Help with a wizard

[Inquisitor Tremayne]

So our group is starting a new D&D game and I have decided to be the wizard.

I rolled pretty awesome scores:

17
16
16
13
13
13

I like the idea of being human, human wizard appeals to me. I also like the idea of an elven wizard shooting a bow for the first few levels.

I like feats and skills a lot. Skills I am not worried about because of the Int bonus. I could use some other feat suggestions.

The feats I am interested in are:

Chain Spell
Empower Spell
Quicken Spell
Craft Wand
Craft Wondrous Item
Craft Contingent Spell
Spell Penetration

I know there are other better feats out there.

I am sticking with generalist wizard. I REALLY do not want to be specialized.

I just can't decide on other feats or any prestige classes to take. The Archmage is cool but I'm not keen on wasting 2 feats on Spell Focus.

If you have any suggestions could you also please explain why? I'm not that familiar with wizards, this will be my first, or spells.

Speaking of Familiars, what familiar should I get too?

I want some special abilities and spell-like abilities. The only reason I would go Elf I think, is for the Elf Generalist Wizardry substitution levels from the Races of the Wild book.

Help!

[Riftwalker]

So before I possibly launch into a multi-page discussion on all things wizard (it's my favorite class, after all), what source-books are available? What level are you starting as? What are the other party members--or more specifically, what sort of role do you do see the wizard playing?

[DrAwkward]

I think you are on the right track.
Human and Elf are solid choices, and specialization takes away a lot of your versatility.

Would you be allowed to play a Gray Elf (MM p104)? They are an ECL+0 variant that gets an int bump. I think you've rolled a set of stats that can soak the extra -2 to strength.

As far as P-classes go... if this is your first wizard, maybe you should try just staying single classed. I know the level progression looks boring, but the spells are full of win.

And I've never been impressed with familiars. There are some neat familiar boosting feats that can make them worthwhile, but I don't know if you want to invest the effort it takes.

[InfoStorm]

A fun, and simple prestige class for a generalist wizard is the geometer. Get's a lighter spell book and a couple additional spells. If the skill requirements are tough,take a single level of Spell Thief, or start as spell thief and switch permanently to wizard at 2nd level. (I could write a lot of interesting backgrounds starting as spellthief and moving to wizard.)

Having a reserve spell feat (Complete Mage) means that if you hold on to a single spell, you can always use magic every round.

Familiar... depends on if you want to use the Improved Familiar Feat. Basic familiars, choose one for your character's personality, who care's what the bonuses are. Has a players who had a sorcerer focusing on summoning spells, took improved familiar, choose a shocker lizard and watch it get nicknamed Picachu about 10 seconda later by the rest of the party. His last familiar, a draken ferret got renamed Rufus on him because we decided it had smooth scales instead of fur.

[Inquisitor Tremayne]

So before I possibly launch into a multi-page discussion on all things wizard (it's my favorite class, after all), what source-books are available? What level are you starting as? What are the other party members--or more specifically, what sort of role do you do see the wizard playing?

I think all core books are available, the complete books, the Races books, and anything else. Nothing from other settings though. We will be starting at level 1, its the Age of Worms campaign. The other party members are a dwarven rogue, a half-orc druid, a half-orc barbarian, and a human or elf monk/cleric.

As a generalist wizard I will be the party buffer, debuffer, and battlefield controller. I'm thinking lower levels I will be the controller, mid levels be the buffer, and high levels all 3.

I think you are on the right track.
Human and Elf are solid choices, and specialization takes away a lot of your versatility.

Would you be allowed to play a Gray Elf (MM p104)? They are an ECL+0 variant that gets an int bump. I think you've rolled a set of stats that can soak the extra -2 to strength.

As far as P-classes go... if this is your first wizard, maybe you should try just staying single classed. I know the level progression looks boring, but the spells are full of win.

And I've never been impressed with familiars. There are some neat familiar boosting feats that can make them worthwhile, but I don't know if you want to invest the effort it takes.

