Equipment for Wizard - by level

[Ionari]

What's a good equipment list (using standard wealth-per-level, and assuming no craft feats) for a wizard? I have in mind a battlefield-control type, semi-optimized but not cheese-oriented, and not a gish either, with adequate access to fighter-types. I've seen threads discuss optimal equipment for level 20, no-wealth-restrictions wizards, (and also for level 8 wizards - http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46025) but not for other levels and wealth amounts. What do you all think - what makes the cut on the wizard's inventory, at sub-20 levels?

All books allowed, and let's keep this to even levels (2 through 18) to cut out some repetition. I'll keep track of the proposed kits on this first post - feel free to suggest kit combos for any even levels, even if not the full 2-through-18 progression, I'll try to organize them. Also, please mention if any items are especially helpful to specific builds (e.g. incantatrix, IoSV, necromancer, etc.) more than for the general wizard population.

[Draz74]

The difficult part of this question, I think, is that a lot of a wizard's wealth (at low levels, and still a decent minority at higher levels) is just going to be scrolls and wands, and which scrolls and wands you need depends SO MUCH on the individual wizard and campaign.

[Ionari]

The difficult part of this question, I think, is that a lot of a wizard's wealth (at low levels, and still a decent minority at higher levels) is just going to be scrolls and wands, and which scrolls and wands you need depends SO MUCH on the individual wizard and campaign.

Fair enough. Okay, then for a given level, specify how much wealth you think is best tied up in scrolls/wands (perhaps mentioning some that are useful for certain broad categories of campaigns, e.g. "underground", "divine-heavy", "planar travel"), and then specify what you would pick for permanent items with the remaining wealth (e.g., headband of intellect +X, etc.).

[Duskwither]

I don't want to hijack the thread or anything, but while the topic is up, I feel I might ask for some advice concering a Sun Elf Wizard I'm making for an Undermountain campaign.

We're starting at level 6 with a 28 pt. buy, but the downer is that all we have is 5600GP to start with. I have no idea what I ought to buy with that.

Note: I'm planning as much utility as possible with this guy, and I'm hoping he gets cleared to become a Loremaster at some point.

[Matthew]

Probably some Magical protection. Does this count against your Scrolls and such? It's probably worth getting some of those.

[bosssmiley]

Strictly Core and generic as owt.

Casting stat adder item (Headband of Intellect, Cloak of Charisma).
Cloak of Resistance for save boosts, or ditto of Displacement for added "Nur-nur-na-nur-nur" in combat.
Ring of Protection and Bracers of Armour.
Wand of favourite low-level, no-save-required dirty tricks (Rope Trick, Web, Grease, etc.).
Metamagic rod of your favourite effect (probably extend for the sheer usefullness of it).
A seabed's worth of Pearls of Power.
Scrolls out the wazoo, although you may prefer the more traditional scroll case. :smallwink:
1 Potion CSW, 1 Potion of Restoration, 1 wand CLW.
Blessed Book.
Handy Haversack to carry it all.

All of the above as soon as you can afford them.

Use early level XP to scribe scrolls (scroll = extra spells/day = a good thing), get the Craft Wondrous Item feat ASAP, blag as many spells as you can out of NPCs (even Tenser's Floating Disc of Cheesy Naffness saves gp you can use for more magic items). Anything to ensure your own survivability (for you are soft and squishy and have d4 hp/lvl) and to leverage your casting power as much as possible.

edit: remember also that the search option is your friend and wants to help you. For example, it found me this thread (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=46025)on wizard kit.

[Ionari]

Boss,

Thanks, your list of items is helpful. Do you have a sense of where the tradeoffs are between them? E.g., if I have a headband +2, do I spring for headband +4 or do I save for a cloak of displacement? What is more important for defense - deflection, or resistance? Is it generally better to have a wand with one spell, many charges, or an assortment of scrolls? (Bearing in mind the wand's better cost effectiveness and the general superiority of trigger casting vs scroll casting).

Also, the thread you pointed to is, I think, the same one I mentioned in the first post. Agreed - search is a friend.

[TheOOB]

Well, wands can only have one spell, so no no problums there.

A few items I find I great use to my wizard characters:

-Wand of Mage Armor
-Wand of Shield
-Mithral Buckler(No ACP, no ASF. Wait till you can get it with a +3 -enhancement)
-Twilight Mithral Chain Shirt(PHB II, no ACP, no ASF).
A good supply of dimension door scrolls(possibly a wand if thats not too expensive for you), and perhaps a teleport scroll or two (if you can afford them).
-Cloak of Resistance(You can cast displacement or use scrolls/wands, save bonuses are harder to get then concealment).
-Ring of Protection & Amulet of Natural Armor(Amulet of health is an option, but I'd rather not be hit then be able to take more hits.)
-Best spell stat boosting item you can reasonably afford(you are no greater then the power of your spells).
-Gloves of dex(AC, ranged touch attacks).
-If a spell can be useful at some time, scroll it.