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I have always wondered this personally. I have never like the idea of playing a prep spellcaster because I hate not having the right spell ready when its needed most. Because of this, I have never played one myself and have lately had to urge to try it out. I know they are all about battlefield control but my urge to blast things tend to take over when nobody can hit the monster. And then early levels your spell selection has quite a few options BUT you can only do them a couple times a day and my GM throws big dungeons with little opportunities to rest making it that much harder to manage. So what is the secret??
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depends on how much wealth you actually have, but blasting isnt all bad if done correctly
dead enemies cause less problems than living ones, but most of the time blasters need to make sure they get more than just damage going, a wall of fire, or a flaming sphere impeding the enemy's path can be quite useful
at lower levels, and even at higher ones, scribing is your friend, it gives you extra spells per day, and it's cheap at low levels, 50 gp gives you 4 lvl 1 spells
scribing is also an answer to not having the right spell prepared, so you can scribe a scroll of "niche utility spell that isnt really a good idea to prepare but i will be really happy to have access to it when i need it"
and hold on to it for those odd scenarios when you need it
you are given scribe scroll for free at 1st level, use it
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Carry a crossbow, hide behind your meatshields, and save your spells for emergencies (the tougher enemies in the dungeon). Try to prepare multipurpose spells like Grease that can be used offensively AND defensively AND as area denial and such.
Once you hit level 4 or 5 you can be a bit freer with your resources, but you'll still need to be careful not to blow it.
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Thanks guy. I have seen some builds that utilize Fireball as a battlefield controller with metamagic feats and that has always been fun reads as well. Its weird I think going from a frontline Ranger who is always doing something to being on limited footing and only able to plink with a crossbow and shoot the occasional spell to help the party.
Define "early levels"?
I know that specialty schools are great and all, with bonus spell slots and so on, but Hand of the Apprentice from the Universalist school certainly helps you through level 1.
Be a half-orc with a greataxe and use your Int to hit at range for d12 damage 6 or 7 times per day! Not the best idea for later levels, in my opinion, but it can be fun to have the largest damage die in the group coming from a level 1 wizard :)
Although, that probably won't help you if you have already made your character.
Spamming the Daze cantrip might be a good idea. Note that if they make the save you can just cast it again. Only once you actually succeed in dazing them for a round to they get immunity for 1 minute (10 rounds).
EDIT: typo
also invest in rods
By the time he can afford even a minor rod, is he technically still in the early levels any more?
INVEST. IN. RODS.
That's probably an investment too far at low level.
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Yeah though minor rods are a bread and butter purchase when one is able to get them, its still gonna be a while. I can see myself living ofo of scrolls for a while. There is usually alot of downtime between events that is usually spent on professions or drinking at taverns. That can now be used toward scrolls
3000 gp for a lesser rod of rime spell
admixture wizard can cast frozen rimed fireballs offering extra turns to his team by freezing the enemies in place with such a spell, since the rod is spontaneous use as is admixture, its legal since you dont have to prepare it cold
thats lvl 5, you can do the same thing with flaming sphere at lvl 3, but it takes more effort to do effectively
naturally going 1st is essential, so fleet-footed elf with reactionary trait, improved initiative, and a compsognathus familiar with a DEX of at least +3 should do ok, netting a +19 initiative at level 1
I like acid splash and/or ray of frost. Also, party members tend to help the survival rate. ;)
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One word "Toughness"
Also being human and a High Constitution score.
Currently my Wizard has more hit points than the party Ninja who has died twice and come close to death multiple times.
I invested in the Elven trait so I use a bow when not spellcasting.
Now, at 7th level, I'm the party's flying invisible archer - flaming gravity bow arrows FTW!
I was considering a Human and taking Toughness and Improved Initiative at 1st level, but then I REALLY like Elven Wizards as well so its a tough choice
Not to mention the +2 elven spell penetration...
play a ratfolk, and be sneaky, you're small so you get bonuses to AC, and you dont take a neg to CON
or samsarans because samsarans
Uh... a lesser rod of silent/still spell (choice depends on whether the wizard is more into hiding or fears grapples more) falls into the 'half wbl' bracket at level 4, and becomes fairly affordable by level 5?
I don't consider that to be the "early levels" he's talking about. IMO by level 4 he should have enough resources he can afford to get creative just with the spells on his list.
