New to Pathfinder - help me create my wizard

[ereinion]

I am quite new to Pathfinder, though I have played some other systems before (it is a few years ago). However, I have recently found myself with a bit more free time than I used to have, and to solve this I am hoping to start playing again. Being without a group, I figured these boards might be a good place to ease into it again, especially considering all the experts here who I am sure are glad to help a relative newbie back into the fold :smallbiggrin:

I am hoping to get a place in this campaign (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?348872-PF-Harsh-environment-%28seeking-players-and-GM%29) from the recruitment-board, but I am unfortunately having some trouble putting my character together - especially when it comes to feat- and spell-selection (and maybe traits, I haven't looked into that yet).

Considering that the campaign is going to be a sort of archeological expedition into the desert, I figured I'd make a sort of Indiana Jonesy character, whose main motivation is knowledge. Big, buff, and charming - but also a wizard. :smallsmile: His only drawback is that he's not got much common sense, and therefore makes some bad decisions at times.

This is what he looks like at the moment: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=894688

As you can see I made his dumpscore wisdom, which I guess might be a really bad idea with regards to saves and such, but I figured since Will is the strong save for wizards anyway, that might make up for it. What do you guys think?

I'd also be grateful to have some input on what are considered good first level feats and spells for a universalist... I started reading the lists at the Pathfinder SRD website, but it become too much of a monumental task for me, I'm afraid :smallsmile:

If you can think of anything else obvious which I have overlooked, I'd be happy to hear about that too - I am very much looking forward to hearing what goes into making a good basic wizard.

[13ones]

Well lets see if I can give you a hand, hmm? Sorcerers are more my thing but I know a fair bit about Wizards.

Well first of all I have to agree that Wis as a dump stat is really...worrying. Reflex saves mean you're about to take damage, Fort Saves mean you die, Will saves mean your party dies. And honestly if there is anything that does Wis damage you could fall to 0 VERY quickly, and thus be totally useless. I wouldn't drop Wis below 8, ever. It's just one of those stats I wouldn't drop, you know?

And now to the next thing. I'm not 100% sold on Universalist. I can see why you'd rather not ban a school but may I introduce you to a few things that some of the schools may provide you that would fit with your character?

Transmutation (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/arcane-schools/paizo---arcane-schools/classic-arcane-schools/transmutation)

This school right here is the largest school of spells in the game, and every level there is something useful. This is where a lot of your buffs are going to come from. This is where you get haste, enlarge person, and the always classic Disintegrate. You also get Baleful Polymorph, flesh to stone, and a dozen other fantastic save or lose spells that can suit your Archeologist. But what is important about this is the first level school power. This lets you get a +1 up to +5 to one physical score. I played a game with a Transmutation wizard. We named him Professor Muscles because he had the third highest Strength in the party...after our Barbarian and my pet T-Rex. Let that sink in. The wizard was naturally stronger than A Ranger, Oracle, Ninja, Bard, and just +2 short of a T-rex, all while still having stupidly high Int and Dex. This way you can take a flat 10 in Strength (thus letting you put points elsewhere) and still be a buff wizard.

Divination (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/arcane-schools/paizo---arcane-schools/classic-arcane-schools/divination)

Now I will confess, the Divination school is kind of underwhelming. Not a lot of solid stuff early on. But hear me out. You're not here for the spells, you're here for the school powers.

Forewarned (Su)
You can always act in the surprise round even if you fail to make a Perception roll to notice a foe, but you are still considered flat-footed until you take an action. In addition, you receive a bonus on initiative checks equal to 1/2 your wizard level (minimum +1). At 20th level, anytime you roll initiative, assume the roll resulted in a natural 20.

Hear that, son? you're going first. And when a Wizard goes first, the rest of the encounter is EASY. and if you're tomb crawling there will be surprise rounds...a lot of them. This is a good school, even if the spells are kinda meh, you know?


