I am getting ready to start a new character. This will be my first Wizard PC EVER.
My rolled stats were pretty awesome. 14, 16, 14, 13, 18, 12. I am currently placing my rolls as follows;
STR: 14-2=12
DEX: 14+2=16
CON: 16-2=14
INT: 18+2=20
WIS: 13+0=13
CHA: 12+0=12
I am pretty set with those abilities but welcome advice about where to use my rolls, what familiar to take, what spells to choose. I will get 8 first level spells in my spellbook and I will be able to use 3 a day thanks to my high intelligence.
Just let me know what you think and I will post my final character when I start the new campaign.
I would personally change as follows:
put the 14 in CHA
put the 13 in WIS
put the 12 in STR
Your strength is unimportant that's what fighters are for.Make them carry the rope etc.I like a high CHA.I think a wizard should be able to solve things through force of personality instead of relying solely on spells.The WIS can be lower because you will have good will saves anyway.As for familiars...I was always partial to the toad.The extra 3 hit points are very useful especially for a level adjustment wizard.
I agree with those, but no Toad, I think it's cliche, but if you REALLY need that +3 hps, then go for it. Go for flavor, a Gray Elf Wizard can be fun, but maybe lay off taking one for a while, and get one that fits with your personality, and style, ya know?
|
Wait to get Improved Familiar or just don't get one. What books are you using to draw spells from? Don't forget to leave a slot or 2 unprepared so you can memorize a needed spell as needed. Scrolls, lots and lots of scrolls! You have the feat, use it. If you must have a familiar then get a familiar carrier or cast familiar pocket to give it a safe haven when you are in hard-core combat.
Right now we are using the three core 3.5 books
|
|
Endure elements
mage armor
identify
burning hands
magic missile
color spray
enlarge person
not the most variety but a good list to help kill party threats and enhance your party's combat sitch. summon monster to help rogue get a flanking sneak attack in. enlarge a frontliner to increase their strength and damage potential. Mage armor is a no brainer. Endure elements is always helpful (especially with 1d4+con hp). identify could be taken at later levels but I like having it early on. the offensive spells.
Burning hands for when you start to have a couple guys close in with you. color spray is just cool and helps thin the herd well at lower levels. Magic missile just doesn't miss so you can't not take it and at higher levels is a great candidate for some of the metamagic feats (empowered or maximized comes to mind). Some people try to avoid taking it but usually they come back and take it at some point, its a great 1st level spell.
as always, IMO
FH
That is similar to what I was thinking for spells. Here is my list.
-Magic Missle
-Mage Armor
-Shield
-Comprehend Languages
-Identify
-Ray of Enfeeblement
-Feather Fall
-Expeditious Retreat
The feather will more than likely get swapped out for Enlarge Person and Expeditious Retreat is still in the air but this DM tends to TPK early in campaigns, so I am thinking of keeping it on hand for the get away that will be inevitable.
Wait to get Improved Familiar or just don't get one. What books are you using to draw spells from? Don't forget to leave a slot or 2 unprepared so you can memorize a needed spell as needed. Scrolls, lots and lots of scrolls! You have the feat, use it. If you must have a familiar then get a familiar carrier or cast familiar pocket to give it a safe haven when you are in hard-core combat.
I had thought about getting a toad but it doesn't really fit with the Gray Elf IMO. I had thought maybe the raven or owl but the idea of waiting for improved familiar could be nice also.
I am definitely going to be using scrolls and might use my expeditious retreat for scrolls. Will just have to wait and see.
|
|
I tend to take more offensive stuff early to kill whatever is trying to kill me and I can always get stuff like comprehend languages in a level or 2. If your dm tends to TPK early in a campaign then make sure that at least half of your spells can be used in combat. Kill crap before it kills you. Then loot its carcass and copy any scrolls found into the Great Big Book of Spells.
I like the Stirge as a familiar for a slighty creepier look than a raven or else maybe a Shocker lizard.
Is the DM allowing use of the DMG2 and PHB2? I ask because I am not sure if these are considered the "core books" yet or if they will be in the future. If they are allowed the PHB2 has some great feats to and ideas to really add flavor to a core character. I am still trying to assimilate the info from the PHB2 but if I come across anything interesting for you I'll post it here.
out for now
FH
|
|
BTW, on the spell list I only picked mage armor because it has a long lasting effect (most of a session) where shield only lasts for a short time (a long fight) and when every spell known is important it just doesn't hold its own yet. In a level or 2 it is a must have especially after access to 2nd level spells happens, but every bad guy mage will have it in his/her/its books for you to learn it.
