3rd Level Core Only Wizard

[JNAProductions]

36 PB, 2700 GP.

How do make powerful?

[Flickerdart]

Adventure with your wizard to gain levels, and use those levels to acquire better spells and items. Foolproof way to become more powerful.

[JNAProductions]

Adventure with your wizard to gain levels, and use those levels to acquire better spells and items. Foolproof way to become more powerful.

How do start powerful? :P

[Flickerdart]

How do start powerful? :P

Write a bunch of cool stuff into your backstory that carries benefits without associated monetary costs. For example, you could say that your wizard is bosom buddies with Elminster, who has persisted many high-level, powerful spells on your character.

[Anymage]

What's the rest of the party like?

Third level isn't really when wizard godmode comes online. I'll note that generally, but especially early on, casters are better force multipliers than anything else. Spells that assist your allies and debilitate monsters should probably be what you keep an eye out for.

[JNAProductions]

What's the rest of the party like?

Third level isn't really when wizard godmode comes online. I'll note that generally, but especially early on, casters are better force multipliers than anything else. Spells that assist your allies and debilitate monsters should probably be what you keep an eye out for.

Undetermined, so far.

[Coretron03]

I'm not the OP but this is the thread JNAProductions is talking about:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?530851-3-5-Core-Only-All-Hail-The-Queen!&p=22212741#post22212741

For powerful low level wizards, your best off being a specialist conjurer. Prepare glitterdust once or twice for heavy duty BFC, pick up stuff that deals with creature types like undead (Silent image is preferred) and Swarms simliar, max Int with your pointbuy and get 14 dex/con at minium, which will leave you with enough pointbuy to get 10 in In Str/Cha/Wis (Depending on how much you want to minmax you could drop 2 of those to 8, recomming str/cha, and increase con or dex to 16). Ban 2 schools of your choice, I would recommend Evocation and Enchantment. Grab some second level scrolls you can scribe and try to be a Gray elf or human. Take improved init or spell focus conjuration for feats. Maybe some buff spells, although which ones depends on party comp which you don't know yet.

[Gildedragon]

Int as high as it can go
Conjurer or transmuter are solid specializations (ditch evocation and necromancy)
You only have up to 2nd level spells so don't sweat it much

[Telok]

You can buy three first level wands and have two feats. I would suggest Shield, Sleep, Truestrike, a mule, and a really big light crossbow.

[atemu1234]

You can buy three first level wands and have two feats. I would suggest Shield, Sleep, Truestrike, a mule, and a really big light crossbow.

As a wizard, I recommend you specialize as a Conjurer, and you start with Scribe Scroll. Therein try to stay out of the front lines, you'll probably be reliant on a crossbow for a few levels. Go Red Wizard (red mage? whatever it's called) and you'll be golden. Take Leadership at level six, get a few other Red Wizards for circle magic.

[JNAProductions]

Basic Character So Far (https://www.myth-weavers.com/sheet.html#id=1277537).

[Crake]

I would honestly suggest putting your 20 to a 19, you'll be getting an ability boost next level anyway, but you can put those 3 points into strength so you dont die in 2 hits to a shadow, or drop from over encumbrance from a single ray of enfeeblement.

Something like 10, 16, 12, 19, 10, 13 is probably what I would use. Dex for AC is gonna be much more important than wis for will saves. For spells, get the same old broken crap that you do every time, grease, web, glitterdust, color spray, for feats, i dunno, pick improved initiative and I guess you've got craft wondrous, so keep that. Dunno about extend spell at this early level, not only does it cost a lot at this level, it also does comparitively little for most of your spells. I'd say pick it up at level 5 with your bonus wizard feat and pair it with rope trick, for a 10 hour rope trick. You'll have just gotten 3rd level spells at that point, so it will fit nicely into your extra 3rd level slot from high int, allowing you to always have access to a safe place to rest and then reprepare spells, just make sure you don't annoy your DM too much with it or he might throw enemies with see invis at you and have them come hunting for you.

[Eldariel]

Can't use the Wand of MM, you banned Evocation and lack UMD. And it's hardly better than a Crossbow anyways. Also make sure to pack some Alchemist's Fires: if the enemy is vulnerable to fire, they're solid cheap touch attack "spells" for 2d6. 1st level scrolls like Silent Image, Enlarge Person, Ray of Enfeeblement and company are very cheap since you can craft 'em yourself: pack some. Only 12.5gp a piece. The ones I mentioned generally require no saves and are powerful even on higher levels so they tend to be worth packing: Ray is a kind of an outlier since it has the caster level component though and CL 5 Ray is already way too inefficient to Craft (62.5gp - you can get 5 normal scrolls for that price, and even 2nd level scrolls are only 75gp generally). If you pick up Craft: Alchemy, it might be worth your while to stock up on alchemical items in general, since they're still quite potent. Heavy investment in Craft is unnecessary, however: your Int is high enough that you can easily take 10 with just your Int-bonuses and one-two ranks. Spread out your skills more and cover more Knowledges with at least a single point so you can make use of your Int and do trained checks. The other two enemy recognition skills, Local and Dungeoneering, are at least musts.


