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wallofterror
2010-10-16, 09:21 PM
I have 25 skill points to put on my human wizard level 1

4 concentration
4 decipher script
4 spellcraft
1 knowledge arcana
1 each of other knowledges (9 total )
1 spot

Should I bother put points in knowledge skills ?

Any other suggestion where to put them ?

Also I chose Improved Initiative and Spell Penetration as 1st level feats... any advices ?

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-16, 09:31 PM
Sources? Plans? concept?

D&D 3.5 is unforgiving on not planning your character advancement, due most prestige class, extremely specific pre-requisites, you should see which one you would like to take and select your skill points to meat those pre-reqs ASAP.

Either way I suggest investing more points into K: Arcana, planes, nature, dungeoneerig and local to identify most monsters.

Improved Initiatve is always good, but there are better ways to get past SR than spell penetration (using SR: no spells, assay spell resistance spell, true casting, etc) As I said before if you know the path you want your character to take it is better, since you can select the feats based on that.

Hope that helps

Godskook
2010-10-16, 09:32 PM
1.Spell penetration is only good if you plan on using SR: Yes spells. So this depends largely on your school and tactics, so more info please.

2.Some knowledge skills lack much use outside of monster identification(exceptions for DMs apply), so focus on those 6(7 if you count Know(Psionics)). Of those, you can normally ignore the ones that another player is focusing on heavily, such as a cleric with Know(religion) or a Druid/Ranger with Know(Nature) or a rogue with Know(Local). Talk to your group and see if you can save the SP for other skills.

3.If you have the points, tumble and 1-of-spot/listen is useful enough to warrant investing in, plus 5 ranks of balance if you can squeeze it in, to avoid balance issues.

wallofterror
2010-10-16, 09:43 PM
Well it is a game set in a world created by the DM.

Player handbook 1 only is allowed.

For now I was thinking going wizard trough level 20.

I don't know if I should specialize in a school...

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-16, 09:49 PM
Ok... if you can/want ask you DM if we would allow the prestige classes in the Dungeon Master Guide, both Loremaster and Archmage are good options.

I would recomend specialzing because that gives you just a little more ompt at lower levels, and if you select your banned schools inteligently you won't ever notice the lack of them.

The strongers schools are Transmutation and conjuration, and the most commonly banned schools are enchantment (at higher levels many monsters become immune to most of the school) and evocation (Direct damage can be covered by conjuration and transmutation, and with the Shadow Evocation spell line, you even get the whole school) , though I personally agree with this, depending on the nature of the campaing it might change. For example in a social-heavy game, Enchantment suddenly becomes quite the powerhouse.

Eldariel
2010-10-16, 09:51 PM
Knowledges are v. good, if your DM goes anything by the books. Especially more obscure stuff like Arcana, Religion & The Planes can save your butt plenty. Always have at least 1 point in each so you can make trained checks so good dice aren't wasted.

wallofterror
2010-10-16, 10:03 PM
In the campaign the DM modified the opposite schools system wich look like this

Evocation opp. Enchantment
Divination opp. Conjuration
Transmutation opp. Abjuration
Illusion opp. Necromancy

It is also a game with lots of battles and war.

I was thinking of making a Wizard Conjurer so I would drop Divination. What are your thoughts.

If I had to choose a PrC it might be Archmage or Eldritch Knight

Dusk Eclipse
2010-10-16, 10:09 PM
I am fan of transmutation and have never really bothered with divinations (though I know their powers) so I would suggest specializing in transmutation.

If you want to go eldritch knight, the I assume you want a gish (mage/warrior hybrid in case you don't know).

Standard and core only was of entering are Barbarian or paladin or fighter or ranger 1/Wiz 5.

I would personally recomend Ranger 1/Wizard 5/Eldritch Knght 10/XXXX because I love skill points and the HP bump is nice.

Edit: I missread the opposing schools, I thought Transmutation opposed divination, not abjuration.

