Im stating out my very first wizard and ive never played anything will spells and spell slots before and i am quite confused by picking spells. Do i need to have more lower level spells than higher? for example in order to have three 5th level spells, ill need four 4th level spell, five 3rd level and so on? Or is it just pick and choose whatever?
Look at the 'learning spells of 1st level and higher' under Spellcasting. You learn new spells every level as a wizard, so there's no reason why you wouldn't have 1st level spells, even if you're playing a campaign that starts at 5th level. Plus, a lot of those low-level spells are really handy (like detect magic or magic missile), and you can cast them with your higher-level slots, often to greater effect.
That said, in addition to learning spells, a wizard also prepares spells for use in the day. So you might have 15 spells in your spellbook, but only have the ability to prepare 9. You can pick any of them. Just keep in mind that while you have 3 level 3 spell slots, for example, you can pick 5 of your level 3 spells, since you don't know what you might need that day, but if you don't pick any level 1 spells at all, you're not going to be able to use those spell slots.
Look at the 'learning spells of 1st level and higher' under Spellcasting. You learn new spells every level as a wizard, so there's no reason why you wouldn't have 1st level spells, even if you're playing a campaign that starts at 5th level. Plus, a lot of those low-level spells are really handy (like detect magic or magic missile), and you can cast them with your higher-level slots, often to greater effect.
That said, in addition to learning spells, a wizard also prepares spells for use in the day. So you might have 15 spells in your spellbook, but only have the ability to prepare 9. You can pick any of them. Just keep in mind that while you have 3 level 3 spell slots, for example, you can pick 5 of your level 3 spells, since you don't know what you might need that day, but if you don't pick any level 1 spells at all, you're not going to be able to use those spell slots.
One could think of it like an inventory system;
Your "known" spells (in your spellbook) are in your main inventory space. Your "prepared" spells are in your quick-select/hotbar.
Whenever you gain a level, you add 2 spells from the Wizard spell list into your main inventory. The levels of these spells (not combined) must be equal to or lower than the highest spell slot you have.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can swap any of your quick-select spells for spells in your main inventory space.
The maximum amount of spells you can have in your quick-select equals your Intelligence modifier + your Wizard level.
Im stating out my very first wizard and ive never played anything will spells and spell slots before and i am quite confused by picking spells. Do i need to have more lower level spells than higher? for example in order to have three 5th level spells, ill need four 4th level spell, five 3rd level and so on? Or is it just pick and choose whatever?
Look at the 'learning spells of 1st level and higher' under Spellcasting. You learn new spells every level as a wizard, so there's no reason why you wouldn't have 1st level spells, even if you're playing a campaign that starts at 5th level. Plus, a lot of those low-level spells are really handy (like detect magic or magic missile), and you can cast them with your higher-level slots, often to greater effect.
That said, in addition to learning spells, a wizard also prepares spells for use in the day. So you might have 15 spells in your spellbook, but only have the ability to prepare 9. You can pick any of them. Just keep in mind that while you have 3 level 3 spell slots, for example, you can pick 5 of your level 3 spells, since you don't know what you might need that day, but if you don't pick any level 1 spells at all, you're not going to be able to use those spell slots.
Birgit | Shifter | Sorcerer | Dragonlords
Shayone | Hobgoblin | Sorcerer | Netherdeep
One could think of it like an inventory system;
Your "known" spells (in your spellbook) are in your main inventory space. Your "prepared" spells are in your quick-select/hotbar.
Whenever you gain a level, you add 2 spells from the Wizard spell list into your main inventory. The levels of these spells (not combined) must be equal to or lower than the highest spell slot you have.
Whenever you finish a long rest, you can swap any of your quick-select spells for spells in your main inventory space.
The maximum amount of spells you can have in your quick-select equals your Intelligence modifier + your Wizard level.
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i actually really like this idea