Wizard Feat Selection Advice

[Doop]

Can anyone comment or give feedback on my feat selection?

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Meaveen 
Level 20 True Neutral Human Female
(20 Wizard) 
Hit Points: 262
Spell Points: 1700 
BAB: 10\10\15\20
Fortitude: 11
Reflex: 16
Will: 11

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
Abilities        Base Stats          Modified Stats
(34 Point)       (Level 1)             (Level 20)
Strength             10                    10
Dexterity             8                     8
Constitution         18                    21
Intelligence         18                    31
Wisdom                8                     8
Charisma              8                     8

Tomes Used
+2 Tome of Constitution used at level 7
+2 Tome of Intelligence used at level 7

                  Starting          Feat/Enhancement
                 Base Skills         Modified Skills
Skills           (Level 1)            (Level 20)
Balance              -1                    -1
Bluff                -1                    -1
Concentration         4                     5
Diplomacy            -1                    -1
Disable Device        n/a                  n/a
Haggle               -1                    -1
Heal                 -1                    -1
Hide                 -1                    -1
Intimidate           -1                    -1
Jump                  0                     0
Listen               -1                    -1
Move Silently        -1                    -1
Open Lock            n/a                   n/a
Perform              n/a                   n/a
Repair                4                    10
Search                4                    10
Spot                 -1                    -1
Swim                  0                     0
Tumble               n/a                   n/a
Use Magic Device     n/a                   n/a

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness


Level 2 (Wizard)


Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration


Level 4 (Wizard)


Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell


Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration


Level 7 (Wizard)


Level 8 (Wizard)


Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy


Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell


Level 11 (Wizard)


Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy


Level 13 (Wizard)


Level 14 (Wizard)


Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment


Level 16 (Wizard)


Level 17 (Wizard)


Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment


Level 19 (Wizard)


Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Enhancement: Wizard Master of Magic
Enhancement: Human Adaptability Intelligence I
Enhancement: Human Greater Adaptability Constitution I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness I
Enhancement: Racial Toughness II
Enhancement: Glacial Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Glacial Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Charged Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Kinetic Spellcasting I
Enhancement: Kinetic Spellcasting II
Enhancement: Deadly Ice I
Enhancement: Deadly Ice II
Enhancement: Deadly Shocks I
Enhancement: Deadly Kinetics I
Enhancement: Deadly Kinetics II
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation I
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation II
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation III
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation V
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Frost Manipulation VII
Enhancement: Storm Manipulation I
Enhancement: Force Manipulation I
Enhancement: Force Manipulation II
Enhancement: Force Manipulation III
Enhancement: Force Manipulation IV
Enhancement: Force Manipulation V
Enhancement: Force Manipulation VI
Enhancement: Force Manipulation VII
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration I
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration II
Enhancement: Wizard Spell Penetration III
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar I
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar II
Enhancement: Wizard Energy of the Scholar III
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence I
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence II
Enhancement: Wizard Intelligence III
Enhancement: Wizard Wand and Scroll Mastery I
Enhancement: Wizard Wand and Scroll Mastery II
Enhancement: Shroud of the Lich
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master I
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master II
Enhancement: Wizard Pale Master III
Enhancement: Shroud of the Wraith

[Enoach]

Taking the feats you have listed, the following is my suggested order for greater benefit

Level 1 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness

Level 3 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Extend Spell

Level 5 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell

Level 6 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy

Level 9 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment

Level 10 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell

Level 12 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy

Level 15 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration

Level 18 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell

Level 20 (Wizard)
==========================
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment


Spell Penetration is less of an issue before Vale of Twilight/Shroud. I find these areas to be more fun and less of a resource drain starting around the 14th/15th level so you can hold off on Spell Penetration until then.

Taking Extend at Level 3 allows you to get more out of the 1 Minute per level buffs and reduces their cost. Giving you more Spell Points for other things.

Take Spell Focus Necromancy at level 6 - this opens the PrE to you at level 6 instead of level 9. The additional HP and even the Touch SLA can help. I'm not a fan of the Zombie form, but if desired you would get those benefits as well.

As far as the Greater Spell Focus Enchantment vs Empower Spell at level 18 or 20 that's actually a toss up. I land on the enchantment at 20 only because I found empower to be useful during Raid Boss Fights, which at level 18 you should start considering. I also only found the additional DC on Enchantment to be useful at the EPIC level as prior to that Heighten/Modifier/SF:Enchantment seem to be enough to land these spells.

[Farayon]

Spell pen, greater spell pen and greater spell foci cannot be taken as wiz bonus feats and must be taken as regular or human bonus feat.

