Hello all! I have been lurking on Paizo as well as many other sites for quite a long time. I've seen you guys have been very helpful to people in the past and I am in need of dire aid before Tuesday.
I am trying to branch away from my usual style of making a character who essentially becomes a super one trick pony. And for the first time, I am rolling a Diviner Foresight wizard. I've looked around Paizo, reddit and even googled for aid and I don't want to copy any one build. Additionally, a lot of the info I found began derailing itself as replies went on, and people either argued about semantics or abilities instead of helping out the OP.
Inspiration for this character was given to me by Jehova who brought upon "The Vacuum" Wizard which I thought was amazing.
We are starting at level 5, and we are getting a 25-point buy, we got random races (I obtained human), and we got gold amounts based off our back stories. I ended up getting 25k Gold pieces which was the highest anyone got (yay me!).
Now before anyone send me links to Treantmonk's or Professor Q's guide, I have seen them and they rock but I feel that they aren't geared toward what I was looking for. Now my issue is that I want spells, items and feats that have amazing synergy with one another so I can be strong in different situations. Like for Jehova his/her Vacuum was geared toward using Mass Suffocation, and was even to perform Beast Mass. I would like to roll up a character who possibly at higher levels could be that diesel as well, but my knowledge of D&D I would say isn't at the highest level that some of the other optimizers, and min/max'ers may be.
I don't even know if I should obtain a familiar or an arcane item at this point, and I don't know how to make the best out of my Foresight Wizard. I was thinking of going down Evocation or Necromacy for some powerful save or lose/dies/sucks. However, I've rolled up a witch and a Ice Sorceress who did very similar things, and I am trying to be different than my super specialist play style.
So if anyone can help me, I'd be greatly appreciative. I'm already appreciative that you all have provided me information to even help me get this far, now I'm just simply asking for a little more. Thank you in advance.
"I am trying to branch away from my usual style of making a character who essentially becomes a super one trick pony."
"Now my issue is that I want spells, items, and feats that are gearing me to a justifiable end."
You're contradicting yourself here. A wizard's strength is flexibility, the divination subschool is great because of foresight. You can try to spell perfection something, which would give you your specialization; but just focus on your flexibility and build nice initiative to go with foresight,
I'm sorry I will edit and rephrase it. What I mean is I want synergy with the Foresight school. Not just every single feat, magical item, and ability geared toward doing one thing. If that makes any sense.
Battlefield control. Pump your initiative and throw out some strong conjuration spells. Stinking cloud, pits, glitterdust, summon monsters. There's some really nice synergy with divination. Save damage spells for later in the round in tougher encounters. Focus on getting out first and controlling the battle. Focus on having SoS/SoD spells which target all the different saves. Eventually persistent spell will be awesome for you. Initiative and surprise round with the ability to force rerolls on mass SoS spells.
That sounds like a sound plan, but should I forsake the buffing spells such as Fly, Haste, etc? And just specifically focus on battlefield control? I mean as a level 5 Wizard I only get 2 level 3 spells.
Additionally, SoS/SoD spells seem kind of limiting imho. +13 initiative is great until I use glitterdust and they pass their save. Then I've effectively done nothing. Again, just trying to understand Wizards a bit better.
25k at level 5?
Buy a wand of haste. At level 7 take improved familiar and get a lyrakien azata. Give the wand to your familiar and have it haste your party at the beginning of the battle for the next 50 battles. You need to be CG and put ranks into UMD to make this work.
Buy a bunch of scrolls for weird situations and for copying into your spell book too.
Max your casting stat and buy a headband of intelligence as well. You'll be able to cast 3 or 4 third level spells right from level 5.
Since you'll usually be going first, the enemy will usually be flat footed. Make dexterity your second highest stat and take some ray spells.
At level 7, your opener could be an enervation ray on the enemy while your familiar hastens your party. Thats pretty brutal.
Heck, be a ray specialist.
I am pretty new to Wizards as a whole, so what is a Ray specialist exactly? And why would that be so effective?
