Wizards having moderate dexterity makes sense to me. I’d imagine that it takes a fair amount of dex to copy spells quickly on paper, and to perform somatic components for spells in the heat of battle.
And anyways, PC adventurers are usualy meant to be above-average and in their prime. 14 Dex might seem like a lot compared to a commoner, but to a rogue or ranger the wizard will be relatively clumsy.
For Dex saving throws (the most common kind to roll for)
For Dex checks where relevant.
-
You could start with 16 Dex through point buy. This is AC 13. Mage Armour is AC 16, Shield spell AC 21 for a round. Can be situationally improved by Cover (+2 for 1/2 cover, +5 for 3/4 cover). Since your HP is low, it is important to avoid getting hit.
Initiative is good for a wizard. Let's you fireball enemies before your melee allies have to rush in making it awkward for you (unless you're Evoker, of course). Or getting a nice Dominate, Hold, Hypnotic Pattern, or any other spell you have to take out enemies before they've had the chance to hurt you.
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When I think of a wizard I think of an intelligent, old man. Or perhaps an ambitious young sage. Dexterity is a trait that does not come to mind.
Any thoughts?
You need it, trust me. Mechanically, it is just an important stat for a wizard to have. It doesn't have to be spectacular, but I am currently playing a wizard with a 9 in Dex. I get hit a lot and it can force the party to defend me when they would rather do other things. Mage Armor is a boost to AC that is based on your Dex and when you have a -1 here, the spell is both costly at low levels and underwhelming.
So that intelligent old man better also be spry unless you want to get really good at RPing injury sounds.
because without the AC you get trucked (and still will). Without the AC you act later in the order, and the sooner you can cast some of your spells, the more impact you'll have. It helps with OA using daggers (though you won't use them often). At low levels, you'll do more damage with a crossbow than you will with cantrips.
After you take your int, every other stat fits in wherever you want it. I'd argue that dex makes more sense than say, con, because dex will help you with grabbing your components and the somatic element of casting the spells.
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Because without it they could get hit by a strong warm breeze and would take bludgeoning and fire damage from it lol. They need it to avoid getting it. Their HP die is too small for CON to make up for it so they are better investing in not getting hit rather than being able to absorb the damage.
Dex is my third choice for wizards: INT, CON, DEX (some people do INT, DEX CON). Dex is important for AC, initiative and DEX saves (like fireball). Plus, you might need it to avoid a grapple since STR won't do it for you.
Honestly, because the game has massive design flaws. Dexterity is the most OP stat in the game, stupidly OP. It gives soo many things, and most other stats are meaningless. If you do not cast spells, you are a fool to take any other stat. So that bleeds over into casters as well, as dex is the best offensive and defensive stat in th game.
Dex being unrivaled in importance is part of a long list of lazy and crappy game design choices.
Warlock is a caster that uses Light armors, so they can use Strenght as their secondary main ability to raise up, and still be a nice class to play.
Sorcerers and Wizards dosen't gets proficiency in any armor. That's the point to take an eye into when they have to invest points on either Constitution or Dexterity.
Those are their weakenesses and their fears when they face enemies on the battlefield.
DEX keeps them alive increasing the chance to avoid being hit
CON keeps them alive when they have to be concentrated in casting important spells, and also adds some HP on their Life pools.
That's why those classes aren't a joke for novice players. They cannot be at any cost on the 1st line of the battlefield.
You don't but it will be fitting pretty often. The only "requirement" is smart. Do they have to be perceptive, nope they can be oblivious to their surroundings, their can be uncharismatic, they can be klutzes, weak, frail etc. Technically you can be dumb and just focus on spells that don't require saves like buffs. But I'll say being smart is the one stat that you can say is core to their concept. Want to build a body builder wizard, hey go for it. The advantage stats other than strength though is you don't really need much rational behind it, technically you don't for any stat but strength is generally something you build up, you can just be naturally dexterous though. You don;t need to play combat hop scotch to train your dex to 15, but generally you need a background concept for why you are strong. Growing up on a farm, something. Muscles just don't pop out of no where. Sure you can always just say for any stat I'm just naturally X, it just makes the least sense with strength.
The thing is people are usually doing point buy or standard array. So you have something like a 15,14,13,12,10,8. You probably are slapping that 15 into int. You have to put that 14 and 13 into some place and assuming you put a racial into the 13 that means you got 3 good stats 2 not being int, and they got to go somewhere. Strength likely is the least common for most wizard background concepts, but it can fit for some.But assuming not strength you have 2 good stats to distribute amongst Chr, wis, dex, con. Which one fits your wizard best, I'd say for most concepts dex likely will be one of them. Con might be taken purely due to need, but I don't think most people visualize their wizard as sturdy, Do you see them as charming, maybe especially as a illusionist or enchanter, wise/perceptive maybe and actually having good vs decent wisdom saves is nice, but the absent minded professor is a trope as well.
Unless you are at a optimized hard core table though don't sweat it. A few bad numbers in mechanically key stats wont break you, the game has a lot of wiggle room. And as the most powerful class in the game, you got the most wiggle room.
And more important too, you can tell the DM your character wanna perform an extra gymnastic exercises if you wanna increase either DEX or STR. So, with the weekly rolls done ( or monthly rolls ), you can start the new campaign with one stat boosted up at the cost of the required character aging.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
yes, I know it's for AC, but let me explain.
When I think of a wizard I think of an intelligent, old man. Or perhaps an ambitious young sage. Dexterity is a trait that does not come to mind.
Any thoughts?
Wizards having moderate dexterity makes sense to me. I’d imagine that it takes a fair amount of dex to copy spells quickly on paper, and to perform somatic components for spells in the heat of battle.
