Help building a Wizard (Pathfinder)

[RedMage125]

So, I've payed 3rd edition since 3.0 was brand-spanking new, and I had just about every 3.5 supplement under the sun. I moved on to 4e when that came out, occasionally going back to 3.5e. But I had never given Pathfinder a chance. I just recently acquired the PDFs of just about all the books and was floored. I'm really excited to play PF now, and I got my chance.

Party needs a caster, which is cool, because I love Wizards. Party is level 5.

So far I've gone with Tiefling.
I went with the alternate racial trait of Prehensile Tail replacing Fiendish Sorcery, which is cool, because I wasn't using that trait.
And I went with Vegistal Wings to replace Skilled. Although I'm not sure if Fiendish Sprinter would have been better or not.

Feat selection so far:
Iron Will (DM has a PF conversion done for Incantatrix, so I'm going for it)
Armor of the Pit (+2 natural armor is pretty good for a feat)
Fiend Sight
Bonus feat - Empower Spell

I'm a Transumtation Specialist, with opposed schools being Necromancy and Illusion. Arcane Bond is a familair (Archeopterix-grants a +2 to Reflex, and it's a Tiny Dinosaur, which is sweet)

Someone suggested Combat Casting, which, I just looked up how that works, having negelected it since Concentration is no longer a skill in PF.

Can I get some suggestions? Namely with the racial and feat choices. I'm already under the impression that Fiend Sight needs to be changed.

I thought about Sylph instead of tiefling, but given the choice between the two, I like tiefling better.

Oh, and in case it matters, rolled stats, got 18 15 15 14 14 13

And the "converted Incantatrix" no longer gives up a school when the PrC is joined, so...sweet

[Raven777]

I'm no expert on Wizards, as I mostly deal with my own Sorcerer, but...

For race, you cannot ever go wrong with Human. The bonus feat and bonus skill point are always good, and the extra free spell learned each level cannot really hurt if you decide to go with that as the favored class bonus instead of the extra skill or health point (which are also good). Tiefling is not a bad choice, in the sense that it won't make you a worse Wizard, but it will not make you a better one either.

You might prefer a Greensting Scorpion or Dodo as a familiar, for the +4 bonus to Initiative. Wizards like going first in battle. Though in the end, from 7th level onward, you might want to replace your base familiar with an Improved Familiar (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/general-feats/improved-familiar) anyway. The Faerie Dragon is particularly amazing because of the Telepathy, which allows your whole group to relay communications through it, silently. It also has spells of its own, like Grease.

Also, if you are a Transmutation Wizard, won't most of your spells be buffs, debuffs and battlefield alteration? Things like Enlarge Person, Burning Disarm, Fly, Haste, Slow, Elemental Body? Doesn't that make Empower Spell, which mostly deals with damage, not the best feat choice, especially at lower level when what you can put it on will be limited? One feat you might like as a Tiefling since you have natural Darkvision and Darkness as a spell like ability is Tenebrous Spell (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/feats/metamagic-feats/tenebrous-spell-metamagic). It raises the caster level and DC by 1 each if you cast within dim light or darkness, which is not bad at all and pretty cool flavor wise.

[RedMage125]

Not interested in changing his race to human. I'm actually working on a pretty cool backstory, so at this point I'm kind of invested in the tiefling.

I'm also pretty happy with the archeopteryx. I don't want a bug, and a dodo is Small, not tiny, which may pose some problems. Plus, I've always been a big dinosaur fan, and archeopteryx was one of my favorites as a kid, and I like the black and red one shown in the Bestiary 4. Who wouldn't want a little dinosaur?

I checked out Tenebrous Spell. not my bag, but I thought about what you said regarding Empower, and you may be right.

Since I'm level 5, and Magic Missile is just now in that narrow range where it can be mildly effective, I'm considering Toppling Spell. Any creature who takes damage from a force spell gets a trip attempt made against them using my INT mod (+6) instead of STR, and I can target 3 creatures. Tripping 3 creatures for the price of a level 2 spell slot seems pretty good battlefield control. And as levels go up, that becomes even better. Splitting the magic missiles up against different targets and getting free trips against them all, with a guaranteed hit (and a minute amount of damage included) seems like a pretty good deal.

I'm especially interested in thoughts on the other feat choices and whether or not Vegistal Wings is worth it (although it remains cool)

[RedMage125]

Just a little bump so the thread doesn't get lost.

[Kurald Galain]

Ok...