The ability scores I thought of put Cha at a -2, would it still be economical to put points into UMD?
Additionally that does seem pretty brutal, but I would be taking improved familiar as a feat now correct? What should my other feats be? Focusing on specific Rays?
Some people make wizards that focus on ray spells because they commonly do not allow a save unless the effect they apply is an inhumanly strong debuff. Instead you make touch attacks with them.25k at level 5?
Buy a wand of haste. At level 7 take improved familiar and get a lyrakien azata. Give the wand to your familiar and have it haste your party at the beginning of the battle for the next 50 battles. You need to be CG and put ranks into UMD to make this work.
Buy a bunch of scrolls for weird situations and for copying into your spell book too.
Max your casting stat and buy a headband of intelligence as well. You'll be able to cast 3 or 4 third level spells right from level 5.
Since you'll usually be going first, the enemy will usually be flat footed. Make dexterity your second highest stat and take some ray spells.
At level 7, your opener could be an enervation ray on the enemy while your familiar hastens your party. Thats pretty brutal.
Heck, be a ray specialist.
I am pretty new to Wizards as a whole, so what is a Ray specialist exactly? And why would that be so effective?
The ability scores I thought of put Cha at a -2, would it still be economical to put points into UMD?
Additionally that does seem pretty brutal, but I would be taking improved familiar as a feat now correct? What should my other feats be? Focusing on specific Rays?
Use Magic Device, a Wand is 20, a Wizard with a headband should be able to constantly put max ranks into UMD, and depending on wealth the wasted charges on wands will not be a great concern (at lvl 5 you should succeed a majority of the time).
Wizards can focus on: Reflex/Fortitude/Will saves, these are usually debuffs and depend on the wizard having high INT. These can be save or suck or save or die, very powerful or utterly useless.
Rays focus on the enemies touch (and sometimes also a save for 1/2), these depend on the wizards DEX to hit (as a ranged attack). Generally less powerful than save spells but more consistent (and easy to buff with ranged weapon feats and focus).
A high stat wizard can do both, but focusing your abilities, feats and metamagic into one can force your opponents to make nearly impossible saves or have never miss rays.
Some people make wizards that focus on ray spells because they commonly do not allow a save unless the effect they apply is an inhumanly strong debuff. Instead you make touch attacks with them.25k at level 5?
Buy a wand of haste. At level 7 take improved familiar and get a lyrakien azata. Give the wand to your familiar and have it haste your party at the beginning of the battle for the next 50 battles. You need to be CG and put ranks into UMD to make this work.
Buy a bunch of scrolls for weird situations and for copying into your spell book too.
Max your casting stat and buy a headband of intelligence as well. You'll be able to cast 3 or 4 third level spells right from level 5.
Since you'll usually be going first, the enemy will usually be flat footed. Make dexterity your second highest stat and take some ray spells.
At level 7, your opener could be an enervation ray on the enemy while your familiar hastens your party. Thats pretty brutal.
Heck, be a ray specialist.
I am pretty new to Wizards as a whole, so what is a Ray specialist exactly? And why would that be so effective?
The ability scores I thought of put Cha at a -2, would it still be economical to put points into UMD?
Additionally that does seem pretty brutal, but I would be taking improved familiar as a feat now correct? What should my other feats be? Focusing on specific Rays?
Most of the Ray spells I see target fortitude. I don't want to be a SoD - SoS specialist. Cause I'll be literally hanging on a save or two.
Use Magic Device, a Wand is 20, a Wizard with a headband should be able to constantly put max ranks into UMD, and depending on wealth the wasted charges on wands will not be a great concern (at lvl 5 you should succeed a majority of the time).
Wizards can focus on: Reflex/Fortitude/Will saves, these are usually debuffs and depend on the wizard having high INT. These can be save or suck or save or die, very powerful or utterly useless.
Rays focus on the enemies touch (and sometimes also a save for 1/2), these depend on the wizards DEX to hit...
