Wizard, Sorcerer, Druid or Cleric?

[Techmagss]

Well, I've been thinking about making another character, but this time, I'm a bit stuck.
You see, I want a magicmagic class to use in a campaign, but I'm wondering which one I should choose from the title.

Thanks.

[INoKnowNames]

You might have to be a bit more specific than that on what you want your Magic Class to do. The most Magic Magic Class is probably the Wizard, but all four of those classes are the most Magic Magic classes in basic material and in most material, and are all capable of being very affective, even with minimal optimization. What exactly do you want to do with your Magic User? What is your character like in your head?

For that matter, what books are available to you, and what level is the game at? The more specific you are, the more these fine people in the playground can try to help steer you in the right dirrection, or even drive you there.

If you're trying things out for the first time, though, then feel free to pick any of them; they're all good and can most likely do whatever you want them to.

[Jack_Simth]

If you're trying things out for the first time, though, then feel free to pick any of them; they're all good and can most likely do whatever you want them to.
If the OP is trying things out for the first time, a Cleric or Druid makes a better choice than a Wizard or Sorcerer - because with a Cleric or Druid, it's much simpler to experiment with choices in the biggest class feature - spells - and be able to fix it later in character if one finds that certain spells aren't as useful in play as they looked. With the Cleric or Druid, no big deal - spontaneously convert to Cure/Inflict/Summon Nature's Ally, and pick something else the next day. With a Wizard, find a scroll of a different spell, scribe it, and prepare *that*. Still doable, but a little more expensive and time consuming. With the Sorcerer, you're mostly out of luck (although if magic-psionics transparency is in play, at 14th+ Limited Wish can duplicate Psychic Reformation to give you faster change out of spells available than any other class... at a noticeable cost).

[silverwolfer]

Cleric........Buff/Heal/Summoner/anti undead

Wizard......Everything magic can do but healing without wierd entry stuff

Sorc.......No reason to


Druid...Buff/Heal/Summoner/Melee combat/ Animal Companion


Out of the box pure PHB, I would say Druid Wizard or cleric

No funny business, pure fun possibites...


Druid

[eggs]

Sorc.......No reason to
Action economy can be a pretty compelling reason. Arcane Fusions and Arcane Spellsurge + Sorcerer metamagic casting times let it spew a lot of spells in a very short time.

But if the OP is this nebulous, I'd lean toward Cleric. With full spell list access, the Substitute Domain spell and no spell book to fill in, they're relatively easy to switch from Summoner to Illusionist to Gish to Diviner on a daily basis.

[Jack_Simth]

Sorc.......No reason toI'd contest this. The Sorcerer has advantages with certain spells - [Charm] spells and the Planar Binding line, in particular - due to the Charisma check that can be involved. Additionally, the Sorcerer generally requires less daily planning. The Wizard needs to have a fairly good idea what he's going to be up against; as a Wizard, you'll need to carefully pick & choose what you prepare so that it will last all day. The Sorcerer has to choose more carefully because the Sorcerer only gets to choose spells at level up... but once those choices are made, the Sorcerer can spam any of them as the need arises, and if that Invisibility spell turns out to be useless today, well, that can just turn into another Glitterdust (meanwhile, the Wizard's mostly stuck with the wasted spell slot).

Yes, there are ways around both of those restrictions (most notably magic items), and the Wizard has more advantages over the Sorcerer than the Sorcerer does over the Wizard... but there are reasons to pick a Sorcerer.

[Spuddles]

I'd contest this. The Sorcerer has advantages with certain spells - [Charm] spells and the Planar Binding line, in particular - due to the Charisma check that can be involved. Additionally, the Sorcerer generally requires less daily planning. The Wizard needs to have a fairly good idea what he's going to be up against; as a Wizard, you'll need to carefully pick & choose what you prepare so that it will last all day. The Sorcerer has to choose more carefully because the Sorcerer only gets to choose spells at level up... but once those choices are made, the Sorcerer can spam any of them as the need arises, and if that Invisibility spell turns out to be useless today, well, that can just turn into another Glitterdust (meanwhile, the Wizard's mostly stuck with the wasted spell slot).

