For cantrips I would add light and minor illusion. Unless the party all have darkvision a light source you can regenerate at will that lasts an hour is wonderful - everyone can get rid of those heavy torches. Like dancing lights minor illusion’s uses is limited only by your ( and the DM’s) imagination. For L1 spells look over Alarm, Comprehend Languages, detect magic, identify and silent image.
I would add control flames and shape water to the list as well. Being able to silently snuff out a torch at 30 feet is handy, and being able to make solid blocks of ice or change a flask of water to look like a potion is nifty too.
Besides the basic rituals package like Find Familiar, Detect Magic, Comprehend Languages and etc, I like to combine useful objects with spells. It’s important to discuss and validate all of they with your DM, some things are not strictly RAW. For instance:
- Healing potions or Goodberries from your Ranger/Druid allies can be handled by your Familiar and/or Unseen Servant to get unconscious friends back on their feet.
- The same principle can be applied to oil. You can try to use both the Familiar/Unseen Servant to poor oil in a given area, preferably where an enemy is located, and lit fire over there (with Fire Bolt or Create Bonfire) to nail +5 fire damage thanks to the oil.
- Catapult + any creative object you might find. You can try to catapult an Alchemist’s Fire to increase damage or even catapult a Net to try to restrain your enemy.
- Some DMs allow you to create some sort of cover with Minor Illusion or Mold Earth.
- Jump, Longstrider, Protection from Evil and Good, and even Mage Armor can be cast in allies.
Take Detect Magic right away, it’s that useful. Skip Shield until a higher level when you’ll actually have enough spell slots to use it. Think about Comprehend Languages too, also super useful.
Identify isn’t really all that necessary since you can identify a magic item over a short rest, and floating disk is kinda niche and only useful if nobody has Powerful Build, a bag of holding, or a cart and your DM actually makes you track coin weight. Feather fall is the most useful of those three.
Do you have a sense of how easily you’ll be able to acquire new spells? In scrolls or other wizard’s sPell books and such? It’s good to have a plan, but if you can just walk into a shop and pick up new spells, that can kind of change things.
The cantrips are good choices, as much as I like Thunderwave it’s probably not the best starting L1 spell simply because you have to let foes get close en masse for it to be really effective . Magic missile is great as it grows as you grow and can hit multiple foes when you need it to. For a second offensive spell I would recommend either sleep for an area effect or witch bolt for sustained damage. You will probably want to switch out sleep after a level or 3 but starting it’s great. As Sposta said leave shield for later when you have enough slots to make it useful without blowing your slot budget, absorb elements has the same problem. They are both useful perhaps essential at times but you only have one L1 slot at L1 after you’ve cast mage armor which is a good choice. By L3 you have your 4 L1 slots so you can use 1 for mage armor, 1 for either shield or absorb elements and you still have 2 for offense/utility. A better defense/utility spell is featherfall. You may not use it as often but when you need/want it it affects 5 folks so 1 spell can save the entire party. So mage armor and featherfall for defense. Sleep is now an offensive spell (probably) so that leaves alarm and find familiar as utility spells. Both are useful and having a good familiar can be both very useful and highly entertaining. Alarm warns you if your long rest is about to be disturbed but I wonder if others in the party ( like a ranger) or mundane items like caltrops don’t actually do as good a job without costing a spell slot. Other possibilities include detect magic and comprehend Languages. Both can be cast as rituals but are things you want to have from the get go so utility spells: find familiar, comp. Lang. And detect magic. For your 2 L2 new spells now you might want to pick up shield an absorb elements since you now have a third L1 slot you can burn in an emergency. At L3 you get second level spells so which 2 to take? There are a lot of good ones actually and some depend on your race. Example - your human but most of the party has darkvision from their races- you need to make darkvision one of your selections so you can stop using light all the time and making yourself target #1. Others like misty step you may get from your race. I would say you want to take either blur or mirror image for defense, then either magic weapon, phantasmal force or scorching ray for the second if your not taking darkvision or misty step. Magic weapon is more to grant your front liners the ability to damage resistant critters letting them protect you. Scorching ray is an obvious attack spell while phantasmal force is the first really useful illusion spell and after a chat with the DM about how the two of you see it working it can be really useful depending on how much creative license the DM gives you with it.
Identify isn’t really all that necessary since you can identify a magic item over a short rest, and floating disk is kinda niche and only useful if nobody has Powerful Build, a bag of holding, or a cart and your DM actually makes you track coin weight. Feather fall is the most useful of those three.