[Doop]

Just what I needed, many thanks! Probably have to drop Greater Spell Pen. unless someone can fit it in my list of feats; took Quicken instead.

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness

Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell

Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell

Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy

Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment

Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell

Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy

Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration

Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment

Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell

[Jsbeer]

Greater Spell Penetration is very useful for end-game content unless you have several past lives in a class that gives additional spell penetration. Perhaps consider swapping it out for Extend as most of your spells have a long enough duration or even for Mental Toughness. If you plan on the later move mental toughness to a normal (i.e. non-wizard bonus feat) slot.

[Carpone]

Just what I needed, many thanks! Probably have to drop Greater Spell Pen. unless someone can fit it in my list of feats; took Quicken instead.

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Human Bonus) Toughness

Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell

Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell

Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy

Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Enchantment

Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell

Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy

Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration

Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Enchantment

Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell

From my perspective as a pale master with 2 sorcerer, 3 favored soul and 3 wizard past lives:

Extend is an end-game feat. You want it for Death Aura, Displacement, Haste and Rage in content that takes a while to complete (raids, some lengthy epics like Chains of Flame). I personally took it at level 20 and it's the first feat on the chopping block if I want to make room for something else.

You want Maximize early. I take it at level 1. Always. There's nothing better. You're going to blast your way through mobs until level 17 when you have Wail of the Banshee + Circle of Death. Likewise I wouldn't wait until level 15 for Empower. For elite difficulty, you want both Maximize and Empower turned on.

Insightful Reflexes shouldn't be taken so early. There's no quest in the Harbor or Marketplace where it matters. I personally wouldn't take it before doing Giant Hold (level 15 for me).

Spell Focus: Enchantment doesn't need to be taken early. It's more for end-game content with Otto's Dancing Ball and Mass Hold Monster, both of which are really only used in epic content. When you're leveling, you want to either instakill/blast monsters or invis your way through the quest.

If you're a first life wizard, then you need Greater Spell Penetration. You should be aiming for 29 Spell Penetration: 20 (from 20 Wizard) + 2 (Spell Penetration feat) + 2 (Greater Spell Penetration feat) + 2 (Spell Penetration II enhancement) + 2 (Spell Penetration IX item) + 1 (Lesser Arcane Augmentation IX on Shroud of the Abbot). As you acquire more Wizard or Favored Soul past lives, you can replace the Spell Penetration feats and enhancements.

[Crann]

If you're a first life wizard, then you need Greater Spell Penetration. You should be aiming for 29 Spell Penetration: 20 (from 20 Wizard) + 2 (Spell Penetration feat) + 2 (Greater Spell Penetration feat) + 2 (Spell Penetration II enhancement) + 2 (Spell Penetration IX item) + 1 (Lesser Arcane Augmentation IX on Shroud of the Abbot). As you acquire more Wizard or Favored Soul past lives, you can replace the Spell Penetration feats and enhancements.

At what point do you shift focus from nuking to Insta-killing-----does this coincide with a focus on Spell Pen?

Also, You mentioned in another thread that for powerleveling you would go AM to 14, then PM. Why not level 12 when you have access to PM2? It that decision content related?

[Roderickus]

I don't think there's a point to Insightful Reflexes if u don't have evasion. Further more ul need well over 30 reflex save to make that evasion accountable in raids and whatnot. Maximize and empower feats, mandatory.
Extend feat is subjective in my honest opinion. Sure haste/rage and death aura are beneficial but u can simply recast them more frequently. It was an awesome feat when offensive spell were affected, but right now not as much. If have an xtra feat, sure why not. If not then I would always take quicken over it, much more viable in tense situations.

I gave up on spell penetration feats and went past life sorc and wiz instead ofc since I got em. Ul definetly need like people previously said 29 or so to make it worthwhile, but that asks for large investment. I just use web as alternate CC against mobs with high spell resistance.

Atribute points look ok. Max intel, then max con, then max STR if got any surplus points to prevent being helpless when enfeebled and to carry more overall.

Skills thou I would lvl this (in order):
Concetration - mandatory

UMD - for giggles, maximum possible around 11-12 with some CHA, buffs and UMD items can use scrolls and items with UMD 20 +.

Bluff (for epic partycrashers, von1 and so on...) - Starting -1 due to 8 cha. maximum ranks gets it up to 11 or so, add +6 cha swap item for 14, add +15 bluff item for 29, add GH for 33, add Good luck bonus from head of fortune or cove ring for 35-enough for many talks, add any other buffs like ship (+2cha), bad song and u will have 35+bluff more than enough for epic talks.

