Need a bit of help with a wizard please. - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Need a bit of help with a wizard please.

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
eternal_ziggurat
Nov 10, 2012 0:16:11 Hey all, been lurking for a while, but decided to post for the first time as I wanted some feedback and advice on a wizard. only having played a wizard twice before, I'm not exactly great with optimising them, especially since I have made most of my selections for story thus far.

I have a rough idea of what I want. but would be more than willing to change most things. I'm level 5, and my mage isn't really party focused. He is a lone wolf type, and I'm primarily focused on self sufficiency, reliability, and taking spells and feats that benefit both myself and the party. But primarily me. He isn't a team player really, but that doesn't mean I can't be. Things like haste and heroics aren't just a benefit to me after all, and anything that benefits the party benefits me all trickle-down like.

Thus far, the party consists of a Monk, two Magus's, a Ranger, and my Wizard. With potential for a Sorceror and a Summoner/BSF or something.

my stats are Str 16, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 26, Wis 17, Cha 13. Human, bonus stats spent on Int. stats are a houseruled thing, and a feat every odd level. we are techically doing pathfinder, but 3.5 is allowed, and 3.0 just needs to be run by the gm for repricing or buffing/nerfing.

Focused evoker, forbidden necromancy/divination. Currently wielding a dagger, a darkwood buckler, and a +1 mithril twilight chainshirt. AC of 20, Hp of 54. like to keep near melee, and can handle short bouts/weak enemies.

Lvl 1 feats: Collegiate Wizard, Rapid Learner
Lvl 3: Eschew Materials
Lvl 5: Fiery Burst, Spell Mastery

now, most of the above is set in stone. It's character fluff and flavour that I want. A strong enough arguement could be made to change my mind, but I'd prefer some tips on where to go from here. spells or feats that are particulrly good for a wizard who needs to be able to function naked in the wild or a dungeon. something good for a wizard who can afford to go in to melee for a short bit. or something that a person concerned mainly for themselves can take, that would also benefit a whole party without me being pigeonholed into an outright buffer. something that works for sustained, multiturn damage would be best really. anything for survivability would be amazing. I wont be BSFing, but short dips are to be expected.

the idea is I can fill the role i want even if stripped and can always function as a benefit to the party, while still being a selfish jerk. as he is a jerk with a heart of gold, i dont see it as too great a contradiction for my character.

I don't have a whole lot of books myself, but i can get access to nearly every book in print. so yeah, any advice you can give, milestones to look out for, items of interest, or feats ill hate myself for not taking would be awesome.

Also, I have 13k to play with atm
#2
Maat_Mons
Nov 10, 2012 2:23:56
Huh. Pathfinder doesn't seem to have that provision from 3.5 that prevented divination from being selected as a prohibited school. I didn't know that.

If you can get it allowed, the eidetic spellcaster alternative class feature (Dragon 357, p89) gives you the ability to store your spells mentally instead of in a spellbook. There's a ritual for adding extra spells that has the same cost as scribing a new spell into your spellbook. Of course, you don't have to use the ritual for the spells you get free from your wizard levels. You lose summon familiar and scribe scroll. That translates pretty easily into Pathfinder.

If there's an easy way to get the dragon type in Pathfinder, the embed focus feat (Draconomicon, p69) lets you store spell focuses inside your body.
#3
The_Fred
Nov 10, 2012 11:34:35 So this is Pathfinder with 3.5 stuff?

I would say you are on the right line with spells like Haste. If you look up, say, Treatmonk's guide (he has one for Pathfinder) it has a lot of good advice on spell selections.

Given the amount of melee in the party, anything which buffs your allies like Haste has got to be good, as well as anything which makes people vulnerable to melee (there's a Bigby's which makes someone provoke AoOs, and Grease for example actually got buffed in Pathfinder - you need to be careful not to hit your allies, but prone or flat-footed targets are great).
#4
eternal_ziggurat
Nov 10, 2012 14:12:42 Thanx guys.

#5
Slagger_the_Chuul
Nov 11, 2012 1:02:16 On the flavour side, I'd imagine that he'd always be trying to rationalize how everything would benefit him so that he could justify helping others to his own selfish side. You tend to see something like it quite a bit with thief characters in fiction, who still claim to be "only in it for the money" even after developing strong bonds of emotion or loyalty to the group.

Fitting with his desire for self-sufficiency and reliability, there's probably a specific event or general trend in his past that has lead him to avoid trusting others. That ingrained distrust underpins a lot of his actions, and he may think of his actions in helping others as making him indispensable to them to prevent them betraying him (neatly allowing him to satisfy both his distrust and his desire to help others).

