What is the best wizard tradition? Not your favorite, or the one you enjoy playing more than the others. Mechanically, which one is the best, at least damage-wise?
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I mean, this is missing a few variables but I'm pretty sure, damagewise at least, Evocation should come out on top. That or something is hugely wrong. Anyways, hard to ignore 1d4+6 per dart Magic Missiles.
Portent is a really cool and flavorful ability. There's a whole lot of fun ways to flavor a divination wizard, but when you give the rogue in your party a natural 20 via portent on that sneak attack & they get the round winning kill as a result, it's a beautiful feeling. You feel like the backbone of the party. Portent lends itself very well to general adventure survival, too.
Expert divination is limited, but you can still be way more free with spell slots than most Wizards by picking up Mind Spike.
I'm currently playing a Divination Wizard flavored as a time mage. With the Lucky feat and Portent, she peers into other timelines and steers the course, steering the party into the most optimal possible timeline. As many of her spells as possible are time-effecting or re-flavored as Temporal spells (IE, Shield is a brief glimpse into the future to dodge a would-be massive hit) It's perhaps the most fun I've ever had playing a character in DnD.
I'm very new to DnD. I've only played two one shots. I'd like to make a more interesting character, rather than a more powerful one. With that being my intention, are combinations of race and class that might make for more unique styles of storytelling and gameplay?
Like a halfling necromancer, or a half orc abjurationist?
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Every moment has it's time. Every thing has it's place.
If I were you, I'd focus on some level of optimization early on as a Wizard. Unlike a fighter or rogue, it is very difficult for a Wizard to survive while in the fray, and if you aren't a master of the action economy or spell effects, it can be difficult to get out of tough spots consistently.
I would advise an Abjurer Wizard, that way you can tank some damage if the DM wants to try to catch you off-guard in melee. Abjuration is a school of magic all about the protection of yourself and others, and your party will thank you for picking up good Abjuration spells. Mountain Dwarves are a good choice, since you'll get armor proficiency which can keep your AC out of bottom tier, but if you really want to get creative, I've always enjoyed the idea of a Beasthide Shifter / Wizard Abjurer, turning into a pseudo-werebear when the going gets really tough. You could play it as being a sort of arcane druid, somebody who seeks to understand and control the nature of magic.
Some must-have spells for such a build would definitely be Shield and Mage Armor.
The most effective wizard doesn't focus on damage. But, damage-wise, you're probably looking at an Evoker.
The most effective, however, depends on other factors. How many people are in your party? What level? How creative are you and how open is the GM to outside-the-box thinking?
An illusionist can be devastatingly effective if you are creative and your GM is open to outside-the-box thinking.
A conjurer is really nice in a medium to large party if they are about 7th level or higher, particularly if you are a good tactician.
A necromancer is nice in small to medium sized parties if you are usually in dungeons or in the wilderness.
The most effective wizard doesn't focus on damage. But, damage-wise, you're probably looking at an Evoker
This right here! That's what the Wizard is all about!
Anyway! When I made my first Wizard I put some thought into the fact that the Wizards can learn every single Wizard spell in the game, and there is A LOT of great spells from many different Wizard schools. So...
When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook if it is of a spell level you can prepare and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it.
Copying that spell into your spellbook involves reproducing the basic form of the spell, then deciphering the unique system of notation used by the wizard who wrote it. You must practice the spell until you understand the sounds or gestures required, then transcribe it into your spellbook using your own notation.
For each level of the spell, the process takes 2 hours and costs 50 gp. The cost represents material components you expend as you experiment with the spell to master it, as well as the fine inks you need to record it. Once you have spent this time and money, you can prepare the spell just like your other spells.
But then when you get to 2nd level with each of the different schools you this...
When you select this school at 2nd level, the gold and time you must spend to copy a spell from this school into your spellbook is halved.
So I figured since at lower levels gold isn't as abundant it would be cost effective of picking a school that had lots of spells so I could copy them into my spellbook for half price and save as many of the full price spells as possible for the the "2 free spells" Wizards get to learn at every level. So I counted all of the spells for each school up and ending up going with the school of Transmutation, but I really did think long and hard about becoming an Evoker. But the majority of that schools spells are all about damage and I didn't want to be a one trick pony. So that's my take.
This is a question that drives me as mad as Halaster Blackcloak...
Divination Wizards get portents...it's their best feature, helping make your rolls either succeed, or others to fail.
That said...while they can create that "amazing" moment...the portents DO only happen once or twice per long rest, and three times at high levels.
Transmutation Wizards are starting to rub off on me a lot...their spell list is SO varied, which means you'll be casting them often, so your "Transmuter Stone" will be shifting between helpful features quite often.
