Treantmonk's Guide to Wizards: Low Level Tactics

Questions? Leave me a comment down below, or
contact me on twitter: Treantmonk@ChrisHonkala
or on Wordpress at: treantmonk.wordpress.com/
Next week I will be discussing tactics for Wizards level 5-10.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

One addition to this video: If your Dex is 16 or higher, a light crossbow will outdamage any attack cantrip (about 4.9 average damage per round). If your Dex is 14, the damage is comparable.

[@theonlymatthew.l]

You should pin this comment so it doesn't get lost in the shuffle

[@smbakeresq]

That's true but you are a wizard, you came to cast spells. If the small difference between a light crossbow and a cantrips damage matters you probably played the encounter wrong anyway.

[@cmckee42]

@@smbakeresq I play wizards to cast spells too, but if I have a non spell option that is better then any spell option I will take that option.

[@chrislyngar9081]

And if you're an elf, or someone else that gets bonus proficiency, even better.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

@@chrislyngar9081 Since we aren't getting extra attack (unless Bladesinger) a Longbow and Light Crossbow will be equivalent in effectiveness.

[@carroceiroZ]

They should make Treantmonk an official character teaching arcane secrets at Forgotten Realms. Too good.

[@harjutapa]

No joke, I've done this in my games. There's this treant who lives in an abandoned temple, class unsure (he calls himself a monk, but no one's sure what exactly he means by that). My PCs have run across him in a few different campaigns, and he's always useful.

[@mateusleite7413]

We should support this, make a petition or something. Totally agree!

[@IronShinsDicello]

One of these days im going to roll up a godwizard build fresh out of the wizard academy. They took lessons on the side from an awakened tree who has been on campus for hundreds of years and has interesting thoughts about spell selections and tactics that ran contrary to the curriculum.

[@SovereignVis]

One thing he didn't talk about is to also take into account your party and their build. For example; if you have a ranger and they take 'Colossus Slayer' as a class feature, they can do an extra 1d8 damage on a target that's HP is below it's maximum. So if you used 'Magic Missile' right at the start of a battle and assigned a single magic dart to a target. You can make it so the ranger will do that extra 1d8 damage each turn for the whole encounter if you fire enough darts to hit all the targets in the encounter. A lot of people think 'Magic Missile' is useless because it only does 1d4+1 force damage per dart. But it doesn't miss and there is no save for it, so it's pretty much just guaranteed damage even if it's not a lot and in this case you don't need a lot. The ranger will always want to hold their action until the wizard has gone first. XD

[@jamesejudy3]

@@SovereignVis please see his other vids on party role of wizards

[@AzaelAkai]

No one in my group has ever played a wizard so i decided to and it was the best decision i have ever made. I followed your guides to help build my wizard cause it's very unfamiliar territory and i have to say that i am really loving the wizard class. I've always played the more physical brutish classes and never really delved into magic unless i was playing a warlock, but all i ever did was use eldritch blast the majority of the time. Playing as a wizard has been the best i've ever done in and out of combat in my whole time playing D&D. My friends love that i'm playing as a wizard because of my ability to just make them better in combat and giving our enemies a hard time. Thank you for the guides and enlightening me on the path of a wizard.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Thank you, these are always my favorite comments!

[@SovereignVis]

I would only ever play a wizard. Playing anything else just wouldn't feel right. XD

[@mateusleite7413]

Man, I've aways wondered what would be like attending classes to a Wizarding Academy in the realms, and with your videos now I know! This is exactly how it would feels like, seriously I even took notes.

[@harjutapa]

Step 1) make the fighter go first Step 2) Don't be last (GMs be tricksy)

[@unvoicedapollo3318]

Ok. I am literally going to take the Abjurer build he made & name him Ricky Bobby as he's a wizard who insists on putting himself on the front lines. "If you're not first, you're last".

[@kennetth1389]

My go to spell during early game encounters is a light crossbow

[@smbakeresq]

Also for this and the other videos read the spell description and think in 3 dimensions. A web spell can be anchored on the ceiling to a depth of 5’, so if you have 15 ft ceiling and are fighting 12’ tall creatures cast it on the ceiling so your group is unaffected and can move underneath. A fog cloud is a 20’ radius so cast it 25’ in the air against a group of giants and have job group duck underneath and shoot their legs while the giants can’t see you. Like wise a fireball cast at right height will not affect your group at all but will catch large+ creatures.

[@Porphyrogenitus1]

> Grease spell What I like about this one are the thematic elements. Targets take on the characteristics of a side character in a musical based in the 1950s. If male, they take on the persona of "Kenickie." If female, they start being called "Rizzo." In either case, they are now wise-cracking and slightly annoying. As side characters, all their actions now have disadvantage, and all actions against them have advantage.

[@andrewshandle]

Grease is, in fact, the word.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Cast Grease followed by Lighting. It's systematic, automatic, and hydromatic.

[@smbakeresq]

Grease is a good spell that gets a little better as creatures get larger as the spell has no size limitations and a lot of large creatures are not very dexterous. To me "ground" is relative, you can cast it on the ceiling or wall to make that climbing spider fall or slip down.

[@andrewshandle]

Tell me more, tell me more, does it go very far?

[@Briansgate]

@@andrewshandle Tell me more, tell me more, did you meet in a bar?

[@smbakeresq]

For some reason a lot of people forget that Minor Illusion has range and can be used to help others, such as helping a rogue hide. Also, the Conjurers ability to create things is very useful, you can create many things helpful in combat. Even though a bag of caltrops is actually several objects, I would let a player create enough in one casting to cover a 5’ square.

[@siddharthbianchi9322]

smbakeresq you could also have an adamintetine sheet around a small sized creature, it will be destroyed if hit but will have 23 ac

[@smbakeresq]

Mage Hand can "pour out contents of a vial" and has a 10 lb. limit. It can be used to dump oil or acid or alchemists fire over someone, or dump caltrops in a square behind a creature that my fighter was going to push them into. I would consider that creative use rather than an attack.

[@KainSilverwind]

Catapult tactics -If you have Mending, Bottle filled with caltrops/ball bearings/oil/spikes(iron). Not only does catapult damage, deploys a field hazard. Can be used as a distant distraction. If you can employ a blacksmith or forge cleric, modify your boots with spikes (iron) with just enough height/grip to override oil + ball bearings to not stand in your own field hazard. -Impromptu pepper spray. Purchase pepper and chilli if possible, flour could work. Works against beasts with Keen Sense thematically? Disable that pesky wolf pack tactics, killer of level 1 parties. -Depends if you have a RAW/RAI DM, Acid+Alchemist fire. -Javelin with chain attached. Once lodged squarely into a tree/still-living enemy, your ally barbarian can do some interesting things. -Fishing tackle. Sometimes you want to go for the far end when casting a reel. -Grappling hook, see Javelin. I definitely agree with shield and absorb elements, incredibly useful.