I've never personally been a fan of Universalist. Now I know why people go Universalist. To avoid banning a school and thus having access to everything. If you honestly want to do that I really suggest looking at a Sorcerer, who doesn't need to ban schools at all. But if you do want to take my advice and grab one of those two schools, or any of the other ones here are the schools I suggest banning. Now remember you can still take spells from opposed schools, it just takes 2 spell slots instead of 1.

Schools to ban:

Enchantment - I like confusion. I friggin' LOVE Confusion as a spell. I don't like the fact that most of this school will not effect most of the monsters. Sure, early game when will saves are low and humanoids are plentiful its powerful. Against anything mindless or with any kind of decent Will save you're wasting actions. Scrolls of Confusion always an option.

Necromancy - Once again, I LOVE Necromancy. It's literally one of my favourite things about casting. The idea of controlling life or death, being surrounded by an undead Horde...it's just amazing. Here's the problem...There are a handful of really useful Necromancy spells that you can use if you're not evil, and that is about it. You don't get these till very late in the game. Most early Necromancy stuff is pretty shaky anyways in how effective it can be. Scrolls of False Life are better than wasting a spell known on it. Also most of these spells target Fort as a save and that is ALWAYS the highest save.

Every other school is more useful than these most of the time. I'd suggest dropping them if you do want to focus.

If not then here are some suggestions for spells.

0-Level

Very Important:
- Read Magic
- Detect Magic
- Mage Hand
- Light
- Dancing Lights
- Message
- Prestidigitation

1-Level

Very Important:
- Protection from Chaos/Evil/Good/Law
- Grease
- Shield
- Mage Armor
- Detect Secret Doors (if you're tomb robbing. I suggest scrolls/wands)
- Color Spray
- Burning Hands (with the right build you can one shot a swarm of low CR monsters)
- Vanish
- Enlarge Person
- Expeditious Retreat


Those are some of my favourite 0 and 1st level spells. If you'd like a full list of 'recommended' spells I'd love to offer one. I can also offer a more focused list if you'd like to inform me what you'd like to be doing in combat. Do you want to keep everyone safe? Buff? Debuff? Summon things to do your bidding? Warp the battlefield? Blow stuff up?

Low level feats? Toughness. Maybe Dodge? I always have trouble suggesting low level feats without really knowing what kind of caster you eventually want to be.

[ereinion]

*sigh* I guess you are right about the wisdom - I just wish that playing a somewhat foolhardy and rash character could be reflected in the stats too, without completely nerfing the build - no such luck, I guess :) Based on your advice I guess I'll move the 6 to Charisma, switch to transmutation and put the bonus stat point in intelligence - it'll certainly help to buff that stat to 20. I suppose I'll have to refluff my character to just be big and buff and not so charming :) Who needs charm anyway, when you've got fireballs, right? Oh, and in case you missed it we are not doing statbuy, we got 5d6b3 x2, so I am afraid I am stuck with my 6 in one score (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?348872-PF-Harsh-environment-%28seeking-players-and-GM%29/page2).

With regards to specialization you have probably gathered that I'll go with transmutation, I mean, since I said so at all. The school power just seems so useful, especially at lower levels, so I'll just gamble the campaign not being optimized enough that getting the jump is what will let me live or die :P At level 2 the bonus from the specialization in Divination won't be that high anyway... Though getting to act in the surprise round certainly seems tempting. I suppose making a divination-based caster would fit with being knowledge driven too, but I think it will just be simpler mechanics-wise to have transmutation as my favorite. As you say, it is a very versatile school.

As for schools to ban, enchantment and necromancy sounds decent, especially considered that I'll play a good character so a lot of necromancy will be banned for me. It's kinda silly really, I can't remember us having the evil descriptor back when I played last :( I suppose an extra ray of disintegration will just have to make up for fingers of death, enervation and rays of enfeeblement :) It seems those spells have been somewhat nerfed anyway, since I played last...

