Don't let him get close. By level 9, a caster has access to Dimension Door and Teleport, which can both be used to escape from a grapple, but really, the best option is flight. By level 9, wizards have access to Overland Flight, which can keep them airborne all day. A level 5 party with no wizard has no access to flight at all, so your wizard could be floating inches above your party's reach and could mock them with impunity.
Out of curiosity, how is Sleep consistently landing? It's a level 1 spell. The DC should be around 16 at the highest unless he's a dedicated enchanter. Are you enforcing the 1-round casting time?
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If they've grappled you, Dimension Door and Teleport are risky propositions. Either one is a concentration check of 14 or 15+ the grappler's CMB to cast, and since one is a barbarian, that's a losing match for you even with Focused Mind and Combat Casting for the bonus +6.
I'd recommend maxing escape artist, and getting a +1 slick mythril buckler. It's almost always enough to overcome the enemy's CMD and allow you to slip out of a grapple no problem. Or just use terrain to stay out of reach.
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Invisibility + spells that don't break invisibility should also work. Summon some monsters, control the environment, etc.
Keep the wizard moving so they don't target him with glitterdust.
Another possibility is making him fly to avoid being grappled.
Mirror image and displacement also lower the chances of being hit, therefore missing the grapple.
Putting some meat shields that the players have to deal with wouldn't hurt either.
How does the wizard only have a CMD of 13? +4 from BAB alone and, with magic items, I'd expect it to be at least into the mid-to-high teens (which still isn't great, but better than 13)
Scroll of Freedom of Movement assuming decent UMD or a Cleric cohort.
There is also a shirt(UNFETTERED SHIRT) that cost about 10K that lets you have freedom of movement for a short time. I think it is only once per day, but that is all an NPC normally needs.
Also I would have minions be in between the caster and the melee types. Creating difficult terrain and flying also make casters hard to get so.
Spell such as mirror image, and blink also help.
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An NPC wizard could specialize in the Teleportation school.
A ninth level wizard can suddenly be 20' away. You already said that you cannot change feats, though. This school power and the feat Dimensional Agility make a good defensive combinatiom.
Teleportation School
Associated School: Conjuration.Replacement Power: The following school power replaces the acid dart power of the conjuration school.
Shift (Su): At 1st level, you can teleport to a nearby space as a swift action as if using dimension door. This movement does not provoke an attack of opportunity. You must be able to see the space that you are moving into. You cannot take other creatures with you when you use this ability (except for familiars). You can move 5 feet for every two wizard levels you possess (minimum 5 feet). You can use this ability a number of times per day equal to 3 + your Intelligence modifier.
you could also make his stats not suck hes a boss even for a wizard he should have 13,18,16,22,15,13 at the level(with out gear) he is that way his base cmd is 19 and he is also a boss so that merits pc wbl netting him 46k gold in items and then you can throw on the advanced template for good measure which should allow you to cut back on some mooks(not all just some)
I don't think the issue can be solved by buffing stats and equipment. A wizard, now matter how buffed, will be always weaker than a martial. His strength is his magic and with a proper strategy and the right spells, a wizard with low stats and now equipment can be troublesome by sheer magic force.
When a melee gets close to a wizard more often than not the fight is over. Even if the wizard can get away, each turn that the wizard is forced to take a deffensive action is a turn that he's not putting the PCs in trouble. The best option is always to keep out of reach.Cloud spells are also great to avoid being targeted but if you are using them you have to make sure the wizard can do something that doesn't need targeting.
n00bxqb:
Scroll of Freedom of Movement assuming decent UMD or a Cleric cohort.I like this idea, but I don't think he could make the checks. UMD is +13, it would be DC27 to use the scroll and he'd also need to make a check to emulate a Wisdom score of 14. However, am I right in thinking he could have a potion of the same spell?
Potions only go up to 3rd level; Freedom of Movement is a 4th level spell.
If the wizard has even a 1st level Cleric cohort with at least 14 Wisdom, it's a DC 8 caster level check to activate the scroll (7 or higher on the roll; 70% chance of success). +5% probability per caster level (natural 1 always fails, though).
I aggree that the stats of this wizard might be a bit low, indeed. But I also think the ones you gave are way too high. Your wizard would qualify for both power attack and improved TWF, maybe too much.
Buffing his intelligence and constitution should be enough to improve him.
i dont think i know of any wizard that would actually use those, any how wizards have lots of rays and other ranged touch spells which require a high dex to utalize correctly with only a +5(4 from bab and 1 from dex) he has less than a 50/50 chance hitting a decently built character who would have a touch ac of 15-16 minimum at that levelI aggree that the stats of this wizard might be a bit low, indeed. But I also think the ones you gave are way too high. Your wizard would qualify for both power attack and improved TWF, maybe too much.