[@RokuroCarisu]

Pepper + salt + flour + ash = metsubushi.

[@KainSilverwind]

@@RokuroCarisu ah thanks for the input. I can understand ash, what does the salt act as? Assuming all the above are dried.

[@RokuroCarisu]

​@@KainSilverwind Just another thing that is highly irritating when it gets in someone's eyes.

[@migueldelmazo5244]

Poor engines, nice clutch, terrible fuel economy = Mitsubishi

[@RokuroCarisu]

@@migueldelmazo5244 Very funny.

[@FelineElaj]

13:30 - I hear you, but that's the biggest source of my pain in D&D. Imagine waiting for the golden opportunity to finally show what you're good at, casting that big gun spell... and then rolling terribly on the number of HP for Sleep spell, or missing with a spell attack, or the opponent(s) rolling good on their saves. Poof. Your moment of glory turns into a moment of shame and disappointment. This has happened more than once to me while playing a Wizard. On the other hand, I've never had such moments while playing Paladins, Barbarians or even Rangers. They just kick ass and take names, every day all day. Tons of damage, dead foes, fortune and glory. And yet, I still love Wizards. However, I tend to buff more than anything, because buffs don't ever fail. I still remember casting Polymorph on a half dead, half drowned, freezing party member who had been dragged under by a giant octopus. Imagine the creature's shock when its prey's suddenly turned into an angry giant shark! All of my fellow players at the table, and even the DM, have roared in triumph!

[@FelineElaj]

@@SovereignVis oh, sure... except, Mold Earth cannot actually remove stone. While the first sentence of the spell description says it can affect both earth and stone, it specifies further that the caster can excavate only "loose earth". A good wizard knows exactly how his spells work.

[@FelineElaj]

@@SovereignVis also, it seems you've missed a couple more things. First, I wasn't talking about dealing damage as a wizard. I was talking about being cool as a wizard. Second, at the end of my comment I give the example of how a wizard can be cool without dealing damage or even forcing a saving throw. Third, you're making my exact point back to me, describing how a wizard can earn glory by cleverly applying just a cantrip.

[@brooksfaucette296]

Guys, catapult is amazing. Just cary around a bunch of rocks, and then use it and to 3d8 damage, thats as good as chromatic orb. Catapult a ball with spikes and poison or something and do even more damage. If your fighting a bunch of small creatures, like crawling claws, catapult one against another, they BOTH take 3d8 damage. Edit: if you're a sorcerer and have a flexible DM, you can used twinned spell and make them come towards each other, taking 6d8 damage each. Total of 12d8. If you cast it at higher levels, the total damage will increace by 4d8 if you twin it.

[@jbirmingham2380]

Brooks Faucette did this exact strategy against crawling hands with my artificer

[@brooksfaucette296]

@@jbirmingham2380 Those hands have seen better days ... But really though imagine 3d8 damage all centered on 1 hand. For reference an average peasant has only 6 hp. They would just explode.

[@pyromidas]

Shrink a creature and then fling it at the ceiling, then it takes fall damage and gets proned.

[@Adurnis]

I know you don’t look at UA Content, but the artificer playtest released recently looks like a wizard’s dream multiclass. 1. Medium armor and shields. 2. Con save proficiency (instead of Wis). 3. Perception as a skill choice, as well as automatic thieves tools. 4. Guidance cantrip. 5. Some choice, Intelligence-based 1st level spells, including sanctuary, grease, faerie fire, absorb elements, and cure wounds. 6. Even though it’s a half caster, the artificer gets its spellcasting right from level 1, and a modification to its multiclassing rules says you round UP when accounting for spell slots. In other words, the Artificer 1/Wizard X sacrifices nothing in spell slot progression! The artificer does have a weird aspect to its spellcasting where it needs a free hand for the tool that serves as its spellcasting focus, but that’s about the only downside. Really looking forward to seeing it released-hopefully later this year, in the final version of Wayfinder’s Guide to Eberron!

[@dominicl5862]

clairvoyance? :D

[@jenningscunningham642]

Been reading your guides for years. Glad you have a channel on KZbin.

[@bdenning1979]

I really love this series. I would like to see a similar series on low, mid, and high level bards.

[@Shnimberz]

This is probably one of my favorite videos you have made. I hope you make one for each class. Great job!!

[@tscoff]

At 1st level I love Mage Armor. Not for my wizard, but for buffing my allies. It’s better for rogues than their armor and it’s great for moon Druids too! And, I’ve found that Breath Weapon is great to cast on a tank party member because it lets them do more damage to more opponents than they can do with their weapons. It’s working out amazingly well for my party.

[@ianm5782]

Something that I found really effective was Flaming Sphere combined with Booming Blade from another character (although I suppose if you are a gish you could have BB yourself). This kept FS effective for a lot longer because that extra damage was guaranteed.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

That's a good combo I hadn't considered. Thanks!

[@zionich]

Or the bonfire cantrip.

[@ttuarmyjag84]

Catching your videos now as a new player. Great stuff thank you!

[@dcodoms7166]

I am very new to D&D and very glad I found this series! My friends introduced me to the game with a one shot that turned into a 5 event adventure. I played a half Elf Wizard! I had no idea. We are starting a new campaign at level 5. I'm playing a Half Elf Wizard again with a totally different back story and name. I do like the wizard versatility and 1 want to learn to play this role well! After I go through all of your videos, I am going to ask questions! LOL thanks again for this series. It is very very good.

[@bryankia]

Really great content. I found that much of this I had already figured out. That said, breaking all the decisions down and showing the logic will make me a much better player. Thanks good sir.

[@Adurnis]

I’ve been playing an Enchanter Wizard for 3 levels now and it really is astonishing how much your subclass/race can determine these tactical choices. I’m a changeling, so my Dex isn’t where it probably should be to use a light crossbow effectively. Most of the party is ranged, so I’m often caught up-close with the enemy. And of course, there’s that Hypnotic Gaze, which means in a lot of fights, I’m just locking down the toughest enemy in the room.

[@rafaelrigottocunha6826]

Thank you so much for this video, it’s exactly what I needed. I might play my first DnD campaign in a few weeks and it’s gonna be the lost mines of phandelver which is lvls 1 to 5. I’m super fond of wizards and really identify with the class, but since they’re known to be a very lategame focused class I was super insecure to try playing a wizard, but now I see that there are ways to be effective still, thank you so much! I will surely check your other videos.

