The Wizard

Aaah, the Wizard, the class that has the reputation to be at the absolute top of the so called “tiers”, with an incomparable flexibility and a capacity to deal with any situation thrown at them with a single well placed spell.

The wizard are indeed quite powerful, and I would like to showcase it with these five builds.

A Note on Spells

Wizards can theoretically learn all the spells on their spell list and are specifically built to be able to learn as many spells as possible from scrolls your party will be able to buy or find in their adventures. As such, I will not provide a list of spells known with each build as this list will rapidly be overtaken via in-game research and scrolls finding. What I will do is name a few spells that either compliment the playstyle and theme of the build and I will let you choose the rest as you see fit.

The Base Wizard

The classic Wizard is one that is prepared for any eventualities, and can with but a spell turn around an entire combat on its head. This is what we will be achieving with this build.

Class

Wizard 20

Favored School

Divination

Opposition Schools

Evocation, Necromancy

Race

We will go for an Elf with the Fleet-Footed Alternate Racial Trait.

Ability Scores

Round up Con if odd, otherwise everything in Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 7/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 13/Int 20/Wis 9/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 18/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 7

Traits

Reactionary of course for more Initiative, and the second one is up to you.

Favored Class Bonus

We are putting everything in HP with these.

Skills

Spellcraft and various Knowledge and Crafts.

Feats and Arcane Discoveries by Level

1-Improved Initiative Elf Bonus-Run

Wizard Bonus 1-Scribe Scroll

3-Toughness

5-Craft Wondrous Items Bonus

5-Fast Study

7-Extend Spell

9-Craft Magic Weapons and Armor

Bonus 10-Opposition Research(Evocation)

11-Quicken Spell

13-Craft Construct

15-Craft Rod

Bonus 15-True Name

17-Craft Ring

19-Craft Wand

Bonus 20-True Name

We get the two Metamagic feats that we really need to be the best Battlefield Controller, namely Extend Spell and Quicken Spell, we otherwise get a variety of Craft feats, eventually getting Craft Construct, allowing us to go around with a Golem (our aim at high level is an Adamantine Golem). Fast Study lets us prepare our spells in the morning much faster, Opposition Research lets us use Evocation spells without each spell eating two spell slots which is great, and we get two True Names. I recommend one Fiend and one Celestial, both can have up to 18HD so you have many options there. Summoning these two is essentially free but don’t forget to reward both accordingly to make sure they don’t stab you in the back. To give you a vague idea of how op this is: a Planetar Angel has 17HD and a Marilith has 16HD.

Remember how the Summoner is op? Yeah, you can do his Eidolon, but better. The only reason the Summoner is better is because he can do it from the get go and you have to wait a long time to do it. But when you do boi. You could technically spam all your lvl 11+ feats into this ability but we want our GM to not completely and utterly hate us here, so between two 18HD Outsiders and an Adamantine Golem, you’ll need to be content with this.

Also, if you follow my Arcane Bond counsel and take a Compsognathus Familiar, at lvl 1 your Initiative will be +17. Unless your GM unilaterally decides you don’t, you are going first.

Arcane Bond

As mentioned, do yourself a favor and get a Compsognathus Familiar.

Spells

Fabricate+Iron Wall for infinite money shenanigans(useful to create Adamantine Golem), Color Spray will be your main spell early on. Mage Armor will give you some good AC. Otherwise focus on Battlefield Control spells: Create Pit, Black Tentacles, Web, Information Gathering Spells: Scrying, Arcane Eye, Invisibility, Summon Monster and other various utility spells Rope Trick, Tiny Hut, Contingency, Teleport.

Equipment

Frankly, all you need are your Craft Tools, your Spellbook and your Component Pouch. If you absolutely must, grab yourself a Shortbow I guess.

Final Thoughts on the Build

So at lvl 20 you will auto roll 46 on all Initiative Checks, will be going around with two 18HD Outsiders, have a Adamantine Golem(or two or three), and that’s before casting spells or using Craft shenanigans to have a million Intelligent Magic Items that all will be able to cast spells on their own to help you too.

Wizards have a reputation for a damned reason and I believe this build is an “nuff said” in and of itself.

The Darkfire Conjurer

So, all that is good and all right, but what if we wanted to tell the Summoner to shove it and retake our glorious throne as the strongest class in the game?