With regards to the spells, I think I'll make Protection from Evil my bonded spell, a rough outline of what other spells I think I'll bring along can now be found on my character sheet (http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=894688). I think I'll try to focus on battlefield control, and snipe on enemies from afar, with my longbow. Obscuring mist and expeditious retreat are for when things go sour - though I might get away with having just one of them , and then bring along another Grease or maybe even burning hands? Vanish just seems to be a great utility spell! :) Have you got any further suggestions, or ideas for stuff I ought to change?

As for my first-level feat, I was hoping something like Luck of Heroes (http://dndtools.eu/feats/forgotten-realms-campaign-setting--19/luck-of-heroes--1796/) might still be around? I just don't feel that Toughness or Dodge will do enough for me, at least not when I've gained a few more levels? Having looked through a bit more of the feats list, these look somewhat decent, I guess:

Detect Expertize (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/detect-expertise)
Spell Focus (Conjuration) (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/spell-focus---final) (is conjuration the best choice?)
Spell Penetration (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/spell-penetration---final) (maybe not necessary quite yet)
Arcane Strike (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/arcane-strike-combat) (may not be so useful in the long run?)
Point-Blank Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/point-blank-shot-combat---final) -> Precise Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/precise-shot-combat---final) (-> Focused Shot (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/combat-feats/focused-shot-combat)) - should a caster take combat skills? I fear I'll fail at combat while letting my spellcasting suffer if I go this route...
Cosmopolitan (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/local-feats/cosmopolitan-local)

I'm afraid I am not entirely sure where I want to end up yet, as I am rather unfamiliar with the system :P

And thanks a ton for your input! I would have spent ages trying to figure out my character without any help :)

[13ones]

Arcane Strike and the arrow chain is not for you. Arcane strike is better on Alchemists, Magus, and Bards. And you're a caster, your bab is horrible. After level 3 you should never be using a bow EVER unless in an anti-magic zone.

Toughness is pretty required for casters in order to get more hit points. For a caster you have better options to avoiding damage outside of straight AC. Hit Points are better in the long run.

I'd suggest, Combat Casting, Toughness, Improved Initiative, Dodge,Spell focus (Transmutation) or (Conjuration), or Great Fortitude to start. Spell pen is REALLY good, but you already have some as an Elf and you don't really need any early game.

Conjuration is literally the best school of magic, full stop. It gives you every tool you need to meet certain situations. want to hide? Mist. Want to restrict movement? Pits and Walls. Spell penetration doesn't matter with summoned monsters. Also it generally has acid damage linked to it which, while low is the least resisted elemental type in the game (fire being the most). I personally find it UNGODLY boring to play a conjuration wizard. Evocation, Illusion, and Necromancy is more my bag.

If you're really looking for some idea of what you may want to look like I'd suggest this as a good starting spot: http://www.pathfindercommunity.net/iconic-characters/ezren---iconic-wizard/ezren-iconic-wizard-1

It's a good basic character sheet and a decent idea of what you may want to look like in terms of stats and gear.

And then there is this. https://docs.google.com/document/d/13IZTV59ItNsK63RHQo2XGkjMKiU8LfRu5PCaE3R5lco/edit?pli=1

Enjoy.

[3drinks]

I actually just made a [level 5] Diviner Wizard for a PF game. Being a specialist is easier than in 3.5 and my DM let me go into Master Specialist from Complete Mage - maybe your DM will allow the same? My DM also only made me give up one school as Divination is one of the smallest and in 3.5 Diviners only had to give up one school as well.

Let me preface this by saying I love the Divination school. They say "Knowledge is Power" and the Diviner has this in spades. Detect Secret Doors/Undead are available to you early on, followed by Detect Thoughts and then the ubiquitous Clairaudience/Clairvoyance soon after. Some of these spells, are capable of solving entire encounters/adventures on their own. I supplemented this arsenal with Enchantment spells; yes, some will tell you Enchantment is less-than-effective depending on the monsters you encounter, but aside from the undead/Constructs/Ooze style monsters, I am fairly confident in my DCs to be able to make them work.

