Cold Wizard

[TopCheese]

So is there any tricks and tips for wizards based around the cold theme? I'm gonna be reading over frostburn but I'm sure there must be things in another book.

A friend of mine loves the spell "Sleet Storm" so I'm helping him make a cold based wizard or sorcerer.

*might change to druid if they get better spell selection*

Any help would be awesome :)

[Krobar]

I've got a cold sorcerer. I recommend a few particular spells...

Chill Touch
Ice Darts
Resist Energy
Control Temperature
Sleet Storm
Shivering Touch
Glacial Globe of Invulnerability
Ice Storm
Flesh to Ice / Ice to Flesh
Freezing Fog
Control Weather
Energy Immunity
Fimbulwinter
Burst of Glacial Wrath
Frostfell
Iceberg

Feats:
Snowcasting
Flashfrost
Piercing Cold
Lord of the Uttercold

If you really want to be a jerk about it...

Fell Drain
Fell Frighten

edited: I can't believe I forgot Energy Substitution (Cold).

There's also a spell (I think) that grants the caster the Cold subtype... but I don't remember what it is right now.

Edited: found it ... it's Mantle of the Icy Soul - Druid/Cleric 6 spell, and its duration is PERMANENT!

Edited Again: As the Frost - Druid/Sor/Wiz 7 (PHB 2) grants the Cold Subtype as well, but it only lasts 1 round per level.

*******************

Druids get some pretty good cold spells too, like Blizzard for example. Either way, you can't go wrong!

[ZamielVanWeber]

One with the Cold/Frost? Honestly, Frost Mage is an amazing idea for a cold themed caster because of it giving you more ability to bypass cold resistance/immunity.

[Amnestic]

Don't forget to take Spell Thematics feat - that way even spells which aren't cold themed (like Fly, for instance) can appear cold themed.

[TopCheese]

Don't forget to take Spell Thematics feat - that way even spells which aren't cold themed (like Fly, for instance) can appear cold themed.

I always thought this should be a class feature.

Fimbulwinter? I've never heard of that spell before, where is that from?

Is "one with cold/frost" a feat? But Frost Mage does sound good... Hmm

[Krobar]

Fimbulwinter is from Frostburn.

[TopCheese]

Fimbulwinter is from Frostburn.

Then I'll be reading it later!

Awesome

[Amnestic]

I always thought this should be a class feature.


I agree, as most every caster I make is 'themed' around something or other. You could likely wrangle that from your DM, but if not, Spell Thematics is available :smalltongue:

[Krobar]

Then I'll be reading it later!

Awesome

If you want to run a cold caster ... Frostburn is your friend! I barely scratched the surface of the cool spells in that book (pun intended).

[tyckspoon]

I always thought this should be a class feature.


It's not even a 'class feature', it's just a thing you can do. It's in the.. DMG, I think? Where it's talking about spells, or maybe the section where it mentions renaming your class features to whatever your character might reasonably call them... (yeah, there it is. DMG pg 34, 'Adjudicating magic.' As long as your spell effects don't make the spell seem more powerful than it really is you can describe it any dang way you want.. and the given example is a Fireball cannot be 'an image of a dragon breathing flames', which implies that you're probably fine as long as you don't flavor your spells such that it appears you are, for example, Summoning or creating an Illusion to cast an instant evocation.)

[TopCheese]

It's not even a 'class feature', it's just a thing you can do. It's in the.. DMG, I think? Where it's talking about spells, or maybe the section where it mentions renaming your class features to whatever your character might reasonably call them... (yeah, there it is. DMG pg 34, 'Adjudicating magic.' As long as your spell effects don't make the spell seem more powerful than it really is you can describe it any dang way you want.. and the given example is a Fireball cannot be 'an image of a dragon breathing flames', which implies that you're probably fine as long as you don't flavor your spells such that it appears you are, for example, Summoning or creating an Illusion to cast an instant evocation.)