Identify also requires a material component that's well outside of the price range of a starting character, so even if you had a use for it you probably wouldn't be able to cast it until 2nd or 3rd level anyway.
A quick note about Abjurers: one of the most powerful combinations to increase DPR for Wizards comes from the usage of Dragon’s Breath spell in your familiar, most likely an owl. It’s a mobile free action platform to deliver consistent AoE elemental damage.
The major drawback is that familiars are really fragile. And of course your owl will be targeted once it starts spilling acid over your enemies. At level 6 Abjurers get Project Ward and this is a nice (and cheap) way to protect your boosted familiar.
A quick note about Abjurers: one of the most powerful combinations to increase DPR for Wizards comes from the usage of Dragon’s Breath spell in your familiar, most likely an owl. It’s a mobile free action platform to deliver consistent AoE elemental damage.
The major drawback is that familiars are really fragile. And of course your owl will be targeted once it starts spilling acid over your enemies. At level 6 Abjurers get Project Ward and this is a nice (and cheap) way to protect your boosted familiar.
The cantrips are good choices, as much as I like Thunderwave it’s probably not the best starting L1 spell simply because you have to let foes get close en masse for it to be really effective . Magic missile is great as it grows as you grow and can hit multiple foes when you need it to. For a second offensive spell I would recommend either sleep for an area effect or witch bolt for sustained damage. You will probably want to switch out sleep after a level or 3 but starting it’s great. As Sposta said leave shield for later when you have enough slots to make it useful without blowing your slot budget, absorb elements has the same problem. They are both useful perhaps essential at times but you only have one L1 slot at L1 after you’ve cast mage armor which is a good choice. By L3 you have your 4 L1 slots so you can use 1 for mage armor, 1 for either shield or absorb elements and you still have 2 for offense/utility. A better defense/utility spell is featherfall. You may not use it as often but when you need/want it it affects 5 folks so 1 spell can save the entire party. So mage armor and featherfall for defense. Sleep is now an offensive spell (probably) so that leaves alarm and find familiar as utility spells. Both are useful and having a good familiar can be both very useful and highly entertaining. Alarm warns you if your long rest is about to be disturbed but I wonder if others in the party ( like a ranger) or mundane items like caltrops don’t actually do as good a job without costing a spell slot. Other possibilities include detect magic and comprehend Languages. Both can be cast as rituals but are things you want to have from the get go so utility spells: find familiar, comp. Lang. And detect magic. For your 2 L2 new spells now you might want to pick up shield an absorb elements since you now have a third L1 slot you can burn in an emergency. At L3 you get second level spells so which 2 to take? There are a lot of good ones actually and some depend on your race. Example - your human but most of the party has darkvision from their races- you need to make darkvision one of your selections so you can stop using light all the time and making yourself target #1. Others like misty step you may get from your race. I would say you want to take either blur or mirror image for defense, then either magic weapon, phantasmal force or scorching ray for the second if your not taking darkvision or misty step. Magic weapon is more to grant your front liners the ability to damage resistant critters letting them protect you. Scorching ray is an obvious attack spell while phantasmal force is the first really useful illusion spell and after a chat with the DM about how the two of you see it working it can be really useful depending on how much creative license the DM gives you with it.
(spoiler to shorten text)
Wow, thanks, that helps a lot! So I should still prepare detect magic and comprehend languages, even though they are rituals? I'm thinking hold person at level 3 because we have a paladin in the party.
