Level 6 Wizard VS RL World War Z

[Xar Zarath]

What it says on the tin...you become a level 6 Wizard the moment the outbreak hits. If you're not familiar with the book consider the infection has only just begun. If you are familiar with the book, then it is just a week or two before the Great Panic.

Remember you're only level 6 and cannot advance (for all intents and purposes its E6 for you). If you spend xp on crafting or spells, you can regain xp but only up to level 6. You can select spells and your own spellbook/familiar (if you want) and researching spells still requires material components and such. Spells that require material components/focuses are not changed. If you pick spells that need onyx or diamonds, you need onyx or diamonds as necessary.

How would you survive? What would you do?

*Leadership feat is not allowed. You are the only one in the world with magic*

[legomaster00156]

Treat it as any zombie survival situation, because once you run out of ammo/spells, you've got just as much HP as a commoner of your level. You just happen to have the advantage of being able to cast defensive spells instead of just gunning down the endless hordes.

[Rakoa]

Prepare lots of Command Undead.

[Demidos]

Leadership for a cleric cohort with hide from undead? Or for a druid so he can cast earthfast to create an impregnable stronghold?

Pick up a reserve feat so that I can melt random zombies with acid in a pinch. Pick up flame hands for a similar reason.

Find a way to boost my caster level by 1 so as to obtain an improved familiar that can go invisible, such as an imp or a quasit, and can then fetch me anything I need while I hide in my safe little house?

[Acanous]

Rope Trick. All of the Rope Trick.
Invisibility might also be cool to have. Fly for sure. Kill zombies with fireball to replenish the XP you're going to lose on scrolls, then proceed to research all the spells, writing books as necessary.

[Xar Zarath]

Leadership for a cleric cohort with hide from undead? Or for a druid so he can cast earthfast to create an impregnable stronghold?

Your other 2 options are good but this one...hmm you know I will amend the OP to ban Leadership. You're the only one with magic in this world and you will have to make do. You could theoretically develop a spell that mimics the cleric/druid spells...

[Tvtyrant]

Well assuming a fairly standard loadout for me, my Wizard has 3 third level spells (fly, haste, fireball), at will fireballs (reserve feat), at least one effigy hydra, four second level spells (invisibility, web, glitter dust, rope trick) and a couple castings of summon monster I and grease.

So, first few zombies attack and I kill them. Realizing that something is wrong I take my loved ones and flee. Each day my hydra and I deal with a rapidly growing number of zombies. Alarm and rope trick keep us safe while sleeping, group stays bundled together otherwise. Since these are fast zombies I cannot deal with limitless amounts, eventually the group is overrun and since I am not a character I die trying to save them.

Back story is also optimized? I sneak onto a boat going to the antarctic, cast resist energy each day and call it good.

[stanprollyright]

1st level spells: Grease, Expeditious Retreat, Alarm, Mount, Tenser's Floating Disc
2nd: Command Undead, Rope Trick, Web, Levitate, Flaming Sphere
3rd: Fly, Fireball, Gaseous Form, Sleet Storm
Take Fiery Burst for never-ending magic "ammo."

Could also take Aquatic Breath and live safely on the bottom of the ocean.

[ben-zayb]

I haven't read or watched it, but from what info I can get online:

the Arctic's not safe
mountainous regions aren't safe
underwater regions (even those with intense pressure) aren't safe
feigning death mundanely isn't safe (no idea on magical deception)


More importantly than tactics, what would be the mid-term and long-term goals for this wizard? Reach some area? Research a cure?

[Xar Zarath]

...More importantly than tactics, what would be the mid-term and long-term goals for this wizard? Reach some area? Research a cure?

That's up to you, what would you do?

[Dusk Raven]

Since these are fast zombies I cannot deal with limitless amounts

I was briefly confused by this, until I remembered that a movie exists and that you were referring to it and not the book. In which case I'd have to ask the OP whether or not they mean the book or the movie, because they are different.


I haven't read or watched it, but from what info I can get online:

the Arctic's not safe
mountainous regions aren't safe
underwater regions (even those with intense pressure) aren't safe
feigning death mundanely isn't safe (no idea on magical deception)


Actually, the arctic is safe - from the zombies. In the predecessor to World War Z, "The Zombie Survival Guide" it's mentioned that zombies will freeze long, long before they get to you and even human raiders won't bother you. The problem comes from the fact that arctic regions are the most hostile environment on the planet. Also, mountains aren't a bad place either - in the books, India uses mountains as places to evacuate people to.