And anyways, PC adventurers are usualy meant to be above-average and in their prime. 14 Dex might seem like a lot compared to a commoner, but to a rogue or ranger the wizard will be relatively clumsy.
For AC
For Initiative
For Dex saving throws (the most common kind to roll for)
For Dex checks where relevant.
-
You could start with 16 Dex through point buy. This is AC 13. Mage Armour is AC 16, Shield spell AC 21 for a round. Can be situationally improved by Cover (+2 for 1/2 cover, +5 for 3/4 cover). Since your HP is low, it is important to avoid getting hit.
Initiative is good for a wizard. Let's you fireball enemies before your melee allies have to rush in making it awkward for you (unless you're Evoker, of course). Or getting a nice Dominate, Hold, Hypnotic Pattern, or any other spell you have to take out enemies before they've had the chance to hurt you.
Click ✨ HERE ✨ For My Youtube Videos featuring Guides, Tips & Tricks for using D&D Beyond.
Need help with Homebrew? Check out ✨ this FAQ/Guide thread ✨ by IamSposta.
You need it, trust me. Mechanically, it is just an important stat for a wizard to have. It doesn't have to be spectacular, but I am currently playing a wizard with a 9 in Dex. I get hit a lot and it can force the party to defend me when they would rather do other things. Mage Armor is a boost to AC that is based on your Dex and when you have a -1 here, the spell is both costly at low levels and underwhelming.
So that intelligent old man better also be spry unless you want to get really good at RPing injury sounds.
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because without the AC you get trucked (and still will). Without the AC you act later in the order, and the sooner you can cast some of your spells, the more impact you'll have. It helps with OA using daggers (though you won't use them often). At low levels, you'll do more damage with a crossbow than you will with cantrips.
After you take your int, every other stat fits in wherever you want it. I'd argue that dex makes more sense than say, con, because dex will help you with grabbing your components and the somatic element of casting the spells.
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
It seems to me that a good eye hand coordination is a good thing for an arcane caster to have. Concentration is also good.
Dexterity is how an ambitious young sage lives long enough to become an intelligent old man.
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Ah, thanks for the replies! It makes sense to me now. Cheers!
Because without it they could get hit by a strong warm breeze and would take bludgeoning and fire damage from it lol. They need it to avoid getting it. Their HP die is too small for CON to make up for it so they are better investing in not getting hit rather than being able to absorb the damage.
Dex is my third choice for wizards: INT, CON, DEX (some people do INT, DEX CON). Dex is important for AC, initiative and DEX saves (like fireball). Plus, you might need it to avoid a grapple since STR won't do it for you.
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Honestly, because the game has massive design flaws. Dexterity is the most OP stat in the game, stupidly OP. It gives soo many things, and most other stats are meaningless. If you do not cast spells, you are a fool to take any other stat. So that bleeds over into casters as well, as dex is the best offensive and defensive stat in th game.
Dex being unrivaled in importance is part of a long list of lazy and crappy game design choices.
Warlock is a caster that uses Light armors, so they can use Strenght as their secondary main ability to raise up, and still be a nice class to play.
Sorcerers and Wizards dosen't gets proficiency in any armor. That's the point to take an eye into when they have to invest points on either Constitution or Dexterity.
Those are their weakenesses and their fears when they face enemies on the battlefield.
That's why those classes aren't a joke for novice players. They cannot be at any cost on the 1st line of the battlefield.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
You don't but it will be fitting pretty often. The only "requirement" is smart. Do they have to be perceptive, nope they can be oblivious to their surroundings, their can be uncharismatic, they can be klutzes, weak, frail etc. Technically you can be dumb and just focus on spells that don't require saves like buffs. But I'll say being smart is the one stat that you can say is core to their concept. Want to build a body builder wizard, hey go for it. The advantage stats other than strength though is you don't really need much rational behind it, technically you don't for any stat but strength is generally something you build up, you can just be naturally dexterous though. You don;t need to play combat hop scotch to train your dex to 15, but generally you need a background concept for why you are strong. Growing up on a farm, something. Muscles just don't pop out of no where. Sure you can always just say for any stat I'm just naturally X, it just makes the least sense with strength.
The thing is people are usually doing point buy or standard array. So you have something like a 15,14,13,12,10,8. You probably are slapping that 15 into int. You have to put that 14 and 13 into some place and assuming you put a racial into the 13 that means you got 3 good stats 2 not being int, and they got to go somewhere. Strength likely is the least common for most wizard background concepts, but it can fit for some.But assuming not strength you have 2 good stats to distribute amongst Chr, wis, dex, con. Which one fits your wizard best, I'd say for most concepts dex likely will be one of them. Con might be taken purely due to need, but I don't think most people visualize their wizard as sturdy, Do you see them as charming, maybe especially as a illusionist or enchanter, wise/perceptive maybe and actually having good vs decent wisdom saves is nice, but the absent minded professor is a trope as well.
Unless you are at a optimized hard core table though don't sweat it. A few bad numbers in mechanically key stats wont break you, the game has a lot of wiggle room. And as the most powerful class in the game, you got the most wiggle room.
And more important too, you can tell the DM your character wanna perform an extra gymnastic exercises if you wanna increase either DEX or STR. So, with the weekly rolls done ( or monthly rolls ), you can start the new campaign with one stat boosted up at the cost of the required character aging.
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
Thats not a rule
Any time an unfathomably powerful entity sweeps in and offers godlike rewards in return for just a few teensy favors, it’s a scam. Unless it’s me. I’d never lie to you, reader dearest.
Tasha
Exactly, it's not a rule, it's a true fact
My Ready-to-rock&roll chars:
Dertinus Tristany // Amilcar Barca // Vicenç Sacrarius // Oriol Deulofeu // Grovtuk
Agreed. It's not RAW. It's homebrew.
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