Results 1 to 30 of 33
Thread: Tears of a wizard
-
2009-12-20, 01:08 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- In the shadows
- Gender
Tears of a wizard
I understand that a generalist wizard is Tier 1... but what happens when he specializes or focused specializes?
In the Complete mage the Wizard has the option of becoming a "focused Specialist". This allows a wizard who specializes to have spells per day similar to a sorcerer in exchange for an additional loss of a school.
Would they be Tier 2 because of their raw power increasing, the vast increase in the spells per day, in exchange for their versatility, the loss in 2-3 schools of magic.
The Loss of 2-3 schools hits them hard, yet they are aloud to change what they can do from day to day.
Naturally This would depend on what is Banned and what is Specialized in Evocation... An evoker that bans transmutation, illusion and conjuration might be seen as 3-4th tier because they lose potential answers.SpoilerA Fighter/Paladin will just hack you to bits
A Wizard/Sorcerer will just blow you up with a spell
A Rogue/Ranger/Monk will just kill you in your sleep
A Cleric/Druid will just squash you after buffing himself
A Bard will slowly twist your ethics, corrupt your morals, and make you do vile acts just for the chance to face him. When you fight him, he will have your family and friends fighting for him. For he wields the deadliest weapon against you and that is, his word against yours.
-
2009-12-20, 01:11 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Texas...for now
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
Specializing and, most of the time, Focused Specialist, with good choices of schools banned/allowed, is actually a serious boost to the Wizards power. The exact schools make a difference, of course, but you generally need to spec in Conj or Trans, keep Illusion, and ban any of the other 4, depending on preference and what other casters are around.
[/sarcasm]
FAQ is not RAW!Avatar by the incredible CrimsonAngel.
Saph:It's surprising how many problems can be solved by one druid spell combined with enough aggression.
I play primarily 3.5 D&D. Most of my advice will be based off of this. If my advice doesn't apply, specify a version in your post.
-
2009-12-20, 01:15 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
Depends on the source materials allowed, more than anything. If you're going all WotC legal 3.5 material, wizard's still Tier 1. Even with 3 schools banned, you're so stupidly versatile it's not funny.
Note: Focused Specialist (Illusion) is horribly effective, in the right circumstance (i.e. Killer Gnome)Last edited by PhoenixRivers; 2009-12-20 at 01:16 AM.
-
2009-12-20, 01:32 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
Re: Tears of a wizard
The get stronger.
A specialist wizard can cast almost as many spells as a sorcerer - they generally have the same number of highest level spell slots (when they aren't simply a level ahead) and are only behind by 1 spell slot for each of the lower levels. I'm not quite sure what a focused specialist does, but I'm fairly sure that it blows the sorcerer out of the water.
Most specialists ban Enchantment (virtually duplicated by Illusion) and Evocation (duplicated by Conjuration/Shadow Evocation), so there really isn't a drop of versatility. Focused specialist loses four schools, I believe, which makes things harder; Necromancy has Enervation and Shivering Touch, two good debuffs, but not much else. Abjuration has Dispel and wards, but some people recommend dropping it if a Cleric in your party can cover that role.
-
2009-12-20, 01:54 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2008
- Location
- In the shadows
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
Wait they lose 4 schools? I thought that they only lose 3...
SpoilerA Fighter/Paladin will just hack you to bits
A Wizard/Sorcerer will just blow you up with a spell
A Rogue/Ranger/Monk will just kill you in your sleep
A Cleric/Druid will just squash you after buffing himself
A Bard will slowly twist your ethics, corrupt your morals, and make you do vile acts just for the chance to face him. When you fight him, he will have your family and friends fighting for him. For he wields the deadliest weapon against you and that is, his word against yours.
-
2009-12-20, 01:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2008
-
2009-12-20, 02:04 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Gender
-
2009-12-20, 02:23 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jun 2008
Re: Tears of a wizard
Looks like I had that wrong, then. Sorry.
But yes, I could easily play a focused specialist Illusionist, Conjurer, or Diviner and barely miss the spells lost in the three barred schools (two for Diviner). A lot of this is thanks to the multitude of spells found in various splatbooks, though.
-
2009-12-20, 02:27 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Location
- Tampa, FL
- Gender
-
2009-12-20, 02:31 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
Last edited by PhoenixRivers; 2009-12-20 at 02:32 AM.
-
2009-12-20, 02:59 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Apr 2007
- Location
- Tampa, FL
- Gender
-
2009-12-20, 05:03 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2007
- Location
- London
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
There's also a line of three feats in Lost Empires of Faerun that earns you back a prohibited school, takable by level 9 I believe. If you're really worried about your versatility, +2slots/level is a pretty good deal for three feats.