Anyway, much as I find this topic interesting, I don't play Wizards often, though the last time I played one I was level 5 or 6 so this should be right within my range of experience...

[Gabrosin]

It's not exactly clear from the original post that your wizard knows about the outbreak and its consequences, but let's assume that he does, but is incapable of reaching the source fast enough to avert the pandemic.

The top priorities in a situation like this would be defense and sustenance. Unfortunately, wizards don't have access to the right spells to deal with the latter, so the first priority would be doing some research. If allowed to research Create Food and Water as an arcane spell, a lot of the problems of the apocalypse become much simpler. The spell creates enough to feed three humans per casting, but more importantly it can be used to craft a Ring of Sustenance, so given enough time, the wizard could handle the nourishment needs of an arbitrarily large population, not to mention reducing their sleep needs to two hours per night.

The problem of defense can be solved in a lot of ways. Heading north to the arctic would be one of the most plausible options, with castings of Endure Elements providing protection for a small group, or a larger one with subsequent crafting of rings or other wondrous items that confer the spell's benefits. You can also just stock up on mundane cold weather gear and deal with the conditions. Remember, with food and water provided magically, the need to forage or farm is gone, so you can hole up and ride things out for a while in relative(ly boring) safety. Pretty much the only reason to head out of your stronghold would be to replenish XP expended during crafting.

Another, more pleasant option would be to use your magic to take control of an island somewhere. You can chance it in the Caribbean or Mediterranean if you want easier access to the swarmed mainlands, or you can drop yourself on some beach out in the Pacific if you want the safety of distance. The ideal place would be large enough to support a small community that can build up mundane shelters in the event of zombies reaching you.

Charm person would be an important spell to have on hand for helping to maintain loyalty. After all, you're going to be ruling this little community, but once you've handed out all your crafted items, someone might decide that you're expendable. Setting them on fire would probably turn the whole community against you, but charming them until you can otherwise deal with them in private would likely preserve your standing at the top of the hierarchy. I do support the Fiery Burst reserve feat choice so your zombie killing goes all day; the 30' range and area effect properties of the feat probably give it an edge over my usual choice, Acidic Splatter, even though Fiery Burst offers a reflex save which agile WWZ zombies could probably make regularly.

Dimension Leap would be another spell worth gaining access to, as would Flight. Either one could help you evade a sudden outbreak of zombies long enough to set up a high defensive position and start raining down fire. Alter Fortune would also help keep you alive in a pinch.

Long-term, your goal would be to research an arcane version of Remove Disease, and then turn that into a use-activated wondrous item that you could craft en masse for your followers. You could then set to combating the infection and recapturing territory from the zombies. At a minimum, you'd want to make safe zones on other nearby islands which hold supplies you don't otherwise have access to, like fuel and medicines. Though you could certainly spend your downtime researching spells for those purposes too.

Either that, or live out your natural lifespan on a tropical island full of worshippers who are dependent on you for their survival. That doesn't sound too bad.

TL;DR: Pretend you're a cleric, flee to a tropical island, live in paradise.

[ben-zayb]

Another interesting thought is taking the other humans into account. How would they react to your magic? Will they accuse you of causing the zombie infestation? Will they try to capture and dissect you to figure out how to use your magic for their own agaibst thse zombies?

[golem1972]

3.5, Pathfinder, or 3.P?

This changes our options quite a bit. I'll go with 3.5.

Human Eidetic (ACF) Generalist Wizard. Intelligence 16, Wisdom 14, other stats whatever. I would take Fiery Burst for unlimited ammo, and the Arcane Disciple feats for the Healing and Renewal domains. Healing for cure spells, magic items, and the Touch of Healing feat (sub-optimal, I know, but useful in a zombie apocolypse). Renewal for Remove Disease. Spontaneous Divination at 5th level, and Versatile Spellcaster at 6th (if I can cheese into casting reincarnation as a 4th level spell) or a crafting feat like Craft Construct. Craft Wonderous at 3rd level for permanent additions to power and versatility.

Kill those that you have to, save those that you can. Magic or not, the human race will die out if there are too few left.

Oh, and notice very quickly that the zombies ignore sick people since I work in emergency medicine.

Slightly off topic, what diseases will remove disease cure? All diseases? Just germ based diseases? Will it cure heart disease or parkinsons? ALS or cancer? Would it have any effect on the WWZ zombie "virus" since it seems to run on magic? :P

[Jack_Simth]

3.5?

Wizard. Arcane Disciple (Creation Domain) for Create Food and Water.