Um, for stat spreads I'd give you two considerations: Strength 10 would allow you to make use of your racial Longbow proficiency with no problems. 10 (+4)/16 (+6)/12 (+6)/20 (+16)/8 (+0)/12 (+4) for instance is a 36pb. Str-dump you're going for restricts you to Crossbow but of course, gives you either 14 Con (my pick) or more Cha/Wis (also reasonable). 14 Con is quite nice down the line tho. I wouldn't waste the racial bonus to Dex - on this level, +1 Initiative, Ranged Attack/Touch, AC, Hide, Move Silently, Tumble & co. is exceedingly useful. Most of that stuff (save Tumble) is important untrained as well. Tumble-training is something you should certainly at least give its due consideration to, though you definitely want to be trained in all Knowledges as well due to your Int.

Spend some resources on copying 2nd level spells. Web, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Pyrotechnics all seem too useful not to know. Alter Self and Levitate can both of course be amazing. I'd make sure to pick up at least a decent number of those, though Alter Self in Core isn't that great for Humanoids as you can only get Swim-speed, some skill bonuses, natural attacks and natural armor or such but no flight. Since you're a transmuter not a conjurer (which would be my pick), make sure there's another 2nd level Transmutation left for you to learn next level (I'd go with Rope Trick all things considered).


Pay attention to your skill investment, racial bonuses and such. Make an informed familiar selection:
- Raven for UMD (probably only relevant once you gain Loremaster and can already pick up Improved Familiar)
- Hawk or Owl for day or nightvision (to be clear, I'm talking about their own Spot, not the bonus though that's nice too)
- Bat for Blindsense
- Rat for Fort-bonuses
- Cat for Move Silently and Scent
- Tiny Viper for climb/swim/move and Scent (the poison is practically useless though, unless you extract it for arrows or something but that's hard in Core)

Flying companions are the best for delivering touch spells. Note that companions give you Alertness, can Aid Another most of your skill checks (since they have your ranks) and of course act as extra Spot/Listen. Empathic link enables rudimentary communication - just agree on some signal emotions. Also, acquaint yourself with the Magical Beast-table for Alter Self here (http://minmaxforum.com/index.php?topic=2811), though they aren't much to write home about with the familiars' Strength scores.


The usual spell selection:
0. Daze (not quite obsolete yet), Detect Magic, Prestidigitation, whatever
1. Color Spray, Grease, Enlarge Person, Ray of Enfeeblement, Mage Armor
2. Glitterdust/Invisibility, Web, Pyrotechnics-or-such

Your feats seem fine, though you'll probably want to pick up Spell Penetration eventually in Core. If Leadership is on table, your 6th and 9th feat will be Leadership and Improved Familiar so plan ahead. Also for PRCs, don't forget the entry requirements for Red Wizard/Loremaster/Archmage, whichever route you plan on taking. I agree that you should postpone Extend Spell until level 5 as it does nothing for you right now. Improved Initiative is okay but probably not optimal.

Do you plan on summoning? This is the last time to make that decision as then you really should pick up SF: Conjuration > Augmented Summoning and SF: Conjuration is a useful feat on this level where all the best SoLs are Conjurations anyways and you can soon target all 3 saves with them (Web/Grease, Glitterdust, Stinking Cloud). Summons can be quite good: Dretch on SMIII for instance is really solid, as a proxy readied Stinking Cloud followed by going to town. The definitive thread for summoning resources (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?255219-The-Summoner-s-Desk-Reference-D-amp-D-3-5).

EDIT: Oh yeah, pregame craft considerations for your Craft Wondrous Items if you do pick the feat and have minor amounts of XP to invest: Headband of Int +2 (2k gp, ask GM), Handy Haversack (1k+ gp, removes any weight limitations and such issues). Don't forget, you can pre-game craft your own mundane gear (such as Bow or whatever) saving you 2/3 of its cost. Your Int is high enough that you barely need an investment.

EDIT#2: Wands in general are a poor investment I'd say. Scrolls mostly do the same stuff but are more versatile and you can craft them yourself. Get Wands a bit later, focus on permanent boons for now. Pearl of Power I might even be better than a level 1 Wand on this level since that way it's any spell and you get your full caster level behind it.

[Aracor]

I wouldn't use grease as a wand. It only lasts a single round that way, which means for the most part it's a disarm with a saving through or an action trade, you use a standard, they fall down, stand up, and still hit you.

[Endarire]

What about opposing Enchantment while keeping Evocation? Evo gets you energy spells (force, fire, etc.) and contingency.