Wayang
Dwarf has the best defenses of any of the shirt races really. Saves against also anything? Yes please!
Non-Human (small sized) Peri-Blooded Aasimar.
Gnomes have racial traits to add 1 to the DC of Illusion or Necromancy spells, or add 1 to the caster level of fire spells. That could come in handy in more specialized builds.
Wayang
Definitley wayang. They have that all-important Intelligence boost in addition to a nice bonus to Shadow-subschool spells. Shadow Evocation & Shadow Conjuration are pretty versatile spells to have in your back pocket.
Dwarf has the best defenses of any of the shirt races really. Saves against also anything? Yes please!
Well, saves against spells and poisons. Their defenses are not as useful against supernatural abilities.
Aasimar's can get a +2 racial bonus to Int in place of their spell-like ability (Variant Aasimar Abilities). Peri-Blooded get +2 to Int and Cha. So you can start with a +4 int for a wizard...
Tiefling wizard of any small-sized race. You get the tail to draw meta rods and scrolls. You get Int and Dex. You lose cha.
Win status = Maximum.
Aasimar's can get a +2 racial bonus to Int in place of their spell-like ability (Variant Aasimar Abilities). Peri-Blooded get +2 to Int and Cha. So you can start with a +4 int for a wizard...
Wait, WHA!? Where is the +2 INT in place of SLA from?
Aasimar's can get a +2 racial bonus to Int in place of their spell-like ability (Variant Aasimar Abilities). Peri-Blooded get +2 to Int and Cha. So you can start with a +4 int for a wizard...Wait, WHA!? Where is the +2 INT in place of SLA from?
Tieflings and aasimar have varient ability tables. Tables for NPC characters of those races. Tables that the GM is perfectly within their right to refuse (as said by the tables themselves), and equally in his right to make you roll a d100 for one of the 100 random abilities if you keep on insisting.
Have fun using CHA instead of CON for determining how long you can hold your breath before you drown, the ability to clean coins and other small objects instantly just by passing them through your hands, or astronomy powers!
Seriously a lot of the options on those lists are fairly unbalanced because they were there to be cool for NPC characters, not to be PC options. Anyway, you can look them over here and here
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Aasimar's can get a +2 racial bonus to Int in place of their spell-like ability (Variant Aasimar Abilities). Peri-Blooded get +2 to Int and Cha. So you can start with a +4 int for a wizard...Wait, WHA!? Where is the +2 INT in place of SLA from?
If you roll a 40 on the % die for Aasimar variant abilites in Blood of Angels.
In most cases you would never be able to count on it.
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Gnome is decent at wizard despite not having a bonus to int. They make better sorcerers, but the racial bonus to illusion magic helps illusionists. If you have access to the alternate race traits, they make fantastic blasters with Pyromaniac giving a bonus to CL on all fire spells. Evoker will give a bonus to damage.
Tieflings and aasimar have varient ability tables. Tables for NPC characters of those races.Aasimar's can get a +2 racial bonus to Int in place of their spell-like ability (Variant Aasimar Abilities). Peri-Blooded get +2 to Int and Cha. So you can start with a +4 int for a wizard...Wait, WHA!? Where is the +2 INT in place of SLA from?
AND PC's. It even says "Players with a particular character concept in mind may consult their GM if they want to select a specific variant ability." So lemeres is correct a GM may not allow it. However, the question was "Which shorty do you think would make the best wizard and why?". What I posted was a RAW legal option [and one that doesn't have to require a random roll].
As to Gnomes: Using the rules from bastards of golarion, you can make a human with Pyromaniac.
Kneller2:Only core? No core shorties are good wizards. Gnomes are only ok IMO. Elves make fine wizards but I prefer humans or 1/2 races because of the human favored class bonus.
Yeah, I'm having a lot of trouble going with the Gnome here. Let's compare (consider that I'm also building this to be a loremaster in a field control role):
The half-elf:
Half-elf Conjurer
Attributes:
7/14/14/20/10/12
Languages
Common, Elven, Draconic, Aquan, Auran, Ignan, Terran
Skills (23):
Diplomacy 3
Knowledge (Arcana, Nature) 3x2
Fly 3
Spellcraft 3
Perception 3
Knowledge (Dungeon 1, Planes 1, Geography 1 , History 1, Religion 1)
Feats:
Scribe Scroll (free from class)
Skill Focus [Knowledge (Arcana)](free from race)
Improved Initiative
Combat Casting
and the gnome:
Gnome Conjurer
Attributes:
5/14/16/18/10/14
Languages: Common, Gnome, Sylvan, Draconic, Elven, Dwarven, Goblin)
Skills (20):
Diplomacy 3
Knowledge (Arcana, Nature) 3x2
Spellcraft 3
Perception 3
Ride 3 (He's going to need a riding dog to get around due to his weakness)
Knowledge (Planes 1, History 1)
Feats:
Scribe Scroll (free)
Improved Initiative
Skill Focus (Arcana)
The thing that draws me to the gnome isn't even that I think he'd be terribly good at anything, but that he's so gimped in comparison that it would be interesting. I might end up tossing a coin on this one.
