If my wizard was homeless, his sign would say...

[leadhead]

Why lie, I need a mnemonic enhancement potion.

At level 4 he had 355sp. If I managed my sp well, I could effectively make it to the end of a quest with a small amount of mana to spare (thank you archivist necklace). But wizard damage with max intelligence does about as much damage with a chill touch as my barb does with one swing of a great axe at the same level.

The logic then occurred to me that, well this isnt good, I sacrificed all that defense for no offense and knock. So I thought I better fix that at level 5 and picked the maximize feat. Stupid me did not do the math before picking the feat thinking ok well double the power double the spell points...why not...accept only my higher spells are 25, the rest are 15 LOL! But besides that minor mistake that will correct itself as my guy gets more experience, What are some of the things you guys do to get more sp? or get the most out of your sp?

[dkyle]

Simple: don't try to nuke. Wizards just aren't built for it. Neither or sorcs, yet. Update 9 might changes this.

Firewall is your damage spell, learn to use it effectively. At low level, use Master's touch on a greataxe, and swing that around for damage.

The rest of the time, use your CC spells to help your melee party-mates do the most damage they can.

[voodoogroves]

At 4th level you're not far behind that barb with the axe either.

[ArloOne]

Take masters touch( 1st level spell, you can use scrolls), grab a bulls strength wand. grab a greataxe....cast masters touch while holding axe. Cast bulls strength, use axe to kill mobs.

[Spiderwight]

Most important lesson for a low level wizard who wants to nuke is to hang back and not cast if it's a fight your party will easily win. Melee DPS puts out a fairly constant level of damage throughout the quest - you can add a lot of burst damage in a couple of critical fights, but you can't do that every fight. Learn to pick the vital fights, and learn not to feel guilty about not casting if it's a fight the melees will easily handle. (You can always use eternal wants or a weapon to contribute when you're not casting.)

But aside from that, CC and letting the melees do the damage will probably help out more than straight damage dealing.

[Darlor]

If your melee teammates are hacking stuff down without wasting resources, then why waste your spell points on direct damage? Conserve SP until you run into encounters that are particularly dangerous or can't be reached without resources. Contrary to an above poster, however, a wizard/sorc can do some very nice nuking - it just eats up enough SP that you can't be doing it for every encounter.

Personally (on my casters) I focus on buff spells for melee teammates in the earlier levels while swinging a master touched greataxe, using niac's cold ray or fireball for the few circumstances where the damage is worth the SP costs. I also take maximize early - there are plenty of boss fights where you get a shrine right before, making SP a nonfactor.

[leadhead]

Simple: don't try to nuke. Wizards just aren't built for it. Neither or sorcs, yet. Update 9 might changes this.

Firewall is your damage spell, learn to use it effectively. At low level, use Master's touch on a greataxe, and swing that around for damage.

The rest of the time, use your CC spells to help your melee party-mates do the most damage they can.

So are your damage spells, maximise, empower and all that stuff just situational? For example lots of Kobolds in a tunnel maximize then flaming hands?

I have charm person. Maybe I can grab web next level along with wall of fire.

[Tom318]

Low level wiz are pikers for the most part I think

[leadhead]

If your melee teammates are hacking stuff down without wasting resources, then why waste your spell points on direct damage? Conserve SP until you run into encounters that are particularly dangerous or can't be reached without resources. Contrary to an above poster, however, a wizard/sorc can do some very nice nuking - it just eats up enough SP that you can't be doing it for every encounter.

Personally (on my casters) I focus on buff spells for melee teammates in the earlier levels while swinging a master touched greataxe, using niac's cold ray or fireball for the few circumstances where the damage is worth the SP costs. I also take maximize early - there are plenty of boss fights where you get a shrine right before, making SP a nonfactor.

ahh ok, so I didnt necessarily screw that up...ok masters touch, a bit of moderation and CC makes the world go round.

[Absolute-Omniscience]

Simple: don't try to nuke. Wizards just aren't built for it. Neither or sorcs, yet. Update 9 might changes this.

That's just plain bad advice. Casters are amazing nukers early game. By nuking effecively you can contribute more than any other class in the game in the 5(6)-amrath levels.

You just have to learn how to do it. For a newer player a good idea is to just do it on bosses, with maximize and empower on.
When you've learned some more, you'll soon be able to gather groups of mobs, and cast 1-2 aoe spells and kill em all. Once you know the quest layouts and where the shrines are, you can effectively nuke your way through quests without minding the high SP cost at all.

[Sirea]

Simple: don't try to nuke. Wizards just aren't built for it at low level.

Fixed that for you.

OP, once your SP pool gets bigger at higher levels, you can be a bit more free with them. At lower levels, crowd control is your best friend. As you level up, do whatever you can to increase SP: keep your INT maxxed through enhancements, stat points, and gear, and make sure you have items equipped ("Power", "Magi", etc.) that increase your SP (and take the enhancement line as well). You'll get Fireball and Acid Splash as your first good mass-nuke spells at level 5, and Firewall at level 7, and it just gets better from there.

