Will I break the game?

[Arael666]

Two weeks ago I joined a new group (we play online with roll20 a teamspeak), I met the GM through facebook and talked with him a bit, he seemed like a nice guy and I decided to join his game but now I think that I might be a "problem" for the campaign. My first impression of the GM was of a guy who had a substantial amount of knowledge of the system, so I decided to make a Wizard who will go into incantatrix. I'm lvl 5, specialized in conjuration, and focused on battlefield control and buff spells.

Last Monday was our first session, and here's the problem: My first impression of the DM was completely wrong! Although he knew a few game breaking builds he had no understanding of game balance AT ALL. I realized my mistake after he said a few things about the other players characters, like the fighter being the best class in the player handbook ("you can do anything with the fighter" - actual quote) and that the best role a druid could fill was of a "scout".

Since we're talking about the other players, I completely misjudged them also!! When I "applied" for the game the DM informed me that the other players were a druid, a cleric and a fighter and said they were "good players" with "strong characters". Since all I knew was their classes I took the DM's word for it and made my wizard. Then I got to play with them:

The druid has terrible spell selection, but is the best of the 3 (hard to screw up a druid, even trying); the cleric has 2 fighter levels and the fighter has endurance, diehard, toughness, power attack, cleave and great cleave as his selected feats (this is all by hearing them talking about their characters or seeing them in action, I didn't actually see their sheets).

So, playground, I do NOT want to break this game but it seems to me that my character will screw the campaign just by existing. The DM is really a nice guy and the other players seems to be good people too (a very fun group to game with indeed), they.... just don't know any better. Should I roll another character? should I change my spell selection? Am I worrying for nothing? what do you guys think?

[Honest Tiefling]

Play the wizard if that is what you want. Don't do too many familiar shennigans and buff the crap out of them and toss in the odd control now and again. Give yourself a nerf. Wizard is only tier 1 when played like that, so ask yourself if you can make the wizard enjoyable for all at the table before replacing the character.

If you do decide on something else, sorcerer or bard might be good picks.

[Jack_Simth]

Yeah, focus on party buffs. Use your regular slots for buffs such as Haste (you've got a multiple-melee party), (Greater) Mage Armor (to buff the Druid - after all, he's not wearing most armors in Wild Shape), Protection from Arrows, Displacement, Blur, Rage (for the fighter), and any other buffs you can scrounge up. Your speciality slots you fill with Summons and teleportation spells - Benign Transposition (Spell Compendium), Summon Monster II, Summon Monster III, Dimension Door, Teleport, et cetera.

Then you spend time helping everyone else out, shuffling people around the battlefield so they get their full attacks on (Druid in Cat/Fleshraker form pounces, Fighter delays, you swap the places of the Fighter and Druid, Fighter full attacks and five-foot steps out of the way. Next round, the Druid Pounces again, you cast Rage on the Fighter, and then the Fighter full attacks harder).

[Haldir]

Your wizard is built to make them better, do that. Craft them the appropriate items, give them the appropriate buffs, and leverage your intense mystical might wisely. Even a fighter can be useful if he's got the right gear.

[Extra Anchovies]

Then you spend time helping everyone else out, shuffling people around the battlefield so they get their full attacks on (Druid in Cat/Fleshraker form pounces, Fighter delays, you swap the places of the Fighter and Druid, Fighter full attacks and five-foot steps out of the way. Next round, the Druid Pounces again, you cast Rage on the Fighter, and then the Fighter full attacks harder).

THIS! The Benign Transposition death shuffle is definitely my favorite example of how a Wizard can be more effective when targeting allies than when targeting enemies.

Also, at mid/higher levels, Regroup can get everyone into position, which is also nice.

[Arael666]

Don't do too many familiar shennigans

Actually I traded my familiar for the Complete Champion acf that lets me cast any divination spell.


Yeah, focus on party buffs. Use your regular slots for buffs such as Haste (you've got a multiple-melee party), (Greater) Mage Armor (to buff the Druid - after all, he's not wearing most armors in Wild Shape), Protection from Arrows, Displacement, Blur, Rage (for the fighter), and any other buffs you can scrounge up. Your speciality slots you fill with Summons and teleportation spells - Benign Transposition (Spell Compendium), Summon Monster II, Summon Monster III, Dimension Door, Teleport, et cetera.

