Author Topic: Question about wizards and preparing spells (Read 4833 times)

EntropicShadow · « **on:** May 30, 2008, 06:10:15 AM »

Ok, so looking over those nice "early versions" of the books I preordered, I came up with question about how a wizard prepares their spells.

I know that the wizard knows more daily and utility powers than other classes, but they have to prepare which ones to take after an extended rest. This piece here is what I have a bit of confusion over.

Quote from: Player's Handbook 158

Does anything in this or the rest of the Spellbook class feature or the powers themselves prevent you from just preparing your highest level powers in all your slots? The way I understand it, a 6th level wizard has 2 level 2 utility spells and 2 level 6 utility spells, and can prepare 2 utility spells per day. So why not just prepare both of your level 6 spells?

Thanks in advance.

EDIT:
The more I stare at this, the more I think that "according to what you can cast per day for your level" might very well prevent this. But other opinions (or solid facts) are still appreciated.

MittenNinja · « **Reply #1 on:** May 30, 2008, 06:33:40 AM »

Whenever you gain an additional daily power you pick two of that level. After every extended rest you choose one of each level you know to prepare, the other is unusable.

For example:
You're a 5th level wizard and know Flaming Sphere(2nd), Acid Arrow(2nd), Fireball(5th), and Web(5th).
After your extended rest you can choose one 2nd level daily and one 5th level daily power to prepare. So you could pick Flaming Sphere and Fireball, or Acid Arrow and Web for example.

EntropicShadow · « **Reply #2 on:** May 30, 2008, 06:49:37 AM »

Seems fair. It also seems like Wizards are still going to destroy any encounter that they can prepare for.

LogicNinja · « **Reply #3 on:** May 30, 2008, 07:02:51 AM »

Quote from: EntropicShadow on May 30, 2008, 06:49:37 AM

Seems fair. It also seems like Wizards are still going to destroy any encounter that they can prepare for.

Not so much. Your control spells are going to last 1-2 rounds, generally. The good stuff will have its effect on the battle, then fade away. No more "confusion, LOLZ, we win" bullshit.

heffroncm · « **Reply #4 on:** May 30, 2008, 02:18:33 PM »

Quote from: LogicNinja on May 30, 2008, 07:02:51 AM

Quote from: EntropicShadow on May 30, 2008, 06:49:37 AM
Seems fair. It also seems like Wizards are still going to destroy any encounter that they can prepare for.

Not so much. Your control spells are going to last 1-2 rounds, generally. The good stuff will have its effect on the battle, then fade away. No more "confusion, LOLZ, we win" bullshit.

It dose seem, though, that as they get to higher levels they'll have so very many debilitating AoE effects that they'll be screwing with large portions of the enemy every turn. I like it. It's not the two spell wins of the past, but it maintains the same flavor.

pfooti · « **Reply #5 on:** May 30, 2008, 02:28:33 PM »

Yeah, and as I can see it, Orb wizards will get to keep those AoEnnoyances going for quite some time as well. The new evards black tentacles is pretty beef. I'm so glad I get to play GOD in 4e.

brislove · « **Reply #6 on:** May 30, 2008, 02:44:07 PM »

God/batman is still viable as a wizard build. The difference is that the encounters are designed to have more monsters, and the fights last more then 3 rounds...so the control effects aren't effectively save or dies.

EntropicShadow · « **Reply #7 on:** May 30, 2008, 03:24:26 PM »

I am perfectly ok without the save or dies. They kind of ruin the fun for everybody not playing a wizard.

brislove · « **Reply #8 on:** June 03, 2008, 03:53:45 PM »

I like the way wizards work right now. They do close to as much damage as strikers (maybe more actually) but they spread it out over multiple targets, and multiple rounds, also you usually delay the enemies actions a bit

. But controlling is mainly to stave off enemies for a couple rounds, whilst you and your party hurts them.