It's a misconception that "wizards aren't nukers." Wizards can make fine nukers, their advantage over sorcs is that they get more spell slots, so they can fit in more spells (namely, CC and buffs), and they can switch spells out on an as-needed basis. So they can both nuke AND crowd control.

[dkyle]

So are your damage spells, maximise, empower and all that stuff just situational? For example lots of Kobolds in a tunnel maximize then flaming hands?

Yes, very situational. You might do this, but I generally don't bother. Just swinging a Greataxe works well enough at those low levels.

[Sirea]

Oh, another nice thing for lower levels is wands. I wouldn't advocate using them at higher levels, but at low levels they are nice to have when you run out of SP. Look for ones that have (3rd) or (5th) or (7th) on them, that indicates what level the wand is casting at and therefore they cause more damage. Ones that hit more than one target at a time are ideal.

[leadhead]

That's just plain bad advice. Casters are amazing nukers early game. By nuking effecively you can contribute more than any other class in the game in the 5(6)-amrath levels.

You just have to learn how to do it. For a newer player a good idea is to just do it on bosses, with maximize and empower on.
When you've learned some more, you'll soon be able to gather groups of mobs, and cast 1-2 aoe spells and kill em all. Once you know the quest layouts and where the shrines are, you can effectively nuke your way through quests without minding the high SP cost at all.

Oh, so get maximize and empower and use them both... I am writing this down!

[MindCake]

Use items to boost your damage (clickies of specific element, like inferno, are stronger- the text is incorrect), use lore items.
Use power/wizardry items to get more SP. (No need to get overboard though.)

Use burning hands/acid spray on groups, don't use niacs on rangers/sneaks, if something is left with a sliver of HP left equip the Eternal Wand of Finger of Fire, and finish it off. In fact, you could as well kill trash stuff with that wand, and save SP for big fights.
Oh yeah, and let the melee types do their job.

Don't use maximize by default. If it's the end fight and you have a bunch of SP left, use it, but if it doesn't end the fight, be ready to turn it off while you still have ~50SP.

[Westerner]

So are your damage spells, maximise, empower and all that stuff just situational? For example lots of Kobolds in a tunnel maximize then flaming hands?

I have charm person. Maybe I can grab web next level along with wall of fire.

At level 4, lots of kobolds in a tunnel = cast a well-placed web, and let the melees clean it up while you read your spellbook.

Direct damage (mainly Niac's at level 4, frost lance/fireball at level 5) is for bosses

Charm is situationally useful but often frowned on in groups. Firewall you get at level 7, and then everything changes.

[leadhead]

Oh, another nice thing for lower levels is wands. I wouldn't advocate using them at higher levels, but at low levels they are nice to have when you run out of SP. Look for ones that have (3rd) or (5th) or (7th) on them, that indicates what level the wand is casting at and therefore they cause more damage. Ones that hit more than one target at a time are ideal.

yeah I have been doing that...but here is the thing. I have made several bards that are in the teen levels they all have lots of charisma so UMD is kind of a no brainer. My wizard on the other hand has been on occassion confused with the hell hound he summons...(you know sometimes pets look like their owners) is it worth it to spend points on UMD in this case?

[leadhead]

Use items to boost your damage (clickies of specific element, like inferno, are stronger- the text is incorrect), use lore items.
Use power/wizardry items to get more SP. (No need to get overboard though.)

Use burning hands/acid spray on groups, don't use niacs on rangers/sneaks, if something is left with a sliver of HP left equip the Eternal Wand of Finger of Fire, and finish it off. In fact, you could as well kill trash stuff with that wand, and save SP for big fights.
Oh yeah, and let the melee types do their job.

Don't use maximize by default. If it's the end fight and you have a bunch of SP left, use it, but if it doesn't end the fight, be ready to turn it off while you still have ~50SP.

Clickies..got it!

[Sirea]

Oh, so get maximize and empower and use them both... I am writing this down!

Notice he said "on bosses". If you've done a good enough job conserving throughout the quest, you can unload on the last guy(s).

The key at lower levels is mana conservation, and using strategies to maximize your damage while minimizing your SP costs.

Gathering up groups of mobs and using AOE is one way to do this. Doing the same and crowd-controlling so the melees can beat them up for you (or you grabbing a Master's-Touched greataxe) is another way to do this (and the healer in the group will love you for that too).

Both are viable strategies, though don't do it to the extent that either a.) you bite off more than you can chew and drag the mess back to the party or b.) you're kiting stuff away from the melees so they can't help you out in killing it.

Playing a caster is about finding the sweet spot where your playstyle and the needs specific to the group/quest meet so that you can achieve both at their maximum potential. (I hope that makes sense, it made more sense in my head)

[leadhead]

At level 4, lots of kobolds in a tunnel = cast a well-placed web, and let the melees clean it up while you read your spellbook.

Direct damage (mainly Niac's at level 4, frost lance/fireball at level 5) is for bosses

Charm is situationally useful but often frowned on in groups. Firewall you get at level 7, and then everything changes.

Web them together... yeah my buddy hates when I use charm person. I will get web and fear and whatnot so that the melees can just finish them off.


What about debuffs? I am afraid to get them because fights in are so short anyways, it would seem like a waste.