Simple Wizard Build

[raptor1056]

So, I am starting in a new campaign. I decided, as none of the other members of the campaign were interested, to be a wizard. However, the DM has doled out a rather heavy limitation on building: all characters must refer only to Core Rulebook material (All 3 books v. 3.5, btw.) So, I ask the forums: what is the strongest build of the wizard that refers only to the PHB, DMG, and MM1?

[weenie]

Gray elf transmuter(at least it's my favorite school to specialize in), that takes quicken spell some time along the way?

[Djinn_in_Tonic]

Wizard 20, or perhaps Wizard 15/Archmage 5. Basically, even within Core, Wizards are almost untouchable if prepared for the fight. The most important aspect of the "build" is your spell selection, but others here can help you with that more than I can.

[Eldariel]

Best? Easy:
Human Wizard 5/Red Wizard of Thay 10/Archmage 5 with Leadership on 6 (or Archmage 4/Loremaster 1 to max Use Magic Device), use Circle Magic, enjoy those CL 40 spells when you feel like it and go to town.

Most likely specialist Conjurer, Transmuter or Diviner for the extra slots. Red Wizard of Thay is the odd bird out in the core PrCs though 'cause it's sorta "not a standard class" due to the setting-specific fluff and feats and all that. But it's the strongest class offered in the core books even with the extra school given up, and it kicks ass with the extra Spell Power (seriously, it's insane how much you get) and Circle Magic for even more.


If Red Wizard isn't allowed, the best is Gray Elf [MM1] Wizard 7/Loremaster 8/Archmage 5 (or Loremaster 10/Archmage 3, especially if going Epic). Really just comes down if you want the be able to progress Loremaster on Epic or rather want the two more Archmage abilities (first two are almost invariably Arcane Reach and Mastery of Shaping; that leaves Spell Power, Spell-Like Ability, second Arcane Reach-improvement and maybe Mastery of Elements).


But yeah, the two:
Human Wizard 5/Red Wizard 10/Loremaster 1/Archmage 4
or
Gray Elf Wizard 7/Loremaster 8/Archmage 5

Depending on what's allowed. Both are solid, #1 is stronger, but more likely to be banned. So there.

Worthwhile feats include:
Leadership (best feat in Core by far): Pick up a Wizard-cohort (if you're a Red Wizard, especially; otherwise, Cleric, Druid and Bard are solid choices too - especially of note is Inspire Greatness+Polymorph shenanigans), attract caster followers with Tattoo Focus feat, keep some along, etc. Go to town.
Improved Familiar: Imp, Quasit and Pseudodragon are all awesome. The former two more than the latter, but Telepathy is nothing to sneer at either. Note that they use your skill ranks if better than theirs so once you get Use Magic Device, they can use Wands and such.
Quicken Spell: Self-explanatory; double your actions.
Extend Spell: A way to make all buffs and such spells last long enough.
Spell Focuses (although if you work around opponents' saves hitting their weak one, this is mostly unnecessary), Spell Penetrations (although you can mostly use Conjurations to get around that) and Crafts (especially Wondrous Items, Magic Arms and Armor and maybe Rods).

Overall, remember that while feats exist to plow straight through opponent's defenses, Wizard's arsenal is large enough to work around them. High Spell Resistance? How about buffing your party (Haste, for example) and using disabling magic like Solid Fog or summoning something? High save? Hit another save? High Touch AC? Hit their saves with Save-Or-Dies.


Most important spells:

-Alter Self/Polymorph/Polymorph Any Object: Although these are broken and I'd suggest against using them to be honest. These can do everything from turning you into a flying form/high natural armor form/whatever to making the Fighter a 12-headed Hydra to improving your intellect and so on. Truly gets insane with Polymorph Any Object and eventual Shapechange.

-Lesser Planar Binding/Planar Binding/Greater Planar Binding: Use magic like Moment of Prescience, Circlet of Persuasion, Eagle's Splendor and such to win the Charisma-check and get an entire extra character to serve you.

-Contingency: Make a contingent Teleportation-spell triggered on a word (speaking is a free action). Allows you to get out of a jam easily. Alternatively, if your DM dislikes the "speech activation", use a wording like "I am about to be hit" or some such. Almost always, the best Teleportation you can connect to the spell is what you should be using.

-Rope Trick: Extended on level 5 (without extension on level 9), allows you to rest without trouble in an extra dimensional space.

-Phantom Steed: Once you have high enough caster level to make it fly, best flight ever. Level 3 slot, hours/level, 240' per round.

-Overland Flight: Backup for Phantom Steed, and available on a lower level.

-Glitterdust/Web/Grease/Solid Fog/Enervation/Stinking Cloud/Ray of Enfeeblement: Your standard offensive suite.

-Mirror Image/Displacement/Illusions: Your generic defense.

-Greater Magic Weapon: Pump your team's weapon enhancements while you buy weapon abilities instead of pure enhancement.

[raptor1056]

Alright, the advice given so far is essentially analogous to what I had figured out ahead of time. Eldariel, what would you say are the strongest spell choices for the Red Wizard/ Archmage? I'm feeling Divination or Conjuration specialization, most likely Conjuration.

[Eldariel]

Alright, the advice given so far is essentially analogous to what I had figured out ahead of time. Eldariel, what would you say are the strongest spell choices for the Red Wizard/ Archmage? I'm feeling Divination or Conjuration specialization, most likely Conjuration.

Divination is good 'cause it only costs 1 school and generally you'll want to prepare a divination-spell per level anyways. Conjuration and Transmutation have the best spells (Transmutation though suffers quite a bit if you lack the wonderful Polymorph-line). So either-or.


I personally like Conjuration. You get all the wonderful Clouds, Teleportations and such in your school of focus. Bannings are pretty easy; Evocation and Enchantment offer little, and Abjuration or Necromancy you can give away. Evocation basically means losing Contingency (you can use Greater Shadow Evocation few levels later tho), Enchantment doesn't really have that much beyond Sleep on the low levels (just use Color Spray as a proxy).

You lose some good stuff in Abjuration (Dispels), but you can make do with that if you have another spellcaster in the party capable of handling that job. Necromancy costs you Enervation and Rays, which sucks. That said, you have Conjuration and Transmutation-based offense to make up for that.


I listed some spells in the last post. Mostly, look for miss chance based defenses, all-day buffs for the team, mobility and multitarget save-or-bad-stuff-happens spells, area morphing spells (that don't allow saves) to split encounters, along with heavy-handed single target debuff or kill spells for "bosses" and the like.

While it's old, Being Batman still has IMHO the best evaluation of all the Core-spells. So something to look at.


Note that Red Wizard's "Focused Studies" is a bit weird. It can be understood to allow you to retain access to the spells from the forbidden school you learned before taking levels in the class. This would make banning Necromancy far less of a pain as you could get most of the Rays (except Enervation) before entering Red Wizard along with False Life and other low-level goodies.

If your DM doesn't allow retaining the spells, and you are the only caster in the party (and thus can't ban Abjuration), you are probably better off going Diviner to only ban Enchantment and Evocation. Otherwise, being Conjurer and banning Enc, Evo and Necro (if DM allows you to retain the spells of this school you got before entering Red Wizard) or Abju (if you have another caster for Dispelling) is the way to go.