I would love to play a wizard

[TheFl0w]

1. Why would you want to solo in an MMO?

2. Why would you not want to support a game you enjoy?

3. Why would you choose the class with the LEAST HP to solo with?

4. Why did you not check the Builds Forum?

1. Although like parties, i dont want to be dependant on them. I like to be able to solo when i cant form a party

2. Cant afford it

3. I like a challenge

4. I did, didnt find a 28 point build which isnt WF.

Happy now?

Fl0w

PS thanks to the peeps who could provide an answer which helped me.

[Bogenbroom]

I play a *lot* of wizards (I think I have 11 going right now.) They are in various shapes and sizes. SOme with designs flaws and some quite good. Here is what I can tell you...

Wizards under level 7 are very difficult to solo with. Once you hit level 7 and can cast Wall of Fire, it gets *much* easier. My suggestion would be to suck it up and group until you can get to level 7.

Until level 7 your best skills are as a buffer and in crowd control. However, if you need to solo, get really good with your charm/suggestion spells. You can't do enough damage with the SP you will have to be very survivable on your own. So letting beasties beat on each other may be your best bet.

Regarding builds... You get a lot of folks saying WF is the way to go, and humans are useful because of their extra feat and their flexibility. I have both and they both work fine. Personally, though, I lean toward drow because of the intelligence boost. Going drow comes with some serious drawbacks in the HP department though.

Re: stats... Yes to Int (of course) and Con. Personally, I like Chr and I try to get my UMD up, so I can use wands and self healing. I am assuming you don't have massive plat stores, so HP pots are a major cash drain. *HOWEVER* if you are thinking that route, you may be better off going Sorc.

Lastly... multi-classing. My personal opinion is that multi-classing a wiz is a BAD idea. The cost to your DCs is too much. That said, the Wiz with a splash of rogue can be a very effective build. I do have 1 a Wizard with a splash of Monk. He is a Pale Master, and is very effective, but that is because he has greater necro focus and lich form to overcome the loss of two wiz levels in his DC.... and he melees a lot, making up for his lowered SP. I am also careful targeting any spells that can be saved against, because I have to assume I can't overpower saves. So I avoid targeting casters with anything with a will save, etc.

[DrDetroit]

I have a poorly built Drow Wizard that is able to solo. I think I earned 800 or 900 Favor soloing.

Like everyone said, Con and Int. To me, you can skip STR. Eventually its just useless for you so I think spending the points elsewhere is better.

For low level quests you'll start with the Eternal Wand of almost no Fire Damage. Level up and do the Water Works for an Eternal Wand of almost no Acid Damage. If you have the Catacombs you can get an Eternal Wand of Really slowly casting Magic Missile.

Those three wands are the key to a low level Wizard soloing quests. Rotate between them during quests so they are always recharging (ie you don't have one at zero charges and the rest at 50 charges.)

Always have a Cleric hireling. Look for one with Divine Vitality. There is a level 8 one that has 13 Divine Vitalities. So you'll eventually spend a fortune on her. I think I kept grouping with her to around the level 13 quests. Then she just died too often.

Group when you can.

Also, have an idea of what spells are good. I had Firewall and hardly used it until I was level 10. I didn't cast Finger of Death until level 15. So, even with that much stupid I still survived.

EDIT: Also, quests are harder, but doing the Explorers and Slayers in the low level areas will consume time but get you XP to move up in level.

[GuntherBovine]

First question to decide is what do you want to play as your play style:
1. Buffed Meleer
You are going to cast spells on yourself to buff yourself and then you are going to kill everything with a weapon. WF is the way to go with this. You will want high CON and STR in addition to an 18 INT.

2. Nuker
You are going to kill everything with spells. See here on how to do it

3. Crowd Control
You are going to case spells to neutralize mobs and your hireling/summons will then kill everything. I don't think this is a viable method of playing.

4. Field General
You are going to buff your hirelings, summon one or two helpers and then hide by sneaking or invisibility while they do all the killing.

Second decision is W18/R2 or W20. For a nuker, W20 is probably better. For everything else, W18/R2 is probably better as the R2 allows you to disarm all the trap, gives you access to locked rooms, and provides Evasion.

