Tips for a Fledgling Wizard

[sir_blacksoutalot]

I usually stick to melee characters but feeling the urge to mix it up with a caster. Planning to go wizard to start. Been messing around in JEGS, which I know is a bit outdated but still gets the job done when planning out spells.

So I keep looking at my guy’s 4 — let’s count em up, that’s one-two-three-four — 4 HPs and it kind of makes me want to cry. I’m not used to this! Which means at early levels I’m probably doing a whole lot more RP than fighting. I’m cool with that, should be a different kind of challenge.

But once I do push out into fighting mobs, how do you old-pro wizardly types like to gear up for survival? I’m thinking he’ll be relying a lot on using scrolls since spell slots will be so limited. Maybe a wand?

I never twink my guys with gold or gear from my other characters. That always feels so unrewarding. I like to earn it the hard way. Which means I’m probably up for a lot of repeat deaths and banging my head against the wall.

So how to soften the blow so as not to brain myself? I know, find a good meat shield. But what other tricks you wizzies got up your sleeves? Just looking for some friendly banter here and from a generalist point of view (like not a specific build).

[Steve]

If you add up the BGTSCC quests plus what other quests you can safely accomplish with Invisibility scrolls, you can get to Level 3 without one melee finger. Throw some RP XP into the mix and you can hit Level 4, in just a few hours total.

Other advice: find a Fighter. Group and put them between mobs and your Toon.

Remember to USE that INT, mate!!!

[Lockonnow]

you can RP all the way up to lvl 30 if you have more then 3 in you RP party

[Darkcloud777]

When you are strong enough to make it to high hedge and have some gold purchase the highest summon scrolls you can . Buff it up and turn yourself invisible. Go to a map that gives you xp, but not one that can kill your summon. Use the 30 minutes you have with the summon. Be out of the dungeon before it despawns

[K'yon Oblodra]

I honestly have not played low level wizard for a long while and am not sure how I did it, considering it was with +2 ECL for drow it probably was a ton of fun XD.

I think in the very early levels it really helps to have a couple of the +hp items which I think are mostly cheap. I also think I tried to make use of my slightly higher Dexterity by shooting at things before they came closer.

A thing I was wondering for low levels is the use of a sleep wand. As if I recall correctly that allows you to coup de grace.

Other than that I guess summoning scrolls might be good especially those of higher levels but I imagine you'd not be able to cover the costs in the long run.

Later you can from my experience chose between buffing a summon or herding enemies and then blast them with aoe Spells.

Lastly I'd love to invite you to the School of Necromancy, where you could become student and apprentice of mine or another Necromancer, though that would limit you to become a necromancer I guess.

I just got my first apprentice yesterday and am really looking forward for that RP, if you want to join in on that feel welcomed

[Steve]

There is no coup de grace on BGTSCC. Sleep'd mobs just wake up when your PC hits them.

[BDobolina]

I guess I haven't tried it for years, but we used to have coup de grace. I had a rapier with sleep on it that worked great low levels.

[Hoihe]

I guess I haven't tried it for years, but we used to have coup de grace. I had a rapier with sleep on it that worked great low levels.

IIRC coup the grace only works on like HD 4 at most.

[Steve]

I guess I haven't tried it for years, but we used to have coup de grace. I had a rapier with sleep on it that worked great low levels.

I tried that rapier recently and it didn't work for coup de grace. But perhaps I used it in mobs higher than the possible 4 HD limit (which is news to me!).

[K'yon Oblodra]

I know I've seen it work recently but not sure about specifics XD

[Planehopper]

https://nwn2.fandom.com/wiki/Coup_de_grace

[Druchii]

There is no coup de grace on BGTSCC. Sleep'd mobs just wake up when your PC hits them.

Cant speak for "sleep" but this is incorrect as a broad statement, if that was the intention.

I Coup De Grace with my char against Paralysed enemies often.

[Theodore01]

Yes, you get that coup-de-grace message on hitting sleeping foes, it the foe has low hitpoints and gets killed by the hit - otherwise, it just wakes up.

[Druchii]

I believe however that the hit dice requirement is relative to your level.

I only recently became able to coup de grace goblins - and before that dispalcers - before that the slaves.

Problem with sleep is that I think the hit dice are capped by the spell itself and that doesn't scale, quickly making it useless - kinda like the spell Poison.

[chad878262]

Invisibility is your friend
Dimension door is your friend (make or buy a wand)
Summons are your friends
Polymorph self and then shape change are your friends
Never underestimate the power of a first level spell (grease)
Playing a wizard well is hard. It takes practice and skill that only comes with time...as Steve said, use that INT! Analyze.when and why you fail and then plan for how you can avoid it. Eventually you will get better at wizarding...