So WoTC had this and then later paid someone to make feats who decided to just copy an existing rule... I umm.. wow..

Kinda like making a feat that gives you the use of move action each round as long as you haven't used a move action yet (or full round action) and you can't use another move action/full round action after using this feat's move action...

[ZamielVanWeber]

I always thought this should be a class feature.

Fimbulwinter? I've never heard of that spell before, where is that from?

Is "one with cold/frost" a feat? But Frost Mage does sound good... Hmm

The spell that gives you the cold subtype is called One with the Permafrost. Booyaa! I remembered.

[Karnith]

So WoTC had this and then later paid someone to make feats who decided to just copy an existing rule... I umm.. wow..
On the upside, that's not all Spell Thematics does; you also get +1 CL on each of the spells that you designate as thematic spells.

[Octopusapult]

Would be fun to put together a Cryomancer prestige class... I might start working on that when I get a moment.

[ZamielVanWeber]

Cryomancer is a prestiege class in Frostburn.

[Octopusapult]

Cryomancer is a prestiege class in Frostburn.

There's a Cryokintecist and Frost Mage but no specifically named "Cryomancer"

Which I realize essentially means "Frost Mage" but still...

[ZamielVanWeber]

Dang it. Reading comprehension my olde nemesis... We meet again. To be fait Frost Mage is really good at providing a very ice mage feel, if a bit bland.

[Andion Isurand]

If you are planning to go undead or work with undead... Icefane Corpse from Dungeon Magazine 109 might be a good spell for you to use.

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/shackledcityzero/wikis/icefane-corpse

Icefane Corpse
Necromancy [Cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Targets: One undead creature
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates (harmless)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)

You infuse the affected undead with a powerful burst of necromantic cold. Affected undead gain the following benefits:

•One of the undead creature’s natural attacks becomes infused with supernatural cold, and inflicts 1d6 additional points of cold damage on a hit.
•Fire resistance 10.
•Any time the undead suffers cold damage, it is instead healed for an amount of hit points equal to the damage it would have suffered. Any resistance to cold that the undead creature might have does not reduce the amount of healing that it receives when exposed to cold damage.
Material Component: A wight’s thumbnail.

If you go undead and gain the fire subtype via the savage spieces ritual or the Mantle of the Fiery Spirit spell... then use Icefane Corpse spell/item... you'd heal 50% more... or 100% more if you take Peircing Cold damage.

[Peelee]

Unearthed Arcana has the variant class Domain Wizard, which grants the wizard bonus spells just like a Cleric. The only tradeoff is that you can't be a specialized wizard, but with the Cold domain (Spell Compendium) you get a Cold spell at each level in addition to whatever you choose. They're pretty good, too, if I remember correctly (Frostball, for instance, is Fireball with the cold descriptor, and saves you from having to take Fireball and applying the Energy Substitution feat). So long as you don't specialize, you get bonus Cold spells for free.

EDIT: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/UA:Wizard_Variant:_Domain_Wizard if you want to see the exact wording.

[herrhauptmann]

Or if you're feeling leery of the various d&d wikis (there was a thread recently about them actually), it's on the SRD too.
In this case, the wiki appears identical. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#coldDomain

[Peelee]

Or if you're feeling leery of the various d&d wikis (there was a thread recently about them actually), it's on the SRD too.
In this case, the wiki appears identical. http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#coldDomain

Thanks! I'm normally leery of DandDwiki, but it seemd pretty accurate with what I remembered. Thanks for the additional linkage, though. Always good to confirmation.

[tyckspoon]

The only tradeoff is that you can't be a specialized wizard, but with the Cold domain (Spell Compendium) you get a Cold spell at each level in addition to whatever you choose....

EDIT: http://www.dandwiki.com/wiki/UA:Wizard_Variant:_Domain_Wizard if you want to see the exact wording.