Cast Extended Rope Trick. Rest up. Fly out, dismiss rope Trick. Collect rope (hold it when dismissing, obviously). Fly until I get close to the Fly Spell expiring (making sure to get a lot of altitude). Cast another Extended Rope Trick. Create Food and Water when hungry.

That's a lot of 3rd level slots in a day. So I need a way to cut back. Arcane Thesis (Rope Trick) means that Extended Rope trick is a 2nd level spell slot (and lasts 16 hours +2 CL). So now over a 24 hour period, I need... two fly spells (3rd), two extended Rope Tricks (2nd), and one Create Food and Water (3rd). Wizard with 16 Int or better covers it. 2nd level spell slots still available. Add Domain Wizard (Fire) to the mix, and the Fiery Burst reserve feat for offence.

Potentially, Fly can be replaced by Invisibility. It depends on the senses of the zombies, and would need to be tested (with a fly spell immediately ready, of course). Useful if I need to hunt resources.

Final build:
Human Eidetic (ACF) Domain (Fire) Wizard.

Feats:
HB: Arcane Disciple (Creation)
1: Extend Spell
3: Arcane Disciple (Renewal)
WB 5: Fiery Burst
6: Arcane Thesis (Rope Trick)

Immediately relevant Spells:
Endure Elements, Rope Trick, Invisibility, Create Food and Water, Cure Disease, Fly, [Fire spells from Domain for Fiery Burst]

If invisibility works, shepherd one or two people on a long, dull trek somewhere safe (flying for 10 minutes a day ... heh, slow going). Cold enough that the zombies can't move works for me, as Endure Elements solves the cold problem, as a 1st level spell, for a fair number of people. I'll probably join some eskimos or something. People have lived in the arctic for a very long time, and I'm sure they'll welcome someone who can straight-up create food for 18, even if it's not very tasty (although: Prestidigitation... hmm...), and who can shelter several people from very bad weather.

[Rubik]

Alter Self grants flight for 10 min/lvl rather than 1 min/lvl and a ton of other things as well.

I'd be doing my best to initiate the theoretical ops combo that allows you to cast 9th level spells and start making repeating traps for effects like Mass Heal. Heck, since I could cast higher level spells, I'd be Planar Binding for Wishes and use those to make Wish traps that create repeating, Locate Creature, and teleporting-to-the-Located-Creature traps of Mass Heal and XP-less Revivify. Do the same for any and all undead, as well.

[Eldan]

If invisibility works, shepherd one or two people on a long, dull trek somewhere safe (flying for 10 minutes a day ... heh, slow going). Cold enough that the zombies can't move works for me, as Endure Elements solves the cold problem, as a 1st level spell, for a fair number of people. I'll probably join some eskimos or something. People have lived in the arctic for a very long time, and I'm sure they'll welcome someone who can straight-up create food for 18, even if it's not very tasty (although: Prestidigitation... hmm...), and who can shelter several people from very bad weather.

And fire. If civilization collapses, don't forget the value of access to free energy.

[Jack_Simth]

And fire. If civilization collapses, don't forget the value of access to free energy.
... a five-foot burst isn't very good for making a campfire. Might be useful for making a fishing hole, I suppose. Could maybe preheat the ground prior to going to bed... but then, I don't plan to sleep on the ground.

[Ruethgar]

Make a Rope Trick, become familiar with the interior, dismiss the trick, make a portal to the interior, translocate everyone I know and don't hate to my new world. Note that rope trick never says it creates the space it leads to so it technically the space exists without the spell, the spell's end simply empties it but once ended there is no further trigger keeping things out.

[Xar Zarath]

I was briefly confused by this, until I remembered that a movie exists and that you were referring to it and not the book. In which case I'd have to ask the OP whether or not they mean the book or the movie, because they are different.

Since you're more familiar with the book, book-wise then for you. How would you prepare and survive?

[Yahzi]

In most zombie books/movies, the only thing you really need to survive is basic competence. So I would use my 1st level spell to cast "Don't be an idiot," and avoid: shooting myself or my friends, needlessly fighting with other humans, not being able to drive, forgetting that Texas exists (seriously, just drive to middle of Texas. Every human being in North America, standing in a tight mob, would take up as much space as a large city. Do you know how many cities you can fit into Texas?), remembering how to use door knobs, and other common problems that seem to be quite difficult for people in the movies.

[Xar Zarath]

Would you still want to hang around in a group? If you had weapons and food, spells to keep yourself safe, why hang around with people who can see your magic and potentially harm you? They probably would to make sure you stay with them and keep using your magic for them...