The other features are situationally useful, and potentially character-defining...a free low-level "Polymorph" on yourself is great for scouting (though I would totally just become a Dire Wolf or Giant Toad), and at higher levels "Panacea" can truly be a LIFE-SAVER...restoring yourself or an ally to full HP? ON A WIZARD?!
Conjuration Wizards appeal to me...just being able to casually summon little tools for every situation is basically Loony-Toons levels of mischief...come to think of it, Conjuration Wizards are basically just cartoon characters...they teleport around indiscriminately...and summon creatures that defy reality.
With the new summon spells coming out, Conjuration Wizards will become one of the deadliest subclasses, since their concentration CANNOT be broken at high levels for conjuration spells.
Bladesingers are the wizards I like the most from a roleplaying perspective...even if functionally, they're a bit clunky. They're best feature is "Bladesong", which is just a huge buff for wizards in general.
...having said all this...my favorite wizard subclass that I always come back to is EVOCATION.
C'mon...Divination Wizards can substitute rolls, sure...but in-game, nobody notices that, so they don't get the reputation they deserve.
Transmutation Wizards have their tricks...but they don't dazzle.
Conjuration Wizard may BAMF and summon other things to help them...pretty cool...but half of that is other creatures doing the heavy-lifting.
...EVOCATION WIZARDS are the flashiest wizards...the ones people sing songs about in taverns...wielding primordial, destructive power, but using them with the skill and precision of a surgeon.
They're your Megumin's...your Avatars...your f*ckin Huckleberry.
Honestly you should just read treantmonk's guide in the tips and tactics thread to get to what you want as usually it's not as simple as what is best.
It's what's best for you with your traveling companions, and what role you're going to play.
Like mechanically necromancy is a bit lame with essentally a minionmancy playstyle but if you go whole hog into that you'll relyably beat the evoker on damage but have fun bringing your undead horde anywhere nice
Despiste the racial restrictions, I think Bladesinger covers a lot of common gaps for Wizards: subpar AC and Concentration checks, therefore I believe is a top choice.
In my mind, EVOCATION means spells like FIREBALL and LIGHTNING BOLT and BURNING HANDS and MAGIC MISSILE and THUNDERWAVE and SCORCHING RAY and SHATTER and WALL OF FIRE and CHAIN LIGHTNING and DELAYED-BLAST FIREBALL and METEOR SWARM and all those good destructive spells, thus it is the BEST for DAMAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking
Yeah, Evoker is best for damage, but most campaigns aren't all battle-oriented. And, if your campaign is so, mb war magic will help more, even if it deals less damage. As for the others - it depends on multiple things. A campaign set where there are many undead will make a necromancer a one-man party. A campaign with many social interactions will be very good for an enchanter. Some of the traditions are just good in all situations but aren't exceptional in any (jack of all trades but expert of none kind of thing).
I know you didn't ask for it, but my personal favourites are divination and enchantment. I just like the concepts. I think you should, in the end, take whatever concept you like most. Being an enchanter doesn't mean you can't cast fireball or anything, and Wizard was never really intended to cast big spells and deal a lot of damage like a sorcerer or a warlock.
And Signature Spells (Shield) and Mage Armour means you can keep your AC at around 18 permanently at the cost of one spell slot! I just like the idea of a wizard who can actually take damage.
I have to go with Illusionist. It can be absolutely devastating when played well. Who cares how many hit points damage the abjurer can take when you can't even hit the Illusionist? As for high level play, the Illusionist can take Silent Image and make anything real. You need a wall for the entire party to take cover behind? You've got that. Plus, Illusionists have flair. They might have the most flair of any subclass. Abjurers are kinda dull. Sure, they can get in the front lines, but once the novelty of that wears off, then what do you got?
After Illusionists, I'd pick Conjurer. Again, lot's of flair and if you play them right they can be devastating.
I have to go with Illusionist. It can be absolutely devastating when played well. Who cares how many hit points damage the abjurer can take when you can't even hit the Illusionist? As for high level play, the Illusionist can take Silent Image and make anything real. You need a wall for the entire party to take cover behind? You've got that. Plus, Illusionists have flair. They might have the most flair of any subclass. Abjurers are kinda dull. Sure, they can get in the front lines, but once the novelty of that wears off, then what do you got?
After Illusionists, I'd pick Conjurer. Again, lot's of flair and if you play them right they can be devastating.
I can get behind this. I mostly create my high level characters for one-vs-one duels where the abjurer can really shine, but for a campaign yeah, you might want more. However, an abjurer could still destroy the illusionist in a fight - the illusionist can't do anything to the abjurer either, thanks to Invulnerability and the heightened power of an abjurer's Counterspell renders the illusionists illusions unusable.