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 eternal_ziggurat Nov 10, 2012 0:16:11	Hey all, been lurking for a while, but decided to post for the first time as I wanted some feedback and advice on a wizard. only having played a wizard twice before, I'm not exactly great with optimising them, especially since I have made most of my selections for story thus far. I have a rough idea of what I want. but would be more than willing to change most things. I'm level 5, and my mage isn't really party focused. He is a lone wolf type, and I'm primarily focused on self sufficiency, reliability, and taking spells and feats that benefit both myself and the party. But primarily me. He isn't a team player really, but that doesn't mean I can't be. Things like haste and heroics aren't just a benefit to me after all, and anything that benefits the party benefits me all trickle-down like. Thus far, the party consists of a Monk, two Magus's, a Ranger, and my Wizard. With potential for a Sorceror and a Summoner/BSF or something. my stats are Str 16, Dex 18, Con 17, Int 26, Wis 17, Cha 13. Human, bonus stats spent on Int. stats are a houseruled thing, and a feat every odd level. we are techically doing pathfinder, but 3.5 is allowed, and 3.0 just needs to be run by the gm for repricing or buffing/nerfing. Focused evoker, forbidden necromancy/divination. Currently wielding a dagger, a darkwood buckler, and a +1 mithril twilight chainshirt. AC of 20, Hp of 54. like to keep near melee, and can handle short bouts/weak enemies. Lvl 1 feats: Collegiate Wizard, Rapid Learner Lvl 3: Eschew Materials Lvl 5: Fiery Burst, Spell Mastery now, most of the above is set in stone. It's character fluff and flavour that I want. A strong enough arguement could be made to change my mind, but I'd prefer some tips on where to go from here. spells or feats that are particulrly good for a wizard who needs to be able to function naked in the wild or a dungeon. something good for a wizard who can afford to go in to melee for a short bit. or something that a person concerned mainly for themselves can take, that would also benefit a whole party without me being pigeonholed into an outright buffer. something that works for sustained, multiturn damage would be best really. anything for survivability would be amazing. I wont be BSFing, but short dips are to be expected. the idea is I can fill the role i want even if stripped and can always function as a benefit to the party, while still being a selfish jerk. as he is a jerk with a heart of gold, i dont see it as too great a contradiction for my character. I don't have a whole lot of books myself, but i can get access to nearly every book in print. so yeah, any advice you can give, milestones to look out for, items of interest, or feats ill hate myself for not taking would be awesome. Also, I have 13k to play with atm
#2 Maat_Mons Nov 10, 2012 2:23:56	Huh. Pathfinder doesn't seem to have that provision from 3.5 that prevented divination from being selected as a prohibited school. I didn't know that. If you can get it allowed, the eidetic spellcaster alternative class feature (Dragon 357, p89) gives you the ability to store your spells mentally instead of in a spellbook. There's a ritual for adding extra spells that has the same cost as scribing a new spell into your spellbook. Of course, you don't have to use the ritual for the spells you get free from your wizard levels. You lose summon familiar and scribe scroll. That translates pretty easily into Pathfinder. If there's an easy way to get the dragon type in Pathfinder, the embed focus feat (Draconomicon, p69) lets you store spell focuses inside your body.
#3 The_Fred Nov 10, 2012 11:34:35	So this is Pathfinder with 3.5 stuff? I would say you are on the right line with spells like Haste. If you look up, say, Treatmonk's guide (he has one for Pathfinder) it has a lot of good advice on spell selections. Given the amount of melee in the party, anything which buffs your allies like Haste has got to be good, as well as anything which makes people vulnerable to melee (there's a Bigby's which makes someone provoke AoOs, and Grease for example actually got buffed in Pathfinder - you need to be careful not to hit your allies, but prone or flat-footed targets are great).
#4 eternal_ziggurat Nov 10, 2012 14:12:42	Thanx guys.
#5 Slagger_the_Chuul Nov 11, 2012 1:02:16	On the flavour side, I'd imagine that he'd always be trying to rationalize how everything would benefit him so that he could justify helping others to his own selfish side. You tend to see something like it quite a bit with thief characters in fiction, who still claim to be "only in it for the money" even after developing strong bonds of emotion or loyalty to the group. Fitting with his desire for self-sufficiency and reliability, there's probably a specific event or general trend in his past that has lead him to avoid trusting others. That ingrained distrust underpins a lot of his actions, and he may think of his actions in helping others as making him indispensable to them to prevent them betraying him (neatly allowing him to satisfy both his distrust and his desire to help others).