed."

Dusk Eclipse
2010-05-20, 12:07 PM
Conjuration works well enough for me, I was planning on keeping a good supply of summoned monsters between me and whatever enemy I was facing at the time.

"You know how the game of chess is played... pieces must be sacrificed."

If that the case my urge you to the Malconvoker (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?PHPSESSID=31b1eat7lvvipu8ousefmv7kj4&topic=289.0)(Complete Scoundrel) prestige class for all your summoning needs

Eldariel
2010-05-20, 12:16 PM
Conjuration works well enough for me, I was planning on keeping a good supply of summoned monsters between me and whatever enemy I was facing at the time.

"You know how the game of chess is played... pieces must be sacrificed."

Conjuration is...delicious. First of all, it opens up Malconvoker (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=289.0) and a delicious defensive Alternative Class Feature from Player's Handbook II called "Abrupt Jaunt" (Conjuration aligns with teleports too, after all; it is truly the mother of all schools). If you are interested in summoning, Rapid Summoning and Enhanced Summoning (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/specialistWizardVariants.htm#conjurerVariants) should be high on your list of interest.

It should be noted though, that both, Rapid Summoning and Abrupt Jaunt trade away your Familiar, so it's one or the other (unless your DM allows you to spend a feat on Obtain Familiar to reacquire it and trade it away again). If you plan on using lots of Summons, Rapid Summoning is stronger, but otherwise Abrupt Jaunt's defensive benefits are incredible.


This also opens up the path to blowing things' heads up. Conjuration specifically has the wonderful line of spells called "Orb of...". Lesser versions are level 1 and the full-grown ones are level 4. Orbs deal respectable damage, only require ranged touch attack and offer no Spell Resistance.

Of note is that the full-grown Orbs also force opponent to make a save and if that fails, there's additional effects (but a success on the save does not stop the damage, only the auxillary effect).

Also, Conjuration offers versatile combat magic. On low levels, Conjuration does something so much better than damage; it basically allows you to KO people on a failed save. Spells like Grease, Glitterdust (of note as a Will-save spell that is not Mind-Affecting; thus it works on Undead, Constructs and other things usually immune to Will-save invoking effects), Web, Stinking Cloud and company are great multitarget spells that work out to completely incapacitate an entire opposing force on low levels (and have strong effects even on successful saves; Grease still requires Balance-checks to move, Web has insane Strength/Escape Artist DCs, Glitterdust reveals invisibles) and maintain their potency all the way to level 20 (aside from maybe Stinking Cloud).

There are also effects like Solid Fog and Wall of Stone that don't offer saves and allow you to shut people out of combat entirely. And Teleportation is a whole other tool too; you can use it offensively (get fighters in attack range, position yourself for maximum range attacks, etc.), defensively (readied actions to dodge attacks on yourself or someone else, Contingencies, et cetera) and as utility (traveling through Faerun in 6 seconds). So yeah, Conjuration gives you everything. Just...master it and you are well on your way to mastering wizardy.