Diplomacy - (for epic partycrasher and so on...) - Starting -1 due to 8 cha. maximum ranks gets it up to 11 or so, add +6 cha swap item for 14, add +15 bluff item for 29, add GH for 33, add Good luck bonus from head of fortune or cove ring for 35-enough for many talks, add any other buffs like ship (+2cha), bard song and u will have 35+bluff more than enough for epic talks

Balance

Haggle
...

[Moltier]

I don't think there's a point to Insightful Reflexes if u don't have evasion. Further more ul need well over 30 reflex save to make that evasion accountable in raids and whatnot.

The point is to stay alive. With or without it, this is the most important feat for a high INT wizard.

[Viisari]

I don't think there's a point to Insightful Reflexes if u don't have evasion.

You think wrong.

[TheDearLeader]

I don't think there's a point to Insightful Reflexes if u don't have evasion.

The point is to stay alive. With or without it, this is the most important feat for a high INT wizard.

You think wrong.

Kind of what they said.

Insightful Reflexes means my Pale Master has an above-30 Reflex Save. I've seen Dalzeil's go to 42 in raid situations.

With 450+ HP, 30+ Reflex Save, and Cold Shield, it means you can eat Arraetrikos' Meteor Swarm + DBF to the face and keep going on your own steam. My closest analogy would be a Cleric with a relatively low Reflex Save taking the same hits. Both are self-healing, both (probably) have Quicken, and both have the potential for 400+ Hit Points. Still, one would live, and one would likely die, standing right beside one another. The Pale Master could pop a quickened N.E.Burst and move on, the Cleric...would wait for a Res after Part 4 was done.

I have two level 20 casters. One with Insightful Reflexes, one without. I notice the difference.

[Aashrym]

I don't think there's a point to Insightful Reflexes if u don't have evasion.

I'll chime in on that one too. It's a huge damage mitigation feat with or without evasion. For evasion to work the player needs to make the save and making the save without evasion normally still means half damage.

I have it on all of my wizards and artificers. Artificer I am more careful because I do put some effort into DEX, but I seem to have the room and a high enough INT that I'm comfortable with the choice. It's a given on a wizzie for me.

[Doop]

Level 1 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Maximize Spell
Feat: (Human Bonus) Mental Toughness
Feat: (Past Life) Past Life: Sorcerer
Feat: (Selected) Toughness
  
Level 3 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Extend Spell
 
Level 5 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Empower Spell
 
Level 6 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Spell Focus: Necromancy
 
Level 9 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Focus: Necromancy
 
Level 10 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Heighten Spell
 
Level 12 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Insightful Reflexes
 
Level 15 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Spell Focus: Enchantment
Feat: (Selected) Spell Penetration
  
Level 18 (Wizard)
Feat: (Selected) Greater Spell Penetration
 
Level 20 (Wizard)
Feat: (Wizard Bonus) Quicken Spell

For some reason I can't seem to get both Greater Spell Pen. and Greater Spell Focus - Enchant. Is quicken neccesary?

[Viisari]

For some reason I can't seem to get both Greater Spell Pen. and Greater Spell Focus - Enchant. Is quicken neccesary?

If you plan on running epics quicken ~quicken is necessary. You *can* make do without, but considering wizards have a low casting speed and in epics you'll fail your concentration checks often it's very dangerous.

Greater Spell Pen is more useful than one more enchantment dc imo, you only need around ~40 enchantment dc for pretty much any content in the game and that's not too hard to get. Spell pen on the other hand will help with many spells and excluding epic drow you need it to be around 32-34 for no fail.

Dropping empower is something I've considered lately on my own wizard, I rarely find myself nuking all that much outside of boss fights or low lvl content and maximize alone does a pretty decent job for those.

[Drekisen]

If I wanted to play a DPS caster I would play a Sorc or FvS.....so I never bothered with Empower on my PM this life.......in fact I didn't even take Maximize until 20th level and that is because I knew I was going to need at least that for some Epic content benefit.

I managed to get by leveling just fine without either tho.....as a wizard people will look to you more for CC anyways.....so I made that my main focus.

An Eardweller and superior clickies which are easily craftable can help a lot. Once you hit Amarath you can get the belts too.

Spell Pen is SUPER important in end game content tho.....you really wanna make sure you have it high enough.....aside form drow...because you have to make a special build to get thru theirs.

[cdr]

See here for my PM path: http://forums.ddo.com/showthread.php...82#post4231682

[Roderickus]

Ok I'm glad this thread is still active cause I got a questions regarding that Insightful Reflexes feat.

First I use the following feats (no particular order):
Necro focus
Necro greater focus
Enchantment focus
Enchantment greater focus
Maximize
Empower
Heighten
Quicken
Mental toughness
Past life: Sorcerer
Past life: Wizard

Which one should be swapped for Insightful Reflexes in opinion of the people that favor it?