My spell selection is pretty much what you just described, give or take, so that part is pretty much covered.




Then you spend time helping everyone else out, shuffling people around the battlefield so they get their full attacks on (Druid in Cat/Fleshraker form pounces, Fighter delays, you swap the places of the Fighter and Druid, Fighter full attacks and five-foot steps out of the way. Next round, the Druid Pounces again, you cast Rage on the Fighter, and then the Fighter full attacks harder).

That's precisely what I intend to do, while the players will probably love it the DM might have a different opinion. When I said I fear that I might break the campaign I didn't mean only that I could overshadow the other characters and make them feel redundant, I also fear that the DM might not be able to keep up with what the group will be able to do with my added capabilities. I guess I'll do things little by little, and see if the DM gets surprised or not. Since you all seem to think it won't be much of a problem, I feel more reassured.

[Honest Tiefling]

Could talk to the DM, if you think you can do so without seeming like you are bragging or condescending to him. Might be a good idea, but it can very easily come across as being a jerk.

[Jowgen]

I put my 2 coopers on the "buff and take slow" side of the recommendation. A less than ideal spell here, a basically wasted action there should really be the most it'll take. As long as you don't go all out, your party shouldn't be able to simply walk all over the campaign as is, and the DM should be able to gradually adapt to you getting progressively more serious.

[daremetoidareyo]

The worse case scenario is that your buffs will make combat go faster and sessions may end 15 minutes earlier. That much more role-play and plot development may make everything go nicely, even. A lot of the time, even in a well crafted campaign, combat is just a lame slog used to grind for xp rather than to advance the community storytelling aspects. The most enjoyable thing about combat is using the environment in novel ways, and many DMs don't make too many interactive combat environments as it is. You'll be fine, unless you aren't. In which case, just keep communicating, to players and DM alike.

[RolandDeschain]

PrC into War Weaver

[Jack_Simth]

That's precisely what I intend to do, while the players will probably love it the DM might have a different opinion. When I said I fear that I might break the campaign I didn't mean only that I could overshadow the other characters and make them feel redundant, I also fear that the DM might not be able to keep up with what the group will be able to do with my added capabilities. I guess I'll do things little by little, and see if the DM gets surprised or not. Since you all seem to think it won't be much of a problem, I feel more reassured.
Ah, as long as it's the entire party (or near enough) that's stepping it up a level, the DM can cope fairly easily: Just up the CR (of Brutes only) a point at a time until it starts getting to the appropriate level of difficulty.

[Troacctid]

Actually I traded my familiar for the Complete Champion acf that lets me cast any divination spell.

That one costs a bonus feat, not a familiar, and IIRC there's errata that says it only works for divination spells you already know.

[Arael666]

That one costs a bonus feat, not a familiar, and IIRC there's errata that says it only works for divination spells you already know.

Sorry, I knew that I had the acf but couldn't remember what I traded for it. The Familiar was actually replaced with abrupt jaunt.

[Rickshaw]

Alternatively, you could build as hard core as you'd like, but scale back your plays. Sure you could cast a dazing wall of fire and toast a bunch of dazed goblins, but why not save it for when your party actually IS beset by an army?

Essentially play a powerful but ultimately lazy wizard, who could kill everything but really can't be bothered to because his ridiculous improved familiar with reach won't stop raiding his spell component pouch for snacks, or his animated spell book has developed a really cranky personality and likes to snap at his fingers and give him paper cuts, so he tries not to use it. Something like that heh.

Did this with an artificer one game, only making minor things for the party, while keeping the nice stuff hidden away. It's a decent way to keep from having your nice things banned away xD

[Astralia123]

You may just make a "fun" character, though.

It is really easy to do with a wizard. Like, being a outpouring source of damage but without metamagic feats, and occasionally misuse several of them "Oh! How could I cast fireball at salamanders!"

Just like what V did before 100 strips.

[LTwerewolf]

The clear answer is the god wizard. Break the **** out of the game, but don't let them realize you're doing it. Make them seem like THEY are completely awesome and foolproof.