We can only be races from the PHB, this I am pretty certain about. I have no problem with just going straight wizard. I do like feats afterall and I get 4 extra outta 20 levels of wizard. But I feel like I should have some special abilities too. Granted I could probably concoct some spells to have up all the time, but this would be getting into using more feats in conjunction with the spells, I think.

I don't know.

A fun, and simple prestige class for a generalist wizard is the geometer. Get's a lighter spell book and a couple additional spells. If the skill requirements are tough,take a single level of Spell Thief, or start as spell thief and switch permanently to wizard at 2nd level. (I could write a lot of interesting backgrounds starting as spellthief and moving to wizard.)

Having a reserve spell feat (Complete Mage) means that if you hold on to a single spell, you can always use magic every round.

Familiar... depends on if you want to use the Improved Familiar Feat. Basic familiars, choose one for your character's personality, who care's what the bonuses are. Has a players who had a sorcerer focusing on summoning spells, took improved familiar, choose a shocker lizard and watch it get nicknamed Picachu about 10 seconda later by the rest of the party. His last familiar, a draken ferret got renamed Rufus on him because we decided it had smooth scales instead of fur.

I have a really hard time dipping into other classes or PrC JUST for abilities if they don't fit the character I have in mind. I'm thinking of a completely generalist wizard that is always prepared for almost every situation.

I like the raven familiar because it can talk. I think thats pretty cool. And I want to name him Jekyll, because of Heckle and Jekyll, thats funny!

[DrAwkward]

We can only be races from the PHB, this I am pretty certain about.

Fair enough. I think most DMs consider Gray Elves pretty safe, but to each his own.

I have no problem with just going straight wizard. I do like feats afterall and I get 4 extra outta 20 levels of wizard. But I feel like I should have some special abilities too.

Mage of the Arcane Order (Complete Arcane, p48) is a great generalist, if you can choke down the crappy prerequisite feats.

One of the cool features of wizards is that they can leave a spell slot "open", and then any time during the day they can prepare a spell there to cast.

Thus instead of saying "crap, I'll prep Knock tomorrow", you can say "gimme 10 minutes of peace and quiet."

The Mage of the Arcane Order takes that feature and expands it into even more win and awesome.

[Riftwalker]

Go here:

http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules...asses-Base.pdf

and compare all the wizard variants side-by-side. There's probably a few you might find interesting and want to consider. Many do away with a familiar in exchange for other abilities.

And then for feat ideas, go here:

http://www.crystalkeep.com/d20/rules...ndex-Feats.pdf

- Like Infostorm suggested, I also recommend a reserve feat or two if you can get them.
- The Sudden Metamagic feats are also fun.
- The Alacritous Cogitation (from the Complete Mage) feat also allows you to leave a spell-slot open to cast a spell directly from your spellbook as a full-round action. That might be preferable to the Mage of the Arcane Order prestige class.
- Collegiate Wizard is a great feat if you suspect that buying/finding scrolls and spellbooks will be difficult. (Depends on the DM and campaign setting; I'm not familiar with Age of Worms.) But if you have relatively easy access to spells it may not be worth the gold you'd save.
- Precocious Apprentice is a good low-level feat but isn't as useful at higher levels.

[Malruhn]

A wizard with a familiar is a power to behold.

A wizard that trades his familiar feat for something else... and has a pet cat that he coddles... is a power to FEAR!!!

[Digital Arcanist]

Are you going to do any adventuring in urban environments? If, so I would take Deceptive Spell from Cityscape or Disguise Spell from one of the complete series. Both are great to confuse enemies and hopefully keep them from knowing you are a squishy.

I second the idea of being a Spellthief. Take a look at the Warblade class from Complete Arcane. They are pretty cool and useful as offensive spellcasters. You could then move into wizard after a level or two.