Well, we want the Darkfire Adept Prestige Class. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Wizard 5/Darkfire Adept 10/Wizard +5

Favored School

Conjuration (Infernal Binder)

Opposition Schools:

Abjuration, Necromancy

Race

Let’s go for Tiefling here. We’re taking the base Tiefling too, but we are taking the Prehensile Tail Alternate Racial Feature.

Ability Scores

Put everything into Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 19/Wis 10/Cha 5

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 5

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 16/Con 16/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 5

Traits

Fiendish Presence gives you Diplomacy as a Class Skill, pick Clever Wordplay for Intelligence to Diplomacy.

Favored Class Bonus

HP, we will never have enough of these.

Skills

Spellcraft, Diplomacy, all the Knowledge, but especially Arcane and Planes.

Feats and Arcane Discoveries by Level

1-Spell Focus(Conjuration)

Wizard Bonus 1-Scribe Scrolls

3-Augment Summoning

5-Extend Spell Bonus

5-Fast Study

Bonus 6-Sacred Summon

7-Elongated Cranium

9-Quicken Spell

11-Craft Magic Weapons and Armor

13-Craft Wondrous Items

15-Craft Construct

17-Persuasive

Bonus 17-Improved Familiar

19-Skill Focus(Diplomacy)

Bonus 20-Opposition Research(Abjuration)

So your Diplomacy is through the roof, you still get to have an Adamantine Golem and your Summons are really, really powerful and stay longer. Neat.

Arcane Bond

Take a Pig early on, at lvl 17 it will be eaten by your new Imp Familiar but it will give you a +3 on Diplomacy Check which you will desperately need.

Spells

You will take all the Summon Monsters and Planar Binding. Fabricate+Wall of Iron is straight up in your speciality. Conjuration has quite the large array of useful spells too such as Dimension Door, Teleport and the like. Invest primarily in those, but do not forget your other spells such as Contingency, Haste and even Fireball.

Equipment

Spellbook. Component Pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build

Your Diplomacy at lvl 1 should be around +12 which in itself is very good(as Diplomacy is a great skill anyway). But combined with your later access to Planar Binding spells will make having Fiends around much easier. Darkfire Adept let us do something even the Summoner cannot: Cast Conjurations inside Antimagic Spheres. Meaning nothing can stop our infernal army from bringing utter destruction upon our enemies. Oh, and our Summons can use their Summon Abilities now because we are just that messed up. We can also assume control of summoned creatures as the ultimate “screw you” to Summoners who make the mistake of thinking Summon Eidolon was a good backup spell to call forth their primary class feature at a moment’s notice.

The Spellslinger

So you want to play a monster, in the body of a little girl? Specifically this little girl who may or may not have been a Japanese Businessman in a previous life? (If you know, you know.)

Well, guess what? Yep. Got a build for ya.

We’re taking the Spellslinger Archetype all the way to lvl 20.

Class

Wizard (Spellslinger) 20

Favored School

Guns.

Opposition Schools

Conjuration, Enchantment, Illusion, Necromancy. Ouch. Four of em. Mind you, we can still use Opposition Schools unlike in 3.5, but it hurts nonetheless.

Editor’s note: But Guns.

Race

So, we will be picking Human with the Young Creature Template applied to it. It means we will have a severe debuff to Strength and Constitution, but a massive boost to Dexterity and will be Small Sized which is advantageous for us. Put your Floating +2 in Intelligence of course.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 3/Dex 15/Con 10/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 3/Dex 15/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 3/Dex 18/Con 12/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 7

Traits

Oh we absolutely want Reactionary here. And Clever Wordplay to get Intelligence to Diplomacy. Via the Additional Traits, we’ll also pick Insider Knowledge to get Diplomacy as a Class Skill, Denial of Fate is just a good clutch ability to avoid dying with our low HP.

Favored Class Bonus

HP HP HP HP we are a battlefield wizard. This means all the HP we can get we get.

Skills

Spellcraft, Diplomacy, and all the Knowledges.