My Wizard is made for support; very seldom do I worry about dealing damage (I do have Magic Missile if I must) while for everything else I am relying on Hold Person, Hypnotic Pattern, and Web to lead my allies to victory. Invisibility can get me out of a sticky situation. I guess you don't quite have those yet - Grease will be your bread-and-butter spell and Colour Spray is pretty good too at this point in the game.

For my stats, I was given 14 point-buy to work with. I dumped both Str and Cha as they don't matter to a Wiz, then (and here's the really cool trick) I aged my character to Old Age for a net -3 Str, Dex, Con and +2 Int, Wis, Cha. It's a very handy trick that doesn't really have a downside to it, and because of how hard I've pushed Int, I have more spells/day than a Sorcerer and waaaayyyyy more spells known.

If you want to take a look at it, here is the link: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=897011 Like I said it does not look powerful on the surface but subtlety is the key. Hope this helps you.

[ereinion]

Arcane Strike and the arrow chain is not for you. Arcane strike is better on Alchemists, Magus, and Bards. And you're a caster, your bab is horrible. After level 3 you should never be using a bow EVER unless in an anti-magic zone.

That was pretty much what I expected, but with a dex of 18 it was rather tempting to focus on this since I'll run out of spells really fast at my current xp-level :) Oh, well, I'll still hit on occassion, I guess :) And there are cantrips I can use an unlimited amount of, though I don't know if there are a lot which are very useful in combat...


Toughness is pretty required for casters in order to get more hit points. For a caster you have better options to avoiding damage outside of straight AC. Hit Points are better in the long run.
I'd suggest, Combat Casting, Toughness, Improved Initiative, Dodge,Spell focus (Transmutation) or (Conjuration), or Great Fortitude to start. Spell pen is REALLY good, but you already have some as an Elf and you don't really need any early game.

Hmm, I went with Detect Expertise (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/detect-expertise) when choosing on my own, as I figured it would be useful to know about opponents abilities, but I guess the feats you are listing can be of more general usefulness. I see that at least Toughness has been improved since the last time I visited the DnD universe, but I am still not sure if it provides a great enough boon that it's worth taking. The same goes for Combat Casting, as I really don't plan on casting spells if I am engaged in melee for now, and later on my Concentration checks should be high enough that I'll succeed at casting defensively even without the feat - or am I missing something. The +1 AC bonus from Dodge also seems pretty marginal which leaves me with Improved Initiative, Spell Focus (Transmutation), Spell Focus (Conjuration), or Great Fortitude from the ones you list as good starter feats, all of which seems like solid choices. Unless there is a good reason to do something else, I think I'll go for Spell Focus (Conjuration) as it is a very solid school, and having opponents slip around in my Grease while I and the party attack from a distance seems like a decent low-level strategy. Later on both this school and Transmutation have some very solid spell choices, so I guess I'll continue increasing the save DCs for both of those. Maybe with Spell Penetration added in ;)


Conjuration is literally the best school of magic, full stop. It gives you every tool you need to meet certain situations. want to hide? Mist. Want to restrict movement? Pits and Walls. Spell penetration doesn't matter with summoned monsters. Also it generally has acid damage linked to it which, while low is the least resisted elemental type in the game (fire being the most). I personally find it UNGODLY boring to play a conjuration wizard. Evocation, Illusion, and Necromancy is more my bag.

You forgot to mention Solid Fog, and the various other fog variations, but yeah :smallbiggrin: I think you also forgot about sonic damage, unless that has been removed as a damage type? Not that it matters much, as far as I can recall there are almost no spells dealing that kind of damage anyway, and the ones that do deals a piddling amount. Energy substitution worked well with it though :) I think I'll stick with it as a solid choice for now, and once I've gotten more used to the system I'll switch to some more challenging schools to specialize in.