A headband of what exactly? Cause If I have a Cha of 7 I can't get to a 20 UMD. Maybe that'll be good for a diff. character. The Enervation + Ray combo is pretty good, but I'd rather use a different character. This one doesn't seem to cut it.
...Some people make wizards that focus on ray spells because they commonly do not allow a save unless the effect they apply is an inhumanly strong debuff. Instead you make touch attacks with them.25k at level 5?
Buy a wand of haste. At level 7 take improved familiar and get a lyrakien azata. Give the wand to your familiar and have it haste your party at the beginning of the battle for the next 50 battles. You need to be CG and put ranks into UMD to make this work.
Buy a bunch of scrolls for weird situations and for copying into your spell book too.
Max your casting stat and buy a headband of intelligence as well. You'll be able to cast 3 or 4 third level spells right from level 5.
Since you'll usually be going first, the enemy will usually be flat footed. Make dexterity your second highest stat and take some ray spells.
At level 7, your opener could be an enervation ray on the enemy while your familiar hastens your party. Thats pretty brutal.
Heck, be a ray specialist.
I am pretty new to Wizards as a whole, so what is a Ray specialist exactly? And why would that be so effective?
The ability scores I thought of put Cha at a -2, would it still be economical to put points into UMD?
Additionally that does seem pretty brutal, but I would be taking improved familiar as a feat now correct? What should my other feats be? Focusing on specific Rays?
Most of the Ray spells I see target fortitude. I don't want to be a SoD - SoS specialist. Cause I'll be literally hanging on a save or two.
Use Magic Device, a Wand is 20, a Wizard with a headband should be able to constantly put max ranks into UMD, and depending on wealth the wasted charges on wands will not be a great concern (at lvl 5 you should succeed a majority of the time).
Wizards can focus on: Reflex/Fortitude/Will saves, these are usually debuffs and depend on the wizard having high INT. These can be
If you are not going to be a DEX damage dealing Ray wizard, then focus on INT, grab feats to improve the DC of all your spells (AOE's seem like instant hits but really REF and evasion can completely negate them). Feats like spell focus, spell perfection for your favorite DEBUFFER spell to ensure it hits, and metamagic rods fit to the situation.
You should also be constantly looking for more scrolls to add to your spell book (or for use in an emergency). Ask your GM if you can purchase scrolls before the game starts for even more spells =)
Wizards are better than anyone at being versatile, scolls and wands are cheap and easy for you to use (if they are on your spell list), and that means you can always be prepared for the situation (emergency PIT or wall of stone or invisibilty, etc).
Most spellcasters prefer a familiar (who adds a bonus to one skill as well as bonuses with levels), over a bonded object (which grants a spontaneous spell 1/day) as bonded objects fill a slot or take up a hand, at later levels a bonded object can be upgraded into something useful (with no feat tax for crafting), but it also means 20+ spell level concentration check for EVERY SPELL if it is sundered/stolen/lost/dropped/broken/pickpocketed/greased/shattered/rusted/e tc. (Most GM's rule that unwillingly dropping a bonded weapon = lost and unbound).
Both are fragile and easily lost to GM's or even blasty party members.
Like it or not you will want to focus on increased spell DC, this makes your control spells better, and your damage spells tougher. If you work with your team you can set up interesting and devastating combos (witch hexes then you control when they have lower saves), or (Bard/you/cleric super buff the barbarian who wrecks everything) or (you black tentacle the minions while the archers pick them off, you debuff the boss then SoD phantasmal killer him), even rogues can be improved if you greater invisible them then daze opponents).
Wizards who focus on one style can be especially devastating, but also more easily stymied by the GM (if it works too often it WILL be shut down, hard!).
Focus on pure INT, on increasing saves, and getting/making as many scrolls as possible of as many different spells as possible. Be as diverse and unpredictable as you can. And since you are squishy (potentially lacking DEX for AC) remember to cast "Meat Shield" (or friendly fighter defence) as often as you can. You have a whole party of minions, use them, help them, and let them feel like they are contributing.
