How to Bring a Wizard down to Tier Three?(an reverse-optimization question), (PF)

[Togath]

As the title implies, I'm trying to make a wizard(had planned OA shugenja.. but it ended up seeming to obscure).. but one that wont end up over-powered..

So far I'm.. sort of out of ideas..
My original concept was a single class gish tank(since it was rated red in treantmonk's guide), but I'm worried it could come to close to a God Wizard..

Fluff-wise I was planning an earth/stone/wood theme, and human as the race.
All 1st party equipment/items from 3.0, 3.5, PF and the third party Rokugan d20 books is available.

edit: could being a pure buffing based character help with reducing tier/oveprowered-ness?

[gooddragon1]

As the title implies, I'm trying to make a wizard(had planned OA shugenja.. but it ended up seeming to obscure).. but one that wont end up over-powered..

So far I'm.. sort of out of ideas..
My original concept was a single class gish tank(since it was rated red in treantmonk's guide), but I'm worried it could come to close to a God Wizard..

Fluff-wise I was planning an earth/stone/wood theme, and human as the race.
All 1st party equipment/items from 3.0, 3.5, PF and the third party Rokugan d20 books is available.

edit: could being a pure buffing based character help with reducing tier/oveprowered-ness?

Well I can get you to tier 2 real nice probably: Blaster wizard. If you tack searing spell onto all your fire spells and prepare maybe 1 or 2 spells for utility purposes that aren't combat buffs you can be tier 3. Won't be a fighter though.

Maybe just go orb of force and be content with 10d6 damage. Kinda like being a warlock.

EDIT: Yep, just go pure blasty and prepare only orb of force as much as you can with maybe 1 or 2 spells that let you be useful outside of combat.

[BWR]

If you're using the Rokugan dual stat books, why not use a shuggie? Why is that class too obscure while all the rest of the stuff is not?

Anyway, since spells are the be all and end all of the T1 folks, just make a list of the best spells, or find one on the net, and choose not to have them. Choose only those that in some way support your character concept and stay well away from all others. Even throw away some good ones that do support your concept if those are too powerful.

[Amnestic]

edit: could being a pure buffing based character help with reducing tier/oveprowered-ness?

It's reduce it to tier 4 since a pure buffing based character would have one thing they do well and can't really do much else. Remember that the Bard is a support character (lots of buffs, but also has skillmonkeying, cha focus for face and other spells) and is Tier 3.



Tier 3: Capable of doing one thing quite well, while still being useful when that one thing is inappropriate, or capable of doing all things, but not as well as classes that specialize in that area.

^ That's what you're aiming for. If you're focusing on buffing, you want to have some other stuff available (utility spells, maybe a bit of damage here and there) if you're looking for Tier 3.

[Togath]

I'll take the advice of look up the ebst spells, and try to avoid them, and I may go buffing, if it's not a ultra high tier thing.

As for why i was worried about shugenja, it was largely the fact that I only have the rulebook with the semi-3rd party 3.0 one, and I'm not sure if the GM would prefer I use the 3.5 1st party one instead(which I don't have access to)

[eggynack]

If you want, you could actually just go tier three directly. Look at the beguiler spell list, emulate it as closely as possible, and edit a little around the edges to make up for the losses in emulating a beguiler with a wizard. Instant tier three wizard, literally like magic. Of course, if you do that, you might as well just port the beguiler into pathfinder. I don't know the specifics of the change from 3.5, but it shouldn't be too hard. Probably easier than identifying all of the most powerful spells and avoiding them at all costs. It's also more likely to get you into tier 3 than the alternative. You can even create a variant beguiler along whatever school set you want. As you noted, buffing is another viable option. It won't really make you any less powerful, but if your goal is for your other party members to be happy while you carry them, it's a good route. The god wizard path in general is a nice one for that reason. If you do nothing but blast, then you're mostly trying to poorly emulate a fighter. If you actually emulate a fighter well with blast spells, then you'll have the opposite of your intended effect. The God wizard philosophy is cool beans by my reckoning.

[Ernir]

Ehhh, I don't really think you have to aim for a tier. If you're aware of the issue, and are ready to not be an ass, you're already most of the way there. It's hard to accidentally break a Wizard. The loops and broken combos are rather well known at this point. Don't take those.

Hell, pick spells for flavor reasons. Follow your party around and spam them (skip the divining and the paranoia-planning). Now you're probably not overpowered.

[Talderas]

You can always try casting magic missile at the darkness.

[Yora]

Spellcasting power is all in the spells. Nothing else really matters.
If you limit yourself to the list of spells you can cast, you get considerably less powerful. Especially if you limit yourself to less powerful spells.

[Chained Birds]

Isn't the Word of Power (https://sites.google.com/site/pathfinderogc/magic/words-of-power) Magic stuff considered weaker than regular spell casting? Cause you can do that too.