Yes, there are ways around both of those restrictions (most notably magic items), and the Wizard has more advantages over the Sorcerer than the Sorcerer does over the Wizard... but there are reasons to pick a Sorcerer.

It's pretty easy to prepare the wrong spells as a wizard. You can always fill up on daily spells you think will be good everywhere, but if you do that, sorc is probably better. Of course, it's the ability to pick up a few niche spells like overland flight or teleport as soon as you hit the level you can pick them up, and bust those out. It's a little harder to that as a sorc.

[Dr.Epic]

Action economy can be a pretty compelling reason. Arcane Fusions and Arcane Spellsurge + Sorcerer metamagic casting times let it spew a lot of spells in a very short time.

Cool. Too bad you only know about 10 spells so your diversity sucks and the spell you really need in any particular situation you're not likely to have.:smallwink::smalltongue:

[jaybird]

Cool. Too bad you only know about 10 spells so your diversity sucks and the spell you really need in any particular situation you're not likely to have.:smallwink::smalltongue:

If Mailman-style spamming isn't solving your problem, you aren't playing a Sorcerer right :smallbiggrin:

[Spuddles]

Cool. Too bad you only know about 10 spells so your diversity sucks and the spell you really need in any particular situation you're not likely to have.:smallwink::smalltongue:

15 at level 10, not counting cantrips. Then there are some tricks to bump up the number of spells you know.

Of course, a wizard may have exactly the spell he needs in a given situation, but he didn't prepare it, or he only prepared it once.

With proper spell selection, you can brute force a lot with a sorcerer. Wizards need far more finesse.

Unless, of course, you don't have many CR appropriate encounters and abuse the crap out of uncanny forethought.

[Jack_Simth]

Cool. Too bad you only know about 10 spells so your diversity sucks and the spell you really need in any particular situation you're not likely to have.:smallwink::smalltongue:
There's a number of ways around that. Heighten Spell means your low to mid level Save-or-X spells (Glitterdust, Web, Cloud of Bewilderment, Suggestion, Charm Person/Monster) remain viable; Energy Substitution keeps your direct damage spells viable, and Searing Spell lets you bypass fire damage immunity.

Yes, it's a bit of an investment. But hey: If you're doing action economy abuse with a Sorcerer, you're probably doing a Mailman build already, so....

[Tvtyrant]

Runestaffs deal with the spells known problem quite handily. Now it becomes a matter of gold, which as we all know is a flood.

[Ketiara]

I play a lvl 6 druid at the moment, and I have never had this much fun. It takes some preparation for you not to slow the game down alot when you need to edit ability scores etc. But after that you have soo many possibilities and ways of making the class fun for you, that it can only be a success (IMO).

[Morcleon]

Cool. Too bad you only know about 10 spells so your diversity sucks and the spell you really need in any particular situation you're not likely to have.:smallwink::smalltongue:

Shadowcraft mage + heighten spell + earth spell.

You now have all of the sorc/wiz conjuration (creation/summoning) and evocation spells. Arguably with no material/XP components. :smallsmile:

[eggs]

Cool. Too bad you only know about 10 spells so your diversity sucks and the spell you really need in any particular situation you're not likely to have.:smallwink::smalltongue:
Learn better spells! :smalltongue:

A mass save-or-lose for each save, a ranged touch debuff, a damage spell, a dispel, an immediate action "no" spell, a no-save control spell and a shapeshift will more than cover 95% of circumstances, and super-versatile spell effects like Planar Binding, Animate Dread Warrior or Shadow Conjuration can usually patch the rest. (And often these are the same spells - like Wings of Flurry disabling based on reflex + blasting, or Web/Stinking cloud/Wall of Smoke's debuff on a failed save + BC effect)

If the Warblade can pretend to be a versatile party member with its handful of skill points and built-in adamantine spoon, a Sorcerer with Shapechange and Greater Planar Binding can probably find a way to scrape by.

[Endarire]

Check out your local Handbooks section (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?board=28.0). What seems most appealing to you? (Also, Google something like "Wizard Handbook D&D 3.5 site:minmaxboards.com" and you'll get results.)