Feats and Arcane Discoveries by Level

1-Toughness

Human Bonus-Point-Blank Shot

Wizard Bonus 1-Gunsmithing

3-Precise Shot

5-Rapid Reload

Bonus 5-Fast Study

7-Rapid Shot

9-Deadly Aim

Bonus 10-Opposition Research(Illusion)

11-Spell Penetration

13-Greater Spell Penetration

15-Improved Initiative

Bonus 15-Extend Spell

17-Quicken Spell

19-Empower Spell Bonus

20-Maximize Spell

We are using Guns with Spells! Because we are literally that little girl, flying over the battlefield and destroying any opposition we may encounter. Toughness gives us some well wanted HP from the get go, and Precise Shot is a no-brainer for using a Gun. Eventually, Quicken Spell, Maximize Spell, Empower Spell and Extend Spell will give us some great spellcasting capabilities, and Spell Penetration makes dealing with Spell Resistance a fairly trivial affair. We still are attacking 3/Round with our Rifle which is fairly good and when buffed, and the fact that we are using a gun so likely attacking against Touch AC, we are comparable to many ranged combatant classes which is great!

Spells

We are the blaster wizard so go ham on Ray spells, which you can shoot from your gun btw and all the buff spells you can get. Haste, Cat’s Grace, Mage Armor, Shield, Fly(This one in particular is extremely necessary). Fireballs and Cosmic Ray are all great takes, so is Disintegrate and Hellfire Ray. As I said, go ham on damage spells, you’ve earned the right to be a blaster wizard. Also, pick Reloading Hand because screw reloading rules, you are a wizard.

Equipment

You start with a Rifle for free, get yourself a spellbook, a Component Pouch and a Uniform.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You bring carnage on the battlefield, are a shrewd social character via your fairly high Diplomacy bonus, can do very well with only your rifle if you run out of spells, can buff yourself and allies and bring torrents of damage on the battlefield by yourself.

Truly, you are a monster. In the guise of a little girl

The Eccentric Artificer

So, remember the Golem shenanigans we have used until now? Remember how Wizards are the ultimate “screw you” to encounters so far? Want to crank both up to 11?

Enters the Clocksmith Archetype and the Riftwarden Prestige Class. Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Wizard (Clocksmith) 5/Riftwarden 10/Wizard (Clocksmith) +5

Favored School

Abjuration

Opposition Schools

Conjuration, Necromancy

Race

We shall go for Dwarf here, with the Industrious Urbanite, Craftsman and Unstoppable Alternate Racial Traits, which will turn crafting into a very rapid process and makes you much more hardy early on.

Ability Scores

Put everything in Intelligence

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 12/Con 16/Int 18/Wis 12/Cha 5

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 11/Con 18/Int 18/Wis 12/Cha 5

25Point-Buy

Str 7/ Dex 11/Con 20/Int 18/Wis 10/Cha 5

Traits

Spark of Creation reduces GP cost of magic items by 5% and gives us a +1 on all craft checks, Dusk Agent gives you 10% increase in profit for work and a 10% discount on buying things which will help us a lot until we can Wall of Iron+Fabricate.

Favored Class Bonus

HP, what else were you expecting?

Skills

Spellcraft, various Crafts.

Feats and Arcane Discoveries by Level

1-Spell Focus(Abjuration) Dwarf Bonus-Toughness Wizard Bonus

1-Craft Construct

3-Craft Wondrous Items

5-Spell Penetration

Bonus 5-Arcane Builder(Constructs)

7-Craft Wands

9-Craft Magic Weapons and Armor

11-Craft Rods

13-Forge Ring

15-Greater Spell Penetration

17-Improved Counterspell

19-Improved Initiative Bonus

20-Fast Study

You have all the great Craft feats, Spell Penetration and even Improved Counterspell which makes you a great anti-wizard build by itself, along with all the magic items you craft at an insane speed and at a reduced cost.

Spells

This build wants Fabricate+Wall of Iron. We also want good defensive spells such as Shield, Magic Circle against Evil, Dispel Magic and various Abjurations will be our bread and butter, but do not forget a certain degree of offenses and buffs via spells such as Haste, Fly, Web and good ol’ Fireball.