I prefer humans or 1/2 races because of the human favored class bonus.
What do you mean? Based on what I read, everyone gets a favored class, and everyone gets the same bonus.
As Imbicatus said, the Advanced Race Guide gives each race different options in addition to the normal +1 hp or skill point. For wizards humans get a free spell, gnomes get an extra use of 1st level school power, 1/2lings get higher familiar abilities. IMO extra spells is worth much more on average than the other options. (barring some special build)
The half-elf:
Half-elf Conjurer
Attributes:
7/14/14/20/10/12Gnome Conjurer
Attributes:
5/14/16/18/10/14
Wait, you are using a 25 pt buy for your basis, as well as the ability to get 20 INT? Eh....I don't think you are using the gnome efficiently here, and honestly you can't even do much of a fair comparison because you have no hard choices to make with that point buy. . The advantage of a +2 to CON/CHA is that it can be used to save points on secondary and tertiary scores, leaving more room for your primary. It also softens the blow of dumps (....yeah...CHA).
Here are a set of example scores with a 15 pt buy.This is what AP's tend to use and/or assume you re using. I will aim for your high primary scores at fire
Half-elf: STR: 7 DEX: 14 CON: 14 INT: 20 WIS: 7 CHA: 7
Notice how the other mentals stats are completely dumped. I could salvage one of them to 9 if one of the two undumped physicals go to 12, or both if all the remaining physicals drop to 12.
Here is a slightly less...dumpy version with a goal of 18 INT.
-STR: 7 DEX: 14 CON: 14 INT: 18 WIS: 10 CHA: 9
Gnome- STR: 5 DEX: 14 CON: 14 INT: 18 WIS: 9 CHA: 9
While the strength dump is still there, the dumps to mental stats are less extreme. Turning one of the physical stats into 13 would remove the mental dump entirely.
Just some food for thought. Bonuses outside of your primary are not too much of a problem. It is only when penalties are in primary or secondary stats that there are problems.
EDIT- oh, and the human favored class bonus is just an extra spell to your book, not an extra slot. I just thought I would mention that, since it is a lot less impressive than it might sound. I mean- you are a wizard. Collecting spells from scrolls and captured spell books is one of your THINGS (Although that is a trade for in game time and resources rather than leveling resources)
Dwarfs rock as wizards, their favored class bonus is great if you are going to be making stuff for the party. A pickaxe to the face is still a pickaxe to the face when you are in dire trouble. Great saves, and a penalty in your dump stat. Not to mention you don't have to worry about encumbrance issues.
Ratfolk?
Where are you people getting this favored class stuff? It's not in the core rulebook anywhere I can find.
Dwarves aren't actually short. They count as medium sized, so you get none of the size bonuses that small races normally give you.
That's true, though they still count as shorties in a cultural sense. :)
Wait, you are using a 25 pt buy for your basis, as well as the ability to get 20 INT? Eh....I don't think you are using the gnome efficiently here, and honestly you can't even do much of a fair comparison because you have no hard choices to make with that point buy.
This is a good point. The game definitely feels a little "soft" from what I observed last week. But, it's my first exposure to PF, so I don't mind easing into it.
Kneller, look at the left side of your screen not far under the search area. Click on the Rules Archive (PRD). Click on Advanced Race Guide. Click on a race. There you'll see the "favored class stuff". For instance, a dwarf wizard can opt for quicker crafting speeds.
Wait, you are using a 25 pt buy for your basis, as well as the ability to get 20 INT? Eh....I don't think you are using the gnome efficiently here, and honestly you can't even do much of a fair comparison because you have no hard choices to make with that point buy.This is a good point. The game definitely feels a little "soft" from what I observed last week. But, it's my first exposure to PF, so I don't mind easing into it.
Oh, not saying it is a bad thing (I like 25 point buy myself since it lets you be good at several things without needing much sacrifice), I am just saying that Paizo stuff tends to work around the 15 to 20 point buy. So many advantages might only show up when you are under more pressure during character creation.