I would probably have around 30-35 reflex save with it, due to:
+18 from intel - 46 total (42 base in lich form, +2 from yugo and another +2 from ship buff)
+6 base reflex - at lvl 20 wizard
+4 - constant GH buff
+5 - resistance item
+2 - good luck slotted epic item
(did i miss something?)

So that's 35 for me. That leads to my second question, is that enough to avoid any of the following:
- Fire eles delayed fireball at fire base in epic von6 or any other epic Fire ele for that matter
- Sunburst spells from epic mobs.
- Any similar spells with reflex save cast by epic mobs/various bosses (EDQ Queen Cometfall for instance)

[Viisari]

Ok I'm glad this thread is still active cause I got a questions regarding that Insightful Reflexes feat.

First I use the following feats (no particular order):
Necro focus
Necro greater focus
Enchantment focus
Enchantment greater focus
Maximize
Empower
Heighten
Quicken
Mental toughness
Past life: Sorcerer
Past life: Wizard

Which one should be swapped for Insightful Reflexes in opinion of the people that favor it?

I would probably have around 30-35 reflex save with it, due to:
+18 from intel - 46 total (42 base in lich form, +2 from yugo and another +2 from ship buff)
+6 base reflex - at lvl 20 wizard
+4 - constant GH buff
+5 - resistance item
+2 - good luck slotted epic item
(did i miss something?)

So that's 35 for me. That leads to my second question, is that enough to avoid any of the following:
- Fire eles delayed fireball at fire base in epic von6 or any other epic Fire ele for that matter
- Sunburst spells from epic mobs.
- Any similar spells with reflex save cast by epic mobs/various bosses (EDQ Queen Cometfall for instance)

Well since you're a palemaster this one is easy: Mental Toughness. If you absolutely want to have wraith form, then dropping Greater Enchantment Focus or Empower are the next best choices imo.

<slowpoke> Oh do you mean active sorc past life? That's the most useless one for a wiz, after that refer to the above.

As a side note, I don't see you having any spell penetration feats? Those are pretty important for instakills unless you have several wizard/fvs past lives. Far more important than either enchantment focus feats for example, since those spells will also be useless if you can't get past mob spell res.

And yes 35 reflex will let you save most spells thrown your way, it's not quite enough for everything (rain of blades comes to mind) but it works for most stuff, and when paired with fire shield (cold) it almost completely negates epic fireballs coming your way for example.

Kobold also gives +1 profane saves from ship buffs iirc and you can get another +1 from alchemical ritual, my wizard has a reflex save above 40 when fully buffed and it means I save *almost* everything.

That's a difference between getting hit for >200 damage and sub 100 damage in epics

[Roderickus]

Well since you're a palemaster this one is easy: Mental Toughness. If you absolutely want to have wraith form, then dropping Greater Enchantment Focus or Empower are the next best choices imo.

<slowpoke> Oh do you mean active sorc past life? That's the most useless one for a wiz, after that refer to the above.

As a side note, I don't see you having any spell penetration feats? Those are pretty important for instakills unless you have several wizard/fvs past lives. Far more important than either enchantment focus feats for example, since those spells will also be useless if you can't get past mob spell res.

And yes 35 reflex will let you save most spells thrown your way, it's not quite enough for everything (rain of blades comes to mind) but it works for most stuff, and when paired with fire shield (cold) it almost completely negates epic fireballs coming your way for example.

Kobold also gives +1 profane saves from ship buffs iirc and you can get another +1 from alchemical ritual, my wizard has a reflex save above 40 when fully buffed and it means I save *almost* everything.

That's a difference between getting hit for >200 damage and sub 100 damage in epics

That still didn't answer my question, will it be enough for the things I mentioned. If not I might aswell avoid taking it, cause anything other than that isn't a real problem. Have constant 550 hp on my dwarf wizzy. Thou that ritual that gives stackable resistance is and excellent idea

I don't have any spell penetration feats, personally I think they are a waste if not taken alltogether. One won't make a huge difference for me and I'm already have limited choice on feat selection. Have about 26 spell penet. without any feat or enhances, might consider taking 2 points in enhancements for total 28, should be enough. If not fu*k it.

Well Wraith form is temporary solution ofc for leveling. But took mental toughness mostly in case I want to switch to Archmage and play around a bit and ofc for xtra 105 sp.

Well I quess I can drop mental tough. or empower. and try it out this time Won't matter much.

[Doop]

I've decided to drop empower in favor of greater enchant focus. Probably want both Spell Pen. feats since i'll be making a first life wiz.