Treantmonklvl20 · « **Reply #9 on:** June 04, 2008, 10:08:57 AM »

My initial impression is that the God wizard is completely viable in 4e - except you must focus on battlefield control (which is fine).

I'm playing with some Cleric Multiclassing options so God can have buff as a secondary purpose. Not sure how viable that is yet - need to experiment with some builds.

Not going too far into it until I have a book in my hands - I hate PDF's.

However, rest assured - "Treantmonk's Guide to Wizards - being a 4e God" is coming. Probably weeks away though.

Treantmonklvl20 · « **Reply #10 on:** June 05, 2008, 01:21:51 AM »

Quote from: Treantmonklvl20 on June 04, 2008, 10:08:57 AM

However, rest assured - "Treantmonk's Guide to Wizards - being a 4e God" is coming. Probably weeks away though.

I am such a liar:

http://forums.gleemax.com/showthread.php?t=1041166

OK - a finished product is a ways off.

Mister D · « **Reply #11 on:** June 06, 2008, 11:26:49 AM »

Are you sure you can only prepare one daily per level? It doesn't seem too clear to me, especially since you can, for example, choose to learn a lower level dayly than you could...

Mister D · « **Reply #12 on:** June 06, 2008, 11:53:33 AM »

I re-read the spellbook paragraph in the wizard's entry. It simply says that you can prepare each day spells in a number available to you according to your level. It doesn't seem very logical to me that they must be one 1st lvel, one 5th, etc. The way I read it, they can be two 1st or two 5th, too. Am I missing some important line?

brislove · « **Reply #13 on:** June 08, 2008, 06:22:19 AM »

I have to agree with that. It appears as written that wizards can certainly prepare a number of spells equal to that total they could cast. so they could prepare 2 5th level spells. This makes expanded spell-book nearly a must have, as you can have 3 powers of your highest level prepared (for dailies/utilities).

Can anyone disprove this?

I re-posted your first post over on the wotc boards, I'm not wondering about this...hmm....

EntropicShadow · « **Reply #14 on:** June 08, 2008, 06:28:52 AM »

Even when I originally asked this, I was pretty sure of the intent on it. But it is always fun find the holes in a system.

brislove · « **Reply #15 on:** June 10, 2008, 02:39:40 AM »

I found it! a table that shows what powers/level you are supposed to have.

DMG Page 143! Also definitive proof that you must use your paragon powers.

heffroncm · « **Reply #16 on:** June 10, 2008, 02:49:45 AM »

Quote from: brislove on June 10, 2008, 02:39:40 AM

I found it! a table that shows what powers/level you are supposed to have.

DMG Page 143! Also definitive proof that you must use your paragon powers.

Was the chart on page 29 of the PHB not good enough?

brislove · « **Reply #17 on:** June 10, 2008, 04:40:20 PM »

Quote from: heffroncm on June 10, 2008, 02:49:45 AM

Was the chart on page 29 of the PHB not good enough?

In fact it wasn't thus the entire discussion about whether a 5th level wizard could prepare 2 5th level dailies. which by the chart in the PHB you certainly could. It also told you when you gained paragon powers, but did not say that a wizard must have them prepared. The DMG table shows what powers you have prepared at a given level, such as at level 20 you have.

P/9/15/19 daily power slots.

pfooti · « **Reply #18 on:** June 10, 2008, 04:52:00 PM »

Also, if you go to this page here

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4mst/ask

There's links to the new and expanding FAQs for all the books. The wizard question is handled there.

heffroncm · « **Reply #19 on:** June 10, 2008, 04:58:08 PM »

Quote from: pfooti on June 10, 2008, 04:52:00 PM

Also, if you go to this page here

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/4mst/ask

There's links to the new and expanding FAQs for all the books. The wizard question is handled there.

I'm impressed that they are actually tackling these quickly. With any luck, this trend will continue, and any holes the masses find will be fixed within days of the books being released.

Now let's see if they can tackle the Skill Challenge issue in the DMG FAQ...

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Author Topic: Question about wizards and preparing spells (Read 4833 times)