If you're really looking for some idea of what you may want to look like I'd suggest this as a good starting spot: http://www.pathfindercommunity.net/iconic-characters/ezren---iconic-wizard/ezren-iconic-wizard-1

It's a good basic character sheet and a decent idea of what you may want to look like in terms of stats and gear.

And then there is this. https://docs.google.com/document/d/13IZTV59ItNsK63RHQo2XGkjMKiU8LfRu5PCaE3R5lco/edit?pli=1

Enjoy.
Thanks a lot for your help, once again! I'll have a look at the sheets you linked to, and see what I can learn from them :)


I actually just made a [level 5] Diviner Wizard for a PF game. Being a specialist is easier than in 3.5 and my DM let me go into Master Specialist from Complete Mage - maybe your DM will allow the same? My DM also only made me give up one school as Divination is one of the smallest and in 3.5 Diviners only had to give up one school as well.

I couldn't find the Master Specialist on the SRD pages, and the only book I own is the Core Rulebook. Is it something similar to the Sin Magic Specialist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/arcane-schools/paizo---arcane-schools/classic-arcane-schools/thassilonian-specialist)?


Let me preface this by saying I love the Divination school. They say "Knowledge is Power" and the Diviner has this in spades. Detect Secret Doors/Undead are available to you early on, followed by Detect Thoughts and then the ubiquitous Clairaudience/Clairvoyance soon after. Some of these spells, are capable of solving entire encounters/adventures on their own. I supplemented this arsenal with Enchantment spells; yes, some will tell you Enchantment is less-than-effective depending on the monsters you encounter, but aside from the undead/Constructs/Ooze style monsters, I am fairly confident in my DCs to be able to make them work.

My Wizard is made for support; very seldom do I worry about dealing damage (I do have Magic Missile if I must) while for everything else I am relying on Hold Person, Hypnotic Pattern, and Web to lead my allies to victory. Invisibility can get me out of a sticky situation. I guess you don't quite have those yet - Grease will be your bread-and-butter spell and Colour Spray is pretty good too at this point in the game.

I think I'll stick with Transmutation specialist for now, as I really fell in love with those extra stat-points >_> That said, I will certainly keep the divination spells in mind when selecting my spell list, though I know some DMs dislike everything being solved by spells, rather seeing the problems being solved through RP, fluff, and/or skills. Though I guess divination could help provide some input for the problem solving if applied the right way :) As for enchantment, I think that unless I think the other schools will suffice fine when it comes to crowd control; grease, web, fog, etc. should provide a lot of different options.


For my stats, I was given 14 point-buy to work with. I dumped both Str and Cha as they don't matter to a Wiz, then (and here's the really cool trick) I aged my character to Old Age for a net -3 Str, Dex, Con and +2 Int, Wis, Cha. It's a very handy trick that doesn't really have a downside to it, and because of how hard I've pushed Int, I have more spells/day than a Sorcerer and waaaayyyyy more spells known.

If you want to take a look at it, here is the link: http://www.myth-weavers.com/sheetview.php?sheetid=897011 Like I said it does not look powerful on the surface but subtlety is the key. Hope this helps you.
I ended up dumping charisma as well, which makes sense from a mechanical viewpoint, but it kinda sucks with regards to the fluff I wanted for this character :) Oh, well... The reason I normally am a bit hesitant to drop strength (or for that matter Dex and Con) too low, is carrying capacity - I don't want to be above a light load when I am running away. The other two are also nice to have at a decently high level because of HP and AC, but this does of course change once you reach higher levels :) At any rate I find it a bit cheesy to manipulate my stats by changing my age category, but it does (sort of) make sense from a mechanics standpoint if the DM allows it :)

Thanks a lot for you help, I am sure there I'll pick up some new tricks from your character sheet as well.