FH
I've been partial to hawk familiars, myself. Don't take one if you think your DM will unneccesarily target it, but the ability to send messages quickly (as far as non-magical solutions go) and see a large portion of the land around without resorting to spells is fairly handy.
Or take an owl. Then keeping watch becomes much easier, as your lil buddy will be up all night making sure you're safe (and watching for field mice, of course).
TK
I'd say put the lowest score in Str (12-2=10). There's still no penalty (in case you decide to take advantage of your bow proficiency), and the 14 can go into Wis (thus improving the important Will save).
Definitely keep the Con score -- it will nearly double your hp on the average. Otherwise, wizards are notoriously prone to fall to a single hit.
Jack
Scoti,
1. I would place my stats as follows Str 12-2=10, Dex 16+2=18, Con 14-2=12, Int 18+2=20, Wis 12, Cha 13. The Intelligence is a must and the extra Dex AC Bonus will be helpful to your mage's survivability, as will be the slight Con bonus to HP. I recommend the high Dex over Con as I feel that not getting hit in the first place takes priority over surviving hits you DO take...especially when the alternative number placement only nets you a single extra HP in the first place.
2. I'm with Fake Healer in that you should wait until the opportunity comes for you to select Improved Familiar before taking one. To me, it's well worth the Feat slot. If you feel the need to take one immediately, though--go for whatever fits the "flavor" of your character. I'm partial to cats or ravens, myself.
3. Spell selection is entirely dependant on the composition of the rest of your party, in my opinion. I strongly believe that the single most important factor in surviving low-levels (ESPECIALLY for a mage) is teamwork. If you have more than one fighter in your group, for example, don't be afraid to think a little outside the box and select lots of buff and defensive-type magic in order to complement your front-line guys (and lessen the burden on your cleric, allowing them to concentrate on praying for healing magics).
Of course, that being said, magic missile and mage armor are almost must-haves. Still, I'm sure you see my point.
Have a good time with the campaign!
antithesis
I am getting ready to start a new character. This will be my first Wizard PC EVER.
My rolled stats were pretty awesome. 14, 16, 14, 13, 18, 12. I am currently placing my rolls as follows;
STR: 14-2=12
DEX: 14+2=16
CON: 16-2=14
INT: 18+2=20
WIS: 13+0=13
CHA: 12+0=12I am pretty set with those abilities but welcome advice about where to use my rolls, what familiar to take, what spells to choose. I will get 8 first level spells in my spellbook and I will be able to use 3 a day thanks to my high intelligence.
Just let me know what you think and I will post my final character when I start the new campaign.
Okay, I have decided on abilities and they are as follows.
Str:14-2=12
Dex:16+2=18
Con:14-2=12
Int:18+2=20
Wis:13+0=13
Cha:12+0=12
My spellbook looks like this;
0 Lvl=
- All
1 Lvl=
- Magic Missle
- Mage Armor
- Shield
- Burning Hands
- Identify
- Ray of Enfeeblement
- Featherfall (but I am still thinking of switching for Enlarge Person)
- Expeditious Retreat
My familiar is going to be an Owl for flavor. My elven name will be Itharlaudrim which roughly means "Friend of the Night Flyer."
I am figuring I will prep mage armor, magic missle and ray of enfeeblement for my first level spells regularly and swap out when a certain environment calls for it or when i have knowledge of what to expect. I am hoping to play this character completely as a wizard without multiclassing or taking prestige classes. I am looking forward to my first wizard character ever in D&D as a player.
I have played fighters and rangers my entire D&D career, so this should be interesting. Also, i tend to play humans, so once again something new.
Thanks to everyone for the advice so far and keep it coming. The first game should be sometime next week but we haven't set a date yet. I will let you know how it goes. My biggest fear is doing something stupid and getting my 5 hp wizard killed in the first session.
If you want an alternative to feather fall think about taking the grease spell. I am playing a wizard at the moment and the grease spell has changed the face of battle three times in the party's favor already. We fought two ogres at 2nd-level and a single casting of grease ended the battle in three rounds without a single PC being hit. The same thing happened when two party members were slain by dire apes. Two castings of grease and the fighter with the Improved Trip feat saved the rest of the party from death.