The cantrips are good choices, as much as I like Thunderwave it’s probably not the best starting L1 spell simply because you have to let foes get close en masse for it to be really effective . Magic missile is great as it grows as you grow and can hit multiple foes when you need it to. For a second offensive spell I would recommend either sleep for an area effect or witch bolt for sustained damage. You will probably want to switch out sleep after a level or 3 but starting it’s great. As Sposta said leave shield for later when you have enough slots to make it useful without blowing your slot budget, absorb elements has the same problem. They are both useful perhaps essential at times but you only have one L1 slot at L1 after you’ve cast mage armor which is a good choice. By L3 you have your 4 L1 slots so you can use 1 for mage armor, 1 for either shield or absorb elements and you still have 2 for offense/utility. A better defense/utility spell is featherfall. You may not use it as often but when you need/want it it affects 5 folks so 1 spell can save the entire party. So mage armor and featherfall for defense. Sleep is now an offensive spell (probably) so that leaves alarm and find familiar as utility spells. Both are useful and having a good familiar can be both very useful and highly entertaining. Alarm warns you if your long rest is about to be disturbed but I wonder if others in the party ( like a ranger) or mundane items like caltrops don’t actually do as good a job without costing a spell slot. Other possibilities include detect magic and comprehend Languages. Both can be cast as rituals but are things you want to have from the get go so utility spells: find familiar, comp. Lang. And detect magic. For your 2 L2 new spells now you might want to pick up shield an absorb elements since you now have a third L1 slot you can burn in an emergency. At L3 you get second level spells so which 2 to take? There are a lot of good ones actually and some depend on your race. Example - your human but most of the party has darkvision from their races- you need to make darkvision one of your selections so you can stop using light all the time and making yourself target #1. Others like misty step you may get from your race. I would say you want to take either blur or mirror image for defense, then either magic weapon, phantasmal force or scorching ray for the second if your not taking darkvision or misty step. Magic weapon is more to grant your front liners the ability to damage resistant critters letting them protect you. Scorching ray is an obvious attack spell while phantasmal force is the first really useful illusion spell and after a chat with the DM about how the two of you see it working it can be really useful depending on how much creative license the DM gives you with it.
(spoiler to shorten text)
Wow, thanks, that helps a lot! So I should still prepare detect magic and comprehend languages, even though they are rituals? I'm thinking hold person at level 3 because we have a paladin in the party.
You should probably be fine just having Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages in your spell book and only casting them via ritual. You're not likely to need either one in combat on anything approaching a regular basis, so save your spell preps for something else.
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Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
LMK if there's anything I need to clarify.
Current spells are:
Level 1: light, fire bolt, mage hand, alarm, mage armor, magic missile, sleep, detect magic, find familiar
Level 2: comprehend languages, shield
Level 3: misty step, hold person if the party can protect me well, otherwise mirror image.
Mage hand, prestidigitation, dancing lights, mending. Anything with the “ritual” tag.
For cantrips I would add light and minor illusion. Unless the party all have darkvision a light source you can regenerate at will that lasts an hour is wonderful - everyone can get rid of those heavy torches. Like dancing lights minor illusion’s uses is limited only by your ( and the DM’s) imagination.
For L1 spells look over Alarm, Comprehend Languages, detect magic, identify and silent image.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
I would add control flames and shape water to the list as well. Being able to silently snuff out a torch at 30 feet is handy, and being able to make solid blocks of ice or change a flask of water to look like a potion is nifty too.
Detect magic. Say it with me now… detect magic. So useful. All day.
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Besides the basic rituals package like Find Familiar, Detect Magic, Comprehend Languages and etc, I like to combine useful objects with spells. It’s important to discuss and validate all of they with your DM, some things are not strictly RAW. For instance:
- Healing potions or Goodberries from your Ranger/Druid allies can be handled by your Familiar and/or Unseen Servant to get unconscious friends back on their feet.
- The same principle can be applied to oil. You can try to use both the Familiar/Unseen Servant to poor oil in a given area, preferably where an enemy is located, and lit fire over there (with Fire Bolt or Create Bonfire) to nail +5 fire damage thanks to the oil.
- Catapult + any creative object you might find. You can try to catapult an Alchemist’s Fire to increase damage or even catapult a Net to try to restrain your enemy.
- Some DMs allow you to create some sort of cover with Minor Illusion or Mold Earth.
- Jump, Longstrider, Protection from Evil and Good, and even Mage Armor can be cast in allies.
- Feather Fall, Silvery Barbs.
I plan to be an abjurer wizard and support the party. Which cantrips and 1st level spells should I choose?
Currently I'll probably take light, fire bolt, mage hand. IDK about 1st level spells, but maybe 1 damage (thunderwave or magic missile), 2 defense (mage armor, shield), 3 utility (find familiar, sleep, alarm). At level 2, detect magic, identify if lots of magic items OR feather fall OR floating disk if no bag of holding.
Take Detect Magic right away, it’s that useful. Skip Shield until a higher level when you’ll actually have enough spell slots to use it. Think about Comprehend Languages too, also super useful.
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I might take the sage BG for 2 extra languages, but I may consider taking Comprehend Languages (and shield) at level 2.
What's the best of identify, feather fall, and floating disk?
Also, should I roll starting gold so I can buy incense, charcoal, and herbs?