[Firest Kathon]

The same goes for Combat Casting, as I really don't plan on casting spells if I am engaged in melee for now, and later on my Concentration checks should be high enough that I'll succeed at casting defensively even without the feat - or am I missing something.

You should be aware that Concentration is no longer a skill, but a special check: 1d20 + Caster Level + Casting Attribute Modifier (Int for the Wizard). The DC is 15 + 2 x Spell level for casting defensively, so it's not as sure as it was in 3.5 that you make your Concentration checks.

There is not much to boost your check:

Combat Casting (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/combat-casting---final) (feat, +4)
Uncanny Concentration (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/uncanny-concentration) (feat, +2)
Focused Mind (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/focused-mind) (trait, +2)
Desperate Resolve (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/desperate-resolve) (trait, +1, +4 when grappled)
Arcane Temper (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/traits/magic-traits/arcane-temper) (trait, +1)

[3drinks]

I couldn't find the Master Specialist on the SRD pages, and the only book I own is the Core Rulebook. Is it something similar to the Sin Magic Specialist (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/classes/core-classes/wizard/arcane-schools/paizo---arcane-schools/classic-arcane-schools/thassilonian-specialist)?

I think I'll stick with Transmutation specialist for now, as I really fell in love with those extra stat-points >_> That said, I will certainly keep the divination spells in mind when selecting my spell list, though I know some DMs dislike everything being solved by spells, rather seeing the problems being solved through RP, fluff, and/or skills. Though I guess divination could help provide some input for the problem solving if applied the right way :) As for enchantment, I think that unless I think the other schools will suffice fine when it comes to crowd control; grease, web, fog, etc. should provide a lot of different options.

I ended up dumping charisma as well, which makes sense from a mechanical viewpoint, but it kinda sucks with regards to the fluff I wanted for this character :) Oh, well... The reason I normally am a bit hesitant to drop strength (or for that matter Dex and Con) too low, is carrying capacity - I don't want to be above a light load when I am running away. The other two are also nice to have at a decently high level because of HP and AC, but this does of course change once you reach higher levels :) At any rate I find it a bit cheesy to manipulate my stats by changing my age category, but it does (sort of) make sense from a mechanics standpoint if the DM allows it :)

Thanks a lot for you help, I am sure there I'll pick up some new tricks from your character sheet as well.

It's here (http://dndtools.eu/classes/master-specialist/). like I said it's in Complete Mage which is 3.5, and I don't believe Pathfinder made a version of it for their variant system. It's perfect as after your progression is over, you can slot right into the Archmage PrC...which PF seems to have taken away for reasons that don't make sense.

Manipulating age categories I guess can be a kind of cheese. For my fluff it worked - "Old Man Tom", as his name suggests, is a guy who's spent all of his years in university study, scrutinizing hundreds of thousands of documents and ideas and ancient texts (hence the bevvy of Knowledge skills he has). As a result, he's very pale-skinned from lack of sun, and his body is very frail/brittle (he'd probably struggle to carry a gallon of milk, lol). Early on you get around this because Wiz don't need much gear. Later game you get around this with a Handy Haversack. I have a light load of just fourteen pounds - and I don't foresee ever topping that.

When it comes to the Dex and Con argument about "better" AC and HP, how much does it really matter? Every two points is worth one AC or one HP per HD. Monster atk bonuses scale much faster than AC while for HP...well, a Wiz who finds himself getting hit regularly is a dead Wiz indeed. Certainly you don't want a negative mod here, but a ten is sufficient. So it's usually better to put those points into a stat that carries more weight.

But I respect your ideas and direction for your character, and I'm glad my sheet was able to be of use to you. From one Wizard to another, have fun!

