My wizard spells get resisted alot - is this normal at low lv.

[Necroscope84]

Hello, I'm a lv. 3 Warforged Wizard and I was wondering if it was normal to get resisted alot in the beginning? I don't have hardly any feats yet, I've chosen the one to make my summoned pets and hirelings stronger and toughness so far, next level I'm gonna choose either spell penetration or maximize or something. My int is 19 and the spells I'm using are Niac's (that ice ray - sorry can't remember the name) Web (It hardly ever sticks, I think I've had it not be ressited once so far) The spell that makes it so I'm proficient in any weapon, my healing spell, burning hands (works great) and summon monster I (I heard summon monster II isn't worth it, can anyone confirm?)

Anyway Niacs gets resisted maybe 40% while web Always gets resisted. I didn't pick magic missle yet because I've heard so many people say it's a **** spell. What else can I do to keep from being resisted all the freaking time?

So far I pretty much just use a Great Axe on everything, it seems like my melee does so much better than my spells, is this normal for low levels? What level will I start to depend more on spells than my melee?

And why do my Docents look so crappy? Lol.

So far I'm still having alot of fun but I really don't want a battle mage although I'll take one if I have to. I'm just hoping this is normal for low levels. Anyone have any good ideas or suggestions? So far I'm just running around doing all the quests I see on normal and selling stuff.

Oh yeah do you'll think it's worth it to sell most stuff at the auction house or just vendor loot it all? I know I'll get more from the auction house but for everything I sell a bunch more don't sell and it costs alot of money to post all this stuff. Arrows seem to be very hit and miss (No pun intended) some will sell others won't. Some will sell for 50 plat and others I can't give away Lol.

Anyway, any and all advice will be very much appreciated. Thank you.

[kelemvelor]

Spells have difficulty checks. They are calculated via : 10 + spell level + attribute modifier

As such, you might want to maximize intelligence so its modifier can be the highest it can get via enhancements + items so as to increase its DC. For a level 3, you can actually obtain int 20 (+5) via a base of 18 + 1 (wiz feat) + 1 (+1 int item). If you don't mind using your feat exchange, you can even get spell focus: conjuration to boost both niac and web early game.

One solution is to note that spells targets different saves. Niacs and Web both target reflex saves. So if you are facing creatures with high reflex (kobold rogues for example), be prepared to have them make their saves. You may try diversifying your crowd control to different saves such as Charm / Hypnotism/Electric Loop (Will saves).

Another solution is to use spells which do not allow saves. Most of the spells of this nature is the ray spells such as Scorching Ray and Magic Missiles. These spells only grow powerful at latter stages but if you have tossed all your spells and the monsters save against them all, just use no-save spells at them.

For summons, level 2 summon monster gives you the scorpion which stays underground for most of the time (avoid it). As a note, Augment Summon feat also improves charmed monsters while they are still under you. So a charmed monster could beat on his brethren with greater strength (though ironically the feat also makes it easier for them to make the continual saves while being charmed).

Hope that helps you.

[oweieie]

At low levels you're really at the mercy of the d20.

That said, don't use Niac's. Use burning hands, shocking grasp or chill touch for damage. Also I wouldn't use web, although it's great at higher level, charm person is really the best for low.

[Hobgoblin]

At low levels you're really at the mercy of the d20.

That said, don't use Niac's. Use burning hands, shocking grasp or chill touch for damage. Also I wouldn't use web, although it's great at higher level, charm person is really the best for low.

dont use niacs? thats my main damage spell untill i hit level 8 and get firewall. then the saves, hp, and cost make other nukers better. stay with niacs and magic missile.

cheers,

hob

[Xaearth]

You're problem is you're using two reflex save spells likely against monsters with good reflex saves.
The benefit a wizard has over a sorc is the ability to swap spells at rest... You should use that ability to make sure you're carrying spells that target your enemy's weakest save.

Niac's in particular is a poor choice for the harbor area as kobolds innately have high reflex, and niac's is a reflex save for no damage.

Switch your spells up a bit, know your enemies, and keep int maxed and you'll be fine.

Oh, one more thing, don't worry about spell pen yet. You won't see many enemies with spell resistance (other than the occasional drow) until level 10 and up. There are more useful feats early on, take spell pen feats and enhancements when you're going to be facing enemies that need it.