[@Domina7ion]

Top quality content. Love it

[@robertwarren4734]

I understand that this is a very late comment/question and maybe someone else has raised it, but here goes. My reading of "Working Together" p. 175 would seem to preclude having a familiar (e.g. an owl) use the Help Action in combat. Note the limitation of "A character can only provide help if the task is one he or she could attempt alone." So if a familiar falls under the sense of "character" here (which, given its "independent" nature seems reasonable), then, since a familiar cannot attack on its own, it cannot use the Help Action to provide advantage to an attack (say using fly by). Note that the p. 192 description specifically notes that one can "help in attacking ..." and the terms 'feint' or 'distract' are loose terms, not game defined: that is, the "help" is attack-help. So tl;dr version, since a familiar cannot attack on its own, it cannot Help its master using an attack action. I suppose a battle trained owl/hawk could since those beasts can attack, but not a hawk/owl familiar.

[@ChristnThms]

It's funny that this is the "wizard guide," because I've ever only played a wizard in one shots and even then only a couple times. But I almost always play casters, and except for the spell book bits, these are all relevant to every caster. It always makes me a bit sad when I see someone playing a caster that seems like it's trying to go through its slots as fast as possible, rather than strategically and holding some in reserve.

[@An_Ian]

then you have me who will hold on 2 them forever

[@ChristnThms]

@@An_Ian LOL, I've done that a couple times too. The low levels are a bootcamp for frugality. But, if you get past 10, you have enough slots to use them much more liberally.

[@angrymushroom26]

Going through the videos still, the sound on this one is Way better than the last one i watched (wizard schools.) Good improvements :D Also glad to see you making videos, saw your Guides a lot online.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I was getting distortion from my desk, so I've put my mic on a shock mount. Hopefully a permanent solution...

[@AllThingsFascinate]

@@TreantmonksTemple I know I'm a year late, but it's a big difference. Thanks!

[@kratze1738]

This is a great video to help people try to anticipate any game by pre-stocking their wizards with a general toolkit. There is an assumption here that most wizards get into the "business" mainly in order to participate in combat (whether for good or evil). I went a bit of a different route with a utility Divination wizard whose background was purely academic. Her only combat option was magic missile (I pretended all students were forced to learn that one for 1st level) and when she set off on an adventure, the soft and gentle lady had never even imagined she'd have to be in a real fight (she panicked completely on her first battle and lost a round). She managed fights for the first four levels mostly through creativity, a few MMs, and the occasional dagger-stab. Ironically, this made the first several levels SO MUCH FUN to play as I had to think outside the box to keep her useful and survive in a fight (she has beefed up her spells a bit as she's climbed levels and bad guys get tougher and she's become more inured to fighting). She doesn't have Minor Illusion (not her flavor of magic) but boy, I can see the possibilities. Either way, the "at least one damaging cantrip" idea would have been good advice to hear when I built her a few years ago. If there's one thing I regret, it's not taking at least one cantrip that could reliably impact an enemy as it has now become really stressful in high-stakes higher-level fights to be out of spells after the first four. Definitely will do this next time (and planning to forget a cantrip soon to add a hurty-option).

[@Porphyrogenitus1]

> There are a lot of good options here, I pick one of them. Good tactical advice will also be to give people this general guideline: When the party comes to a fork in the road, take it.

[@M0ebius]

How is that tactical?

[@Porphyrogenitus1]

@@M0ebius How is it NOT!

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Free silverware? Yay!

[@blshouse]

The advice is the categorizations which cut down the choices to functional equivalents; spells whose differences are mainly flavor or personal preference. That and free silverware is best silverware.

[@smbakeresq]

@@blshouseThe same Sage with the fork in the road comment also said "They give you cash, which is as good as money."

[@unvoicedapollo3318]

Your guide helped our 1st level party (rogue, melee fighter brute, ranger, and wizard) survive an encounter with 5 orcs. I almost forgot a major tactical consideration: In terms of damage output, 1 wounded orc+4 wounded orcs = 5 unwounded orcs. I was first in initiative & was hesitant to cast sleep knowing these guys were hearty. I opted to in the end because if one didn't get knocked out at the start, we wouldn't have a chance at all anyway. I was able to get one (I was just 5 hp away from getting another). Between some lucky breaks & taking out the one orc in the beginning, we managed to play tactically (thanks also to your minor illusion guide as well which helped our rogue who found herself in a one-on-one with one enemy) and beat the orcs.

[@devin5201]

This was very informative.

[@pox2468]

You deserve so many more subscribers.

[@scribesorcerer4967]

I dunno if you’re gonna read this but I wanted to tell a story about how I started D&D. I was sent a DM on Discord from a friend about entering a campaign, it was level 12, and I had never played before. My character was a Divine Soul Sorcerer Changeling with the Folk Hero Background. I had done chat based roleplay stories before, but nothing like D&D. I made my character, and began playing. I had no understanding of the rules and the DM’s assistant had to help me for basically everything because the DM really didn’t. Our characters went down constantly, and our Barbarian and optimized Fighter was the only saving grace of that campaign. I picked very bad spells, not because they were useless, I had Lightning Bolt and Fire Bolt and radiant spells, but it wasn’t what my party needed. After a while I felt like, even though I was doing damage, I wasn’t accomplishing anything. So I retired the character for a Half Elf Wizard, using the UA Order of Scribes. By this time, I hadn’t learned my mistake. And made the same one. Too many damage spells, and didn’t do any buffing or battlefield control. Fast forward to now, I am making my level 1 High Elf Wizard for a friend’s campaign. And I have never felt more excited for a character before. Your guides really showed me something vital, the thing I was missing. Reading the Hobbit and your guide has taught me the kind of wizard I want to be. Maybe I won’t use your guide 100%, but your wisdom and experience still helps temper my expectations. Makes me consider spells I never would have before. Sure I am being very unoptimized playing with a Longsword (my stat array was rather high so I got to get away with an acceptable strength and Dex score for it), but everything I intend to follow to a T. Flame Arrows for my archer party member, Wall of Force, Web, Sleep, the works. I want every action I take to be for the sake of making my friends feel just as needed as me. Couldn’t have possibly understood that this was why I was so dissatisfied with my characters, but hearing your origin for the God Wizard really made me understand why I was yearning for something else. And now, I know the game enough to live my dream.