Equipment

You want Masterwork Artisan Tools, your Spellbook and a Component Pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build

You can craft items(including Constructs) in half the time, have a fairly large amount of HP for a Wizard, get discounts on Crafting magic items which means more magic items, multiplying your efficiency drastically, and just overall being an absolute beast crafter with your own army of Clockwork creatures which are fairly brutal creatures themselves. On top of that, you can reverse Teleportation which is the biggest screw you ever, Counterspell Summon Monster spells as an immediate action which will make Summoners mad, and you can Channel Energy to harm any Outsider and give them several debuffs on top of…you know…being a Wizard to begin with.

The Scroll Lord

Okay but what if we wanted to make the Wizardest of all the Wizards. The kind of wizards that live, breathe, smell and eat a diet composed strictly of scrolls and spellbooks?

We will take two Archetypes here: Scrollmaster and Scroll Scholar, and the Prestige Class Cyphermage.

Our leveling should look like the following:

Class

Wizard (Scrollmaster, Scroll Scholar) 5/Cyphermage 10/Wizard (Scrollmaster, Scroll Scholar) +5

Favored School

Universalist

Race

We will go for a Half-Elf, putting our floating +2 into Intelligence.

Ability Scores

Once again, we are putting everything into Intelligence.

15Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 13/Con 13/Int 20/Wis 10/Cha 7

20Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 14/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 7

25Point-Buy

Str 7/Dex 14/Con 16/Int 20/Wis 11/Cha 7

Traits

Reactionary is great, Hedge Magician will save us so much money in the long term from all these scrolls

Favored Class Bonus

Yeah, if you called HP, you were, in fact, correct.

Skills

Spellcraft, Knowledge(various but especially Arcane), Linguistics.

Feats and Arcane Discoveries by Level

1-Orator

Half-Elf Bonus-Skill Focus(Linguistics)

Wizard Bonus 1-Scribe Scroll

3-Cypher Magic

5-Weapon Finesse Bonus

5-Extend Spell

7-Craft Magic Weapons and Armor

9-Quicken Spell

11-Craft Wondrous Items

13-Craft Constructs

15-Spell Penetration

17-Greater Spell Penetration

19-Improved Initiative

Bonus 20-Knowledge is Power

So we have Orator meaning we are a top tier Social Character by default. Extend Spell and Quicken Spell are our two main Metamagic, Craft Construct will eventually lend us an Adamantine Golem which is stupid, Spell Penetration is good against Spell Resistance and Knowledge is Power is a surprisingly good capstone, letting us use Intelligence on CMB and CMD making those workable. As we can use Scrolls as finessable weapons, Weapon Finesse becomes good for when we have no choice but to become stabby ourselves.

Cypher Lore by Level

Glyph Finder

Swift Scrivener

8-Enhance Scroll

9-Defensive Scroll Caster

10-Analyze Scroll

11-Sin Summoning

12-Focused Scroll

13-Bypass Symbol

14-Extend Scroll

Being able to scribe 2 scrolls per day is essentially doubling our pool of spells we can cast outside of our spell slots which is stupid good, Glyph Finder lets us find and disarm glyphs and symbol spells like a rogue but using Knowledge(Arcane) and Spellcraft, we get bonus on Concentration when reading Scrolls, and we can significantly increase the power of our various scrolls. Plus we get to add a few neat creatures to our Summon Monster spells which is nice.

Spells

As a generalist, the world’s your oyster. Still I would recommend Intelligence Gathering spells such as Scrying, Invisibility, Detect Thoughts, Battlefield Control Spells such as Web and Black Tentacles, along with great buffs such as Form of the Dragon, Fly, Haste and mixing in panic buttons such as Dimension Door, See Invisibility, Contingency and Teleport. You can also afford to prepare a Fireball or two for additional damage. I know how satisfying it is to roll a handful of d6s of damage 😉 Oh yeah, don’t forget Fabricate+Wall of Iron.

Equipment

All the scrolls, ink, spellbook, component pouch.

Final Thoughts on the Build

We have so many Scrolls that we can use in a variety of ways, boosting our defenses and offense, on top of essentially tripling our spellcasting resources which is downright broken. We also get our Adamantine Golem plus all our other shenanigans, and since Necromancy isn’t an Opposition School, we can on top of Summoning legions of monsters and constructs, have our own private army of zombies and skeletons that we can keep in a Portable Hole.

And with our vast array of Scrolls, we can have a panic button ready for quite literally any situation ever, even if we didn’t prepare our spells in advance.

Stupid. Downright Stupid.