Let's say that you have decided on W18/R2 and to do a Field General (that is what I am doing, see the link in my sig). I would recommend Human, 14 Con, 18 Int, 14 Chr. First level, take Rogue. As your feat, take Least Dragonmark of Making (you will swap this out later) and Insightful Reflexes. You are pathetic in combat. Consequently, hire Byron Scoutsword once you get some money. With your first 2 AP's, pick Iron Companion. Whenever you run a quest, summon an Iron Defender. Byron and the Iron Defender will mow down everything.

When you hit level 2, take Wizard and take Augment Summoning as your feat. Your main spell is going to be Hypnotism. When you encounter a mob, cast Hypnotism to freeze them in place and then let Byron and the Iron Defender kill them in detail. Your damage spells like Burning Hands don't do enough damage to make their use worthwhile.

Take Wizard for level 3 and take Force of Personality for your feat. The worst thing that can happen to you when you solo is to be held. You need to boost your Will saves to prevent that from happening.

Take Wizard for level 4 and you can learn Invisibility and Blur. You can also pick up Steel Companion. From this point, blur your hireling and cast invisibility on yourself. When you confront a mob, they will go after your hireling and the Steel Defender and leave you alone.

Take Wizard for level 5, visit Fred and swap out Least Dragonmark of Making for Toughness. Take Repair I, Repair II, Iron Companion and Steel Companion. Continue as above.

When you hit level 6, take Extend and Spell Focus: Necromancy. For spells, take Heroism and always have it cast on your hireling along with Blur. People swear by Haste, but it lasts such a short time that I never use it.

When you hit level 7, reset your enchancements, drop the Repairs and the Companion and go with Pale Master. Skeletal Knight, the Hellhound and your buffed hireling will mow things down for you. If you want to make your hireling invincible, buy a wand of Stoneskin.

[William_the_Bat]

contrary to popular belief, you can roll up a wizard at level 1 and be an offensive caster right out the gate with only the equipment and cash you pick up questing.

Stats: max out int, lots of con, leftovers wisdom. Yes, I said wisdom.

Feats depend on where you are going... for my example I'll go with a evocation/enchantment archmage, as they get super easy to play at level 6.1 when you get your at-will magic missile, and even easier at 6.2 when you get at-will hypno. Note: metamagics are free for at-wills. Turn on maximize and empower (and heighten when you get it) and leave them on, you'll have plenty of SP to bust out the big guns when you actually need the big guns.

for my example: feats mental toughness and maximize, then empower, spell focus enchantment, and spell focus evocation. By level 6 you should have all these, if human, throw in toughness or get extend or heighten early.

Step one: pick good spells. niacs sucks on kobolds (high reflex saves), but isn't too bad against sahaugin. As a wizard, you can pick your spells before starting your adventure. Lots of kobolds in your next quest? Go with shocking grasp or even burning hands (still reflex save, but 1/2 damage is better than 0 damage). Big dumb brutish stuff? niac's will do just fine, as will hypnotism, otto's dance, and other will save crowd control.

Learn how to use touch range spells, like shocking grasp and otto's dance. Click the spell as the monster approaches, you won't do the casting animation, but the spell will go off the instant the bad guy is in range.

Wizards have more spells available at once than sorcerers, and can switch them at will. Take advantage of this.

Summons are pretty sweet, especially the newer ones. Most monsters find trying to attack a bat very nearly as annoying as players do when it goes behind them.

Level one out the door tactics: take hypno, shocking grasp, and burning hands. (magic missile is fine for the grotto quest as you don't have the robe to scale up yet) One or two monsters: shock/wand of fire them. A few monsters: hypno then kill them one by one. Big pile up: burning hands to kill them all, (don't try this if low on HP) consider maximize to kill them all before they beat you up

Note, the first two tactics are going to be your bread and butter as an evocation/enchantment archmage, as your powered up MM and hypno at-wills will be next to free to cast. More critters to kill? spam hypno more.

Alternate tactics assuming you know a dungeon: run like a madman past everything, round them up, then burn them all with your area spells.