[nijineko]

if you want to generalize, then the mage of the arcane order is nice for at least a few levels, as already mentioned. there is a feat that allows you to leave spell slots open to fill at a later time... (comp mage or arcane, i think.) pack up on scrolls-one shot, but pretty cheap, especially lower level ones. wands are also great for the frequent low level stuff. runestaffs are more usefull for sorcerers, but still usable for wizards too. your friend will be pearls of power... the first level ones aren't so bad, once you've managed to find some resources, and extend your utility spells quite a bit.

however, a lot of this advice will be more useful at higher levels. ^^

[DrAwkward]

there is a feat that allows you to leave spell slots open to fill at a later time... (comp mage or arcane, i think.)

It's a built-in wizard ability; see the lower left side of page 178 in the PHB.

Not sure if its worth doing until you are high enough level that you find yourself not using your lowest level spells in combat much any longer. Otherwise, by leaving the slot empty, you are limiting your own available resources.

I'd like to see a feat that allows you to swap out a prepared (but not yet cast) spell slot. By this, I mean you can prepare all your spells, and still be able to sit down with your spellbook during the day and trade them around.

[Inquisitor Tremayne]

Thanks for all the advice. I'm going Wizard 10/Loremaster 10. This way I only "loose" one feat from not going wizard 20.

I'm not keen on all the roleplaying aspects of the mage of the arcane order, like membership dues and what-not, and while the spell pool is nice it seems to be too much character management to deal with.

The picture of the generalist mage in the Complete Mage, THATs my character.

So, I have taken the generalist wizardry substitution level at first level to give me one extra spell and an extra spell of my highest level to cast each day. As well as Collegiate Wizard from the Complete Arcane to give me 6 1st level starting spells, +2 to Knowledge (arcana) and +2 extra spells every level (4 instead of 2).

Here is the rest of her level progression:

3rd - Craft Wondrous Item, Natural Link with familiar (elven substitution level)
5th - Craft Wand
6th - Skill Focus (Knowledge [arcana]) - prereq.
9th - Quicken Spell
10th - Chain Spell
11th - Secret (+2 to Fortitude)
12th - Craft Contingent Spell, Lore
13th - Secret (Spell-linked Familiar)
14th - Bonus Language
15th - Vatic Sight, Secret (+2 to Will)
16th - Greater Lore
17th - Secret (+1 1st level spell)
18th - Elven Spell Lore, Bonus Language
19th - Secret (+1 2nd level spell)
20th - True Lore

Here she is at 1st level:

Arillin CR 1
Female Elf Wizard 1
CG Medium humanoid
Init +4; Senses Low-light vision, Listen +5, Spot +5
Languages Common, Draconic, Elvin, Orc, Sylvan

AC 14, touch 14, flat-footed 10 (+4 Dex)
hp 6 (1 HD)
Fort +2, Ref +4, Will +3

Speed 30 ft. (6 squares)
Melee longsword +1 (1d8+1)
Melee dagger +1 (1d4+1)
Ranged shortbow +4 (1d6)
Ranged dagger +4 (1d4+1)
Space 5 ft.; Reach 5 ft.
Base Atk +0; Grp +1
Atk Options
Special Actions
Combat Gear longsword, shortbow, dagger (2)
Wizard Spells Prepared
1st – grease, mage armor, silent image
0 – daze, detect magic, read magic

Abilities Str 13, Dex 18, Con 14, Int 17, Wis 13, Cha 13
Special Qualities General Wizardry, Summon Familiar
Feats Alertness (from familiar), Scribe Scroll, Collegiate Wizard
Skills Appraise +6, Concentration +6, Craft (alchemy) +4, Decipher Script +4, Knowledge (arcana) +7, Knowledge (the planes) +4, Knowledge (nature) +4, Knowledge (dungeoneering) +4, Knowledge (religion) +4, Listen +5, Search +7, Spellcraft +10, Spot +5
Possessions combat gear plus backpack, waterskin, bedroll, sack, flint and steel, sunrod (3), candles (10), ink, inkpen, spell book, map case, parchment (5), spell component pouch, quiver (20 arrows), raven familiar (Jekyll), estate, 20 gp, 9 sp.

Spellbook 0-level - all; 1st-level – color spray, enlarge person, grease, identify, mage armor, protection from evil, ray of enfeeblement, shield, silent image, sleep