Does anyone have any pointers on how to make a wizard in NS?
What metamagic and spel focuses are advisable?
A few pointers to making a wizard?
my first recommendation would be: only make a wizard after your other characters have found spell scrolls to learn. metagame ftw! but seriously, it's by faaar the easiest way to learn anough spells to make a competitive wizard.
if you have a cleric and/or druid they can scribe the spells they have in common with wiz/sorcs too. and obviously if you make a sorc first you can scribe yourself scrolls as well.
if you have a cleric and/or druid they can scribe the spells they have in common with wiz/sorcs too. and obviously if you make a sorc first you can scribe yourself scrolls as well.
my advise would be to take some monk lvls... and take epic disc.. if not you will be on your back all the time and everyone knows wiz's cant cast while laying down. plus the speed bonus and wisdom AC is very nice with a wiz..
id avoid necro focus though dont think it does anygood epic... wail is only good for catching sneaks in pvp imo.. go with conjure for the solar/balor and evocation..
anyhow just my 2 cents
id avoid necro focus though dont think it does anygood epic... wail is only good for catching sneaks in pvp imo.. go with conjure for the solar/balor and evocation..
anyhow just my 2 cents
-Slave- Tekkanomica, Subatomik, MegaGnostic, Agorutoxos, Azlyn
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EDIT:Focus for Necro isn't only usable for Wail, no waste if you take it, and you will find it useful if catch an unaware PC with low fort. save in the late lvls.
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WIZARD
multiclass into monk or bard for discipline and tumble
if pure class, take as many feats for enhancing your magic as possible, mandatory are silent or still, empower, extended and maximized. If you plan on taking autoquicken I-III later: quicken
put all into intelligence, no need for other attributes unless you left wisdom or other too low for crafting, but even then, get a tome for That issue or an item that raises it high enough
As you get more feats as a sorcerer but less spell slots, specialize in illusion. The weakest spells are in enchantment although I like it personally, with the specialization you wont be able to cast or learn them anymore.
Never laughed more as when I charmed a charging enemy into my party *snicker* - Betatime.
General feats: expertise is forbidden for casters iirc, so don't take it, combat casting and improved is a waste too, IMO; spell foci, greater and epic version: conjuration, evocation, necromancy and every other school youre casting a lot from, following feats at your discretion: spell penetration, greater and epic (but spell focus is always better as it ups your DC of the spell, spell penetration only works this way against spell resistance), toughness, maybe epic toughness, but adding twice epic constitution might get you more hp, and arcane defense (necromancy but evocation might be a good candidate too)
I won't tell you how you have to lvl up such a PC, you should find something out by yourself
And experience yourself which way is the best suited for you. Many would take combat casting ie. I never found it to be good, I'd rather take another feat...
Have fun
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WIZARD
multiclass into monk or bard for discipline and tumble
if pure class, take as many feats for enhancing your magic as possible, mandatory are silent or still, empower, extended and maximized. If you plan on taking autoquicken I-III later: quicken
put all into intelligence, no need for other attributes unless you left wisdom or other too low for crafting, but even then, get a tome for That issue or an item that raises it high enough
As you get more feats as a sorcerer but less spell slots, specialize in illusion. The weakest spells are in enchantment although I like it personally, with the specialization you wont be able to cast or learn them anymore.
Never laughed more as when I charmed a charging enemy into my party *snicker* - Betatime.
General feats: expertise is forbidden for casters iirc, so don't take it, combat casting and improved is a waste too, IMO; spell foci, greater and epic version: conjuration, evocation, necromancy and every other school youre casting a lot from, following feats at your discretion: spell penetration, greater and epic (but spell focus is always better as it ups your DC of the spell, spell penetration only works this way against spell resistance), toughness, maybe epic toughness, but adding twice epic constitution might get you more hp, and arcane defense (necromancy but evocation might be a good candidate too)
I won't tell you how you have to lvl up such a PC, you should find something out by yourself
And experience yourself which way is the best suited for you. Many would take combat casting ie. I never found it to be good, I'd rather take another feat...
Have fun
still and silent? er...
My feat list:
Spell Penetration, GSP and ESP - obviously.
quicken - yes oh yes, not overly useful pre-epic (though it has its uses PvP), but at epic you *really* want auto-quicken. best thing ever.
extend - extended haste! if that's not enough a lot of buff spells have halved duration, so unless you want to slot them twice or rest in half the time extending them is very handy.
empower OR maximise - a bit controversial, but I'd only take one of these. a sorc finds it useful to take both because then he can emp and max offensive spells into 3 spell levels, but as a wiz you'll know an offensive spell (or two) for each level, so there's no need.