This makes things more difficult as most low- level defenses are in abjuration....

Eldariel
2010-10-16, 10:55 PM
Frankly, it's Core; doesn't really matter what your specialization school is as you aren't getting anything but extra slots out of it. Frankly, specializing in Enchantment and losing Evocation seems like a fair deal, or picking Illusion for Necromancy. I'd go with one of those.

KillianHawkeye
2010-10-17, 08:35 AM
You're probably not going to need Spell Penetration at 1st level, since very few (if any) low-level enemies have SR.

ericgrau
2010-10-17, 12:47 PM
Generally wizards should pick metamagic, item creation or other spell related feats. For that matter I wouldn't pick any feat unless you have a specific plan in mind. I wouldn't take feats that depend on foes (SR yes? no?) until you're sure you will be fighting a lot of that kind of foe or you've already been fighting a lot of them.

Skills tend to be less important, depending on how often the DM asks for checks. I'd probably take spellcraft and concentration, making sure to read the spellcraft description. Knowledge(arcana) too just in case your DM confuses it with spellcraft. The rest are no big deal.

The biggest thing about playing a wizard is making sure you pick the right spells. Do a google search that includes "site:www.giantitp.com" for tips there.

Emmerask
2010-10-17, 01:03 PM
Should I bother put points in knowledge skills ?

Any other suggestion where to put them ?

Also I chose Improved Initiative and Spell Penetration as 1st level feats... any advices ?


1) Really depends on your dm/playstyle, for a hack and slash campaign no donīt bother, except for skill prereqs, if you are in a fairly story heavy campaign on the other hand your party and you will appreciate the information you get out of knowledge skills

2) tumble and balance are nice to have, knowledge arcana should be higher, gather information is also good to have

3) improved initiative is fine, spell penetration is not worth the feat at all, I would suggest taking a metamagic feat because most of the good ones have a 1 metamagic feat prereq

ericgrau
2010-10-17, 03:52 PM
Specialization isn't as strong in core because losing a school means you really are losing certain types of spell. But I would still prefer specialization for a novice player, as you can easily ignore a large number of spells and the only difference is that you'll be less overwhelmed. Enchantment, necromancy and illusion are the most situational spells and thus the easiest to ban. Abjuration is perhaps the weakest of the generally useful schools. Anything else could feasibly be banned in core as you can always take the other good spells. But you are losing some good options.

Evocation is fairly strong in core and I wouldn't recommend banning it without a great deal of thought. In case your google search doesn't list evocations from all the hate it gets, try these: shocking grasp (low levels only), magic missile (high levels only), flaming sphere (low levels only), scorching ray (so-so), fireball, lightning bolt, resilient sphere (so-so), wall of ice, wall of force, contingency, delayed blast fireball, forcecage, grasping hand. Some other spells, including damage spells, are worth a look but are only good situationally.

AxeD
2010-10-17, 07:29 PM
I have 25 skill points to put on my human wizard level 1

How did you get 25 skill points? You get (2 + INT modifier)x4 skill points at first level and 25 isn't divisible by 4.

wallofterror
2010-10-17, 09:35 PM
You are right its 4 for being a human at 1st level so that would be 28 total thanks for reminding me that make sense

Andion Isurand
2010-10-17, 09:54 PM
If it wasn't core, I'd recommend....

If you want to make wisdom your dump stat, I would recommend Keen Intellect as your first-level-only feat. ( from 3.5 OA = dragon magazine 318 ) That way you can use Intelligence instead of Wisdom for Will saves, Heal, Sense Motive, Spot and Survival checks.

If you are using the fighter feat variant wizard, I would recommend Martial Study [desert wind manuver] in place of Scribe Scroll to gain Tumble as a class skill at all times, so you can tumble away from enemies that get too close using your move actions.

I would also recommend keeping an eye on feats that help you meet your intended prestige class prerequsites.