[@archlittle6067]

Have a dummy in a robe. Use Unseen Servant to move it ahead of the party to harmlessly trigger ambushes. Thanks to Jill Bearup, I call the dummy Mannequin Skywalker. Also, Magic Missile states you can attack a target that you can see. So the Wizard can spot a target with their Familiar and attack it with Magic Missile while remaining somewhere out of sight, like lying prone behind a Minor Illusion.

[@ninjaturtlethug7]

Hi Monk! Could you consider guide's like this for other classes as well? I love your deep dives, and I know you specialize in wizards and other magic users, but I trust your input more than other youtubers and I wish you had time to do more!

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I'm going to actually go a different direction with my next series - I will be announcing it in the next few days

[@murtaniel]

Nice! Big long time fan here! (Hugs from Brazil) I'm planning a dwarf cleric wizard (forge domain/transmuter) for ghosts of saltmarsh, any recommendations? Of course I'm not taking mage armor, and water breathing at mid levels is a need. What else in strategy? I can tank a good damage and the GM already allowed me to use my shield as a sacred symbol and a hammer as a focus (but doing d6 damage for balancing purpose). Thanks for any advice and for all those years in mentoring. (Your ranger switch hitter guide and wizard guide made my games a lot funnier)

[@shanebernier2483]

This is really good advice, but I do have a question. In the past, you have stated that you think a single level of cleric at level one is a reasonably good multiclass option for wizards. How would this affect your spell choices? It seems like a lot of these picks might be affected by getting things a level later, having a second spell list that you can shuffle daily, and starting at an 18 AC.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Well obviously, not taking Mage Armor - still taking shield. I probably would't bother with sleep at all in that case. Otherwise, similar picks. With Cleric of course Guidance as a cantrip, probably light, and maybe mending. Bless is going to be my first choice for 1st level spells, maybe healing word...

[@carlekholm4321]

Great stuff as always. Quick question: I’m playing in a campaign that starts off facing a lot of drow (Out of the Abyss), what do you recommend for a Big Gun spell at levels 1+2 other than Sleep since elves can’t be put to sleep by magic? I was thinking Fog Cloud could be useful since they tend to be ranged. Thanks!

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Yeah, Fog Cloud, and maybe Thunderwave

[@carlekholm4321]

Great, thanks!!

[@destroyerinazuma96]

The thing about FF, esp the owl form, is that you never know when you pissed the GM enough that the mobs will use AOE spells :) though I've heard people casting spells like Aid and Mage Armor on familiar for better survivability.

[@b0nehead]

So different with a Bladesinger. While playing the standard Wizard tactic is perfectly reasonable, the BS has a whole set of options based around attacks that add a whole second mode to their combat choices. In brief: Low threat combats, replace cantrip use with melee cantrip attacks for an average 5+3+possible extra cantrip damage each action. In high threat combats, at 3+, you get the option of Shadowblade, giving you a 10+3+cantrip damage for melee, which is quite competitive. Of course, you need to be as mobile as possible; the trick is to never end a combat next to an enemy, if possible. I find Longstrider+studded leather a somewhat more desirable alternative to mage armor in this mode. That extra 10' can save a lot of damage if used right. In very high threat situations, many often forget that the SB is a missile weapon too. So from 40 feet away, jog in to 20', throw, move back 20' to deny melee attacks. With long reach opponents, move back to 45' stand off and 25' in and out. That extra 5' in and out with Longstrider is really key. Ray of Frost, with its speed slow down is a nice cantrip to have to give an extra mobility differential too. Grease continues to be one of my absolute favourite spells for bladesinging. A moat of difficult terrain between you and your foe is awesome. At level 3 or 4, I'd also consider picking up pyrotechnics or blindness as non-concentration control spells, less for right at 3rd or 4th level, but for future investment.

[@SkyNinja759]

If anyone is looking for a beginner build, here's some cool ideas. Pick Hobgoblin as your race, from Volo's Guide To Monsters: - Proficiency in light armor, you won't need mage armor this way. - Proficiency in two martial weapons, get a rapier and longbow. Now you can be a sudo-dex fighter when you run out of spells. If you don't want to be stuck with Firebolt spam. - +2 con and +1 int. - 60ft Dark Vision. A lot of races get this in 5e but it's nice to not be the blind human of the group. - Saving Face, a rool boosting ability which you use when you miss a important check/attack. Some nice low level spells to look for are: - Alarm, but cast as a ritual before you camp. Basically negates the need to keep watches, or at least stops potiental ambushes. - Featherfall. Helps with negating fall damage, or objects falling/breaking. Fall damage is insane at low levels, possibly insta-killing players. - Shield, a reactionary "no u" defence spell. To further help survival. - Sleep, a really good combat ending spell. Nice scaling for early level. - Magic missile is great for hard to hit enemies, it always hits, you just roll damage. - Firebolt is a vanilla damage cantrip. Chill Touch is comparable, it just depends on flavour and your damage type preference. - Minor Illusion and/or Prestidigitation, are your hocus-pocus small magic cantrips that cover a lot of creative problem solving. - Mage Hand is a 100% pick (for me atleast). You can reach, pull, grab, carry at a silent distance. The best utility cantrip, simple yet provokes very creative solutions. The School of Abjuration is very good. The shield is great and slept on. Cast Alarm as a ritual when you wake up from a long rest and your shield is proc'd for the day. Casting Shield can refill a bit of it, but it's negligible but helps since you usually cast shield if you're in a bad spot anyways. To tie it all together, with Morderately Armoured feat at level 4. You sacrifice one point (and put the other into dex) to get medium armor and shield proficiency. So you're now a wizard with medium armor, a decent Con skill, with a shield in one hand and a arcane casting hand. By level 4 with this build you should have an AC of 13 armour + 2 dex + 2 shield = 17. You're a beastly fighter, with the only downside being your d6 hit die and no "extra attack", but you're a wizard; a full blown caster class that has access to the best spell selection and spell slots, a favourable trade-off by any standards.

[@Clawshrimpy]

Personally i never really cared for Web as a crowd contrpol spell because i don't know, grease just seems easier to use and doesn't use up concentration and it's only a 1st level spell, when you first get access the 2nd level spells I'm usually too tempted to focus on improving my mobility and defenses (really it's mostly that i always take Mirror Image without question, then gettijng misty step, and then maybe some aoe option like a Flaming Sphere or just like a scorching ray if i just want to blast a few things without usiong my concentration.) I mean i could see the uses of Web, I just feel like it might be better off using stuff like Sleep/Grease until you get access to 3rd level spells for the strong area battlefield controls like hypno pattern. but maybe that's just me liking grease so much

[@EpifanesEuergetes]

I like Grease a lot, but I love Web.

