Tribal Wizard (PC help)

[Anonymouswizard]

I will hopefully be joining a game at Easter, and have come up with a concept that should be fun to play, a wizard raised in a tribe of desert-dwelling elves. She's left the tribe to undergo a rite of passage, trying to find information that will help the tribe. My current build is:

Enna
CN Half elf Wizard 3
Arcane tradition: Diviner
Background: Outlander
STR 8
Dex 14
Con 14
Int 16
Wis 12
Cha 12

Skills: Acrobatics, Athletics, Investigation, Medicine, Nature, Survival

Cantrips:
Firebolt
Mage Hand
Prestidigitation

Spellbook:
1:
Comprehend Languages
Color Spray
Detect Magic
Fog Cloud
Grease
Identify
Mage Armour
Tasha's Hideous Laughter
Unseen Servant

2:
Detect Thoughts (what?)
Hold Person

Notes: has a component pouch instead of an arcane focus, also has flute proficiency and I'll asking if I can start with one.

The idea is to act as a debugger/controller in combat, locking down an enemy, color spraying a few, and plonking with firebolt to deal damage. Any suggestions on a better spell loadout? The only restriction is that I don't want damaging spells that aren't cantrips.

Also acts as an investigator with the skill and divination spells (including Clairvoyance as my first 3rd level pick).

Also, at 4th level would it be better to increase my intelligence to 18 or pick up Alert or War Caster?

[Nicodiemus]

You should only have 8 first levels and 2 seconds at third level. Also, I'd swap out Tenser's for Unseen Servant. Way more utility. And don't hamstring your character by completely avoiding offensive spells. Its part of what balances the class choice.

[Anonymouswizard]

You should only have 8 first levels and 2 seconds at third level. Also, I'd swap out Tenser's for Unseen Servant. Way more utility. And don't hamstring your character by completely avoiding offensive spells. Its part of what balances the class choice.

Huh, I was sure that was 8 1st levels, I'll probably drop comprehend languages, I speak 4 already (Outlander Background+half-elf), which I spent the two free ones on races which probably won't speak common.

Also, I don't see how Tenser's has more utility than Unseen Servant. Unseen Servant has far less carrying capacity, but it serves as a 60-foot pole, distraction (as long as you don't have to be the sneaky one), basic servant, and so on. I'll be picking up Tenser's if the DM allows me a few extra 1st levels though.

Also, I forgot to put this in the first post as I'm still waiting to hear if multiclassing is allowed, but is it worthwhile swapping my Con and Wis modifiers and multiclassing with Druid? (specifically Circle of the Land (desert)) Or is it better to pick either Wizard or Druid and stick with it.

For the record, I don't feel like damage spells fit the concept, would it be better to go for a Druid build if this is the case? (refluffed as being a self-trained wizard)

[Arkhios]

I don't really think that not picking offensive spells would particularly hamstring your character. Creative use of control and debuff spells can turn the tide alone really well. And Fire Bolt is actually really good cantrip, with its scaling d10's. Another great cantrip is Ray of Frost, and might even be more fitting for a control wizard. It's only one step smaller damage die (roughly ~1 point less), but it also hampers the target's movement. Likewise Chill Touch is awesome with it's rider: target can't regain hit points for a while.

Multi-classing to druid?
From purely mechanical point of view, the multi-classing would slow down your access to your higher level wizard spells, even though your spell slots per day would keep growing. However, druids do have quite nice spells too.
From thematic point of view, yes, I would say a multi-classed druid/wizard would be awesome. I wouldn't go the full druid path myself. Keep your mind about this original concept of a wizard, in my honest opinion, and multi-class if it's allowed.

