Wizard synergies: feats, schools, and theses


Advice


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Just some notes on Wizard class options that go particularly well (or poorly) together. I'll break it up into a series of posts. For feats I'm only going to discuss those that are good or bad matches with other options, if they're all equally good (or bad!) in combination with others I'm skipping them.

First, the Universalist.

Thesis

Improved Familiar Attunement: This is very dangerous for a Universalist, because it replaces your bond and the bond is responsible for 25% of your spells. Lose your familiar, lose lots of spells and versatility for a week of downtime. If you are crazy enough to risk this, however, be sure to take Lifelink and Damage Avoidance (reflex) every day for your familiar powers. You can grown into useful powers later. Given the need to minimize risk, you're probably looking at Manual Dexterity to feed you potions or pickup and stow things you've dropped in your square in addition to Cantrip Connection, Familiar Focus, and and Spell Battery. You should never send this out of your square for scouting or combat stuff unless it's to hide, and then why did you take this?

Metamagical Experimentation: The free feat here (and later) has some synergy with your free universalist feat. You can pickup both 1st level metamagic feats and use your wizard and/or human feat for something else like a regular familiar or counterspell. Your later free and changeable metamagic is kind of forced into Conceal/Silent spell for a while, so you probably want a stealth build if that's the case. You don't get any other choices until 16th(!) level. I think this is easily the weakest option overall, the second weakest option for a universalist.

Spell Blending: You can trade two of your three spells to get an extra slot two levels higher. It increases your top level diversity, where you lag the school specialists, but locks you into two uses of the same spell at the level you traded out of. I think it's better on the specialists, and would be worse than the familiar for the universalist if not for all the risk that the familiar entails.

Spell Substitution: The clear choice for the universalist, it solves your big weakness compared to the specialist - less variety in prepared spell choices. Depends very much, however, on obtaining a diverse spell book via loot, in game trades with NPCs, or purchases, as well as having enough 10 minute rests to use the ability. For that latter reason, it probably has negative synergy with the focus point feats for a universalist - the party may only have 10 minutes to do everything that needs to be done, and you only get to pick one, refocus or spell substution.

Feats

Counterspell: Weaker on a universalist than a specialist, because you have fewer spells prepared and thus less chance to match up with spells being cast against you. If you go this way, you should strongly consider Clever Counterspell at 12 to expand your ability and even Infinite Possibilities at 18. I don't think I'd pick it.

Hand of the Apprentice: This has synergy as (1) a single action attack combined with another spell or cantrip, (2) a slightly gimmicky martial weapons build with an expensive tricked out weapon, and (3) the prerequisite to Universal Versatility at level 8. I'd take it if you want two out of three of these, but recognize that (3) is in competition for focus points with actually using Hand of the Apprentice. Another downside is that starting on a Hand of Apprentice can lead you to invest as many as three other feats in support, which is a lot if you're dabbling. If you take this, a familiar with familiar focus starts looking better.

Bespell Weapon: Defensible if you have Hand of the Apprentice, very much a waste on anything else.

Bond Conservation: This is insanely better on the universalist than the specialist. You're going to have a hard time justifying not taking this one.

Universal Versatility: If you're using Hand of the Apprentice as a big part of your build, you might be tempted to take this just for the extra focus point. But in that case maybe you'd be better off with a multiclass that gives you a focus point plus other abilities you actually want, plus with sorcerer MC you could refocus while using spell substitution. Whatever your path to two focus points, it next leads to Bonded Focus at 14.

Overwhelming Energy: Probably the universalist is the only person other than the evoker that should consider this, in your case due to the increased risk of having the wrong energy spell prepared due to your more limited selections.

Scroll Savant:: Slightly better for the universalist than the specialist because it counteracts your weakness - less diverse spells prepared.

Clever Counterspell: Slightly more likely to be beneficial for the universalist than the specialist.

Bonded Focus: You can skip this entirely if you skip Hand of the Apprentice and Universal Versatility, a three feat investment (four if you took Bespell Weapon) over the life of the build that might be more productively invested elsewhere.

Infinite Possibilities: Stronger on the universalist than the specialist because you get more benefit from the flexibility to raid your spellbook for a solution - the specialist already has 9 extra spells prepared at this point.

Reprepare Spell: Weaker on the universalist than the specialist because you have fewer options prepared to use it on. Conflicts with both refocusing and spell substitution if time to recharge/swap options is scarce.

Archwizard's Might: Even better for you than a specialist, because until errata a specialist can prepare two 10th level spells anyway. Less necessary if you have spell blending to trade 8th level spells for an extra 10th.

Spell Combination: Fantastic for the universalist, who can use their arcane bond to double cast their combination spells up and down every level. You can have a double disintegrate in 8th, 9th, and 10th level slots and cast them all twice per day, or a third time on the 8th level with Bond Conservation.


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Next, the Specialist

Thesis

Improved Familiar Attunement: A specialist can take this more safely than a universalist, although you still lose a major class feature for a week if you get it killed. Still, you can risk a bit more on using it for delivering touch spells (taking away the need for reach spell and probably synergizing with evocation, necromancy, and enchantment spells with touch range) and as a scout for a stealth or diviner build.

Metamagical Experimentation: I think this goes ok with an enchanter or illusionist building towards conceal/silent spell. Probably take reach spell at 1st level for your nonsecretive touch spells.

Spell Blending: Specialists take a smaller hit to versatility by trading out their lower level spells, but are expanding an existing strength by getting an extra top level spell. A strong choice if you're all about maxing top level spell uses via spell blending and arcane bond.

Spell Substitution: Less necessary on the specialist than the universalists, still good, but also more in conflict with refocusing activities that you'll probably be doing more frequently than the universalist. I think you have a strong argument for a spell blending as a generic choice or the other two if they help a specific build.

Feats

Counterspell: If you want to consistently counterspell as a wizard you should be a specialist and take a diverse range of common spells. Sorcerers are still going to do it better, but you won't struggle as hard as the universalist.

Linked Focus: A must for specialists who plan to use lots of school powers in combat. Once you take this you're probably taking Advanced School Spell at 8 and Bonded Focus at 14.

Advanced School Spell: If your school power(s) aren't a side show to your build you're taking this. You should also have Linked Focus and expect to take Bonded Focus.

Overwhelming Energy: A strong case for evokers who worry about resistances, easily skipped by everyone else.

Scroll Savant: You need this less than the universalists, making the choice between this and Quickened Casting a bit less painful.

Clever Counterspell: If you took Counterspell you should take this. You've got enough prepared spells that you should be able to cover a diverse array of spell traits.

Bonded Focus: A necessity for a heavy focus spell user, which many specialists will be.

Infinite Possibilities: Less necessary for you than the universalist, but still good if you have a really diverse spell book.

Reprepare Spell: If you don't use a lot of focus, don't use spell substitution, or don't have time constraints, this is better for you than a universalist, as you can prepare a bigger variety of spells to use it with. (Probably a 4th level blast and Dimension Door.)

Archwizard's Might: Less necessary for you, but also plays to your strengths of having more high level spells than anyone else if you took spell blending. Unless they errata you can have four prepared 10th level spells per day plus your arcane bond.

Spell Combination: You can afford to put some weird or diverse combinations in your preparations more than the universalist, but you lose out on his ability to recast them. I'd probably play to your strengths and get the extra 10th level spell.

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