Buffing his intelligence and constitution should be enough to improve him.
You got me wrong. I've never meant a wizard should power attack or TWF, I just said it as a way to point how high the scores you gave for your wizard are.
Average? I think I've never played a character with such scores in my whole life!
The STR, DEX and CON scores you gave are way higher than most martials. 97 points total adding all the scores. That's a score of 95 to start. That's too much for me.
Back on topic: OP, you mentioned you have removed the HP limitation for the sleep spell. I understand you want to keep it useful at higher levels but, being an area spell it needs some limitations so it doesn't affect everybody. My suggestion is to allow it to affect as many HD as your caster level, so it will still be useful but not overpowered.
I just used the 'heroic' ability scores for an NPC from the Core Rulebook, made the adjustments for him being old, racial +2 bonus from being a half-elf and the increases from leveling. He has:
Str 6, Dex 12, Con 10, Int 18, Wis 13, Cha 14
With the right strategy and that scores he should do OK.
If you want to buff him a bit, +2 on INT and CON wouldn't hurt, but he might do well with the stats as they are as long as you play him in a clever way.You can also give him more HP by having him cast False Life before combat.
Wizard has to have some hired muscle. They don't need to be much, just cannon fodder for the wizard to stand behind, cackle, taunt and throw spells.
There is also a shirt(UNFETTERED SHIRT) that cost about 10K that lets you have freedom of movement for a short time. I think it is only once per day, but that is all an NPC normally needs.
You right, but I'd add that a DM should be careful with this approach; that magic item will be in the party's hands in four rounds, tops. Thereafter one of the PCs will be immune to grapple. This solution works for one encounter, sadly.
All your other suggestions are spot-on. Magic and abilities are the answer.
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OH RIGHT. And don't forget Grease.
Grease is wonderful.
Illusion is an opposed school for him so invisibility/mirror image isn't really an option, unfortunately. That will work for other casters though :)
Unless I've forgotten something, all that means is preparing an opposition spell takes two slots.
There are always scrolls, opposition or not. A nice potion of invisibility and a scroll of mirror image won't suck. Number of images will be low from a scroll, so I'd try to find a way to get the wizard casting it.
Basically, the same techniques that prevent attacks that deal hit point damage apply for grapples too.
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Lesser Talisman of Freedom from Occult Adventures, 900 gp.
Talisman of Freedom: These talismans are inscribed with the names of spirits and other gures associated with freedom and liberation. The first time that the wearer becomes grappled, entangled, or paralyzed, he is automatically affected by freedom of movement for 3 rounds. Moderate abjuration; CL 7th; freedom of movement.
There's always fire shield -- "Grapple me and burn/freeze, you fools!" Not entirely an escape...
Are you running the wizard NPC alone, without allies?
If you are, that's the biggest mistake you're making. A single enemy, even a wizard, is usually going to lose a fight because of action economy.
Give that wizard a wall of mooks. Even if they're 4 levels lower than the wizard, they create a meat wall for the wizard to hide behind while he lobs spells.
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Escape Artist plus Liberating Command
PS: The sleep stuff doesn't seem to be a big deal to me. He could have dipped 1 level in witch and taken slumber hex as well. Regardless, his stats should be low enough that the save for sleep is super-easy. Having a save-or-suck spell with a low DC seems largely pointless to me. Honestly, it seems like a waste of a level, especially in a party which already has a sorcerer.
The actual sorcerer can presumably keep selecting deep slumber, cloak of dreams, etc., if you want someone in the party sleeping people.
If your husband really wants a magic rogue, he could look at eldritch scoundrel or any of the numerous archetypes of various spellcasting classes that get sneak attack dice.
Still, staying out of reach or avoiding to be hit is better than just grapple immunity. Even if you can't grapple a wizard, he's not going to survive a lot of time if they come into melee.
Level 4 spell - Freedom of Movement - lasts 90 minutes at that level. This makes the wizard immune to grappling.
Although given FoM isn't a wizard spell, he needs a cleric buddy, or a scroll and lots of UMD.
Lesser Talisman of Freedom from Occult Adventures, 900 gp.
Talisman of Freedom: These talismans are inscribed with the names of spirits and other gures associated with freedom and liberation. The first time that the wearer becomes grappled, entangled, or paralyzed, he is automatically affected by freedom of movement for 3 rounds. Moderate abjuration; CL 7th; freedom of movement.
Was coming here to suggest this same item.