Pedantic correction/reminder note: Domain Wizard domains are not the same as Clerical Domains. They do not necessarily contain the same spells in situations where there is both a printed UA Wizard Domain and a clerical Domain of the same name. (If you wish to invent other Wizard Domains, however, a similar Clerical Domain spell list would be a pretty good starting point.)

[Peelee]

Pedantic correction/reminder note: Domain Wizard domains are not the same as Clerical Domains. They do not necessarily contain the same spells in situations where there is both a printed UA Wizard Domain and a clerical Domain of the same name. (If you wish to invent other Wizard Domains, however, a similar Clerical Domain spell list would be a pretty good starting point.)

Both links posted have the Cold Domain spells listed for the Domain Wizard, and I believe the Spell Compendium has a massive list of Domains in the back (and, if I remember, the Cold Domain has the same spell list as in both above links. I could be mistaken in this). As the posted topic is specifically on a building a Cold Wizard and all the written material on Cold Domain is the same, I did not see any issue in offering this advice. The Wizard does not get any benefit from the Domain other than spells, but as that was all I noted, I did not think there would be any issue with someone believing otherwise.

[Fouredged Sword]

Planer Touchstone (catalouges of enlightenment) is get at level 6 to gain the water domain, allowing you to turn fire creatures and rebuke water creatures. There is some crossover between water and cold creatures so you can have some utility creatures under your command and turn the creatures you most fear.

[Raimun]

Any tips? Watch the following video (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SRH-Ywpz1_I) and learn everything in it for the game.*

*Warning: not actually recommended!

[AttilaTheGeek]

You might be interested in Rime Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/rime-spell-metamagic) from Pathfinder.

[ericgrau]

Don't forget the bad puns, you need the puns.

[karkus]

It's been mentioned twice before, but

Energy Substitution.

That's all you'll ever really need.

[herrhauptmann]

Both links posted have the Cold Domain spells listed for the Domain Wizard, and I believe the Spell Compendium has a massive list of Domains in the back (and, if I remember, the Cold Domain has the same spell list as in both above links. I could be mistaken in this). As the posted topic is specifically on a building a Cold Wizard and all the written material on Cold Domain is the same, I did not see any issue in offering this advice. The Wizard does not get any benefit from the Domain other than spells, but as that was all I noted, I did not think there would be any issue with someone believing otherwise.

Both links (mine, and the wiki) are for the domain wizard.
The domains in SC are intended, I believe, for cleric types. Yeah you can use a cleric domain as a starting point for making your own wizard domains, but they probably shouldn't be the same in every case.

[Peelee]

Both links (mine, and the wiki) are for the domain wizard.
The domains in SC are intended, I believe, for cleric types. Yeah you can use a cleric domain as a starting point for making your own wizard domains, but they probably shouldn't be the same in every case.

Didn't have the SC on hand at the time, so I was working off memory. Looks like I was wrong. Sorry!

[ZamielVanWeber]

It's been mentioned twice before, but

Energy Substitution.

That's all you'll ever really need.

Piercing cold.

[Acanous]

If your Wizard is cold, don't forget to pick up a Cold Weather Outfit and a Winter Blanket!

If your Wizard HAS a cold, you want Remove Disease.

[Vaz]

1; Grow an Oak Tree
2; Create a magic item of Control Temperature, and set it to -20F temperature around the tree, but also Endure Elements to keep it alive.
3; Be a Druid/get a Wand of Acorn of Far Travel
4; Prepare a teleport to return to the Oak every time it runs out.
5; Take Snowcasting/Frozen Magic/Icy Calling

All Spells are at +2 CL
All Cold Spells are at +3 CL
Summoned Monsters native to the cold/with [Cold] gain +4 Str and Con with Max HP

Make it a Tree on Ysgard for Fast Healing 2, and free True Resurrection.

Take a Collar of Umbral Metamorphosis for permanent Hide in Plain Sight, even without the need for Shadow.

Make it a Temple to Mystra, and gain 1 Free usage of Metamagic on each spell (Quicken, Persist etc).