Dragon Knight or Mummy Dust - one of these is pretty much essential, see below which.
now, spell foci:
conjuration - these are a must because they make your bigbys better. As a bonus they also improve your summons (but not undead ones).
necromancy - Wail and Wilting are your most effective anti-SD weapons, and they both have a save and they're both Necromancy.
transmutation - Greater focus (but not epic) will add a round to your Time Stop, so unless you have more pressing feats, this is a good one.
abjuration - don't quote me on this, but this should enhance your dispels. If you're pure or have little multiclass (about 5 levels) then this is worth it to boost your mords against buffed enemies. If you're heavily multiclassed skip it and rely on spell breaches instead.
Dragon Knight is more powerful offensively, but Mummy Dust is a better tank. I'd generally recommend Dragon Knight. The only time I'd take MD instead is if for some reason I took necro focus but not conjuration focus (well, and one other reason, but it probably won't apply to you).
Epic Skill Focus: concentration - 60 concentration adds another round to your Time Stop. If you wear conc boosting gear then you'll usually get this anyway in the mid-30s, but if you want an uber Time Stop earlier then take this to get it in mid-your 20s instead. It's not like extra concentration hurts either.
Toughness - if you have nothing else pressing then really consider this. You have a pathetic hit die so taking this can boost your HP by up to 20%.
DON'T take still or silent - Maybe if you're a sorc and can use them spontaneously when required it's worth it, but as a wiz you neeed to mem spells in advance, and they're needed so little it's never been worth it in my experience.
DON'T take combat casting. After a moderate number of levels your conc will be high enough to keep casting under a pretty heavy beating.
DON'T take focus: evocation. The majority of evocation saves are Reflex 1/2, and everyone and his dog has managed to pick up Evasion by epic level. It's easier to just avoid evocation spells with a save than try to boost them.
With regards to multiclassing Monk and Rogue are strong multiclasses. Do look at the multiclassing rules in the Changelog - you can't make a 39/1 wiz/monk here. If you get discipline as a class skill then seriously consider esf: disc, because you'll need to boost it a bit to make up for your less than average strength modifier.
Any wizard should always always study Arcane Crafting as a tradeskill.
My feat list:
Spell Penetration, GSP and ESP - obviously.
quicken - yes oh yes, not overly useful pre-epic (though it has its uses PvP), but at epic you *really* want auto-quicken. best thing ever.
extend - extended haste! if that's not enough a lot of buff spells have halved duration, so unless you want to slot them twice or rest in half the time extending them is very handy.
empower OR maximise - a bit controversial, but I'd only take one of these. a sorc finds it useful to take both because then he can emp and max offensive spells into 3 spell levels, but as a wiz you'll know an offensive spell (or two) for each level, so there's no need.
Dragon Knight or Mummy Dust - one of these is pretty much essential, see below which.
now, spell foci:
conjuration - these are a must because they make your bigbys better. As a bonus they also improve your summons (but not undead ones).
necromancy - Wail and Wilting are your most effective anti-SD weapons, and they both have a save and they're both Necromancy.
transmutation - Greater focus (but not epic) will add a round to your Time Stop, so unless you have more pressing feats, this is a good one.
abjuration - don't quote me on this, but this should enhance your dispels. If you're pure or have little multiclass (about 5 levels) then this is worth it to boost your mords against buffed enemies. If you're heavily multiclassed skip it and rely on spell breaches instead.
Dragon Knight is more powerful offensively, but Mummy Dust is a better tank. I'd generally recommend Dragon Knight. The only time I'd take MD instead is if for some reason I took necro focus but not conjuration focus (well, and one other reason, but it probably won't apply to you).
Epic Skill Focus: concentration - 60 concentration adds another round to your Time Stop. If you wear conc boosting gear then you'll usually get this anyway in the mid-30s, but if you want an uber Time Stop earlier then take this to get it in mid-your 20s instead. It's not like extra concentration hurts either.
Toughness - if you have nothing else pressing then really consider this. You have a pathetic hit die so taking this can boost your HP by up to 20%.
DON'T take still or silent - Maybe if you're a sorc and can use them spontaneously when required it's worth it, but as a wiz you neeed to mem spells in advance, and they're needed so little it's never been worth it in my experience.
DON'T take combat casting. After a moderate number of levels your conc will be high enough to keep casting under a pretty heavy beating.
DON'T take focus: evocation. The majority of evocation saves are Reflex 1/2, and everyone and his dog has managed to pick up Evasion by epic level. It's easier to just avoid evocation spells with a save than try to boost them.
