3.5 - Wizard level 1 spell selection advice

[wallofterror]

I am starting a game as a level 1 wizard conjurer and here are my first level spell I chose (I have int 18 so 7 total spells) :

-Color Spray
-Mage Armor
-Magic Missile
-Shocking Grasp
-Sleep
-Summon Monster I
-Grease or Obscuring Mist or Shield

I don't know wich one to choose between Grease or Obscuring Mist or Shield...

Any other suggestions ? or advice ?

Thanks

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

It's not a spell, but Abrupt Jaunt (PHBII pg. 70) keeps low level conjurers alive INT mod times per day.

If this is for a one shot, or you otherwise don't anticipate leveling very quickly, do not pick grease. Its duration at level 1 is one round. That's right, one round. That said, it becomes quite useful after level 3 or so and keeps being useful for a long time, so you might want to take it just to plan ahead. Summon Monster I is bad at level 1 for the same reason.

From your list, it looks like you've banned Necromancy and Transmutation. I would recommend against banning Transmutation, as it contains lovely spells like Enlarge Person and just gets better with time. I would recommend banning Evocation, Abjuration or Enchantment instead.

Why ban Enchantment? Color Spray mostly obviates Sleep; it might get you uncomfortably close to baddies, but that's what Abrupt Jaunt is for. Also, as you level more and more creatures get immune to this school, and other schools replicate its effects.

Why ban Abjuration? If you have a Cleric in your party, he has many of your useful Abjurations. Otherwise, yeah, don't drop it.

Why ban Evocation? Evocation is flashy but can be replaced by a combination of Transmutation and Conjuration damage spells.

Assuming you stick with your current setup, here are some other spells I like at level one...
Benign Transposition (SpC), Disguise Self

Here are some spells I would like to have in future levels...
True Casting (SpC), True Strike, Identify, Nystul's Magic Aura

And here are good spells from your chosen banned schools...
Ray of Enfeeblement, Ray of Clumsiness (SpC), Enlarge Person, Nerveskitter (SpC)

Hope this helps.

[Diarmuid]

No grease?

I think Grease is actually better then Color Spray at very low levels.

[Eloel]

No grease?

I think Grease is actually better then Color Spray at very low levels.

At level1 (vs 1-2HD enemies), Grease disables a 10ft square for 1 round. Color Spray disables a 15ft cone for 3d4+1 rounds.
vs 3-4HD enemies, Color Spray still disables them for 1d4+1 rounds.

And Color Spray is a Will save, which tends to be lower universally at L1, unless you're casting on a Druid/Cleric.
(yes, even Wizards tend to have a better Reflex than a Will, mainly because they tend to leave Wis at 8, and Dex is at least 12 for the AC/init)

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

Grease "disables" people by making them fall prone and make balance checks. Color Spray K.O.s the enemy. It wins the encounter by itself. There's no comparison at level 1.

Levels ~3 and onward? Grease is great. It's one of my favorite first level spells, but I still wouldn't prepare it at level 1.

(The best spell at 1st level IME is Enlarge Person, since DMs are less likely to fudge AC than saving throws, and the tank gets to feel dominant.)

[Rahas]

From my expeirence with conjurers I've found that at low levels summon undead I(SpC) is better for battlefield control then summon monster. Also you might be better off trading out shocking grasp for a lesser orb of (acid/cold/fire/electricity) also found in Spell Compendium, the lesser orbs do 1d8/2 levels but do require a ranged touch attack to hit

[Endarire]

Magic missile and shocking grasp will be seeing less play than you expect. Grease and color spray and sleep say, "You're dead!" if the foe fails its save, assuming you have something to damage it afterward.

Treantmonk's Guide to Wizards - Being a GOD

LogicNinja's Guide to Wizards - Being Batman

[Beorn080]

I'd keep magic missile, if only because it hits everything. You never know when a DM is gonna have his critically wounded BBEG try to sneak away ethereally, and tagging him a couple sessions early with a magic missile would be a great way to break the railroad tracks.

[The Mentalist]

Power Word: Pain?

The first level spell that damages like a 2-4th level spell.

[Eloel]

Power Word: Pain?

The first level spell that damages like a 2-4th level spell.

That spell is weird actually. It gets less effective quadratically as you level up, instead of the usual "get more effective quadratically". You get lowered duration with enemy's HP going up AND the enemy's hp goes up. Vs someone with, say, 40 hp, you deal 10d6 average. Vs someone with 80 hp, you deal 5d6 average. Double the hp, half the damage, it becomes useless in time.

[The Mentalist]

That spell is weird actually. It gets less effective quadratically as you level up, instead of the usual "get more effective quadratically". You get lowered duration with enemy's HP going up AND the enemy's hp goes up. Vs someone with, say, 40 hp, you deal 10d6 average. Vs someone with 80 hp, you deal 5d6 average. Double the hp, half the damage, it becomes useless in time.

This is true but to have in your early spellbook is AWESOME! It's not too expensive too grab really, As a sorcerer I wouldn't recommend it but every Wizard should spend a few pennies and a page to get it.

[Zaq]

Blockade, from Complete Scoundrel. Creates a 5' by 5' by 5' cube of wood for 3 rounds (which is a mixed blessing... it doesn't scale up, but it doesn't have the whole "1 round duration" problem at 1st level). If you can't think of a use for this, you're not trying hard enough. The beautiful part? It's a swift action. It doesn't scale terribly well, but it's still a great spell.

[thompur]

To what books do you have access? The reason I ask is that all the spells you list are from the PHB, and a lot of the suggestions are from the Spell Compendium. For useful advice, we really need to know which sources you have.

That said, I like Ray of enfeeblement as a de-buffer and Color Spray can be devestating v. low level opponents.

[dobu]

those ray attacks are powerful, but unreliable at low level, where even a touch AC of 12 eqals a 40-50% miss chance... I wouldn't do that...

color spray is a good choice for sure.
enlarge/reduce person is always handy.
benign transposition sees a lot of uses in my game.
mage hand (greater) is always useful, but on low level you might not have enough spellslots to prepare it.
instant diversion (races of the dragon) is a good defensive spell, before you get mirror image (it is a swift action to cast!)

btw: powerword: pain is the only spell banned in my campaign. a humble 1st level sorcerer can kill the whole party with this spell. no save. seriously, it is that bad.

[wallofterror]

Only spells from PHB is authorized.

[Amphetryon]

Drop Shocking Grasp, get Grease. You have damaging spells and party members to hit the bad guys with. Otherwise decent choices.