On a caster, Vestigial Wings is better than Fiendish Sprinter, and of course by level 5 you'll have access to the Fly spell.
Empower Spell is not so useful unless you're a blaster wizard, and of somewhat higher level than you currently are. Bouncing Spell is a nice alternative, as is Toppling Spell. In either case, consider taking the Metamagic Master trait to counteract the level increase. Rime Spell may be interesting if you're into cold attack spells.
Fiend Sight isn't worth the feat. Combat Casting isn't necessary unless you're planning to be in melee a lot. At higher level, Persistent Spell is a good pick, and Imp Initiative is always nice.

[Arc_knight25]

Are you dead set on Transmutation?

Divination is great for always going first. You add 1/2 your wizard lvl to Inititive. Add on improved inititive and one of the +4 inititive familiars, and acouple of dex items. Your looking at always going first and always having the ability to use the right spell at the right time.

You still get all those lovely Transmutation spells, but you get to buff even if surprised, or at the beginging of a fight, because you will be going first.

[Kurald Galain]

Divination is great for always going first. You add 1/2 your wizard lvl to Inititive. Add on improved inititive and one of the +4 inititive familiars, and acouple of dex items. Your looking at always going first and always having the ability to use the right spell at the right time.

Yes, but the downside of divination is that your extra spell slots go to waste, because at several spell levels there just aren't any divination spells that you'd normally be using every day. And extra spell slots are the biggest benefit to being a specialist.

[RedMage125]

I appreciate the feedback

Ok...

On a caster, Vestigial Wings is better than Fiendish Sprinter, and of course by level 5 you'll have access to the Fly spell.
Empower Spell is not so useful unless you're a blaster wizard, and of somewhat higher level than you currently are. Bouncing Spell is a nice alternative, as is Toppling Spell. In either case, consider taking the Metamagic Master trait to counteract the level increase. Rime Spell may be interesting if you're into cold attack spells.
Fiend Sight isn't worth the feat. Combat Casting isn't necessary unless you're planning to be in melee a lot. At higher level, Persistent Spell is a good pick, and Imp Initiative is always nice.
I like the flavor of having wings, too.
Metamagic Master only applies to one spell, and the DM's got an Incantatrix converted to PF that I will be netering next level. I've switched to Toppling Spell, I think that will actually make Magic Missile useful.
I've already decided to switch Fiend Sight out. I'm gonna try to stay out of melee, but the DM was the one to recommend Combat Casting, which make me think I may get forced into melee whether I like it or not. Apart from that, though, I think I will take Improved Initiative. I need to find out if this DM is doing Traits. Because if he is, then I've got one in mind that gives an additional +2.
That said, I think Armor of the Pit is still a good choice, yes? Especially at low levels? +2 natural armor bonus for a wizard brings my AC to 17 (ring of protection +1, and the Trans specialist boost brings my DEX mod to +4). Which means in combat, a little Mage Armor brings me up to a 21, which seems really good for a level 5 wizard

Are you dead set on Transmutation?

Divination is great for always going first. You add 1/2 your wizard lvl to Inititive. Add on improved inititive and one of the +4 inititive familiars, and acouple of dex items. Your looking at always going first and always having the ability to use the right spell at the right time.

You still get all those lovely Transmutation spells, but you get to buff even if surprised, or at the beginging of a fight, because you will be going first.

It was a tough call between those two, to be honest, lol. But since I'm PrC-ing out after level 5 of wizard, it boils down to this: 1)Get a +2 initiative, and a 3+INT/day ability to spend a standard action to give a touched creature a +2 bonus to rolls for one round; OR 2) Get a +2 bonus to any physical ability score, which can change each day, as I like, and get a 3+INT/day ability to pimp slap people at a range of 30'. And honestly, when it comes down to it, I can't think of a low-level divination that I'd for sure want to have prepared EVERY DAY, to use the bonus spell slots granted by specializing. Whereas Transmutation has things like Enlarge Person and Feather Fall for level 1, Knock and Rope Trick for level 2, Fly and Haste for level 3. I know I'm going to want at least one of those prepared at each level for each day (especially Feather Fall when I have Fly, just in case Fly gets dispelled).

Funny thing is, since I've been working on his backstory, I decided he was educated in the Cypher Lodge in Varisia (Riddleport), and while the Cypher mages teach all schools, there is a marked preference for Divination and Transmutation. Which I found out AFTER I'd made my decision between the two, and after I had already decided on the Cypher Lodge just because of how much I liked their outlook and attitude.

I like familiars that fly. Greensting Scorpions and Dodo birds do not fly. And Dodos are Small, not Tiny, which means the familiar cannot occupy my space. The DM dropped hints that he's directed attacks at familiars before. I think I'll keep my feathered dinosaur. I'm also just not a fan of the dodo because I don't want a fat little bird the size of a halfling who looks DELICIOUS. Replacing a familiar can be a pain, even if Pathfinder is less harsh than 3.5e.