With regards to multiclassing Monk and Rogue are strong multiclasses. Do look at the multiclassing rules in the Changelog - you can't make a 39/1 wiz/monk here. If you get discipline as a class skill then seriously consider esf: disc, because you'll need to boost it a bit to make up for your less than average strength modifier.
Any wizard should always always study Arcane Crafting as a tradeskill.
Suggestions for Pale Master that differ from above?
Obviously SF Necro, and probably shoot for auto-still. What else?
Since the effective caster level for wiz 10/pm 30 is a max of 25, I guess pumping INT won't help too much in pvp versus an equal level... but I can see the higher DCs helping if you're facing lower-levels (pretty common, not many get to 40). BAB will be too low for STR to be a huge help anyway without several ammies of Divine Favor.
Heck, I've barely played arcane caster at all before...
Obviously SF Necro, and probably shoot for auto-still. What else?
Since the effective caster level for wiz 10/pm 30 is a max of 25, I guess pumping INT won't help too much in pvp versus an equal level... but I can see the higher DCs helping if you're facing lower-levels (pretty common, not many get to 40). BAB will be too low for STR to be a huge help anyway without several ammies of Divine Favor.
Heck, I've barely played arcane caster at all before...
The problems with a PM are that your direct damage spells do terrible damage, your spell penetration sucks, your dispels suck, the duration on your combat buffs suck and you can be dispelled easily (so try not to rely on your long lasting buffs too heavily). Extend most combat casts.
Obviously your summon is your #1 priority, otherwise:
disabling and death spells like bigbys and wail CAN be effective, as the DC is based on your int modifier and the spell level, NOT your caster level, so pushing int is very beneficial
You can cast Wail and Time Stop in armour - they're non-somatic - so the time stop boosting tips above will be useful nice and early if you want it.
Obviously your summon is your #1 priority, otherwise:
disabling and death spells like bigbys and wail CAN be effective, as the DC is based on your int modifier and the spell level, NOT your caster level, so pushing int is very beneficial
You can cast Wail and Time Stop in armour - they're non-somatic - so the time stop boosting tips above will be useful nice and early if you want it.
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Squikker2001
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Just a quick point/question here. Doesnt auto quicken let you cast two spells in one round? From my understanding, the first spell would be cast as if it were quickened (no AOO if you are in combat, and it cannot be interupted or counterspelled), and the second would be cast as normal.
edit:
Also, I am thinking of maybe making a PURE wizard sometime in the future, as I have two boxes FULL of wizard scrolls. Would be the pros and cons of going pure?
edit:
Also, I am thinking of maybe making a PURE wizard sometime in the future, as I have two boxes FULL of wizard scrolls. Would be the pros and cons of going pure?
"I can't make anymore new items for 24hours since the box ate my new boots." ~ Mloki
Read again pls, I wrote still OR silent. And yes I recommend it, sometimes spells from a deeper lvl are better suited than the higher ones. Having IGMS twice at the same force then emp and max. helps - but then again, variety in spells are better than relying too much on one spell.Binkyuk wrote:still and silent? er...
SNIP
And still spell is a very useful one if you plan to use a battle mage with heavy armour and shield.
They can't fight with a sword, but they resist a hit better. Autostill is especially for bards interesting but sometimes for bladesingers as well, even if most of them are built around dex.But I agree with the rest of your post...
Yes I think youre right.Squikker2001 wrote:Just a quick point/question here. Doesnt auto quicken let you cast two spells in one round? From my understanding, the first spell would be cast as if it were quickened (no AOO if you are in combat, and it cannot be interupted or counterspelled), and the second would be cast as normal.
edit:
Also, I am thinking of maybe making a PURE wizard sometime in the future, as I have two boxes FULL of wizard scrolls. Would be the pros and cons of going pure?
AND
Hm, cant you find it out on yourself? Pros are higher DCs on your spells, contra: if the enemy with kd gets too close and is lucky, youre prone and wont cast spells again... There are more pros and contra of course, but those two are the important ones.
Okay. I understand what you're getting at now, and it's a fair argument, but i stick by what I said when discussing emp and max. A sorc has a limited selection of offensive spells, while a wizard has pretty much all of them. As you will have a good offense spell at every level, I believe the extra feat is better spent on something more directly useful like Toughness or another focus.Kirg wrote:Read again pls, I wrote still OR silent. And yes I recommend it, sometimes spells from a deeper lvl are better suited than the higher ones. Having IGMS twice at the same force then emp and max. helps - but then again, variety in spells are better than relying too much on one spell.Binkyuk wrote:still and silent?