Heh, it's a really small thing, but I enjoy Ray of Frost at early levels as an Evoker. It's d3+1! It's like an empowered Ray of Frost! ;)
Uh... a lesser rod of silent/still spell (choice depends on whether the wizard is more into hiding or fears grapples more) falls into the 'half wbl' bracket at level 4, and becomes fairly affordable by level 5?
Which is to say, mid-level. Halfway to "name" level.
I've been playing in the early levels recently, starting at lv.1 and currently lv. 3 close to level 4. For the most part I've used my school power (wood wizard, splinter spear) color spray, burning hands and control spells. Other than that, I do my best to stay out of melee and make melee easier for my allies.
You have to be able to gauge the scene. At low levels you only have a few spells, but if you need them, use them. It's better to be a live wizard with no spells (above 0-level) to cast; than a dead wizard with lots of spells in the inventory for the next battle. Which never comes, because you died.
I have a similar attitude when I play a barbarian: Rage early, rage often.
I have always wondered this personally. I have never like the idea of playing a prep spellcaster because I hate not having the right spell ready when its needed most. Because of this, I have never played one myself and have lately had to urge to try it out. I know they are all about battlefield control but my urge to blast things tend to take over when nobody can hit the monster. And then early levels your spell selection has quite a few options BUT you can only do them a couple times a day and my GM throws big dungeons with little opportunities to rest making it that much harder to manage. So what is the secret??
Well, staying alive is generally as simple as not getting into melee, so grab a ranged weapon. Elves are proficient with a longbow if you go that route. Plus, as a wizard, your dex should be one of your higher stats, so your ranged attack bonus should be pretty good.
You mentioned not liking to sit idle if others cant hit the monster. Another option for you would be to get a longspear stand behind your melee friends, and use the Aid Another to give them a bonus +2 to hit. You just need to hit an AC 10 to do so.
More tips to staying alive are the self buffs. As a wizard, I recommend Mage Armor and Shield as your main level 1 protection spells. When you hit 2nd level spells, Mirror Image and invisibility become great protection options as well.
The main thing to remember is, as a low level wizard, you will not have the resources to be a major factor in battles. Stick to a few mainstay spells, most of which have already been mentioned in this thread, and use them when the situations become dire. Your main goal is to survive until you have enough resources to contribute with spell-casting on a more consistent basis, which IMO starts happening around level 5.
But, there are things you can do in the meantime, you just need to think out of the box a little. And to me, finding ways around the resource limitations are half the fun of lower level wizards :)
I grabbed a wand of magic missle. That's pretty useful, though it drops off quick since it's always just 1d4+1
Edit: school powers are also useful. My illusionist uses his blind ray pretty often. Works great when playing down in PFS :P
Magic Missile. MAGIC MISSILE!
That's... actually kind of a mid to late game spell. I like preparing a couple magic missiles at level 9+ to get in some no save, no miss, no resist damage when there's nothing better to do. As Treantmonk would say, fulfilling your quaternary role as a wizard.
Heh, it's a really small thing, but I enjoy Ray of Frost at early levels as an Evoker. It's d3+1! It's like an empowered Ray of Frost! ;)
Add a flask of liquid ice and point blank shot and you're at 1d3+3 with +1 to hit at first level.
If you are a human you can add flagbearer and be adopted by orcs or dwarves and take mindlessly cruel or zest for battle trait and you are at 1d3+5 at +2 to hit.
Sure, a sorc can play that game better at first level but it's not that bad. Better than a crossbow.
Mage Armor, Shield, Mirror Image. Also, smart positioning.
I once had an elven wizard make it the first 7 levels only taking 2 points of damage and that was from friendly fire. When faced with a physical challenge (i.e. jumping a gap) my wizard's retort was "I don't jump!" It's all a matter of knowing your strengths and weakness.
"...but we could tie a rope around you in case you fall."
"I DON'T JUMP!"
Wands are a better bet than rods at the early levels honestly. A fully charged first level/ caster wand is 750 GP. Buy one and use it if you don't happen to find any while adventuring. Also, I second the option of using scrolls and scribing as many as you can. They are a great resource for wizards.
My PFS Sorcerer just hit level 2 and so far he's found a nice way to be useful with his spells exhausted; hit an enemy at the back with a Message spell then make a Bluff check. Phrase it right and roll well and the GM will let you sow some lovely confusion.
im gonna stick with scribe sh*t, final answer
you can do it at lvl 1, and it really is the best way to handle funds at early levels (1-3) because wands are damn expensive that early
plus you dont have to waste a feat, doesnt matter what you specialize in, all core wizards get scribe scroll for free, and it is useful
first, what is low level?