[Anonymouswizard]

Okay, multiclassing is okay according to the DM, so for build 2.0:

Enna the Healer
Chaotic Good female half-elf wizard 2/druid 1
Background: Outlander
Arcane Tradition: Diviner
STR 8
DEX 14
CON 12
INT 16
WIS 14
CHA 12

Skills: Athletics, Investigation, Nature, Medicine, Perception, Survival
Instrument Proficiencies: flute

Cantrips:
-Druidcraft
-Fire Bolt
-Mage Hand
-Mending
-Prestidigitation

Spellbook:
-Colour Spray
-Disguise Self
-Grease
-Identify
-Mage Armour
-Sleep
-Tasha's Hideous Laughter
-Unseen Servant

Gear:
Dagger
Walking Staff
Component Pouch
Explorer's Pack
Vulture Talon
Hunting Trap
10gp

Current plan is to go Wizard+2/Druid+3/Wizard+X. First ASI bumps Wisdom up to 16, second and third bump Int and Wis up to 18, and if it gets that far I'll possibly consider feats.

The standard spell loadout will be:
Wizard (5 spells)
-Mage Armour (until I get some hide)/Disguise Self (afterwards)
-Color Spray
-Grease
-Sleep
-Tasha's Hideous Laughter

Druid (3 spells)
-Cure Wounds
-Fog Cloud
-Faerie Fire

Loud outs will be tailored to the challenges at hand, but I think that's a good toolbox of 8 spells for general encounters.

[Arkhios]

You know, you could grab Shillelagh as a druid cantrip. Spellcasting Focus staves can be treated as quarterstaves, and thus they'd function with Shillelagh. Unless, of course, you don't want to. :)

Whatever the case, with Shillelagh you'd have a decent melee weapon at hand should you need one at some point.

Shillelagh compared to a dagger (which would be your most likely option for melee) at current level:
Dagger with Dexterity: +4 to hit, 1d4+2 damage.
Shillelagh with Wisdom: +5 to hit, 1d8+3 damage (plus magical weapon)

[eastmabl]

Consider going Druid 4 for the ASI.

[Anonymouswizard]

You know, you could grab Shillelagh as a druid cantrip. Spellcasting Focus staves can be treated as quarterstaves, and thus they'd function with Shillelagh. Unless, of course, you don't want to. :)

Whatever the case, with Shillelagh you'd have a decent melee weapon at hand should you need one at some point.

Shillelagh compared to a dagger (which would be your most likely option for melee) at current level:
Dagger with Dexterity: +4 to hit, 1d4+2 damage.
Shillelagh with Wisdom: +5 to hit, 1d8+3 damage (plus magical weapon)

The main reason is because I don't have a spellcasting focus, in-game I need to scrounge up enough money so I can get one and some armour to round out my equipment. I do plan to get a staff focus though, and will then pick up Shillelagh as my next Druid Cantrip (I'm going Circle of the Land, so I get one at Druid 2). I suppose I could drop mending for the moment, but that requires me having a staff with which to Shillelagh (unless the one from Outlander counts, really not sure what it's meant to be, I'm assuming a walking staff).

Also, considering that without it I'll probably still be the most optimised character in the group, there's no rush to gain a good melee option. EDIT: oh, and I forgot, she has trouble with wielding weapons two-handed due to the fact her left hand is paralysed. That's why I took the dagger and not a quarterstaff.


Consider going Druid 4 for the ASI.

The plan is to end up as a Wizard X/Druid 4, I'm just buffing Wizard first so I get my first ASI at 5th level instead of 6th.

[Arkhios]

EDIT: oh, and I forgot, she has trouble with wielding weapons two-handed due to the fact her left hand is paralysed. That's why I took the dagger and not a quarterstaff.

Actually, if I'm reading it right, Quarterstaff seems to be one-handed weapon (1d6), with versatile (1d8) property.

[Anonymouswizard]

Actually, if I'm reading it right, Quarterstaff seems to be one-handed weapon (1d6), with versatile (1d8) property.

Yeah, I'm just saying that I can't use the d8 for fluff reasons. I think it's actually more in character to avoid the quarterstaff for the moment, considering that I only have 18hp my first instinct to being in melee will be to get out of it and throw a lockdown spell at however got next to me.

[Sigreid]

Have to admit when I saw the title of this thread I was hoping it was asking for how to have a tribal shaman type wizard. I think it would be cool if the wizard's spell book was the tribal dances and tribe members had to dance for him to change out his spells.

[Anonymouswizard]

Unfortunately the party already has a wizard, so my character would be redundant when they need a tank. I'll keep the sheet handy though, in case I have a chance to use it.