Give them bread and circusses and the plebs wont rise against you. Give adventurers dungeons and trapped chests and they won't waste time looking to ransack your home and kill your wife.
-
2009-12-20, 05:09 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
Unfortunately, the versatility is further limited by -1 spell at each level as well.
So, if you can cast 3 fourth level spells as a generalist wizard...
You can cast 3 Fourth level spells as a specialist, with 1 extra specialist spell (from your specialist school)...
And you can cast 2 Fourth level spells as a focused specialist, with 3 extra specialist spells (from your specialist school).
As you can see, it increases overall power, but even without the banned school, it decreases versatility. Focused specialist gets you a net +1 spell per level, but forces a heavier shift into your specialist school.
If your specialist school is versatile, like conjuration, transmutation, and sometimes illusion? You're fine. The loss won't be pronounced.
If it's a non-versatile school, such as evocation, necromancy, or the like? You'll feel every lost slot from general use.
-
2009-12-20, 06:34 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
Re: Tears of a wizard
The best Focused Specialist is a Shadowcraft Mage. Yeah just put those Heightened Silent Images in your illusion spell slots... Now you can spontaneously cast any evocation, conjuration (summoning) or conjuration (creation) spell.
Who needs general spell slots?
-
2009-12-20, 06:42 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
-
2009-12-20, 06:44 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
-
2009-12-20, 08:01 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2009
- Location
- Where the Wild Things Are
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
Even though it restricts your choice of race i gotta say that i prefer the racial substitution level for elven wizards from Races of the Wild.
I mean there's nothing too bad about getting more spells per day and more free learned spells per level, in exchange for the ability to specialize (And to quote the logic ninja "which you weren't gonna do anyway if you are choosing this build".
It on page 157 of "Races of the Wild"Awesome Gnome Psion avatar by Elrond.
-
2009-12-20, 08:13 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Aug 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
Silent Image for a Wall, instead. It works wonders, lemme tell ya.
I mean, how many enemies you know try to run through a wall that a wizard makes, if they have a choice? So you make it so they can get around with a double move, and they'll never test it. ;)
And they only get a save if they interact with it.Last edited by PhoenixRivers; 2009-12-20 at 08:14 AM.
-
2009-12-20, 08:16 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
-
2009-12-20, 08:33 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
-
2009-12-20, 08:39 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
Re: Tears of a wizard
-
2009-12-20, 08:50 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Mar 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
And only now do I remember the elven subraces with penalties to mental stats other than Intelligence. >_<
-
2009-12-20, 08:51 AM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
-
2009-12-20, 12:45 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
- Location
- Michigan
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
Just a note, but the decrease in versatility is actually pretty slight. Treantmonk showed that the impact is minimal. I mean, get new level of spells, prep one or two schools, tops. After that, with more slots opening up from both levels and intelligence modifiers, the versatility is basically undamaged.
-
2009-12-20, 12:51 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
Wizards are generally expected to specialize. A generalist wizard is definitely weaker, even with the elf sub level.
Are there any good elf only wizard prcs?Play By Post characters
Arena:
Spoiler
Endless Dungeon:
Axeman Dan: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=7429
Neverending Dungon:
Reach, The Mantoss: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=7482
-
2009-12-20, 12:52 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Nov 2007
- Location
- Texas...for now
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
[/sarcasm]
FAQ is not RAW!Avatar by the incredible CrimsonAngel.
Saph:It's surprising how many problems can be solved by one druid spell combined with enough aggression.
I play primarily 3.5 D&D. Most of my advice will be based off of this. If my advice doesn't apply, specify a version in your post.
-
2009-12-20, 01:10 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Dec 2004
- Location
- The Land of Angles
-
2009-12-20, 01:13 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jan 2007
- Gender
-
2009-12-20, 01:46 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Jul 2009
Re: Tears of a wizard
The conjuration and transmutation domains are good, most of the other domains available are too restrictive as to the spell you can put in the domain.
Elf generalist only gets you a spell of the highest level, specialist gives you a bonus spell at all levels. Furthermore, you have to play an elf (generally gray or fire elf, which are alright but not on par with strongheart halfling, forest gnome, or deep dwarf).Play By Post characters
Arena:
Spoiler
Endless Dungeon:
Axeman Dan: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=7429
Neverending Dungon:
Reach, The Mantoss: http://www.coyotecode.net/profiler/view.php?id=7482
-
2009-12-20, 02:11 PM (ISO 8601)
- Join Date
- Feb 2005
- Gender
Re: Tears of a wizard
NOW COMPLETE: Let's Play Starcraft II Trilogy:
Hell, It's About Time: Wings of Liberty
Does This Mutation Make Me Look Fat: Heart of the Swarm
My Life For Aiur? I Barely Know 'Er: Legacy of the Void