New wizard needs advice

[Jaredh5432]

Hello! I'm a new player in the world of 3.5 my party is me and a rouge and a fighter. Being the only caster I know fs won't be the best. I'm thinking domain would give me best versatility and make me the best with the party. My question is what domain? I'm thinking maybe take a damage domain and leave my debuffs , crowd control, etc for my spell slots.? Any idea on how to have the most versatility? Keep in mind I Need all kinds of spells including damage. Thanks!

[Fouredged Sword]

Well, with a rogue and a fighter in the party, you don't need a ton of damage. Both of those classes are focused on damage, and you should spend your spell slots amplifying their ability to do so rather than trying to compete with them.

Second, healing can be done with healing belts and having the rogue UMD wands of lesser vigor and scrolls of the various restoration levels.

As a wizard your task is to ensure that the fighter and rogue have an overwhelming advantage in combat, then to sit back and enjoy your tea while they kill stuff. Grease renders targets prone and unable to use their dex to AC. Web blocks monsters off so you can fight them one at a time. Haste turns your party into blenders. Save your fireball blasting for targets that outnumber you and lack any serious HP or defenses. You will be shocked at how rarely it is needed.

A domain wizard in a fine option. Consider the conjuration domain.

[Story]

Conjuration and Transmutation are by far the best domains. I'd recommend Conjuration, especially for a newbie. Keep in mind that this is just the spells you get for free. You can always pick more spells yourself.

Just spam Web and Glitterdust all the time and you'll do fine.

Also, I'd recommend reading some online handbooks to clear up your misconceptions. Treantmonk's God Wizard guide is a pretty good one that also discusses party roles.

[Jaredh5432]

I've read most guides but there really isn't much on domains, I don't want to specialize because I am the only caster

[Fouredged Sword]

The conjuration domain is good for much the same reason that focusing in conjuration is good. It's just a good school of magic. Not focusing in a school is a not a bad idea, as it will give you more options. Buy pearls of power if you start feeling like you don't have enough spells.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Obligatory Wizard Handbook (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=394) link.

[Story]

The choice of domain doesn't ultimately matter that much, especially with Uncanny Forethought. So just pick a domain with good spells (hint, that means Conjuration or Transmutation) and be done with it.

[Inevitability]

Most domains that are recommended for dropping (necromancy, illusion, evocation) have spells that can easily be replicated by other schools.

Evocation is 80 % about damage... But other schools (especially conjuration) can deal damage if they have to.

Illusion is great for messing with your enemies... But so does enchantment.


Really, wizards have over 9000 spells available, so if the spell you currently need is from a banned school, chances are another school can do it too.

[Jaredh5432]

Most domains that are recommended for dropping (necromancy, illusion, evocation) have spells that can easily be replicated by other schools.

Evocation is 80 % about damage... But other schools (especially conjuration) can deal damage if they have to.

Illusion is great for messing with your enemies... But so does enchantment.


Really, wizards have over 9000 spells available, so if the spell you currently need is from a banned school, chances are another school can do it too.

I'm not specializing.. I'm choosing a domain....

[Endarire]

Consider Gray Elf Generalist Domain Wizard. You get the benefits of +2 INT, a -2 CON (a penalty mostly negatable by the feat Faerie Mysteries Initiate from "Dragon" #319, or here (http://www.realmshelps.net/cgi-bin/featbox.pl?feat=Faerie_Mysteries_Initiate)), extra spell slots, extra spells known, and other wonderful things.

My favorite Arcane Domains are Conjuration, Transmutation, and Enchantment. Yes, Enchantment. Because if I don't take the spells as Domain, I'll probably not be able to cast them when I go Incantatrix and bar Enchantment. (And let's not pollute this thread regarding whether Incantatrix's opposed school bars me from using spells I know and can cast via Wizard Domain.)

Power-wise, the Conjuration and Transmutations Domains are probably the best.

See also the Easy Bake Wizard Handbook (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?p=16813695) and Easy Bake Wizard Spellbook for Dummies (http://www.minmaxboards.com/index.php?topic=4488.0).

To allay confusion, see Wizard Domains (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/variantCharacterClasses.htm#wizardVariantDomainWiz ard).

[Khedrac]

There appears to be some confusion here - your post title says "wizard", but "domains" are things for clerics not wizards (yes there are ways round that, but as a new player don't worry about it).

A cleric gets to choose 2 domains (based on their deity and the campaign setting). They then have one bonus spell slot of each level which they can fill with a spell from either of their two domain lists.

A wizard does not get domains.
The can specialise to get bonus spells of their school, which is what most of the above posters thought you were referring to.

[Jaredh5432]

There appears to be some confusion here - your post title says "wizard", but "domains" are things for clerics not wizards (yes there are ways round that, but as a new player don't worry about it).

A cleric gets to choose 2 domains (based on their deity and the campaign setting). They then have one bonus spell slot of each level which they can fill with a spell from either of their two domain lists.

A wizard does not get domains.
The can specialise to get bonus spells of their school, which is what most of the above posters thought you were referring to.

I'm doing the wizard domain instead of specilizing

[PaucaTerrorem]

There appears to be some confusion here - your post title says "wizard", but "domains" are things for clerics not wizards

Domain Wizard

*Edit swordsaged