What you say about still spell is also true, but that's an *entirely* different kind of mage - then you need to talk about non-somatic spells and an entirely different set of multiclass principles.
Actually your spell DCs won't improve or suffer from pure classing. Spell DCs are based off INT mod and spell level, not caster level, so a level 17 wiz/X will cast exactly the same power wail as a level 37 wiz if they have the same INT modifier and foci.... Pros are higher DCs on your spells, contra: if the enemy with kd gets too close and is lucky, youre prone and wont cast spells again...Also, I am thinking of maybe making a PURE wizard sometime in the future, as I have two boxes FULL of wizard scrolls. Would be the pros and cons of going pure?
What you will benefit from:
more feats: this means more spell foci and more skill foci.
better dispels: with abjuration focus (which you'll have the feats for) you'll be a *nightmare* debuffer with mords. seriously, clerics will *hate* you.
better SP: pure clerics and druids (dragonshapes for starters) are actually relatively common. if you multiclass 5 levels then even with ESP they'll block 40% of your spells. on the other hand if you're pure with ESP they'll only block 15%.
lack of discpline is a problem. If you can keep your distance (which with haste isn't too hard against everything but a travel domain cleric, and an early debuff can derail that too) then KD isn't an issue - as long as you have space to move.
Even if you do get KDed, pure of not, then Shapechanging to dragon or golem and having warding up will make you a slow kill, tying them up for a good number of rounds before you go down, which in a group battle is still valuable, or it can give another defender a chance to log in a bit late and buff up (as they can't afford to leave you alive to bigby them - they have to kill you).
On balance though, multiclass ftw.
Yup youre right, and not . But I wrote it too wishywashy, so I should have clarified:
Saving Throw Difficulty Class: DC of 10+the lvl of the Spell+bonus of Intelligence+feats
Caster Level: your class lvl, used to determine damage of a spell ie. or duration like haste; snow storm does a lot of dmg at lvl40 ie. - but many spells cap at certain lvls, mostly 20.
Spell Resistance: 1d20+Caster Level+feats (if it's the same as in PnP 3.0)
Well I hope the original poster had some help, if not, don't start a wizard
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. But I wrote it too wishywashy, so I should have clarified:Saving Throw Difficulty Class: DC of 10+the lvl of the Spell+bonus of Intelligence+feats
Caster Level: your class lvl, used to determine damage of a spell ie. or duration like haste; snow storm does a lot of dmg at lvl40 ie. - but many spells cap at certain lvls, mostly 20.
Spell Resistance: 1d20+Caster Level+feats (if it's the same as in PnP 3.0)
Well I hope the original poster had some help, if not, don't start a wizard
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First, do not focus on enchantment (like I did), many, I mean almost all +lvl16 CR, monsters are immune to mind spells.
If you go for a pure spellcaster auto quicken spell is a must.
Extend spell is advisable because the duration of many spells is altered.
Empower or maximized
epic spell conjuration (bigbees)
dragon knight has been improved (a lot)
spell penetration can come in handy for some enemies.
and you can't go wrong with greater intelligence
if you take one or a few levels of fighter the auto still spell is good
rogue also mixes well with wizard
if you're the kind of person that saves up 80 skillpoints till level 37 and takes 1 level of monk to get that 40 tumble and discipline, that's also an option.
If you go for a pure spellcaster auto quicken spell is a must.
Extend spell is advisable because the duration of many spells is altered.
Empower or maximized
epic spell conjuration (bigbees)
dragon knight has been improved (a lot)
spell penetration can come in handy for some enemies.
and you can't go wrong with greater intelligence
if you take one or a few levels of fighter the auto still spell is good
rogue also mixes well with wizard
if you're the kind of person that saves up 80 skillpoints till level 37 and takes 1 level of monk to get that 40 tumble and discipline, that's also an option.
DON'T TRY TO DO THIS. it won't work. there are multiclassing rules here that mean you (usually) need at least 5 levels of each of your classes by 40. Read http://www.nsrealm.com/public/ns4/viewt ... c&start=15 for detailsMaankin wrote:if you're the kind of person that saves up 80 skillpoints till level 37 and takes 1 level of monk to get that 40 tumble and discipline, that's also an option.
why dont we just hand everything over on a silver platter....or sell all our secrets to PRIMA, so they can make a ns4 strategy guide for n00bs 
Fatzo
Resident Glutton and Hand of the Legendary Brethren
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Resident Glutton and Hand of the Legendary Brethren
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http://brethren.mygameguild.com/main.asp
