Hints for new Wizard Players

[Cpw]

There are a-lot of "tricks of the trade" that many of you use every day but newer players (like me) do not know about.

What are your favorite tricks for a wizard for the first 10 levels or so?

To start of I will give examples of tricks and tactics I have found work well.

1. Take Masters touch ,Shield, and Mage armor at first level if you are not a vet. Almost all of the korthos quests can be soloed on hard with a good 2 Hander and the clickeys you get there. Even at STR 8.

2. Use the traps that are in many quests to kill monsters. The traps really hit hard at higher difficulty and the best DPS you can get is to stand just on the far side of one blocking behind a good shield.

[Lithic]

There are 2 things every new wizard needs to know:

1) Charm person is awesome for most of the harbour quests

2) You can buy and scribe scrolls of lvl 1-7 even if you can't yet cast the spells of that spell level yet. It is a good idea to buy one of every scroll from the vendors before you level up, that way the free spells you get on level up are the ones that are hard to find.

[Jorgandar]

Thanks for all the replies. I've read some arguments people are making in favor of wizards. The summary of these arguements seems to be: "If you simply use a smarter, more surgical play style, a wizard is viable." That's all fine but I submit to you that the argument does not hold water. There is nothing preventing you from doing the same with a sorcerer. Some people are making the false assumption that a sorcerer = big nuker. This is simply not true.

Sorcerers may not have as many spells, but lets be honest people, there are only a handful of spells that make up 80% of what both wizards and sorcerers ever use. Sorcs still have enough spells whereby careful selection will make a very versatile sorcerer who can use nearly as many tactics as the wizard, oh and by the way they have double the SP and dont need to resort to using a dagger.

For all the arguments i've heard, it still seems to me like the wizard class needs an overhaul. I'd love to return to being a wizard but not until their problems are addressed.

[Aranticus]

do not start with 6 or 8 con

[tfangel]

2) You can buy and scribe scrolls of lvl 1-7 even if you can't yet cast the spells of that spell level yet. It is a good idea to buy one of every scroll from the vendors before you level up, that way the free spells you get on level up are the ones that are hard to find.

You can do this too with 8 and 9 level spells, from the AH or found. Yeah, i know none are sold in stores, so it cuts that part out. I just like to try to buy them when i can so i have more variety.

For all the arguments i've heard, it still seems to me like the wizard class needs an overhaul. I'd love to return to being a wizard but not until their problems are addressed.

Since Sorcerers can now swap spells every few days, the flexibility of being a wiz is gone too. Kind of a pain they can get the spells just by swapping, but we have to scour for them, which is part of our benefit. Not to mention it's expensive as heck. Maybe some wiz only spells or something? Would be cool if the named (bigbys, evards, etc) were wiz only. Or something. Could use a boost though for sure.

[Sirea]

Thanks for all the replies. I've read some arguments people are making in favor of wizards. The summary of these arguements seems to be: "If you simply use a smarter, more surgical play style, a wizard is viable." That's all fine but I submit to you that the argument does not hold water. There is nothing preventing you from doing the same with a sorcerer. Some people are making the false assumption that a sorcerer = big nuker. This is simply not true.

Sorcerers may not have as many spells, but lets be honest people, there are only a handful of spells that make up 80% of what both wizards and sorcerers ever use. Sorcs still have enough spells whereby careful selection will make a very versatile sorcerer who can use nearly as many tactics as the wizard, oh and by the way they have double the SP and dont need to resort to using a dagger.

For all the arguments i've heard, it still seems to me like the wizard class needs an overhaul. I'd love to return to being a wizard but not until their problems are addressed.

I think this was intended for this thread.

[taurean430]

Elementals can be hypnotized...

Blindness is a good tactical spell...

Casting fire spells at iron golems is a really bad thing...

Don't be afraid to tell your party leader that you need to change spells at a shrine; or before arriving at a quest site once invited into the party...

Invisibility will get you out of a lot of tight spots where you would otherwise become a punching bag for mobs...

I might think of more later.

[bandyman1]

Thanks for all the replies. I've read some arguments people are making in favor of wizards. The summary of these arguements seems to be: "If you simply use a smarter, more surgical play style, a wizard is viable." That's all fine but I submit to you that the argument does not hold water. There is nothing preventing you from doing the same with a sorcerer. Some people are making the false assumption that a sorcerer = big nuker. This is simply not true.

Sorcerers may not have as many spells, but lets be honest people, there are only a handful of spells that make up 80% of what both wizards and sorcerers ever use. Sorcs still have enough spells whereby careful selection will make a very versatile sorcerer who can use nearly as many tactics as the wizard, oh and by the way they have double the SP and dont need to resort to using a dagger.

For all the arguments i've heard, it still seems to me like the wizard class needs an overhaul. I'd love to return to being a wizard but not until their problems are addressed.

