[3.5] Playing a Wizard properly.

[Yael]

I've always played spontaneous casters before, but never a prepared caster (I played a druid once, but I only used to cast Flamming Sphere because I didn't know how did the Druid worked, maybe I did cast Detect Trap a couple of times, though).

I would like to get some tips from experienced players of prepared casters (specially wizards) because I know that GOD needs the BSF and the GLF (glass-like fighters) at lower levels. (I'm at 45hp at level 5 with no con, all int).

Spells, utility, tips, warnings, everything for playing a god (except for the build).

[eggynack]

Well, wizards are their spells. Druids are other things, but if you're doing well as a wizard, it's because you've just got a great list. In that vein of thought logic, here's Treantmonk's guide to wizards (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=394.0). It's pretty much the best resource for finding good wizard spells out there.

[centeotl]

Some general rules I live by.

1. Don't show off your godlike powers unless the rest of the party are gods too.
2. Reserve your godlike powers for emergencies (1 turn from TPK, etc).
3. Spend most of your time making the party feel like badasses. Buff, debuff, some crowd control and utility sprinkled in. That sort of thing.

[Yael]

Well, wizards are their spells. Druids are other things, but if you're doing well as a wizard, it's because you've just got a great list. In that vein of thought logic, here's Treantmonk's guide to wizards (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=394.0). It's pretty much the best resource for finding good wizard spells out there.

I've seen that guide before, thanks anyway :D




Some general rules I live by.

1. Don't show off your godlike powers unless the rest of the party are gods too.
2. Reserve your godlike powers for emergencies (1 turn from TPK, etc).
3. Spend most of your time making the party feel like badasses. Buff, debuff, some crowd control and utility sprinkled in. That sort of thing.

Tips? I mean, what kind of buffs and (or) debuffs could work?

[Elderand]

Organise your spell in different lists for different situations

Outdoor spells
Dungeon spells
Social encounter spells
General spells

Make sure you always include a few spell from the other list.
Say you prepare the dungeon list of spell, include a couple social spell and outdoor spells just to be safe

Use divination to find out what you are likely to face so you can prepare the correct spells, if that fail, bribe the DM with pizza

Leave spell slots open in case you encounter something unexpected

Carry scrolls with emergency spells

Don't prepare spell that would make another party member obsolete, instead prepare spell to make said party member better.

[eggynack]

I've seen that guide before, thanks anyway :D

Fair enough. I kinda figured after I saw that your goal was godishness. Do you have any particular plan for this wizard, in terms of specialization and stuff? I tend to favor battlefield control of various kinds. You get sleet storm and stinking cloud at that level, and those are pretty neat.

[SciChronic]

if you want to make your other party members actually feel like they're doing something, avoid damage spells, and stick with control spells for battles, they're generally better anyway.

[centeotl]

what kind of buffs and (or) debuffs could work?

You probably know your way around sleep, color spray, and glitterdust. Enlarge person for fighter and levitate for yourself or archer.

Haste your allies, slow your enemies.

Wall of force to, well, you know. It will make your party happy well-applied.

Dimension step on your buddies, and they'll be your buddies forever.

And these are just a few, mostly suboptimal low-level spells.


if you want to make your other party members actually feel like they're doing something, avoid damage spells, and stick with control spells for battles, they're generally better anyway.

Also, try not to save-or-lose your opponents too obviously.

[Yael]

Organise your spell in different lists for different situations

Outdoor spells
Dungeon spells
Social encounter spells
General spells

Make sure you always include a few spell from the other list.
Say you prepare the dungeon list of spell, include a couple social spell and outdoor spells just to be safe

Use divination to find out what you are likely to face so you can prepare the correct spells, if that fail, bribe the DM with pizza

Leave spell slots open in case you encounter something unexpected

Carry scrolls with emergency spells

Don't prepare spell that would make another party member obsolete, instead prepare spell to make said party member better.

Nice, I'll do so.


Fair enough. I kinda figured after I saw that your goal was godishness. Do you have any particular plan for this wizard, in terms of specialization and stuff? I tend to favor battlefield control of various kinds. You get sleet storm and stinking cloud at that level, and those are pretty neat.

I'm going Generalist Elf, don't want to steal the party's fun at all (expecially after I saw how a blaster of my party delivered 600 points of evil of damage with no save at level 10th, finishing encounters in one blow, at that time, I understood that wizards are truly OP).

[eggynack]

I'm going Generalist Elf, don't want to steal the party's fun at all (expecially after I saw how a blaster of my party delivered 600 points of evil of damage with no save at level 10th, finishing encounters in one blow, at that time, I understood that wizards are truly OP).
I half agree. He'd probably be far more optimal if he weren't shooting evil in the face for 600 points of damage. That's the cool thing about god wizards. They are actually more powerful, while apparently doing less to effect combat. Hence, battlefield control. A good fog just makes a fight roll easier.

[Ignominia]

Always have back up scrolls. For example, you want your rogue to do all the chest/door unlocking...but in a pinch (if hes disabled or unable to accomplish the task) bust out your Knock scroll.

