Your Opinion on MC Wizard

[NaitoCorvo]

Here's my question: I have a 6th level Evocation Wizard, Rock Gnome.
9 STR
18 DEX
18 CON
20 INT
12 WIS
10 CHA (we rolled for stats)

thing is wheter it would be good to multiclass to Fighter or Rogue (given that I have such good DEX) or if anyone here has a better idea, another going for MC. dunno.

[RickAllison]

What do you want out of it? An Arcane Archer, a sneaky assassin, a straight gish?

[NaitoCorvo]

I actually forgot that. as for now, I am the main AoE damager but what can I get away with those MC? as far as everyone knows, 1 level dip on fighter nets a lot of good stuff (light & Medium Armor, all weapons, Second Wind and Fighting style) and 1 level dip on rogue nets expertise, sneak attack and at least 1 new useful skill (int based or sleight of hand). but what do I want to get with all this? Imagine Doctor Albert Wily from Megaman Franchises

[RickAllison]

Your Dex is already high enough that medium armor won't provide that much of a boost to AC, but the shield could be missed. I would say Rogue 2 because Cunning Action is a fantastic ability for emergency situations, and Wizards aren't as cluttered when it comes to bonus actions as many other classes.

[Safety Sword]

Whenever you consider multi-classing out of Wizard you have the same thing: The power you're going to be gaining is always less than the earliest access to the highest level spells.

It's not to say you can't have a fun multi-class with Wizard, it's just always at the expense of the highest levels spells, which are pretty amazing.

[PeteNutButter]

Whenever you consider multi-classing out of Wizard you have the same thing: The power you're going to be gaining is always less than the earliest access to the highest level spells.

It's not to say you can't have a fun multi-class with Wizard, it's just always at the expense of the highest levels spells, which are pretty amazing.

This plus the only raeson to MC out of wizard would be to make up for his weak/vulnerable early game ala starting fighter or to move into something else once you have 9th lvl spells. There really is no incentive to do it in the middle. Nothing you can take would be as good as having fourth lvl spells. The opportunity cost weighs so heavily in favor of continuing wizard, especially on even levels into an odd.

[SharkForce]

neither fighter nor rogue add much unless you were planning on either hitting things or using skills a lot.

if you were planning on using skills a lot, go rogue. expertise is a big help. if you were planning on hitting things, go fighter. that will help you survive being close enough to hit things, and will also give you some useful abilities for hitting things.

if you were planning on just casting spells a lot, stay wizard. you don't *need* to multiclass.

if you were planning on casting spells a lot and want to be heavily armoured, i would recommend you go with a cleric dip instead. it will increase your spell slots (which still isn't as good as increasing spells if you want to focus on being a wizard), give you medium or heavy armour + shield, give you a bunch of new spells known and a new spell list (including healing, if you care), and a channel divinity which can be interesting. domain should be decided based on what you want to do with it, of course. you'll need to increase your wisdom first, though.

but seriously, from a raw power perspective, just stick with wizard. polymorph is way too good to delay from a power perspective.

[Gtdead]

You can buy one point of WIS with your next ASI and go cleric 1 instead of fighter. It nets you guidance, healing word, bless, sanctuary, normal spellslot progression and armor/weapon profs. I think it's superior to fighter. Clerics are very frontloaded.
If you have stealth, you could dip 2 levels in rogue and get cunning action.

Another idea would be to buy charisma and mc into a sorceror. You will always find a use for metamagics. But I think the opportunity cost is too great.

[RickAllison]

This plus the only raeson to MC out of wizard would be to make up for his weak/vulnerable early game ala starting fighter or to move into something else once you have 9th lvl spells. There really is no incentive to do it in the middle. Nothing you can take would be as good as having fourth lvl spells. The opportunity cost weighs so heavily in favor of continuing wizard, especially on even levels into an odd.

Well, Dexterity scores are a reason to take a dip. Medium armor, even before equipping a shield, beats out Mage Armor until Dex 18. With a shield, light and Mage Armor cannot keep up. It saves on your ASIs if you can avoid boosting Dex.

[PeteNutButter]

Well, Dexterity scores are a reason to take a dip. Medium armor, even before equipping a shield, beats out Mage Armor until Dex 18. With a shield, light and Mage Armor cannot keep up. It saves on your ASIs if you can avoid boosting Dex.

As mentioned above, if a wizard wants to MC for defense they are far better off going for cleric if possible so they at least increase their slots. Wizards are much better suited bumping their int then con. Dex really isn't worth it for them, unless they are a bladesinger. If he has managed to survive until 6th lvl he is just fine with his AC and staying out of melee. The only thing that should really threaten a wizard's AC is surprise and ranged attacks. The surprise sucks, but there are many spells to negate the ranged problem. If the party is in a position where the front line is going down and enemies are getting to the wizard then the last thing he needs is more defense. He needs to kill the baddies faster.

Barbarian would be better for his AC, but alas he doesn't have the str.

[NaitoCorvo]

now that we have gone into barbarian's playground...if I manage to make some Ogre Power Gauntlets, would that make me viable to go for barbarian in 1 level?

[djreynolds]

All the hard work is over. 7th level =4th level spells. Fire shield and mirror image neither one concentration. You can drop fireballs on your party and not hurt any of your team mates. Next ASI elemental adept, heck grab light armor feat,

It doesn't matter, you have a 20 in intelligence already. You have everything you need. No need to multiclass.

Resilient con at 8th, and then something +1 in dex, heck even light armor is +1 in dex at 12 and then even up con and dex at 16. Do you need war caster, you're forest gnome bomb dropper, swords are for lesser beings.

You have a 20 intelligence, so take resilient con, elemental adept, stuff like that, spell sniper