1) LMAO, I'd love to see a sorc with double my SPs.

2) With bobbles and c-op items, a wizard's not running out of SPs.

3) He/she also has more feats, and better DCs than any sorc. And always the right spell for the job.

[Sirea]

1) LMAO, I'd love to see a sorc with double my SPs.

2) With bobbles and c-op items, a wizard's not running out of SPs.

3) He/she also has more feats, and better DCs than any sorc. And always the right spell for the job.

+1

People think since you get double spell points from ITEMS, you have double spell points as a sorc, period. A sorc would have to have almost 4800 SP (excluding SP regen items like gloves and bauble) to be double what my wizard is at Most sorcs I know hover around 2900-3200.

[hermespan]

For all the arguments i've heard, it still seems to me like the wizard class needs an overhaul. I'd love to return to being a wizard but not until their problems are addressed.

If your idea of teamwork isn't "Leave a trail of bodies so my party of pikers can find me at the entrance to the boss room" in Delera's elite, by level 9, you are doing it wrong. Ideally the cleric can keep up so he can DV you and make himself useful. Just be patient til the cleric is within haste range so he can keep up.

Keep making posts like this though. I don't want to see wizard nerfed before mine hits level 20

[Zereth501]

Please don't derail this thread into yet another wizard versus sorcerer thread.

More tips.

Spells of note
Get firewall at level 7. It's going to be your primary damage spell until you encounter fire immune enemies.

Web is one of the best spells ever. It can immobilize many monsters who are resistant to hold and hypnotize. Combine with the heighten spell metamagic feat for high level monsters. But fire burns webs. Careful where you aim.

Haste is great.

After level 6, shield and mage armor won't be enough anymore. Give up on AC and use mobility instead. Expeditious retreat and jump help with that. Blur, displacement and stoneskin help against kynetic damage. Resist energy, protection from energy and protection from the elements protect against elemental damage. Those can save your live, but they won't make you a tank.

Saving mana.
If the melees can kill it in less than 3 seconds, don't bother casting. Save mana. At low level, you can help in melee with the shield spell + mage armor + master's touch + two handed weapons combo. At high level, simply do nothing. Nobody is going to complain. But they will complain if you are out of mana when fighting a boss.

When you can afford it, carry a few wands and scrolls. They can be a nice backup if you did not prepare the perfect spell or if you run out of mana. Do not wait to be entirely out of mana to use those, just in case there is a spell you must absolutely cast yourself.

Crowd control often costs less mana than direct damage, because crowd control do not need to be maximized and seldom need to be casted more than once.

Playing with newcomers.
Most melees are not smart enough to pull monsters into firewalls, webs and the like. Depending on your party, you might want to let them engage first, then drop those spells on top of the fight. If you play with people who know to trap monsters in a killzone, it is a different story.

If you can't get people to gather for haste, wait until they gang up on monsters and cast haste on top of that.

Other
After level 6, your frailty starts becoming a real problem. Be careful.

Read the quest description before starting. It contain clues on the enemy, which can help you choose which spells to prepare.

Among the level 2 spells are spells that provide +4 bonus to a primary stats. (Exemple : bull's strength, +4 strength). Those are good early on, but later on, people get items with those bonuses and they do not stack.

Pay close attention to your party composition and dynamics. You are versatile, make up for what the group lacks most. You depend on tanks for defense, don't pull aggro if the tanks can't help you. For instance, if the group has no tank but lots of dps, use crowd control to mitigate damage. Don't use direct damage because you would aggro monsters and that would be mana wasted on something other players can do without expanding resources. On the other hand, if the group has lots of tanking power but little dps, do the exact opposite.

No matter your class, carry lots of potions. There are encounters that will deal too much damage for the healer to keep up with.

[gwlech]

Seriously the best way to deal with an arcane before wall of fire is to simply pump up str and use master's touch. Just use your mana for buffs (healing if WF) and just melee stuff to death with a greataxe/greatclub...its so easy its sad seeing people trying to hypno/burning hands/niacs mundane stuff that can simply be killed. BIG waste of SP usually...hypno is nice, but best to use it on large groups of mobs and just run past them.

If you do use damage spells, try to train mobs until you hit dungeon orange or red, and drop a web and maximized/empowered acid spray into a door. Game over, move on.

[Cpw]

Some good hints. I did not know about being able to scribe spells over the level you can cast.

This is not just a wizard hint.

Dont turn in your collectibles without finding their auction house value first. I get sick thinking of all the vials of pure water I have given to the collectors for some bit of junk.

[hermespan]

There are a-lot of "tricks of the trade" that many of you use every day but newer players (like me) do not know about.

What are your favorite tricks for a wizard for the first 10 levels or so?