** spoiler omitted **...
Thank you very much, you have given me a lot of insight into what I should be doing. Where I feel like some of the advice has been lack luster you have given me some very solid information and some tips/advice. Thank you very much. :D
So currently my stats are in the 25-point buy:
STR: 7
DEX: 16
CON: 14
INT: 20 (17 +2Human, +1 Level 4 bonus)
WIS: 11
CHA: 10
This is without magical items and such.
I spent 16k of my 25k on the mental headband of superiority. Bringing my UMD to +6. I also asked my DM about scrolls and such, he said that spells should be easily accessed for me during my down time.
Knowing he likes to do multiple waves and rounds of combat I do fear for my effectiveness.
My Party is also composed of the following:
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Barbarian
Gunslinger
Druid
Ninja
Commoner
A Possible NPC
Then me.
----------------
Do you have an idea what would be the best way to utilize my effectiveness as a Foresight Wizard?
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Ensure your Ninja is scouting (they should have plenty of Ki abilities and you can cast buff spells to help such as see invisible, detection spells, invisibility etc) and let them plan and set up ambushes for you, the more surprise rounds you both get, the better you will both be able to use sneak attack and forewarned, and maybe reset one spell to your advantage.
Since you will always act in the surprise round (when everyone is flat footed, potentially) you can open up with some ranged touch attacks, if the enemy is denied dexterity you should have a good chance to hit, with a meta magic rod of quicken http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic-items/rods/metamagic-rods/metamagic-quicken that is a nasty 1-2 punch against mooks or the big baddie. This can open up lanes for your Ninja to vanish through to get flanking, or give your barbarian room to charge. Casting summon monster >3 on your surprise round will also ensure that it activates on your first round =p instant backup (maybe flanking your foes even!). Or just magic missile + quicken magic missile for pre-shield spell damage.
I might also recommend (after free action KNOW or PERCEPTION to find the toughest enemy in the wave) casting Unprepared Combatant (-4 initiative/reflex 1min/lvl) so that when surprise round ends they are further down the list. Mudball, Colour spray, Ray of enfeeblement, METAMAGIC Dazing acid arrow (against casters), glitterdust, web, or any other ranged touch attack spells with saves are always good openers to soften up targets before they can gain dexterity to avoid your attacks. And as their saves slowly sink, you will be able to land more spells and further sink their saves.
Second round (first after surprise), since you will have a high initiative (maybe also get improved initiative feat as well) you can use scrolls or prepared combat spells as you see fit (generally against flat footed opponents, again!)
Again variety is your friend, metamagic scrolls will help you overcome most defenses and you can have a ready supply of utility for cheap. A Handy Haversack will really help with this as well (no quickdraw needed). Blood transcription (scrolls if possible) can mean free spells from sorcerers, bards, and wizards without a spellbook. More spells means more scrolls means more options. You are a foresight wizard, make everyone think you read the future and prepared ahead (Of course I knew that was going to happen, why do you think I had that spell ready today?).
Be sure to consider your barbarian and Ninja when casting area spells or control spells, or summons. Barbarian needs to be close to hit, and Ninja needs flanking opportunities, druid and Gunslinger can handle themselves generally.
The ability to roll essentially 2d20 take the best 8-11+ times a day should let you guarantee your enervation ray (against the toughest guy) hits, it is almost as good as quickened True Strike =)
I suggest saving this for the tough guys, but if the day is about to end, use it for crafting, no more wasted time.
So, initiative, and surprise rounds set up with your party are your best bet. At later levels you will be able to scry and detect where the enemies are long before they see you (especially if you have counter scrying up), your Druid can then help shape the battlefield before the fights ever start.
And don't forget to grab a dagger, handy haversack, rope, pitons, and a club. You are always prepared after all, even for the mundane (magic missile can't cut a rope, fireball can't get your barbarian up the wall).