Hello. I just started a campaign with a lvl 1 wizard (v human with keen mind feat). i have 17 in Int already but i was planning for the character to be a defensive protection wizard rather than a blaster.
just looking for advise on what might be best to take at the ASI levels and which spells lend best to protection/defense style.
fully open to multiclass ideas but not leaning in that direction
Mage Armor, Shield and Absorb Elements are core level 1 spells. Alarm is a great ritual, followed by Leomund's Tiny Hut at later levels. Blur and Mirror Image are great second level spells for survival. Misty Step may not be as thematic, but it's one of the most popular spells in the game, and you probably should take it.
The core to your strategy should be the 3rd level spell Counterspell. Dispel Magic and Remove Curse are also very useful when needed. In some campaigns, Nondetection can come in handy. For an offensive protection spell, Slow is about as good as it gets.
For level 4 spells, I think Banishment and Otiluke's Resilient Sphere fit in thematically with what you want to do. Fire Shield and Stoneskin are also good choices in the right situation. And of course, there's the most popular and powerful level 4 spell, Polymorph - this is great to cast on an ally that is low on health. In some campaigns, Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum could be useful.
Abjuration Wizard has fantastic level 10 and level 14 abilities, so I would not recommend multiclassing. Also, the Wizard's high level spell list is the best in the game.
But most of all, make Counterspell the spell that your character is known for using. Make sure to ask your DM to do an Arcana check before using Counterspell to see if your Wizard knows what spell is being cast. You don't want to waste your Counterspell on a Fire Bolt.
Edit: whoops, as for ASIs and feats, get Intelligence to 20, get war caster, and get resilient: constitution. Those two feats will make you so much better at maintaining concentration on a spell. After those two feats, maybe get more constitution or dexterity, or get the Lucky feat or the Healer feat.
A lot of good suggestions above, but keep some things in mind:
1.Targets. Many of these spells have a target of self. While being able to up your defenses is nice in a pinch, a good wizard knows that their job is to not get hit. Also, many of the low-level spells target only one character at a time, so your efficacy as a protector is going to be diminished with those spells.
2. Economy. You only have one spellcasting action per turn, you can only concentrate on one spell at a time, you only get one reaction. Banishment is great, but if you cast banishment, then you can't cast a "Wall of..." spell. If you counterspell, you can't cast shield. If you shield, you can't cast counterspell. The more spells you have that don't inhibit this economy (no concentration, or spells that can be cast ahead of time), the better.
3. Know your role. This is going to sound counterintuitive, but if you're a support caster, your job is not to just layer up the buffs and call it a day. Notice that gabrielrockman's post included a lot of non-buffing spells. That's because your goal, instead of throwing down mad shields, should be to provide tactical advantage to the team. Throwing a wall around two of the three bad guys in the room turns one overwhelming encounter into two manageable ones. Even when they're not isolating enemies, walls can throw barricades up to keep melee bruisers from your squishy ranged fighters and can give your party cover from area attacks.
4. Be prepared. A defensive wizard's best friend is information. Try to round out your spell catalog with divination spells. Arcane Eye can let you know what's going on in the next room, Clairvoyance can let you see what's on the other side of the wall, and Scrying can provide SO MANY advantages it boggles the mind. If an army of demons is coming, knowing they're coming when they crest the nearest rise vs. knowing they're coming even a minute before that can make the difference between success and victory. VALUE ADD: Those spells are usually cast BEFORE the battle, and won't interfere with your in-battle casting economy.
5. Think outside the box. Illusions can be just as effective as actual obstacles in many instances. An illusory chasm will stop a rampaging troll just as effectively as a wall of stone, and the chasm might be able to be pulled off with a first-level spell rather than a 5th. Plus, while you can probably slow an army of orcs with a wall of fire, that army will pass you by if you just disguise your party as a hill. If you're creative, having Silent and/or Major Image in your arsenal will prove as valuable as any other spell for keeping your team safe.
Conjuration or necromancy. Conjuration allow to conjure creatures which will protect party. Necromancer can animate skeletons, which can take full plate and longbow. 12 skeletons with necromancy buffs of archetype plus dance macabre = death to all
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Hello. I just started a campaign with a lvl 1 wizard (v human with keen mind feat). i have 17 in Int already but i was planning for the character to be a defensive protection wizard rather than a blaster.
just looking for advise on what might be best to take at the ASI levels and which spells lend best to protection/defense style.
fully open to multiclass ideas but not leaning in that direction
Abjuration Wizard for sure.