Identify isn’t really all that necessary since you can identify a magic item over a short rest, and floating disk is kinda niche and only useful if nobody has Powerful Build, a bag of holding, or a cart and your DM actually makes you track coin weight. Feather fall is the most useful of those three.
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Do you have a sense of how easily you’ll be able to acquire new spells? In scrolls or other wizard’s sPell books and such? It’s good to have a plan, but if you can just walk into a shop and pick up new spells, that can kind of change things.
The cantrips are good choices, as much as I like Thunderwave it’s probably not the best starting L1 spell simply because you have to let foes get close en masse for it to be really effective . Magic missile is great as it grows as you grow and can hit multiple foes when you need it to. For a second offensive spell I would recommend either sleep for an area effect or witch bolt for sustained damage. You will probably want to switch out sleep after a level or 3 but starting it’s great. As Sposta said leave shield for later when you have enough slots to make it useful without blowing your slot budget, absorb elements has the same problem. They are both useful perhaps essential at times but you only have one L1 slot at L1 after you’ve cast mage armor which is a good choice. By L3 you have your 4 L1 slots so you can use 1 for mage armor, 1 for either shield or absorb elements and you still have 2 for offense/utility. A better defense/utility spell is featherfall. You may not use it as often but when you need/want it it affects 5 folks so 1 spell can save the entire party. So mage armor and featherfall for defense. Sleep is now an offensive spell (probably) so that leaves alarm and find familiar as utility spells. Both are useful and having a good familiar can be both very useful and highly entertaining. Alarm warns you if your long rest is about to be disturbed but I wonder if others in the party ( like a ranger) or mundane items like caltrops don’t actually do as good a job without costing a spell slot. Other possibilities include detect magic and comprehend Languages. Both can be cast as rituals but are things you want to have from the get go so utility spells: find familiar, comp. Lang. And detect magic. For your 2 L2 new spells now you might want to pick up shield an absorb elements since you now have a third L1 slot you can burn in an emergency. At L3 you get second level spells so which 2 to take? There are a lot of good ones actually and some depend on your race. Example - your human but most of the party has darkvision from their races- you need to make darkvision one of your selections so you can stop using light all the time and making yourself target #1. Others like misty step you may get from your race. I would say you want to take either blur or mirror image for defense, then either magic weapon, phantasmal force or scorching ray for the second if your not taking darkvision or misty step. Magic weapon is more to grant your front liners the ability to damage resistant critters letting them protect you. Scorching ray is an obvious attack spell while phantasmal force is the first really useful illusion spell and after a chat with the DM about how the two of you see it working it can be really useful depending on how much creative license the DM gives you with it.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
Identify also requires a material component that's well outside of the price range of a starting character, so even if you had a use for it you probably wouldn't be able to cast it until 2nd or 3rd level anyway.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
A quick note about Abjurers: one of the most powerful combinations to increase DPR for Wizards comes from the usage of Dragon’s Breath spell in your familiar, most likely an owl. It’s a mobile free action platform to deliver consistent AoE elemental damage.
The major drawback is that familiars are really fragile. And of course your owl will be targeted once it starts spilling acid over your enemies. At level 6 Abjurers get Project Ward and this is a nice (and cheap) way to protect your boosted familiar.
A quick note about Abjurers: one of the most powerful combinations to increase DPR for Wizards comes from the usage of Dragon’s Breath spell in your familiar, most likely an owl. It’s a mobile free action platform to deliver consistent AoE elemental damage.
The major drawback is that familiars are really fragile. And of course your owl will be targeted once it starts spilling acid over your enemies. At level 6 Abjurers get Project Ward and this is a nice (and cheap) way to protect your boosted familiar.
(spoiler to shorten text)
Wow, thanks, that helps a lot! So I should still prepare detect magic and comprehend languages, even though they are rituals? I'm thinking hold person at level 3 because we have a paladin in the party.
At least Detect Magic
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You should probably be fine just having Detect Magic and Comprehend Languages in your spell book and only casting them via ritual. You're not likely to need either one in combat on anything approaching a regular basis, so save your spell preps for something else.
Find your own truth, choose your enemies carefully, and never deal with a dragon.
"Canon" is what's factual to D&D lore. "Cannon" is what you're going to be shot with if you keep getting the word wrong.
As an abjurer, consider getting alarm it lets you charge your ward with a ritual spell.
I did, see post #6.