And Signature Spells (Shield) and Mage Armour means you can keep your AC at around 18 permanently at the cost of one spell slot! I just like the idea of a wizard who can actually take damage.
What is the best wizard tradition? Not your favorite, or the one you enjoy playing more than the others. Mechanically, which one is the best, at least damage-wise?
Please check out my homebrew, I would appreciate feedback:
Spells, Monsters, Subclasses, Races, Arcknight Class, Occultist Class, World, Enigmatic Esoterica forms
I mean, this is missing a few variables but I'm pretty sure, damagewise at least, Evocation should come out on top. That or something is hugely wrong. Anyways, hard to ignore 1d4+6 per dart Magic Missiles.
I'm a huge fan of the Divination Wizard.
Portent is a really cool and flavorful ability. There's a whole lot of fun ways to flavor a divination wizard, but when you give the rogue in your party a natural 20 via portent on that sneak attack & they get the round winning kill as a result, it's a beautiful feeling. You feel like the backbone of the party. Portent lends itself very well to general adventure survival, too.
Expert divination is limited, but you can still be way more free with spell slots than most Wizards by picking up Mind Spike.
I'm currently playing a Divination Wizard flavored as a time mage. With the Lucky feat and Portent, she peers into other timelines and steers the course, steering the party into the most optimal possible timeline. As many of her spells as possible are time-effecting or re-flavored as Temporal spells (IE, Shield is a brief glimpse into the future to dodge a would-be massive hit) It's perhaps the most fun I've ever had playing a character in DnD.
I'm very new to DnD. I've only played two one shots. I'd like to make a more interesting character, rather than a more powerful one. With that being my intention, are combinations of race and class that might make for more unique styles of storytelling and gameplay?
Like a halfling necromancer, or a half orc abjurationist?
Every moment has it's time. Every thing has it's place.
If I were you, I'd focus on some level of optimization early on as a Wizard. Unlike a fighter or rogue, it is very difficult for a Wizard to survive while in the fray, and if you aren't a master of the action economy or spell effects, it can be difficult to get out of tough spots consistently.
I would advise an Abjurer Wizard, that way you can tank some damage if the DM wants to try to catch you off-guard in melee. Abjuration is a school of magic all about the protection of yourself and others, and your party will thank you for picking up good Abjuration spells. Mountain Dwarves are a good choice, since you'll get armor proficiency which can keep your AC out of bottom tier, but if you really want to get creative, I've always enjoyed the idea of a Beasthide Shifter / Wizard Abjurer, turning into a pseudo-werebear when the going gets really tough. You could play it as being a sort of arcane druid, somebody who seeks to understand and control the nature of magic.
Some must-have spells for such a build would definitely be Shield and Mage Armor.
The most effective wizard doesn't focus on damage. But, damage-wise, you're probably looking at an Evoker.
The most effective, however, depends on other factors. How many people are in your party? What level? How creative are you and how open is the GM to outside-the-box thinking?
An illusionist can be devastatingly effective if you are creative and your GM is open to outside-the-box thinking.
A conjurer is really nice in a medium to large party if they are about 7th level or higher, particularly if you are a good tactician.
A necromancer is nice in small to medium sized parties if you are usually in dungeons or in the wilderness.
I've never been a transmuter fan.
This right here! That's what the Wizard is all about!
Anyway! When I made my first Wizard I put some thought into the fact that the Wizards can learn every single Wizard spell in the game, and there is A LOT of great spells from many different Wizard schools. So...
But then when you get to 2nd level with each of the different schools you this...
So I figured since at lower levels gold isn't as abundant it would be cost effective of picking a school that had lots of spells so I could copy them into my spellbook for half price and save as many of the full price spells as possible for the the "2 free spells" Wizards get to learn at every level. So I counted all of the spells for each school up and ending up going with the school of Transmutation, but I really did think long and hard about becoming an Evoker. But the majority of that schools spells are all about damage and I didn't want to be a one trick pony. So that's my take.
Abjuration - 27 spells
Conjuration - 47 spells
Divination - 18 spells
Enchantment - 25 spells
Evocation - 61 spells
Illusion - 30 spells
Necromancy - 26 spells
Transmutation - 62 spells
This is a question that drives me as mad as Halaster Blackcloak...
Divination Wizards get portents...it's their best feature, helping make your rolls either succeed, or others to fail.
That said...while they can create that "amazing" moment...the portents DO only happen once or twice per long rest, and three times at high levels.
Transmutation Wizards are starting to rub off on me a lot...their spell list is SO varied, which means you'll be casting them often, so your "Transmuter Stone" will be shifting between helpful features quite often.
