Feat selection for a level 5 Wizard

[PanosIs]

So, I'll be playing in a few-shot in a few months and I'll be playing a wizard. I already have some stuff figured out and that is:

1) I'm a specialist Conjurer with banned schools being Evocation and Enchantment
2) I'm taking a few alternative class features:
-Immediate Magic to get Abrupt Jaunt, give away familiar
-Fighter Bonus Feats to trade Scribe Scroll for Improved Initiative
-Spontaneous Divination, trading away the 5th level feat
3) I'm playing either a human or a grey elf, this means I have to pick 2 or 3 feats.
4) One of my feats is going to be Cloudy Conjuration

So, the question is, what other feats to get? Help me out here. Some options I've been considering are: Alacritous Cogitation, Spell Mastery+Uncanny Forethought, Spell Focus(Conjuration), Metamagic: Extend+Metamagic: Sculpt or even some other generally useful stuff like some of the Reserve Feats or Sudden Still or Sudden Silent spell. HALP.

[Vizzerdrix]

Obtain familiar, improved familiar, and extra familiar.

Collegiate wizard is a good one. Heighten and invisable spell are good metamagics.

[WeaselGuy]

My 2cents, take Precocious Apprentice at level 1 (along with the Rapid Summoning, Enhanced Summoning, and Spontaneous Summoning ACFs (unless you're that attached to Abrupt Jaunt)) along with Spell Focus (Conjuration) (would require being Strongheart Halfling or a Human) and then go into Master Specialist (Conjurer) at level 3. My personal build went into Rainbow Servant from 5-15, and finished up with Thaumaturgist, for reasons, from 16-20. But Thaumaturgist can easily be swapped out for Archmage, and Rainbow Servant can be swapped, in that case, for any number of things.

[Bullet06320]

with a conjuration specialist, especially if you gonna do a lot of summoning, don't ban enchantment, too many spells are useful with the planar binding line, banning illusion or necromancy is recommended
also I 2nd the idea of rapid summoning ACF if summoning is the main goal, and masterspecialist PRC as soon as possible is also a good start as soon as possible for any specialist wizard.

http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?498825-the-Conjurer-s-Handbook&highlight=conjuration%20handbook

5th post has a lot of relevant links that may help

[Lazymancer]

1) for specialist wizards humans are better (Elves matter because of martial proficiency and Generalist Wizardry). If you really want Int 20, go middle-aged for that +1 Int that would be enough to let your 4th level ability increase to get Int 20.

2) pearls of power (1st level) are superior to +2 to Int headband at your level.

3) While you certainly can get some mileage out of Uncanny Forethought, it's better for mid-level when you have a lot of spells (20+ per spell level, rather than 4-8) - and know your spells. This, however, requires investment.

I.e. unless you want to commit yourself to getting lots of spells early (take CWI, craft Aureon's Spellshard - beg GM to give you 250 xp for this - sell old spellbook and buy enuff dakka spells), it would make sense to limit oneself to Alacritous Cogitation (and retrain it later to Spell Mastery+Uncanny Forethought at 9th level, if the game lasts long enough).

4) Personally, I'd go with Rapid Summoning, rather than Abrupt Jaunt. Either way, ask your GM if you can Obtain Familiar and then exchange your second familiar for Rapid Summoning/Abrupt Jaunt.

5) Somewhat dubious feats you might also consider:
- Fell Animate (on Acid Splash, coup de grace dying): for some early necromancy (but ask GM; RAW touch spells are armed attacks)
- Kung Fu Genius (Dragon version) + Carmendine Monk: if you are high on Int in-game, but low on hp and OOC Int (middle-aged gray elf with +2 headband can get +7 Int modifier)

[PanosIs]

I'm not aiming to be a summoner, rather a battlefield control focused conjurer, and thusly Rapid Summoning, Augment Summoning and the like wont get a lot of mileage, I have a pretty sweet statline of 18-17-14-13-11-8 so both Human and Grey Elf can work, but I'll decide on that based on backstory and not mechanics. I just need to decide on that 1-2 feats. I wanted to get Extend-Sculpt-Easy Metamagic: Sculpt but that takes 3 feat slots :/

[Elkad]

Obtain familiar, improved familiar, and extra familiar.

Collegiate wizard is a good one. Heighten and invisable spell are good metamagics.

Obtain and Improved yes. Gotta get that Imp (or whatever). More is questionable, unless you have UMD and want to give them all wands, or are planning for later shared Shapechange/Polymorph shenanigans.

[noob]

Depending on the interpretations of versatile spell-caster you might get level 2 spells at level 1 and be able to spontaneously cast any spell you know by sacrificing two spells of one level lower.
There is one prc written by wotc who says that in general when someone gains a level he spends his skill points before choosing a class(I might be 100% wrong) so you might make wiz1/master specialist N with versatile spellcaster or earth spell or other similar feats.
At worst you can do wiz1/master specialist N with the help of a bard using the temporary hit dice increasing song right when you finish the fight who makes you gain the second level.