Advanced zerging tactic: use invisibility to bypass stuff really fast. Most quests you only need to kill a boss or one or two guardians for objectives to complete the quest. Yes, you won't be getting optionals, ransack, or conquest.. but you've completed the quest super fast and can start on the next one.

note: do not turn to the zerg side for peer pressure alone.. it's great for when you really need to get that next level fast... but you do miss out on a lot of gaming goodness. Pick your own pace based on your own goals. Everyone plays different, one style is not better than another.... make your own choice, not someone else's.

All the same, expeditious retreat is your friend and you'll keep that one forever and ever. Sometimes, you just have to be able to run faster than the monsters.

[Senshock]

...*snip* All the same, expeditious retreat is your friend and you'll keep that one forever and ever. Sometimes, you just have to be able to run faster than the monsters.

Until Haste I assume?

To OP:
As has been mentioned - You can melee until around lvl 6/7 (use a hireling healer if need be) then you get FW and the rest is history as they say

No need to choose a 'role' as since your a Wiz you can change your spells at your convenience/tavern/shrine to suit the situation..

Just remember your going to be a bit squishy so don't bite off more than you can chew and you'll be fine

[William_the_Bat]

Until Haste I assume?

Haste is great, but it's only a marginal increase in running speed and you have to cast it over and over. Great for those melee friends of yours, but for a solo caster, it's pay more = get more, your mileage may vary.

[zrandrews]

A good start for soloing with a Wizard is splashing with Rogue, so you have search, so hide and sneak, and Disable Device. I reccomend the following start:

Human

STR 14
DEX 8
CON 14
INT 18
WIS 8
CHA 8

Level 1 - Rogue

Feats
Augment Summon
Toughness

Skills
Max Concentration, Search, Disable Device, UMD

Level 2 - Wizard

Feat
Empower or Maxamize Spell

Skills
Max Concentration, Search, UMD, rest in Disable Device

For spells make sure you have the Summon, Mage Armor, and Shield. Pick up a Hireling and you can solo pretty well from there untill you get Firewall. Check out the Forums for info on the PrEs (Pale Master is my preference) and Feats past 2nd level.

For a pure Wiz build, Similar idea, but you don't get the Disable Device and UMD.

Make sure you get a handful of those CLW Clickie Cloaks in Korthos, and take the time to get to know your Hirelings. I ran that straight to L7, then got firewall and ran witout the summon or Hireling. I also use my free Feat Respec to drop augment summon and replace it with Spell focus around L6, to meet the prereq for Pale Master.

Hope this helps

EDIT: Also, Wands are your friend, expecially the Fire Ray one (who's name I can't remember ATM You can buy it in the Marketplace Vendor) and the Eternal Wand from the start.

[Kaeper]

I haven't tried it (running a WF battlemage) but Ghostes shadow mage philosophy looks like it has solo potential. Stealth is the key rather than WF (though that helps). No set xp per mob like in other games so bypass rather than killing spree through dungeons.

http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php?t=127707

Going halfling gives access to some self healing with dragon marks and splashing two levels of rogue will allow for traps and give stealth as class skills.

Unlikely to be endgame worthy or optimal for teaming but you may have fun for a bit while you feel the class out.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

You can't solo on a wizard! geez

/checks his sarcasm meter.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

Soloing requires a way of healing.

Some of us buy pots.

Hirelings are actually pretty good.

Some Wizards have UMD.

Palemasters can self heal.

A Halfelf could find a way as well.

WF of course can self repair.



And for anyone who thinks Wizards cannot solo...I gove you this to chew on:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-UqSHCIJ1jo

[newandoriginalname]

1. Why would you want to solo in an MMO?

2. Why would you not want to support a game you enjoy?

3. Why would you choose the class with the LEAST HP to solo with?

4. Why did you not check the Builds Forum?

5. Why are you responding to the op in such an unconstructive manner?


There is some good advice here. Im sure you will have no problems.

[Aerendil]

As far as races go, I'd also throw Half-Elf out there.

With Diletante, you can easily choose a class with heal wand access such as Cleric, FvS, Paladin, or Bard.
And you can also go the human background route for +1 INT and CON for your racial AP-boosted stats, which is nice.

In fact, HE now looks better than Drow IMO.