The other features are situationally useful, and potentially character-defining...a free low-level "Polymorph" on yourself is great for scouting (though I would totally just become a Dire Wolf or Giant Toad), and at higher levels "Panacea" can truly be a LIFE-SAVER...restoring yourself or an ally to full HP? ON A WIZARD?!
Conjuration Wizards appeal to me...just being able to casually summon little tools for every situation is basically Loony-Toons levels of mischief...come to think of it, Conjuration Wizards are basically just cartoon characters...they teleport around indiscriminately...and summon creatures that defy reality.
With the new summon spells coming out, Conjuration Wizards will become one of the deadliest subclasses, since their concentration CANNOT be broken at high levels for conjuration spells.
Bladesingers are the wizards I like the most from a roleplaying perspective...even if functionally, they're a bit clunky. They're best feature is "Bladesong", which is just a huge buff for wizards in general.
...having said all this...my favorite wizard subclass that I always come back to is EVOCATION.
C'mon...Divination Wizards can substitute rolls, sure...but in-game, nobody notices that, so they don't get the reputation they deserve.
Transmutation Wizards have their tricks...but they don't dazzle.
Conjuration Wizard may BAMF and summon other things to help them...pretty cool...but half of that is other creatures doing the heavy-lifting.
...EVOCATION WIZARDS are the flashiest wizards...the ones people sing songs about in taverns...wielding primordial, destructive power, but using them with the skill and precision of a surgeon.
They're your Megumin's...your Avatars...your f*ckin Huckleberry.
Honestly you should just read treantmonk's guide in the tips and tactics thread to get to what you want as usually it's not as simple as what is best.
It's what's best for you with your traveling companions, and what role you're going to play.
Like mechanically necromancy is a bit lame with essentally a minionmancy playstyle but if you go whole hog into that you'll relyably beat the evoker on damage but have fun bringing your undead horde anywhere nice
Despiste the racial restrictions, I think Bladesinger covers a lot of common gaps for Wizards: subpar AC and Concentration checks, therefore I believe is a top choice.
Probably War Magic. A player of that tradition can be offensive and defensive very easily.
In my mind, EVOCATION means spells like FIREBALL and LIGHTNING BOLT and BURNING HANDS and MAGIC MISSILE and THUNDERWAVE and SCORCHING RAY and SHATTER and WALL OF FIRE and CHAIN LIGHTNING and DELAYED-BLAST FIREBALL and METEOR SWARM and all those good destructive spells, thus it is the BEST for DAMAGE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Rogue Shadow, the DM (and occasional) PC with schemes of inventive thinking
Yeah, Evoker is best for damage, but most campaigns aren't all battle-oriented. And, if your campaign is so, mb war magic will help more, even if it deals less damage.
As for the others - it depends on multiple things. A campaign set where there are many undead will make a necromancer a one-man party. A campaign with many social interactions will be very good for an enchanter. Some of the traditions are just good in all situations but aren't exceptional in any (jack of all trades but expert of none kind of thing).
I know you didn't ask for it, but my personal favourites are divination and enchantment. I just like the concepts. I think you should, in the end, take whatever concept you like most. Being an enchanter doesn't mean you can't cast fireball or anything, and Wizard was never really intended to cast big spells and deal a lot of damage like a sorcerer or a warlock.
Varielky
Abjuration is awesome. You can build tanky wizards!
Chilling kinda vibe.
And Signature Spells (Shield) and Mage Armour means you can keep your AC at around 18 permanently at the cost of one spell slot! I just like the idea of a wizard who can actually take damage.
Chilling kinda vibe.
Can anyone see the polling results?
Chilling kinda vibe.
Not really no
I have to go with Illusionist. It can be absolutely devastating when played well. Who cares how many hit points damage the abjurer can take when you can't even hit the Illusionist? As for high level play, the Illusionist can take Silent Image and make anything real. You need a wall for the entire party to take cover behind? You've got that. Plus, Illusionists have flair. They might have the most flair of any subclass. Abjurers are kinda dull. Sure, they can get in the front lines, but once the novelty of that wears off, then what do you got?
After Illusionists, I'd pick Conjurer. Again, lot's of flair and if you play them right they can be devastating.
I can get behind this. I mostly create my high level characters for one-vs-one duels where the abjurer can really shine, but for a campaign yeah, you might want more. However, an abjurer could still destroy the illusionist in a fight - the illusionist can't do anything to the abjurer either, thanks to Invulnerability and the heightened power of an abjurer's Counterspell renders the illusionists illusions unusable.
Chilling kinda vibe.
I assume you mean Spell Mastery.
I am leader of the yep cult:https://www.dndbeyond.com/forums/off-topic/adohands-kitchen/82135-yep-cult Pronouns are she/her