[@KingAm0]

Levels 1 and 2: Do effectively nothing. Level 3: Laugh at your party members calling you weak as you levitate the boss. Everything after: See above, but substitute levitate for hypnotic pattern, banishment, spherical wall of force, disintegrate, and wish.

[@rete4725]

Not true. you just have to be creative enough. I found a way to do around 80 damage with lvl 1 and 2 spells and cantrips. Only takes 3 turns to prep it up to. I thought of some pretty great aoe control to

[@crimfan]

I played some AL where my tomelock character had an owl familiar and the DM said, sure thing, but if a familiar on the battlefield is at risk. I totally agree and in my own home games I'm quite free with targeting familiars that show up on the battlefield, especially ones that prove irritating to foes. I also have scouting familiars get shot down by foes who would rationally know about what a familiar can do. This means players are more likely to be sparing with their familiars. They're still useful, of course, but they must be used strategically or they'll get bagged. Dragon's Breath on a familiar is cool and may be a surprise but expect the familiar to go down, for sure---it's just drawn aggro! I don't buy flyby attack working on this, though, because the owl isn't actually attacking. Grease is a great spell at low level. It's not quite the instant game changer that Sleep is, but it lasts and can really set up your allies if they can take advantage of prone targets. It's great for reinforcing a bottleneck or for covering a retreat, too. As to low level wizard play being "super effective or dinking" that's very much what old skool wizards were like back in the day. Gotta be strategic, for sure.

[@SmugLookingBarrel]

For level 1, I'd recommend Ice Knife over Thunderwave as a blasting spell. Not only does it not require you be in melee, but it also offers two opportunities to hit a target, which means if there's one creature low on HP that you really need to bring down, it will almost always succeed. My question for you is, when should you ready your action, and when should you delay your turn in initiative?

[@quonomonna8126]

wouldn't take flaming sphere AND web though because they are both concentration spells and I think one concentration spell per spell level is probably about all I would want

[@xthebumpx]

I think Create Bonfire is a great cantrip to have when you don't have many spell casts.

[@darkblade190]

What's your opinion about low-level casters using their action (on non "big gun" rounds) for mundane items, such as spreading ball bearings, tossing out caltrops, pouring oil, etc? I'm constantly trying to find a use-case for mundane items in-game, but find it is rarely worth-while.

[@M0ebius]

I never play Wizards and prefer Sorclocks generally, and yet these assessments are still incredibly useful for all casters. Ever since Sage Advice ruled Dragon’s Breath untwinnable, Web has been my go-to level 2 concentration spell thanks to Treantmonk’s guide. And in my all Hexblade MC party it has dominated encounter after encounter - teammates simply Hex the targets’ Strength check and hose them with EB+advantage, or knock them back into the web via Repelling Blast and reset the saves. It’s functionally a discount Hypnotic Pattern with our party composition.

[@smbakeresq]

Once you start playing controlling wizards you see chasing damage via hexblade isn't what wins.

[@M0ebius]

Wrong. I have seen raw damage win many, many fights.

[@smbakeresq]

M0ebius your very response shows that you know control wins more, otherwise you would say “all” or “most” or “majority” etc.

[@M0ebius]

smbakeresq I remember you like sports so let me explain it this way. Playing control is like playing the point guard - you run the offense and make everybody more efficient, but in the end you still need scorers to put the ball in the basket. Dominant scorers on the other hand can win games all on their own when they catch fire and are shooting the lights out. It won’t happen every game, but when you have the requisite skills it can happen often. Control Wizards are the ultimate pure point guards, small and diminitive but highly skilled with all the tricks in the spellbook. Hexblade Sorclocks on the other hand are combo guards that can do both, and big enough to can play some man-to-man defense in a pinch. Now some people, mostly from older generations, like the classic team concept with defined positions. An all-Hexblade MC party on the other hand is like the modern small ball team - they can fan out and play five out, run-and-gun and kill you from the outside; they also have enough tools to run set plays and dissect the defense in the half court. But most importantly they are tough enough to switch around on defense and doesn’t have many glaring holes that the opponents can isolate and exploit. Kind of like the Golden State Warriors of D&D.

[@smbakeresq]

M0ebius and you simply don’t win without guard play to make everyone better, period. It doesn’t happen. That’s why Lebron takes the worst players and makes them better and wins with them, that’s why Russel Westbrook is home from the playoffs every year. The real issue, as I said several times before, is control isn’t for the people that need the spotlight, it isn’t for those that chase 0.45 more DPR. That’s the point of TMs written guide, he said at the beginning that he did no direct damage but the group stopped dying and of course they gave the controller no glory. I will make it simpler, you hit your sleep spell you do no damage but it completely alters the combat, as TM states in video. The player who executes the sleeper did nothing, zero effective damage. Hypnotism does no damage, ends combat for the creatures that fail their saves and effectively alters the combat as if it killed them instantly without HP limitation. That’s why the strongest correlation to winning is rebounding percentage and assist percentage.

[@cavalorn5333]

What`s your opinion on maximilians earthen grasp as a control spell? Does it compete with web? Or is it useful to pick up a area of effect control spell and a single target spell with the limited amount of spells you get?

[@chriscote2703]

I feel like the 10 gp requirement for find familiar is pretty significant at lvl 1 and kind of glossed over here.

[@drklimbal]

Pretty rude DM to invalidate your backstory that includes details about your loyal familiar that you keep in a pocket dimension at all times.

[@DAEDRICDUKE1]

Lvl1 characters dont get backstories

[@JohnvanCapel]

10 gold is generally what you get from your background as starting gold, and *way* less than what the game tends to recommend as quest rewards/loot. It's a cost you can afford as long as you don't waste your familiar.

[@luiswi]

If you are able to help your rouge he normally doesnt need your help action because you have to stand next to the enemy to help but then your rouge doesnt need advantage because he can use sneak attack anyway. Its only important if the rouge has disadvantage. Correct me if im wrong.

[@joaodias7152]

Flaming Sphere >> Dragon Breath is so true. I've learned it the hard way. I've had fun for the first 4/5 encounters, but my DM just started killing my familiar over and over again. I've run out of the material components for the find familiar spell (my DM tells me that I can only get them in a city), and now I'm in the middle of the jungle of Chult without my familiar. I miss him :( and Dragon Breath is not good without him. Even if your DM is not as strict with the material components, the Dragon Breath/Familiar combo is just not reliable. To illustrate my point, imagine that the spells would have the following writing: Flaming Sphere: Increase your DPR by 7. Dragon Breath: Increase your DPR by 10.5. If you take at least one point of damage (the familiar dies), you automatically fail your concentration saving throw, causing the spell to fail, and you cannot recast the spell for the remainder of the combat. Would you still take the Dragon Breath? Hell no. This is such a trap.