[ereinion]

Ah, I had missed that that it was a 3.5 skill, sorry about that, and thanks for the link :smallsmile: It does look like a pretty neat prestige class, but it will be a few levels 'till I can start taking it, at least if the prerequisite stays at 5 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) and the ability to cast 2nd level spells. Certainly something to consider though, it has some really neat benefits. And yeah, if I could have continued into archmage that would have been amazing, it really was a powerful class. Mastery of elements was the best ability ever (see sonic damage in my previous post) :smallamused:

And yeah, being old can be decent fluff for a mage, but maybe not so much for an elfmage? I kinda picture all the really old elf mages staying at home crafting mythals and brooding over secrets man was not meant to know - though I guess that can be the case for other mages as well. And while con, dex, and strength may not mean much once a wizard is starting to gain a few spellcasting levels, I feel it is rather necessary at low-levels - unless the DM is kind enough not to target the mage >_> With regards to carrying capacity, I think just basic clothing is something like 8 pounds, + a staff for another 5 and a haversack for 5 more (numbers may not be correct, but should be in the neighbourhood) - I really can't see how you stay below at light load?

And yeah, you (and the other people participating in the thread) have really been of help :) Hopefully I get a spot in the game so I actually get to try this character out :smallbiggrin:

[FabulousFizban]

http://zenithgames.blogspot.com/2012/11/the-comprehensive-pathfinder-guides.html

[3drinks]

Ah, I had missed that that it was a 3.5 skill, sorry about that, and thanks for the link :smallsmile: It does look like a pretty neat prestige class, but it will be a few levels 'till I can start taking it, at least if the prerequisite stays at 5 ranks in Knowledge (Arcana) and the ability to cast 2nd level spells. Certainly something to consider though, it has some really neat benefits. And yeah, if I could have continued into archmage that would have been amazing, it really was a powerful class. Mastery of elements was the best ability ever (see sonic damage in my previous post) :smallamused:

3.5 and PF skill ranks are a bit different. A requirement of five ranks in 3.5 is only two ranks in PF (because PF gives that bonus three to the first rank you take in a class skill). So for a Wiz, you can qualify for Master Specialist after only three levels of Wiz. I guess sometimes the requirements would be met later, but I opted for my two Spell Focus feats at first level, which has proved to be a good idea anyway (who knew DC 17 Daze was amazing at lv1?)


And yeah, being old can be decent fluff for a mage, but maybe not so much for an elfmage? I kinda picture all the really old elf mages staying at home crafting mythals and brooding over secrets man was not meant to know - though I guess that can be the case for other mages as well. And while con, dex, and strength may not mean much once a wizard is starting to gain a few spellcasting levels, I feel it is rather necessary at low-levels - unless the DM is kind enough not to target the mage >_> With regards to carrying capacity, I think just basic clothing is something like 8 pounds, + a staff for another 5 and a haversack for 5 more (numbers may not be correct, but should be in the neighbourhood) - I really can't see how you stay below at light load?
:

Why not? An Elven Wizard has as much right as the next guy to spend his time in a library much the same way Old Man Tom has. And Elves do accrue old age penalties all the same.

As for carrying capacity, I get by with my Cloak of Resistance (1 lb), Boots of the Winterlands (1 lb), and my Haversack (5 lb). Everything else goes in the bag. Instead of a staff, I carry a dagger in my boot. By 12th lv I guess I'll have Craft Staff so I may need to do some adjusting. But I'll cross that bridge when I get to it (a pair of Gauntlets of Ogre Power will keep me well under the light load). Or I could just take the Endurance feat heh.

[The Mystic]

Based on your advice I guess I'll move the 6 to Charisma, switch to transmutation and put the bonus stat point in intelligence - it'll certainly help to buff that stat to 20.[/URL].

I'll be back to give some more advice once I've read through the thread, can't stick around now.

This is important though. Transmutation provides a floating bonus to a physical stat, it can make you harder, better, faster, stronger but not smarter.


You gain a +1 enhancement bonus to one physical ability score (Strength, Dexterity, or Constitution).

Sorry about that.