At Level 5-7 your primary use of spellpoints should be haste, secondarily crowd control (halt undead, web etc)
Haste helps the party kill everything 40% faster, saving a ton of healing mana for the healer. The net result is less death, less damage taken, and smoother fights. Combined with CC it's unstoppable. The effect on the party is gigantic compared to the piddly damage you do with fire/lightning. Use melf's on out of reach mobs.

Use haste with extend for big fights. IMHO fireball and lightning bolt aren't great til you are doing more damage. By the time they are worth it you will have firewall. Which you use is a tactical decision.

Save your damage spells for bosses and maximize them at level 5-6

Use resistance buffs only situationally and repeat "fire buffs on me" twice in voice. If the party runs off to fight fire spewing stuff without fire resist, well they need to learn some time and the embarrassment of de-wiped at 5th level by a wizard with a resist up should teach them something.

Buffs are useless for fighting beholders, so don't bother, because they'll get dispelled. People need death block items and spell absorption.

Cloudkill consists of acid and poison. Don't use it on stuff with poison immunity.

Starting with stormcleave, wear a poison immunity item. Wizards die real fast from cloudkill. Better yet, make a warforged wizard so you can heal yourself, are immune to cloud kill and don't need to worry about it.

When you hit level 7 make this your mantra:

I will not expect the melee
to read my freaking mind.
I will cast spells on the fight,
not 25 feet behind.

Everyone plays different,
Parties zerg and that's ok.
I don't care what they do,
That's just how people play.

My success is up to me,
there's one else to blame.
If people won't cooperate
They still can't break my game.

I can solo anything,
I feel it in my gizzard.
I know that I don't need you,
'Cause I'm a ****ing wizard.

[bogart99]

1 Buffs are on request unless its a healer and yourself, if people won't stand still for even a haste don't bother buffing them more balls of fire for you.

2 Buy pots lots of pots of all different kinds. Five of each kind of curative will take you a long way.

3 Hypnotism is your friend it will last till the giant hold. Web is nice till you get to hard settings where things throw fire damage. People over play the importance of web.

4 look for spell focus items enchantment and conjuration are your main schools.

5 Look for damage boost items most are on clickys these are fine ultimately you should be looking for a potency item of as higher quality as possible.

6 speed and hit points are your armor class run with expedious retreat on and stay away from the front lines. You should always be the last guy through the door.

7 spend your ap in increasing fire/cold damage early on then respec electric acid when start fighting demons.

8 Niac's cold ray is your main killing tool till level 7 annoying when it doesn't land but when it does you can one shot things.

9 Buy a towersheild and hide behind it when your getting pounded on, very handy after you set down a firewall.

10 Look for fearsome/deathblock/invulnerability robes/docents you need a deathblock by level 9.

11 Expect a general lack of skill from most fighters never expect a fighter to save you. Kill the casters they miss because their too busy hitting the first thing in front of them.

[LunaCee]

Either get a greater teleport from a friendly high level arcane before level 7 (this would usually be a guild member) or at level 7 visit the House J scroll vendor and pick up a few scrolls of teleport yourself. Get yourself teleported into The Portable Hole and then BIND yourself with the spirit binder at The Portable Hole for a while.

That place is your wizard's candy store and will serve you faithfully until you have to start finding scrolls to enlarge your spell selection at all with 8th and 9th level spells.

[Zantul]

I think the very best advice is one given above and I will repeat it. Save mana for the big fights. Use your catacombs fire or ice wand to putz around with the easy trash mobs and save mana for big fights. If there happens to be alot of mobs then yea help out toss a firewall in there and your good. Don't go blasting fireballs around every corner, the melee DPS in a group is for that. You the wizard are for making boss fights easy(THAT IS YOUR JOB AND HASTING THE GROUP). How do I make boss fights easy, maximize and empower is how. I usually only use the maximize one that gives a spell 100 percent dmg. A second level scorching ray takes down bosses in two shots MAX. Also crowd control in boss fights is a must. Throw in a hyp and a maxmiized spell for insane dmg and ur golden.

[Nevthial]

when You Hit Level 7 Make This Your Mantra:

I Will Not Expect The Melee
To Read My Freaking Mind.
I Will Cast Spells On The Fight,
Not 25 Feet Behind.

Everyone Plays Different,
Parties Zerg And That's Ok.
I Don't Care What They Do,
That's Just How People Play.

My Success Is Up To Me,
There's One Else To Blame.
If People Won't Cooperate
They Still Can't Break My Game.

I Can Solo Anything,
I Feel It In My Gizzard.
I Know That I Don't Need You,
'cause I'm A ****ing Wizard.

+1 Rep :d

[Talon_Moonshadow]

At lvl 1 that dog will save your life.
He's even useful at lvl 20. (if someone could just help me train to go where i want him to reliably. )

Charm is very powerful

Hypnotism is very powerful. Even at high lvls.

Hypno and Otto's is an awesome combo.

[AMERON]

Fortification............get it, crits can 1 shot you even from an orgre or troll