Prepare your debuff spells so that you have 1 or 2 to cover each resistance type. For example, make sure you have spells that hit Fort, Ref and Will. Use your high ranks in knowledge skills to ID a monster at the start of combat and use the appropriate debuff. Or, failing your ID roll, use your wizards genius intellect to determine that a big burly fighter is likely to have a high fort and low will...then hit him with Dominate instead of Poison.

[Lightlawbliss]

one big trick I have found with int based casters is that they are hipper intelligent. A lvl 10 wizard that isn't at at least 18 unmodified int is hurting him/herself (or had a rather bad set of rolls for a wizard) and higher then 18 is very likely. The wizard can justify knowing the strengths and weaknesses of a generic type of monster very easily (x type is typically high on y saves, low on z saves, and typically has a,b, and c qualities/abilities) and being able to just look at it and (before rolling the knowledge check) know the type(s) it is likely to be and what those types involve.

[DMVerdandi]

1. Get the spontaneous divination ACF.
Wasting a slot by preparing a divination is just silly. Better to be able to use any divination by sacrificing any other slot. Gives you much more flexibility.

2.Try your best when you get money to get a couple of blaster friendly eternal wands. Having charges of 50 is stupid, and costly. Much better two 2/day wands for something you might not even be doing that much. Lesser orbs of/x with some metamagic can net some decent emergency damage.

3. Summons are good. Perhaps have a couple of staple summoned creatures.

4. Prestige out. As soon as possible. And don't give up a single caster level.

5. If your DM is iffy, Pick up collegiate wizard. Better to have extra spells without having to rely on whether the DM says you can research, or buy scrolls.

6. If you can, pick up eidetic wizard.
Spellbooks are just not worth it. Some DM's are obsessed with taking away your power. Hell no.

7. Pick a theme.
While you can be a solve every problem batman wizard, sometimes specialization is... Funner. Not actual specialization

[Yael]

1. Get the spontaneous divination ACF.
Wasting a slot by preparing a divination is just silly. Better to be able to use any divination by sacrificing any other slot. Gives you much more flexibility.
I will, thank you.


2.Try your best when you get money to get a couple of blaster friendly eternal wands. Having charges of 50 is stupid, and costly. Much better two 2/day wands for something you might not even be doing that much. Lesser orbs of/x with some metamagic can net some decent emergency damage.

I half-will do it, I could go and get some but I'll let the party's rogue mind with wards, I'll get some wands of 50 charges of emergency (stuff like summon monster I or level 1st-2nd spells that I don't want to waste scribing or preparing)


3. Summons are good. Perhaps have a couple of staple summoned creatures.

Useful, the party's rogue will thank you.


4. Prestige out. As soon as possible. And don't give up a single caster level.

Any special one?
Though of Mage of the Arcane Order or Metaphysical Spellshaper, Incantatrix and/or Archmage.


5. If your DM is iffy, Pick up collegiate wizard. Better to have extra spells without having to rely on whether the DM says you can research, or buy scrolls.

Done, I actually picked that one, it kind of gave me the idea of this build.


6. If you can, pick up eidetic wizard.
Spellbooks are just not worth it. Some DM's are obsessed with taking away your power. Hell no.

If you take the ACF you permanently lose the familiar? I kind of need it (hummingbird).


7. Pick a theme.
While you can be a solve every problem batman wizard, sometimes specialization is... Funner. Not actual specialization.

I would like to, I'll be the Support having every kind of spells. Also though of Eidetic Spellcaster at first, but I will have +21 Initiative by level 1st so, can the familiar be recovered with Obtain Familiar?

[HalfQuart]

If you take the ACF you permanently lose the familiar? I kind of need it (hummingbird).
Well, the way *I* read it, you can take Obtain Familiar later to get a familiar... Eidetic Spellcaster says: "Level 1st. Replaces: If you select this class feature you do not gain a familiar or the Scribe Scroll bonus feat."

Compare that to the specialist variants in UA that say things like: "An abjurer using this variant permanently gives up the ability to obtain a familiar." Which clearly prohibits you from taking Obtain Familiar later...

But you should probably run it by your DM first to make sure there isn't a conflict of interpretation.

If Dragon material is available, I think Eidetic Spellcaster is a pretty good hedge against DM spellbook sabotage... but it would mean putting off your familiar and huge Initiative bonus until at least 3rd level.

[Urpriest]

One that gets mentioned a lot but hasn't yet in this thread: try to prepare at least one spell that can target every defense, and at least one spell that gets through every immunity. If you want to get more involved, try to put together a list of general types of monsters and NPCs and have a counter for each type. If you know what your counter is for type X in advance then you won't have as much difficulty picking spells in play.

[CaladanMoonblad]

And of course, have multiple spell lists and variants chosen to quickly just hand to the GM for what you have prepared for the day. This is helpful if in one session you get a hint of the BBEG, like what race and a guess at build, you can prepare something "just in case" to make use of a weakness via your Knowledge checks.

My eldritch knight for instance, usually tools around with 3 variants; a general adventuring list, a research list, and a blaster list (all direct damage spells).

Also, get a bag of holding as soon as possible to carry around your arcane library, or at least use an adventuring spellbook while keeping your real arcane secrets safe behind a secret passage under some innocuous property.