[donfilibuster]

Niac is the best damage but indeed the kobolds have high reflex, you can see a lot of that in kobold assault.
Burning hands is a good replacement but they may still save and thus won't kill the kobolds in one shot, so you need a second dose.

Whatever the primary spell is, you still need to dish out some melee if you are soloing, else you'll just run out of sp.
It is thus ok to give the kobolds the axe at low levels, with master's touch and buffs. After all, everyone starts at 0-1 bab equally.

[oweieie]

dont use niacs? thats my main damage spell untill i hit level 8 and get firewall. then the saves, hp, and cost make other nukers better.

Niac's is the clear loser for damage. With a 20 INT your DC will be a measly 16, even mobs with a 0 save will be taking no damage 25% of the time, and that will be 35% with even a measly +2 on their saves. If, for some reason, you don't go drow then your starting INT is down at 18 so you're looking at 40% chance of doing no damage, craptastic. And don't forget the fact it's a ray and you can miss by them simply moving out of the way. Contrast that with chill touch's guaranteed damage makes it a superior single target spell, and if you're fighting multiple targets, which is like, always, then burning hands will put out WAY more damage than Niac's.

Likewise at 7 you're much much better off using scorching ray than Niac's, but thats when most wizard's get wall of fire, not sure what you're doing to get it at 8 unless you're talking sorcs.

[TheMeanDM]

If you have the docent (I think its a docent)...well...equipment...that increases your 1st level caster spells by +1 level, then really Magic Missile isn't a bad spell as far as damage goes.

1) No save allowed
2) Good range
3) Always hits

For every 2 caster levels beyond first level you gain an additional missile up to a maximum of five missiles. D&D Dice: Deals 1d4+1 force damage per missile (max 5 missiles).

1 missile @ 1st
2 missiles @ 3rd
3 missiles @ 4th

So, if you're 3rd level, and have the +1 level to 1st level spells, then you've got 2 missiles for 2d4+2 damage (4-10). When you get to 4th, and if you have that eq, you'll be doing 3d4+3 (6-15). Which isn't all that bad for an auto-hit spell that costs all of 10 SP.

Niac's deals 1d10 / level...but the Reflex save **negates** damage. So if they save, you have wasted your SP. --Undead are immune to cold!

Burning Hands deals 1d4 / level (so 3d4 or 4d4), with a Reflex save for half damage. So, you'll be at 3-12 (4-16) or 1-6 (2-8) if saved against.

Scorching Ray deals 4d6 (4-24) damage straight up, no saves.

So in my opinion, at 3rd level, use Scorching Ray. It's got the range, no save, and good damage (especially with Maximize). Magic Missile comes in 2nd, in my opinion, and then Burning Hands/Niac's are basically tied for third (depending on the enemy and situation you're in).

Edit:
Oh, and if you use Scorching Ray, you can buy Inferno potions from the potion vender in the Stormreach marketplace. They will increase the damage of your Fire spells quite nicely for not a lot of $$.

[samthedagger]

Here's something to bear in mind when using spells. Every monster has good saves and bad saves. Learning the type of monsters and which saves they are good with is a fairly simple when you recognize some patterns. Most monsters fall into one of four categories. Learn to recognize them by the way they fight.

Brutes (eg ogres, hobgoblin slayers, kobold warriors): Fight up close with melee weapons, sometimes with ranged weapons. Good fort saves, poor reflex/will saves. Note that the bigger something is, the lower the reflex save usually, and the smaller something is, the better the reflex save usually. Use crowd control spells with will saves or damaging spells with reflex saves. Avoid any spell with a fort save.

Rogues (eg bugbear assassin, kobold sneak): Fight up close with melee weapons, sometimes with ranged weapons. Often hide and are difficult to see without a good Spot or Listen skill. Good reflex saves, poor fortitude/will saves. The same general rule is true that the smaller the creature, the better the reflex save, but very few large monsters fall into this category. Instant death effects like finger of death tend to work very well and are usually the most efficient ways of killing these. Avoid anything with a reflex save, especially anything that is reflex for half damage since these types of monsters often have evasion.