[@M0ebius]

You can still use that combo against melee monsters. Also good if the familiar is a Warlock Imp.

[@joaodias7152]

@@M0ebius Yes I agree that with a Warlock Imp the Combo might work better. However, using it just against melee monsters makes it more situational, removing some of its power. Anyway, I guess my DM decided he was having none of it once I used the Dragon Breath from a flying height of 15 towards the ground, creating a 3D 15-feet pyramid instead of the usual cone. My wizard was surrounded by zombies, and I managed to hit 8 zombies around him with the breath (I misty step'd the wizard out of there first).

[@M0ebius]

João Dias Yeah I’ve done the same thing but worse, because I play a Sorcerer and twinned the Dragon’s Breath on an Owl and an Imp while bombing from the air. Later on Sage Advice ruled against twinning DB, and my DM also started killing the familiars on sight (can’t blame him really). Still not a huge fan of Flaming Sphere though. I’ve since swapped out DB for Web and has gotten some great results with that one.

[@AllThingsFascinate]

@@M0ebius that sage advice is straight up wrong though. Absolutely against raw

[@Floormat-ux4rw]

The uncertainty behind sleep pushes me to usually take hideous laughter. I also find it easier and more fun to use.

[@nastube4052]

I've seen flame sphere + spike growth destroy an entire troup of hobgoblins.. do they move? do they stay? either way when they are "safe" they have very little hp left, if not dead. Absoloutly awesome low level combo with a wizard/druid.

[@saltypork101]

Broke: casting Dragon's Breath on your owl familiar so it can do flyby Woke: casting Dragon's Breath on your spider familiar and letting him climb on the fighter's shield so he can have full cover

[@gregoryfloriolli9031]

With Ghosts of Saltmarsh coming out, I’ve been messing around with dndbeyond and realized I’m going to have to rethink my standard builds when it comes to waterborne campaigns, especially for the Wizard. Do you go with your standard race selections or is it worth 14 or 15 in Int (assuming Standard Array) and go with an aquatic race? Spell selection is tricky because you have to weigh ship to ship combat vs fighting things underwater. That Fireball spell which so would be so satisfying to hurl at an enemy ship isn’t going to be so great when fighting off those Sahuagin who are surrounding your ship trying to poke holes in your hull and have resistance to fire damage because they’re underwater. Would a “Wizards and Waterborne campaigns” make for a good video when Ghosts of Saltmarsh comes out? Something to think about.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Remember at level 5 we can select water breathing as a ritual.

[@smbakeresq]

@@TreantmonksTempleWhich should be cast almost every day even if you are miles from any water you know about. Remember it works on 10 creatures, so your familiar and mounts are covered...

[@TreantmonksTemple]

@@smbakeresq I would go even further and just say cast it everyday regardless. Why not? Maybe there will be water later in the day. It's really just a fantastic ritual. You don't need to prepare it, why not?

[@jakeschreiner8567]

If you know you're going to be in water a lot I'd just go with sorcerer or druid as they have better class race combinations with the aquatic races

[@ariechriswell2669]

What would you take at 2nd level on a Wizard that has armor proficiency and doesn't need Mage Armor? Do you just take another Ritual? Or something like Grease or Fog Cloud?

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I would probably grab another ritual personally, but another combat spell is a good choice too.

[@cmckee42]

@@TreantmonksTemple yeah, there are a lot of 1st level wizard rituals, never bad to have more.

[@elduchesne1503]

Gr8 video. Any future plan of video of best spells for wizard only of every spell level? A bit like the videos you did withthe worst best average and underrate

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Check out the video description of this one for what's coming and when: kzbin.info/www/bejne/ppStaIyrZ8uthtE

[@quonomonna8126]

I think the spell I'm most confused about is fog cloud: how and when to use it.

[@mutehowl]

Will these work with sorcerers as well and does wizards spell guides also apply?

[@ianbutler1259]

Sorry for posting here but if you have any advice Treantmonk for playing a 5th level drow 15 str, 16 dex, 12 con, 19 int, 12 wis and 16 cha... much appreciated. Either way Super Great videos, totally love them.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Those are unusually high ability scores. I would say Bladesinger comes to mind...

[@Coid]

What is the consensus these days on having a winged monkey familiar (or even just one without wings if flight + hands is forbidden) and using things like caltrops and ballbearings or spreading oil on the ground in opponent's squares? I played in a game with added items for mobile, directional cover (basically a pavisse or a tower shield on a wheelbarrow) and it seemed like giving allies half or potentially 3/4 cover was at least somewhat worthwhile though I couldn't quite decide how good I was being due to having trouble adapting to the party's tactical preferences. Another thought, what about the combination of Minor Illusion and a raven familiar to provide the appropriate sound effects for non-Illusionists?

[@TheWhattheneck]

Is taking a level 1 spell worthwhile when you can choose level 2 spells? You talk about Grease when you hit level 3. I am currently trying to select my 2 spells from leveling up to level 3.

[@palorin]

Level 2 you can take Tasha’s Hideous Laughter and mage armor, or add an AOE damage spell (burning hands, but thunder wave is better). At level 3, Sleep starts to drop off, where as Grease and Tasha’s are still going strong BECAUSE they don’t touch HP at all.

[@expressionamidstcacophony390]

Perhaps the one thing missing here is a discussion of attribute saves and how they play into your spell selection. Puppet is a con save, phantasmal force is int, grease is dex, gust is str, hold person is wis. and so on. Only charisma saves are not really available to a beginner wizard to my knowledge. Which are suited to what monsters and situations? It's not reasonable to memorize stat blocks, but some can be fairly worked out by your character. Spellslingers generally have poor strength or constitution. Nimble finesse-based humanoids and incorporeals such as ghosts are lacking in strength. Most monsters which could be described as big angry pieces of meat or ooze have bad intelligence, unless their behavior is obviously intelligent, in which case dexterity is a safer bet. There are probably more rules of thumb, but that's a decent enough start. Phantasmal force is a reliable choice to incapacitate a big angry like a purple worm. Puppet is more appropriate for the shaman lurking in the back ranks. Shadows can be handily gusted into environmental damage areas... all things equal, of course.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

We will get into that, but at lower levels there just aren't enough spell preparations to really optimize at that level.