You can't get lower than first. SLEEP is a great spell. Elves get bows. Make sure half the party has Healing skill, so you do not DBO.
Magic missle at lower levels is limited utility. STINKING CLOUD is good. GREASE can be good too.
Make sure you hide behind cover and your meat shields and cleric. You *do* have a cleric with you, right???
bribe your gm with free pizza
For very early levels for a wizard, how to feel effective even if you feel your 1st level spells are limited or used up quickly:
- Be clever with cantrips. You get those at will, nonstop. I've seen people do insane and awesome things with ghost sound and prestidigitation. Think outside the box--distract enemies with an unexpected noise, change someone's sword color, make someone smell like a sheep, whatever.
- Do not forget your school abilities. Most people who feel like their wizard "can't do everything" forget they've got some additional SLAs or other cool abilities that can help fill in gaps when that handful of 1st level spells are spent.
- Use your skills. Wizards have high Int and thus a lot of skill points. If you've run out of attacks, at least use that Knowledge DC 15+CR check to learn and describe an enemy's weaknesses to the meat shields around you.
- Do not dump either Strength or Dexterity (but you don't have to buff both) for when you've absolutely got to fight. It is all too tempting from level 1 to just max max max max Int for best spell DC and additional skill points and extra school power uses, and then absolutely dump most physical skills (and or the only physical ability score not dumped is Constitution, which there is good reason for... but...). But the fact is, your DCs don't need to be THAT high at 1st level (and you can pick some spells that don't have saves), you will get to boost Int later, and if you're well and truly stuck, being able to fight back physically is a good thing.
Dexterity's usually recommended because it also contributes to ranged touch attack bonuses for ray attacks, thrown alchemical items, and some school power SLAs (plus higher AC doesn't hurt). But Strength could go if you see yourself getting up close (may not be bad for some Transmuter concepts). If your ability score modifier to attack is high enough, your low BAB is less of an issue. I was playing a game where I generally rolled high stats; had a sorcerer with a Str of 17 (don't worry her Cha was quite high as well). At 2nd level (the level we started) she was hitting in melee pretty much as often as the fighter with her +3 to hit.
While at the end of the day you should be able to be attacking with your 1st level spells, cantrips, and school abilities, it really never hurts in a pinch to have a weapon attack as a backup. Since wizards are also good for building craft (alchemy), having backup splash weapons and such are a flavorful, concept-appropriate backup as well, and with a good Dex you can be hitting often with the RTA needed to hit.
A wizard is more dependent on treasure than most other classes, but also can use a wider variety of treasure than most (Wands, staves). So stock up on scrolls & potions, and wands. Shield & mage armor are good candidates for wands. And magic missile isn't horrible as a wand, but in some situations a crossbow will be better. A couple pearls of power Level 1, can make a big difference. And if your thrifty maybe you can afford a Ring of wizardry 1 as your arcane bond(half price!)before too long. Ring of protection is a good idea too. Most parties will let the wizard have the best Ring of protection they come across because of armor restrictions.
"Vanish" is a first level spell from the APG, and has become one of my favorite spells for early levels... giving me time to use that wand of mage armor and wand of shield.
My absolute favorite suggestion for Wizard survival at first level is to put it off a level. Take one level of fighter at first level, grab the point blank and precise shot feats. Having an extra ten HP, ability to use real weapons, +1 BAB, and ability to fire touch rays into combat without horrid penalties is pretty cool. Plus you qualify for Eldrich Knight prestige class. You'll want to take the magical knack trait to make up for the lost level. besides, "Hand of the apprentice" with a lucern hammer is kinda funny (and do you get two hands worth of str to damage?)
edit... saw something that reminded me:
Long Spear! stay behind meat shield and use "aide other" actions. Also works well with my fav suggestion above.
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naturally going 1st is essential, so fleet-footed elf with reactionary trait, improved initiative, and a compsognathus familiar with a DEX of at least +3 should do ok, netting a +19 initiative at level 1
How do you get 19?
Fleet-footed is +2 racial bonus, reactionary is +2 trait bonus, Improved initiative is +4 feat bonus and Compsognathus is +4 familiar bonus. Add that to the +3 dex bonus and you only have +15. Still awesome at 1st level and you will almost always go first.
At first level it isn't a dumb idea to have your 1st level spells be "keep me alive" spells like mage armor, shield, grease or mount. (Yes, mount. Being able to ride away in wilderness encounters or to have a horse instantly appear blocking a narrow passage in front of you can be handy)
Use your 0 level spells for offense/utility.