Divine Casters (eg hobgoblin cleric, xoriat death priest): Fight by casting divine spells like sound burst or flame strike or healing themselves or allies. Good fort/will saves, poor reflex saves. These guys are tough as far as saves go. Your best options are direct damage spells that require a reflex save. In general their fort saves will be a little lower than their will saves so you might have limited success with fort save effects, but effects that at least have a partial effect on a successful save (like frost lance) are favored.

Arcane Casters (eg kobold shaman, hobgoblin witch doctor): Fight by casting arcane spells like fireball or lightning bolt or buffing themselves or allies with spells like displacement or false life. Poor fort/reflex saves, good will saves. Sometimes these are multiclassed like barbarian/shamans. In this case they will also have good fort saves. Direct damage with reflex saves usually works, but fort saves that have save or die effects work wonders. Finger of death works very well.

Ultimately recognize that monsters with class levels such as orc ranger or bugbear bard follow the same rules as player characters. Thus the ranger will have good fort and reflex and the bard will have good reflex and will. Other times the name of the monster will simply hint at their class, but you can usually figure it out by the monster's behavior. A monster with "berzerker" in the name is probably a barbarian and thus has good fortitude saves (and good will saves when raging).

Once you learn to recognize monsters as one of these types it gets easier. There are many other types of monsters that you begin to encounter more as level up. Note that high level content begins to blur the line. Many outsiders like devils and demons as well as dragons have good saves in all categories, thus spells with no saving throw are sometimes favored. Aberrations like tharak hounds and beholders have good will saves. Vermin and magical beasts have good fort and reflex saves. Constructs have poor saving throws but are immune to many effects. Air and fire elementals have good reflex saves. Earth and water elementals have good fort saves. Giants have good fort saves. Oozes have poor saves but are immune to many effects. Undead have good will saves and are immune to many effects.

It takes some practice playing a caster to learn. You can look at this page (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/typesSubtypes.htm) to help you get an idea of some monster strengths and weaknesses. Since DDO is based on d20, a lot of the rules hold true.

[bogart99]

Hello, I'm a lv. 3 Warforged Wizard and I was wondering if it was normal to get resisted a lot in the beginning? I don't have hardly any feats yet, I've chosen the one to make my summoned pets and hirelings stronger and toughness so far, next level I'm gonna choose either spell penetration or maximize or something
Reroll now while its painless and you don't have to waist money on feat respecing. you should have choose mental toughness and maximize at 3rd go with whatever choice you wish (Toughness now is good as you get your first line in it) but not Augment summoning hirelings and summon monsters are their as a distraction not the main part of your help and you should be casting summon monsters off scrolls.


My int is 19
the spells I'm using are Niac's
Web
Repair Light damage
burning hands
Masters Touch
summon monster I (I heard summon monster II isn't worth it, can anyone confirm?)
You have either started with base of 17 int? Reroll. or have not completed Korthos for the +1 int item.
you need a +1 conjuration item and a better intelligence score buy a wand of foxes cunning whip it and then spam your webs and niacs. You will find they will land better. Look for a improved efficiency 1 weapon to make
spells hit harder. Cast niacs at kobold shamen web the rest.

Summon monster 2 is better than summon monster 1 and 3 its more hardy but is like all scorpions a little buggy and gets stuck in duck and cover mode some times which doesn't matter as the purpose of summon monsters is to distract monsters from attacking you.




So far I pretty much just use a Great Axe on everything, it seems like my melee does so much better than my spells, is this normal for low levels? What level will I start to depend more on spells than my melee?
Depends on your stats and how you play but its generally accepted that 7th when you get Firewall is game changing for a caster. Learn to cast firewall and offset web so it doesn't burn away and you will kill and crowd control all the way to the vale of twilight.


And why do my Docents look so crappy? Lol. If you want to look cute roll a female halfing. All the docents look bad and later it gets worse because some effects on epic robes have no match in docents so we get a little screwed over. Prey that the best one you can find is not shocking pink.


Oh yeah do you'll think it's worth it to sell most stuff at the auction house or just vendor loot it all? I know I'll get more from the auction house but for everything I sell a bunch more don't sell and it costs alot of money to post all this stuff. Arrows seem to be very hit and miss (No pun intended) some will sell others won't. Some will sell for 50 plat and others I can't give away Lol.
Vendor it all till lvl 11 unless its a unique Item that is in demand The ah is full of **** that no one wants and think to yourself before you put something up if I was a X would I want that item.