[@expressionamidstcacophony390]

@@TreantmonksTemple That's fair, but I think it depends on your level of intel, and the campaign/character specifics. If you know there's a gelatinous cube (CR 2) guarding the treasure, there's a right answer and a wrong answer regarding whether you should memorize phantasmal force or puppet. Leaving that kind of meat on the table simply because spell juggling is difficult is a tangible sacrifice.

[@JohnW-yv6yp]

Awesome stuff. I’m curious, why no damage spells like magic missile at first or 2nd level?

[@godsamongmen8003]

Probably just the lack of resources. If you're only working with two or three spell slots, crowd control will serve you better than direct damage.

[@Aequilix]

Everybody in my group SLEEPS on Web at low levels except me. Bless up.

[@M0ebius]

Spiritual Weapon is my favorite level 2 spell on my Divine Soul Sorclock. But if I’m being honest I have gotten WAAAY more value out of Web, and it’s not close.

[@Aequilix]

M0ebius Spiritual Weapon def good for squeezing in extra damage. But Web just feels bigger impact on the levels where its a good spell. Luckily you could have both up since SW isn't concentration.

[@Aequilix]

@@M0ebius Speaking of Sorlocks the one I was playing the campaign ended up getting canceled :((( I need a new game to be in XD

[@nicholaschevy134]

Treantmonk, will we ever get a guide for loremaster wizards?

[@AlexanderBaird]

So obviously not everybody is going to use home brew stuff but I think one of the easiest ways to make the sleep spell not suck at higher levels and actually be a viable method for battlefield control is to rework the scaling from a flat +2d8 per spell level to +5d8 per spell level. That way you can either deal 8d6 (avg. 28/14) with a fireball on any number of creatures within the radius and really hurt a group of enemies, or you could do 15d8 (avg. 67 HP) within the same radius and just knock them out. On a good roll you could potentially take out a boss or a bunch of the minions even at a high level. With everything else a high level caster can do, you'd think they'd be able to just snap their finger and watch a group of people crumple to the ground snoring lol. It also opens up another viable path for a true pacifist to be useful to the party. I love the idea of this spell and it sucks that it scales so poorly RAW

[@CallenExile]

I feel like Ray of Frost, Frostbite, and Shocking Grasp should be an exception to making attack cantrips a last resort, because of their secondary effects.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I agree, if the secondary effect is useful in that moment.

[@harperthegoblin]

Don't forget that chill touch blocks ALL of the enemies healing. It is very good against anything that heals.

[@CitizenLUL]

Is he talking about dnd in general, or which version in particular?

[@Ebola419]

Any chance you could do a full by the level guide to 20 for champion? Just pure champion fighter that has one goal in life; murder everything as best as possible with a two hander. Perhaps a half orc build and a variant human build that takes great weapon master as its variant feat. Sure it's been done, and it's simple, but it's fun to listen to other peoples takes on the time honored classic. Plus I enjoy your long form videos.

[@M0ebius]

Seems like it’d just be STR+2, STR+2, combat feat, combat feat, resilient X, health buff feat. Maybe with a racial feat thrown in there. Then whack away with the 2-hander, rinse-repeat.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Maybe at some point. I have a number of ideas for build vids, this one doesn't seem as interesting to me right now...

[@cmckee42]

Sounds like you already build it yourself. The thing about a half-orc champion fighter with great weapon master is that you have already picked all the major options. The only thing to left are the background, skill and feat selections, which can fit in a single KZbin comment.

[@kaneo1]

Cantrips DO have low damage, true, but pick a dual-use damager. Wiz are supposed to be smart, let's get the most out of everything: -frostbite can disadvantage weapon attacks -ray of frost reduces movement -chill touch blocks healing and can disadvantage attacks vs you -Booming blade might prevent movement -mind sliver reduces saves -shocking grasp blocks reactions

[@togotfury]

your positioning doesn't matter if the dm wants you dead. i cast sleep on a giant toad which was the pet of three ogres. the spell failed but one of the ogres said, momma says kill magi first, so he runs straight at me, taking attacks of opportunity from the entire party to attack me with his club. mage armor and shield were the only reason i survived the first round

[@philosopherhobbs]

Awesome!

[@harjutapa]

Where are the pictures you have in the corner from?

[@KainSilverwind]

If you google the dungeons and dragons cartoon, he is Presto.

[@Viryn]

Would love to see a video guide/tips/tricks for when the GM does not allow Feats. I'm soon gonna face that for my first adventure in 5th ed. Also we will only use Players handbook. Does anything change? Note is I'm here because I also love the God/Utility style of game. Cheers for the fantastic videos :) /Philip

[@TreantmonksTemple]

The tactics won't change at all. The only spell referenced you will not have access to is Toll the Dead.

[@Viryn]

@@TreantmonksTemple Will spell selection change more then that though? My party won't have feats either. Does that change other classes enough that I have to adapt? And I assume int>con>dex as my stats?

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I don't think so

[@Viryn]

Cool, thanks! Last I played it was 3.5 so feats were kind of a big deal for many ^^

[@christophersauer9919]

Thank you.

[@xvader9445]

Thoughts on sleep vs color spray

[@jonc.6046]

Since you have to be within 5 feet of the enemy and at a useful place in the initiative order to use the help action, it seems like you would almost always want to dodge or disengage instead. Is helping essentially just the gambler's play?

[@andrewshandle]

Honestly, I think he's just raising it because so many players forget it's even an option. There's a lot of "well, I guess I have no choice but to attack" at many tables when casters find themselves in bad situations.

[@M0ebius]

It’s not gambling, just one option among many.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

You are 100% correct there is potential danger getting near an enemy. This is something to consider, but I can tell you that it is not always dangerous, but needs to be evaluated on a case by case basis

[@DVDMaster2009]

You can do both in some situations. Move next to the enemy and dodge. This allows the rogue top use sneak attack. Or may give another player flanking advantage.

[@ronaldeldonald]

My GM ruled Find Familiar so that it can't use the Help action except for Perception checks. Do you think dismissing it before I expect combat would be the smart move in this case?

[@anthonynorman7545]

Do you expect it to get targeted? It could scout the area for ambushes or reinforcements.

[@ronaldeldonald]

@@anthonynorman7545 Sometimes. My GM will occasionally roll attacks on it when it scouts.

[@anthonynorman7545]

@@ronaldeldonald I see. Your DM likes familiars as much as mine does. XD Yeah, save the gp.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Yes.

[@smbakeresq]

Have it stay behind the party to prevent others from sneaking up on you.

[@josephrion3514]

Toll the dead*, minor illusion, mage hand*. Shield, Sleep. Comprehend, detect magic, find familiar.

[@Davide-kd2cm]

do you think you would still take shield at level 1 as a war mage with arcane deflection?

