A few basic Wizard questions for someone who has never played the class.

[Brendael]

I'd like to create a non pale master, warforged trapper/wizard build that can potentially solo (Or contribute) through to epics (I'd settle for EH solo'ing but I'd like to contribute to EE end game content).

I have a TR'd toon with 3 lives I could use (2 lvl Cleric, 1 lvl rogue.)

I have a few questions though :

1. Should I get two levels of rogue for evasion and trapping/opening/search skills (But potentially nerf spell DC's) or should I just go 1 level artificer for the skills and not take as big hit to DC's?
2. With the two levels of Conjouration will using Power Word Kill as my main insta-kill be effective to end level?
3. What spell school should I be specialising in?

Any basic advice or hints on how to play an effective wizard?

[GeoffWatson]

1. Take two Rogue. With Insightful Reflexes you'll have enough Reflex for Evasion to be useful. Losing two Wizard levels instead of one costs you one SR, it shouldn't affect your DCs.
2. PWK has a long cooldown. Too long to be your main killer.
3. Necro (instant kills) or Enchantment (crowd control).

Geoff.

[Lanhelin]

Any basic advice or hints on how to play an effective wizard?

1. Before leveling up make sure to take a look at the rare arcane scroll list (http://ddowiki.com/page/The_Rare_Arcane_Scroll_List) on the wiki to choose the rare spells and buy the available ones from the NPC. Otherwise you have to buy them from the AH or find them in chests.

2. Depending on your gear, feats and enhancements your spell point pool may vary a lot. But you played two Cleric lifes so you probably already have Archmagi/Wizardry items.

3. Decide early whether you want to make a CC caster or primarily a DMG caster. Dmg casters, and especially the ones focused on Evocation, won't need high Spell Penetration, because the most dmg spells bypass Spell Resistance. If you want to focus on Enchantment aka CC casting, you will need a high Spell Penetration Rating and DC Rating too, because all cc spells have to overcome Spell Resistance first (except Web) and won't do anything on a succesful saving throw. So involve the Spell Pen feats in your levelling plan too. Note that the Vampire Shroud adds +2 Enchantment DC, so even if you don't want to play a Pale Master but focus on Enchantment you might want to spend 11 points there to get it.

4. You probably already know it from playing Cleric: do not cast full meta'ed normal spells all the time (save them for Boss fights), because your SP pool will become empty fast. Use the SLA's instead.

5. If you think to have enough SP from shrine to shrine, pots/clickies or Gold Seal Clerics with Divine Vitality, buy Warforged Hirelings and slot a Repair spell to heal them. Their dps will save lots of your SP. If you can afford it, also buy repair scrolls/wands to save even more SP.

6. Though it won't be possible in all situations, try to avoid the initial attention of the mobs, because most of them will attack you at least once or until their attacking sequence animation has finished, before attacking someone else and Intimidate from a Hire/Player seems to not break the animation. Because of this it's harder to lose the initial aggro than "stealing" it from someone else (even without aggro reducing enhancements/items). Use the time-window an attacking animation lasts to either place a cc or kill the mob(s).

7. Even as WF Wiz with fortification and more HP in the racial tree you'll still remain squishy. With the new EK tree you could think about taking a better armor feat and put some points into the racial and EK to reduce ASF, besides the one point in the T1 racial.

8. Greater Spell Focus cannot be taken as Wiz bonus feat. Make sure to reserve one regular feat slot for it.

[Jacoby]

I'd like to create a non pale master, warforged trapper/wizard build that can potentially solo (Or contribute) through to epics (I'd settle for EH solo'ing but I'd like to contribute to EE end game content).

I have a TR'd toon with 3 lives I could use (2 lvl Cleric, 1 lvl rogue.)

I have a few questions though :

1. Should I get two levels of rogue for evasion and trapping/opening/search skills (But potentially nerf spell DC's) or should I just go 1 level artificer for the skills and not take as big hit to DC's?
2. With the two levels of Conjouration will using Power Word Kill as my main insta-kill be effective to end level?
3. What spell school should I be specialising in?

Any basic advice or hints on how to play an effective wizard?

Any time you dual class you will be diminishing a pure class build. However, the nuts of it are that you will have a plethora of additional skills that may out weigh the desire to be the best wizard. To be quite honest the only thing you loose is a little crowd control DC (2-4 points depending on the build) and a little mana. Both of which can be mitigated with gear. Wiz/Rog's definately sync well for the solo artist.

1. Evasion is a huge damage mitigator for any build. So it is a viable option. The bigger question is how many Con points are you going to give up to make your Dex viable? If you are a multiple reincarnate this won't matter much.

2. No, I never use it. The timer just sucks.

3. Depends on how you intend to play. Mass hold monster, mass charm and suggestion are Enchantment and Archmage would be you Prestige. If finger of death, wail of the banshee and power word kill entice you then Necromancy and Palemaster. Be warned, these have been nerfed many times and the timers on these spells are not what they once were. Also you will have to consider heighten as a metamagic ability. I generally don't take any schools for feats, they simply don't factor in that much to take up a feat spot.

If you want to be a nuker or compete with melee's for kill counts Sorcerer is the way to go. Wizards are for the crunchy type players, they can be made to fit your play style. The can buff, support and trap "or" Play the role of Archmage crowd control "or" play the role of Eldricht Knight Tank with a dab of Palemaster. A Pure Palemaster has been nerfed into the ground so I really don't recommend this role unless you intend to play it alternatively to the way it was intended.

In my opinion there are only two roles a wizard can play and be effective due to recent game changes and there limited mana pool.

Eldricht Knight/ Palemaster - Tank/Melee support

Archmage/Enchanter - Pure CC

If you really want to play a trapper look more to a Artificer/Rogue splash or Pure Rogue. Artificer provides better support buffs now as most can get wizzy stuff in a bottle.