~3.5~ Best Wizard Control Spells by Level

[Tokuhara]

As a DM and Player in twin games, I adore wizard. However, my players tend to be more experienced (most of the players were/are DMs), so our campaigns tend to be tougher than what WotC suggests.

I plan to make a wizard who's spells are focused on battlefield control/DOT. What spells/feats/PrCs do you suggest, considering that we are starting around 8th level? I am using a Fire Elf for race, with the DM giving me 2 SLAs since I'm an odd race for our campaign (mostly core race/class combos). I have Fireball and Faerie Fire as 1/day SLAs.

[Eldariel]

1. Grease
2. Web, Fog Cloud
3. Stinking Cloud, Sleet Storm, Wind Wall (situational but v. key when useful)
4. Solid Fog, Black Tentacles, Wall of Ice
5. Wall of Stone, Wall of Force
6. Acid Fog
7. Reverse Gravity, Bigby's Grasping Handy
8. Prismatic Wall, Bigby's Clenched Fist
9. Don't use these for BFC (there's Prismatic Sphere, Bigby's Crushing Hand, etc. that could be used for BFC of sorts but I wouldn't bother)


That's about it. The natural companion of BFC is some Save-or-X and no-save X spells. Color Spray, Sleep, Ray of Enfeeblement, Enlarge Person, Glitterdust, Pyrotechnics, Slow, Haste, Greater Magic Weapon, Dispel Magic, etc. are the good options.

[Wonton]

I agree with 90% of what Eldariel said, but let me add:

1. Wall of Smoke
2. Cloud of Bewilderment
4. Burning Blood (you asked for DOTs, and this is one of the best ones, IMO)
6. Freezing Fog

I'll probably think of more later.

Consider specializing in Conjurations, as most of the good BC spells are from that school. Your Fireball 1/day makes giving up Evocation even better of an idea.

[Tokuhara]

There's more info that has to be added:

My DM just informed me that, at least in his world, Specialist Wizards cannot give up evocation. And since Necromancy has some (very few) DOT spells, that one's out (plus, Necromancy spells in the Wizard list is mostly blaster, not army 'o undead). The party is actually all Elf. Here's the rest of the party:

- Forestlord Half-Elf Ranger who is headed to Deepwood Sniper
- Deepwyrm Szarkai (Dragonblooded Albino Drow) Spellthief who is headed to Sorc dips and Unseen Seer
- Half-Aquatic Elf (can breathe both air and water) Bard/Marshal, who is the "buff machine"
- Deepwyrm Half-Drow Cloistered Cleric of Corellon who is taking Seeker of the Misty Isles (DM allowed it, since Drow are elves)
- Grey Elf Warblade who is planning on taking Eternal Blade

In this campaign, the PCs are descended of Epic creatures (the grey elf has Aberrant Blood feats), so I chose Fire Elf to be descended of an Efretti Warlord who eons before, along with the rest of the party's ancestors, slew the BBEG, a powerful Vampire Lord we all know and love: Kas. In this storyline, Vecna never rose to power, thus leaving Kas's treason unanswered as he killed Vecna during his coup. He then killed Strahd, drank his blood, and became the most powerful vampire in existence. That is, until our ancestors took him down and sealed him in an Iron Maiden for milenia, hoping he never rises, lest the multiverse be damned. He is known now as the "Weeping Lord," an eternally crying Elder Evil who when released will unleash plagues of fire, death, and destruction upon Faerun.

So our first meeting, we accidentally stumbled upon Kas's eternal tomb and some cultists who decided to use our blood to release Kas. Unfortunately, they suceeded. Now we must hunt down Kas and his minions and slay him for good with the Sun Fang, a sword that was broken into 3 pieces when it was used to seal Kas away: the Hilt of Dawn, the Edge of Midday, and the Tip of Sunset, which are all spread throughout Faerun.

[Cyrion]

For feats, cloudy conjuration offers small battlefield control. You might also want to pick up an energy substitution feat since resistance to fire is pretty common and could hamper the use of your fireball.

Also think about the Silent Image series. That can offer some very effective BFC if you're creative.