[@palorin]

Yes. Because shield works for a whole round, and you can use arcane deflection for the +4 saves, and at level 1 you can’t be a war mage yet anyway. That’s at level 2

[@SpidermanandhisAmazingFriends]

My table rolls like garbage, so they love help actions every round.

[@bonzwah1]

I always thought the jump from 2nd to third level spellcaster is so weird. Like, you get 1 additional first level spell slot from 1st to second level...but then you get a first level spell slot and TWO second level spell slots for going 2nd to 3rd level? Huh?

[@kazzdevlin5339]

Gotta take umbrage with shield over mage armor. First no matter how much one tries to fit themselves neatly out of range. Your a spell caster if your dm is doing it right he's going to rush the caster, a low level caster and depending on how much constitution you chose and how lucky your hp roll was i.e 6+ con mod your sitting on at worst a 6 and 10 at best. Meaning you are Uber squishy. I like ritual spells for full spell utilization. But, Mage armor and shield should be a requirement. However, if this is too detrimental because your sacrificing a spell slot to cast mage armor then choose eldritch inniate feat and take shadow armor which is mage armor at will. No spell slot wasted. You couple that with high dex of +4 a 13 base your wizard is now sporting a 17 dex. With ability to cast shield meaning the likely hood of getting 1 shot goes down drastically.

[@fluxcap4630]

I think find familiar is supposed to be prohibitively expensive for low level players to cast more than once or twice. 10GP per cast

[@brooksfaucette296]

Is it really worth it to take only ritual spells and one combat spells at 1st level.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

I think so, but am open to different points of view.

[@palorin]

I’m running a high elf with two combat cantrips (one attack roll “ray of frost” and one save “mind sliver” to help our cleric run her Sacred Flame), minor illusion and prestidigitation. Sleep and Shield are my castable 1st levels, with Unseen Servant as my "floating ritual" for flavor purposes. Sleep (used sparingly), Minor Illusion, Mind Sliver and the Help action from my owl familiar are making the combats fun and easy for the group. cast Minor Illusion to have a banshee scream or a burst of flashing lights in a enemy square, and ask the DM to grant either disadvantage on a single enemy attack, or advantage on a single ally attack. My DM has me make Arcana checks to "twist" the spell a little bit, but its super fun

[@xvader9445]

If a spellcaster casts Darkness 1st then an enemy spellcaster casts Faerie Fire...does faerie fire defeat darkness?

[@VilleKivinen]

Faerie Fire doesn't dispel Darkness. But advantage cancels out disadvantage.

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Darkness dispels any light spell of lower than 2nd level it touches. Faerie Fire as a first level spell would be instantly dispelled.

[@xvader9445]

Does a Spear work with the Sharpshooter feat

[@TreantmonksTemple]

No, a melee weapon with the thrown property does not qualify as a ranged weapon.

[@xvader9445]

I was trying to get some add'l weapon damage with my spear weilding EK...i was thinking about thr Weapon Bonding with the spear.

[@getoffyourbassandletsfish7651]

What about ANIMATE DEAD ! Can you rend flesh off the dead and put into bag at lower level till you can can use animate dead?

[@unvoicedapollo3318]

Unless you can grow a body with that flesh, I would argue no. And by the time you could, you're not using that flesh to animate dead. Also it's not RAW: roll20.net/compendium/dnd5e/Animate%20Dead#content "This spell creates an Undead servant. Choose a pile of *bones or a corpse* of a Medium or Small *Humanoid* within range"

[@kylesizemore2751]

Enemies that are levitated can't move without being pushed or pulled. Most melee creatures can be absolutely ruined by this if your campaign takes place outside or in big buildings. I saved my level 3 party from a helmed horror tpk by casting levitate on him at the start of the fight. A tense boss battle turned into 10 minutes the poor guy dangling in the air while we slowly plinked him to death with cantrips and darts.

[@saytr4]

Houserule: Your familiar may draw an AOO for using the help action, depending on the type of help. If you want to use your familiar every round to fly in someone's face then someone might use a reaction to smack him. You might be a little less judicious about using your familiar like this every round if you keep having to replace him, but you would still do it if you really needed to. I think this is where the balance should be `

[@PowderKeg3838]

Take an Owl and they get disengage every round so there are no attacks of opportunity.

[@saytr4]

@@PowderKeg3838 ..thus the houserule..

[@coltonweir4209]

Owl has flyby

[@saytr4]

@@coltonweir4209 ...thus, the houserule.

[@anthonynorman7545]

I have a very unique campaign coming up. There will be 3 of us and we'll be the 1st humans with access to magic. I'm going to be a wizard whose a standard human (required). My stats after +1 are: 18, 15, 7, 16, 15, 15. I'm playing with an open hand monk and an undecided 3rd. We're going 0 to 9ish My goal is to become immortal. The DM likes rp, hates find familiar and dislikes illusion. Any ideas for spell selection, spell school, feats, or ability score allocation? I might have to be the face. I was thinking of 18 int, 16 con, 15 dex, 15 cha, 15 wis, 7 str as an enchanter but I'm worried about having to be in melee range for the charm ability. Thanks to all who reply!

[@Aequilix]

Anthony Norman Sounds like your DM just hates magic. All jokes aside, focus on the other utility aspects of wizards aside from illusions and find familiar. And use your 'big gun' spells accordingly.

[@anthonynorman7545]

@@Aequilix he doesn't hate magic, he hates creativity and "bending" of the rules...hmm never mind that IS magic! lol Yeah, I prefer utility. If I wanted to be a blaster I'd have been a sorcerer and if I wanted to be a glass cannon I'd have been a warlock.

[@michaelwinter742]

How about a guide to using items instead of spells? :-D

[@TreantmonksTemple]

Which items?

[@michaelwinter742]

Mundane items like: caltrops, grease, bombs, levers, a fish tackle, acid vial, manacles, spyglass, etc.

[@togotfury]

i honestly hate the sleep spell. every time i try to use it in combat it's just a waste of time.

[@starmada105]

You should play variant human and take magic initiate. More damage options generally. Take eldritch blast, some random warlock cantrip and witchbolt. This is soooooooo helpful. Take the buff to intelligence and charisma for the warlock spells, and a skill that you didn’t get from your wizard list that is intelligence.

[@WexMajor82]

Sleep on rats is simply awesome.

[@SigurdBraathen]

My question about low level wizard tactics: If I'm playing an evil wizard and my party sucks: How do I mid-combat best get the heck out of there, preferably without risking to ever meeting the party again? Yours truly, Evil Wizard.