I like being set for loot retrieval with the Mend/Prestidigitation combo for "like new" equipment for resale, with detect magic for sorting loot and detecting wealthy/well equipped targets for party to concentrate fire upon. Of course Disrupt undead or ray of frost are nice shooters if you insist on adding damage. Mage hand adds some useful utility as well for those hard to reach places.
And remember you are there to help with those knowledge checks(be sure to pick knowledge skills no other party member has), and detect magic cantrips.
Also not dying is much more important when you can't even afford raise dead, so at first level it is a top priority.
At first level the wizard isn't there for the combat problems, he's there for the problems you can't bash away.
I recommend scribing scrolls of the utility cantrips that you don't plan to use more than once per day. (remember all of them are in your spell book, something that makes you different than a sorcerer) 50gp get you 8 different 0lvl spells (plus the three you have memorized), give a very large toolbox. With an average of 70 starting gold you can get a 1st level spare scroll too.
Surviving at low levels for a wizard is really a matter of party cooperation. As others have noted, you can use your cantrips for offense at truly low levels and reserve your first level spells for mage armor and/or shield, which should do a lot to keep you alive.
But don't be afraid to hide either. Cover is a great thing. And if someone is lobbing missiles at the group, cowering and groveling on the floor is a great tactic.
This is the other half of the “quadratic wizards/ linear warrior’ meme. Altho no doubt spellcasters rule over martial classes in the higher levels, more playing is done at the lower levels, where a fighter does just fin, and a wizard has to be very careful.
Many wizard specialist school gives you a “3 + int mod uses per day” ability, this can be very handy at the lower levels. Use Color Spray or Sleep to win a battle, Grease for battlefield control. The rest of the time, plink with acid splash. Don’t use a Crossbow.
The toughness feat is a great idea. Honestly, I think investing a lot in going first is not worth it, better to invest in staying alive. I have had too many battles where the first thing the hyper-init wizard does is “Delay!”
Magic missile is best to save when you know the foe is about to drop.
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At levels 1-2, Ray of Frost/Acid Splash is your friend. It's not great but the hit chance is decent, doesn't encumber, and you can do it all day. I think if you factor in to-hit chance vs. the crossbow, it's probably a wash; but if you also factor in GP cost and encumbrance it gets really good.
It gets even better if you're planning on seriously using rays; Point Blank Shot is pretty decent for a level 2 wizard. You'll be doing small bits of damage, but you're contributing every round. Evokers also get a damage bonus; 1d3+2 damage as an at-will ranged touch is not bad at level 1-2 actually.
But besides cantrips, resign yourself to not doing much damage most of the time. Some combat rounds you're just not needed; if the martials have the advantage in combat, there's no need to win one round sooner at the cost of a spell. If they're at a disadvantage, try to use one or two spells at most to change the situation. One well-placed Grease can thoroughly change a fight.
It gets a lot better at level 2, because that's when you get a few spells that let you do much with just one casting. Gliterdust blinds a LOT of enemies, and blinded is an extremely nasty condition. One casting can change a battle. So can Create Pit, if you use it to divide an enemy mob into bite-sized portions on either side, so the fighters can handle them without a fuss.
Flaming Sphere is an interesting special case. It's not all that powerful, but it takes only a Move action to direct, but it lets you do something every round for quite a while, and doesn't interfere much with other spells. Even better, you can just park it at a spot, and monsters will tend not to move into that spot. This kind of area denial has lots of uses.
One spell I absolutely recommend is Color Spray. Use it sparingly; don't annoy the GM with it too much, but some monsters just need it. Like orcs; they're REALLY REALLY REALLY DEADLY in melee, but have a -1 Will save. This is a case where most of the time you don't need it, but when you do, you really really need it.
One spell I absolutely recommend is Color Spray. Use it sparingly; don't annoy the GM with it too much, but some monsters just need it. Like orcs; they're REALLY REALLY REALLY DEADLY in melee, but have a -1 Will save. This is a case where most of the time you don't need it, but when you do, you really...
Yep, color spray vs orcs= nice! And here’s how to do it without getting yourself killed. Have the rogue and the fighter delay. Move right up to the group of orcs, spray ‘em down ( hope you can cast defensively with a 90% + chance, right?). The fighter then undelays moves in front of you ant attacks the one orc not downed, the rogue moves up and SA’s one of the downed orcs or flanks with the fighter on the “lucky” orc who made his save.
Tactics.