Quote:
Originally posted by robertthebard:
cha for saves
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That's paladins.
Wizards don't get their charisma modifier as bonus to thier saves.
Race: for a Wizard, you can go with pretty much anything except Half-Orc, because of their penalty to INT. Of course, if you want to go Arcane Archer, you need to be either Elf or Half-Elf.
Stats: max out INT, and put all points you get at level-ups into INT as well. Put your DEX and CON at a decent level, for bonuses to AC and hit points (you'll be getting precious few of those, so every little bit helps). STR, WIS and CHA are pretty much only useful for some very minor things, do with those what you want.
Skills: keep concentration and spellcraft maxed. With your high INT, you've got skillpoints coming out the drainpipe, so apart from those two essentials, you've got a number of options for the rest. Heal, Persuade and Search are among my personal favorites. Lore is a roleplayingly viable option, even if all it does is save you a couple hundred quid from not having to identify items at stores. If you don't fancy having to bash chests or 'disarm' traps by stepping on them, you can even put some points into Pick Locks and/or Disarm Traps.
Feats: pretty much anything magical. Combat Casting, (Greater) Spell Penetration, (Greater) Spell Focus, Empower Spell, Maximize Spell... you name it. For a Spell Focus, you should of course pick a school with a lot of offensive spells. Evocation and Necromancy are the most obvious and popular choices, Enchantment is good as well. Transmutation and Illusion are a bit less apparent, although both schools still have a few spells which benefit from a Focus. Abjuration is a total waste, as this school is all about protective spells.
Weapons: often when I play a pure Wizard, I don't take a Weapon Focus. You'll suck at combat, be it melee or ranged, and a measly +1 to hit won't change that. A ranged weapon is of course your best option, as you want to stay as far away from the enemy as possible. If you're an Elf, you can get a bow, otherwise you'll have to make do with a crossbow if you don't want to dish out some extra feats on a weapon proficiency. But even with a crossbow, I wouldn't take feats like Rapid Reload and Point Blank Shot. Your weapon is a last resort only thingy, and those feats are better spent on something which helps your casting.
General tactics: take a warrior henchman along (Daelan or Grimgnaw in the OC) to keep the monsters away from you. When casting a spell within enemy range, always enable Defensive Casting Mode: attacks of opportunity can easily disrupt your casting and even kill you. I'm afraid I can't really help you with counterspelling as I never utilize it.
Keep in mind that a low-level wizard is weak, both offensively and defensively, and at the start you need your henchman to do most of the killing. But at mid-to-high levels, a well built wizard played by someone who knows his spells will be an engine of mass destruction, while at the same time able to protect himself with his magic well enough to survive a toe-to-toe with any powerful opponent.
[ 08-08-2005, 06:02 AM: Message edited by: J'aran ]