[Lazymancer]

... I have a pretty sweet statline of 18-17-14-13-11-8 so both Human and Grey Elf can work, but I'll decide on that based on backstory and not mechanics.
Do we have anti-munchkin here? Because I'm getting flashbacks of Elf Sorcerer, who had 9 hp at 7th level (because Con is an obvious dump stat). Please, don't be That Guy and make sure your character doesn't go down if someone sneezes too hard.


I just need to decide on that 1-2 feats. I wanted to get Extend-Sculpt-Easy Metamagic: Sculpt but that takes 3 feat slots :/
So be Human.

Or take Invisible Spell. Invisible Caltrops/Grease/Incendary Slime/Web/Menacing Tentacles/Grasping Wall (though you might need GM ruling about Reflex throws against invisible). At 4th level you get to Wall of Fire, Solid Fog, and (if you want to scar people for life) Black Tentacles.

Summoning Gelatinous Cube (Engulfing Terror spell) would work with the theme.



Depending on the interpretations of versatile spell-caster ...
There is one prc written by wotc who says that in general when someone gains a level he spends his skill points before choosing a class(I might be 100% wrong) ...
1) What you are talking about is called Precocious Apprentice.

2) Procedure is described on page 58, PHB:
Choose Class > BAB > Saves > Ability > HP > Skills > Feats > Spells > Class features

[noob]

Except I was talking about versatile spellcaster and the question is whenever a spontaneous divination wizard can take it or not and whenever it allows to spontaneously cast all the spells you know by using two spells slots of one level lower and whenever all the spells in a wizard spell book are known or not and whenever you are allowed to cast spells of a higher level than yours.(versatile spell caster is especially not precocious apprentice it is in race of dragons unlike precocious apprentice and it allows to sacrifice slots to cast spells of level higher than the slots sacrificed)
Furthermore I know the standard procedure for level up but things written later can beat things written earlier and it was not written in phb.
So it all depends on dubious interpretation of rules that are as silly one way or the other.

[PanosIs]

Even if it is possible to take Versatile Spellcaster through Spontaneous Divination tricks it verges to much on cheese for me, it's closer to TO than PO and obviously not the intended use of the feat.

[Lazymancer]

Except I was talking about versatile spellcaster and the question is whenever a spontaneous divination wizard can take it or not
To qualify early for something at 2nd level? Well, apologies then.

3) Spontaneous Divination is acquired at 5th level, in exchange for Wizard bonus feat.

[noob]

I was wrong I believed you sacrificed all the wizard bonus feats in order to gain spontaneous divination while it instead replaced one feat.(with the lose all the bonus feats gain spontaneous divination it made sense to gain it at no particular level but when it replace only one bonus feat it can not really be gained at a level other than the one where you get the feat)

[ericgrau]

For the most part powerful choices.

I like empower spell to use on everything except damage. Ray of enfeeblement, false life, enervation, etc. Glad you kept necromancy. Combos well with other AoE spells like BFC conjuration too. Sorry you banned evocation. It also has good non-damage and at your level fireball is still super handy. Now level 8-10 or so not so much but you get more awesome non-damage options by then.

Don't get extend spell, get a lesser rod of extend spell instead. While you're add it make sure you get a ton of divination spells via scroll and/or NPC (if the DM allows) to fuel your spontaneous divination. And learn them well. Even if your character knows them all, if you don't there's not much use to them. I don't see sculpt spell as that useful when there are good conjurations with a large area. I'd rather cast sleet storm than sculpted glitterdust. Nor would I blow lots of feats on such. Just prepare sleet storm and something else not so crazy huge, and pick which one to use based on the situation. And usually you'll be able to use both. Sculpt spell might be ok later, but there are better options to get first.

You seem to be considering a lot of things to get yourself more options. Maybe later, but at your level instead I'd get a bajillion level 1 utility scrolls. Maybe a few level 2 scrolls too, especially spider climb. Wand of invisibility is nice too if/when you can afford it, to spam on entire party when you need it and to eat zero spell slots when you don't. Likewise your metamagic reducers and metamagic don't seem that effective. Too narrow when you could just pick up a few scrolls and prepare a couple different spells. And/or simply ignore the corner cases. Yeah silent or still spell could be amazing that day you use them, but you could go an entire campaign without that ever happening. Spontaneous divination is super nice for options though and worth it.

Found a good thread for metamagic feats since you seem to be leaning towards those, and then your metamagic reducer ideas will be a bit better: http://www.enworld.org/forum/showthread.php?298187-L-amp-L-Best-Metamagic-Feats