Mage Armor, Shield and Absorb Elements are core level 1 spells. Alarm is a great ritual, followed by Leomund's Tiny Hut at later levels. Blur and Mirror Image are great second level spells for survival. Misty Step may not be as thematic, but it's one of the most popular spells in the game, and you probably should take it.
The core to your strategy should be the 3rd level spell Counterspell. Dispel Magic and Remove Curse are also very useful when needed. In some campaigns, Nondetection can come in handy. For an offensive protection spell, Slow is about as good as it gets.
For level 4 spells, I think Banishment and Otiluke's Resilient Sphere fit in thematically with what you want to do. Fire Shield and Stoneskin are also good choices in the right situation. And of course, there's the most popular and powerful level 4 spell, Polymorph - this is great to cast on an ally that is low on health. In some campaigns, Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum could be useful.
You can also make the wall spells a core part of your character's strategy: Wall of Sand, Wall of Water, Wall of Fire, Wall of Light, Wall of Force, Wall of Stone, Wall of Ice.
Abjuration Wizard has fantastic level 10 and level 14 abilities, so I would not recommend multiclassing. Also, the Wizard's high level spell list is the best in the game.
But most of all, make Counterspell the spell that your character is known for using. Make sure to ask your DM to do an Arcana check before using Counterspell to see if your Wizard knows what spell is being cast. You don't want to waste your Counterspell on a Fire Bolt.
Edit: whoops, as for ASIs and feats, get Intelligence to 20, get war caster, and get resilient: constitution. Those two feats will make you so much better at maintaining concentration on a spell. After those two feats, maybe get more constitution or dexterity, or get the Lucky feat or the Healer feat.
A lot of good suggestions above, but keep some things in mind:
1.Targets. Many of these spells have a target of self. While being able to up your defenses is nice in a pinch, a good wizard knows that their job is to not get hit. Also, many of the low-level spells target only one character at a time, so your efficacy as a protector is going to be diminished with those spells.
2. Economy. You only have one spellcasting action per turn, you can only concentrate on one spell at a time, you only get one reaction. Banishment is great, but if you cast banishment, then you can't cast a "Wall of..." spell. If you counterspell, you can't cast shield. If you shield, you can't cast counterspell. The more spells you have that don't inhibit this economy (no concentration, or spells that can be cast ahead of time), the better.
3. Know your role. This is going to sound counterintuitive, but if you're a support caster, your job is not to just layer up the buffs and call it a day. Notice that gabrielrockman's post included a lot of non-buffing spells. That's because your goal, instead of throwing down mad shields, should be to provide tactical advantage to the team. Throwing a wall around two of the three bad guys in the room turns one overwhelming encounter into two manageable ones. Even when they're not isolating enemies, walls can throw barricades up to keep melee bruisers from your squishy ranged fighters and can give your party cover from area attacks.
4. Be prepared. A defensive wizard's best friend is information. Try to round out your spell catalog with divination spells. Arcane Eye can let you know what's going on in the next room, Clairvoyance can let you see what's on the other side of the wall, and Scrying can provide SO MANY advantages it boggles the mind. If an army of demons is coming, knowing they're coming when they crest the nearest rise vs. knowing they're coming even a minute before that can make the difference between success and victory. VALUE ADD: Those spells are usually cast BEFORE the battle, and won't interfere with your in-battle casting economy.
5. Think outside the box. Illusions can be just as effective as actual obstacles in many instances. An illusory chasm will stop a rampaging troll just as effectively as a wall of stone, and the chasm might be able to be pulled off with a first-level spell rather than a 5th. Plus, while you can probably slow an army of orcs with a wall of fire, that army will pass you by if you just disguise your party as a hill. If you're creative, having Silent and/or Major Image in your arsenal will prove as valuable as any other spell for keeping your team safe.
Conjuration or necromancy. Conjuration allow to conjure creatures which will protect party. Necromancer can animate skeletons, which can take full plate and longbow. 12 skeletons with necromancy buffs of archetype plus dance macabre = death to all