Low- to Mid-Level arcane casters

[Sleet]

OK, so we all hear how invincible a 20th level Batman is.

What about a humble 3rd level sorcerer? A 5th level wizard?

Someone invites you to join their game, and asks you to roll up a level 3 sorcerer or wizard. The campaign is long-term, so chances are you'll be playing this guy at higher levels, so don't paint yourself into a corner now. What spells, feats, and general strategies work both now and later?

What are some good ways to build fun, playable low- to mid-level arcane casters?

[Tempest Fennac]

You may want to check out this thread regarding spell and feat choices: http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=18500 .

[J.Gellert]

Well, you can do anything you do at the higher levels, but at a smaller scale. For example, you can't quite afford to fly, but you can levitate. You cannot cast Fear, but Sleep is just as battle-altering as that.

The way I see it, the main problem is defensive... Without your contingency active, you'll have to depend more on your meatshields to keep enemies away.

As far as feats go, Extend Spell is useful early on so that your round/level buffs last the whole fight. Depending on your DM and campaign, crafting feats are useful both early on, and later at the higher levels.

[Emperor Demonking]

Sorecrors aren't very good.
Spells pretty much all of them.

Feats: Improved init, spell focus necromacy, spell focus illusion.

Strategies, just save or... spells

[Keld Denar]

At low levels, you'd be supprised how much milage you get out of improved init.

For 2nd level spells, there are lots of golden ones. Glitterdust and Web are your primary weapons of mass disablement. One targets will saves, notably poor in warrior type mooks, the other hits reflex saves and horribly cripples anything that can't reliably make DC20 str checks (not much at that level). Even at higher levels, Glitterdust is one of the few spells that completely negates invisibility for others, allowing your party to attack hellcats, invisible stalkers, and greater invisible foes. Web loses power more quickly, and is almost completely usurped by Evards Black Tenticles at level 4. No one says you can't combine the 2 for extra sticky grapply goodness though. One of Webs biggest sellers though, is that more than 5' of the stuff blocks line of effect, making it a very good tool to shut down casters.

Ray of Stupidity is your magic bullet for arcane spellcasters and animals. Animals of all sizes have an int of 1 or 2, and the Ray's 1d4+1 int damage takes them out at minimum damage. Vs other wizards, this spell makes them forget spells, and can even knock out whole spell levels with a good roll vs a foe with an 18-20 int.

Invisibility is pretty good for utility, but best served to run away, or when you run out of other useful spells.

For 1st level, the oft cited Color Spray and Sleep are good knockout spells. Other spells of note are Ray of Enfeeblement and Truestrike. Truestrike isn't super useful at the start, but later, when you get quicken spell, this will be one cast often. Ray of Enfeeblement, if it hits, can give foes -2 to -3 on attack and damage roles, right off the bat. At higher levels, this can be up to a -6 on a great roll. Plus, if you penalize a str score down below 13, the foe can no longer utilize Power Attack, a key source of damage for anything big and/or wielding 2handed weapons. Plus, the things you really want to enfeeble tend to have low touch ACs.

If you must do damage, Orb of Acid is probably the best source. With no save, no SR, and the noticable lack of acid immunity among 95% of things in the monster manual, it is pretty much garunteed damage if you can hit.

[Dausuul]

Don't forget illusion magic. If you play it right, you can get a lot of performance out of a minor image.

Pack some utility scrolls, like levitate and knock, and arm yourself with a wand of magic missile as a backup weapon. It's always good to have a source of direct damage handy, even though you won't be using it most of the time.

[Sleet]

This is good stuff, guys. Keep any specific ideas or examples from favorite PCs of yours coming.

Thanks!

[Subotei]

Maybe teaching you to suck eggs here but a crossbow (or if you play an elf, a longbow via their racial proficiency) is a pretty good back up to have at low level - you can still do do something useful when the spells have run out.

[Sleet]

... a crossbow ... is a pretty good back up to have at low level ...

Already planning on that. It's hokey, but I can't resist the launch spell from Spell Compendium. Will have the crossbow just in case.

[daggaz]

Yeah, my own lvl 3 character is pretty much a collection of these tactics.

Improved init, spell focus conj. (taking spell focus necro next)

High dex, so I ray a lot and use my longbow (elf).

Spells are the "ray of X" spells, and good conj spells like web, glitterdust, and grease (i think those are all conj...). Right now I stay back, I toss some save or suck spells first and follow up with appropriate rays if needed. Cast invis and/or exp. retreat if I need to get safe fast.

Mage armor and other defensive spells are a must as well.