Author Topic: Wizard Lockdown at Level 6?  (Read 5103 times)

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Epimetheus

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Wizard Lockdown at Level 6?
« on: August 05, 2010, 09:26:04 PM »
Hi all,

I've been playing a wizard in my first serious DnD 4e campaign. I really enjoy the controller role, but upon hitting 6th level, I feel like my character can defeat encounters on his own once a day. (It's not nice to shine too much, so I suppose I'll have to make sure the party's happy with it too.) I keep getting the feeling that we could replace the entire party with wizards (maybe keep a buff/heal leader or two) and win at every encounter. At any rate, I feel like defenders and strikers aren't really needed, if you can shut down the enemy completely and deal free damage every round.

Anyway, here's the 1/day shutdown (my first attempt at one, so please give constructive feedback):
(At this point, this might only work against a few enemies (a 3x3 square), but when your team supports this build, you could get the whole 5x5 of stinking cloud or more)

Human Wizard 6
STR CON DEX INT WIS CHA
8 13 10 20 16 10
Orb of Imposition

HP: 43

1: Action Surge
1human: Enlarge Spell
2: Versatile Expertise (Staff as weapon, Orb as implement)
4: Skill Focus (History) [really]
6: Mark of Storm

Useful skill: History at +18 (3 (lvl/2) + 5 (trained) + 2 (background) + 5 (int) + 3(focus))

At-wills
Scorching Burst
Winged Horde
Thunderwave

Encounters
Orbmaster's Incendiary (Kaboom!) Detonation
Hypnotic Pattern

Dailies (attack-type)
Phantom Chasm
Stinking Cloud

Dailies (peaceful-type)
Sleep
Visions of Avarice

Utility (attack-type)
Strategist's Epiphany
Levitate

Utility (peaceful-type)
Memory to Mist
Dispel Magic

Strategy: (I am using a +1 implement, and have a +10 to attack)
Win initiative with Strategist's Epiphany (Use History check to determine initiative, which at lvl 6 is +18. Also, this initiative can be shared with allies in a close burst 5.)

Turn 1 (me)
Stinking Cloud on a mass of enemies in a 5x5. This blocks line of sight, which is a great counter against any sort of ranged attack. The problem becomes how to keep the enemy in the cloud.
I don't really care if it hits. If it does though, that's 1d10 + 6 poison damage.

Action point is used to throw Phantom Chasm at the middle 3x3. This targets will at +13 (due to Action Surge), so it'll most likely hit, especially if you have some nice leaders that boost hit further upon action pt use.
It immobilizes the enemies regardless though for their coming turn. If it hits, that's 2d6 + 6 psychic damage, and immobilization lasts for their turn and their next turn. (It'll probably hit. And maybe since the enemies cannot see the attack coming, they grant combat advantage. I dunno about this. This sort of thing is very reasonable for the vs reflex bursts, and somewhat reasonable for fort or will bursts.)

This cloud blocks line of sight, so I will not be able to see if people escape, if I am on the ground. This is not okay.

Move action to Levitate, and hover over the cloud, so that I can see if anyone escapes, which they really shouldn't be able to.

Turn 1 (enemies)
Start of turn: Hurt for being in the Stinking Cloud 1d10 + 6 poison damage.
During turn: Can't see (cloud blocks line of sight) and can't escape (immobilized without a save for it). The enemy's lose their actions and are stuck in the cloud for another turn.

Turn 2 (me)
Sustain minor on the Stinking Cloud
Move if desired. Levitate is like a Fly speed 1, and Mark of Storm gives +1 fly speed, so if I need to move I can. Alternatively, move the Stinking cloud.
Scorching Burst is fine for this turn, since enemies should not have been able to escape. 1d6 + 6 on any that are hit.
If you want to hit enemies on the perimeter of the 3x3 that did escape, feel free to Thunderwave them back into the cloud with push 3 (wis) + slide 1 (Mark of Storm). 1d6 + 6 + 1d10 + 6 And Thunderwave can be enlarged too. There are many options for this turn.

Turn 2 (enemies)
Start of turn: Hurt for being in the Stinking Cloud 1d10 + 6 poison damage.
During turn: Can't see and most are still immobilized, ending this turn. Laugh at them. They are useless for this turn too.

Turn 3 (me)
Minor Sustain on Stinking Cloud
Move if you feel like it.
Use Hypnotic Pattern on the enemies. (This requires a space unoccupied by anyone, but since I know that none of them could move there's bound to be a nice spot somewhere nearby.)

Turn 3 (enemies)
Start of turn: Hurt for being in the Stinking Cloud 1d10 + 6 poison damage.
During turn: Can't see still, and I get an Opportunity Attack on each. (+10 vs will to drag them towards the pattern and slowing them for a turn (again, no save))
If successful, which it should be for most enemies, enemies will once again be unable to see and unable to escape (slowed + dragged to center of cloud).

The hairy part is if the DM allows slowed enemies to charge and get the full +2 speed boost, which is just silly. If this is the case, counter with the fact that the enemies have been pulled around in a place that they can't see, so the odds are that they may just charge in the wrong direction. Enemies may escape from the cloud in a random direction, which is why backup wizards surrounding the cloud with Thunderwave would be kinda nice at this point. At any rate, enemies are mostly guaranteed to have wasted their 3rd turn due to this combo.

Turn 4 (me)
Minor Sustain on Stinking Cloud
Use Orbmaster's Incendiary Detonation with Orb of Imposition kicker to knock all enemies that remain in the cloud prone. 1d6 + 6

Turn 4 (enemies)
Start of turn: Hurt for being in the Stinking Cloud 1d10 + 6 poison damage. +2 force for being in the Orb's Detonation Zone.
During turn: Can't see through the cloud and probably prone. But they are very likely to be able to escape now. They'll have wasted their turn (double-move probably needed), but at least they are out now.

Turn 5 can involve some creative movement of the stinking cloud or thunderwaving escaped enemies back into the cloud.

For the enemies in the middle 3x3:
Guaranteed damage: 2d10 + 12 (from being in the cloud at the start of Enemy Turns 1 and 2) and enemies waste Turns 1 and 2. Avg 23 dmg
Very likely damage: 3d10 + 18 + 2d6 + 6 (from being in the cloud at the start of Turns 1-3), wasting Turns 1-3. Avg 46.5 dmg
Moderate luck is needed to deal the initial 1d10 + 6 dmg, Orbmaster's dmg, and Turn 4 start of turn dmg. At any rate, you're very likely to get 1~2 of these on each enemy. I could easily see this dealing 80+ dmg after Turn 5 ends. This is double my character's HP, and occurs without other people helping.

I seriously want to see my wizard take down the entire party because it's possible (PC HP would range from 40 to 60 at this lvl). (Especially if enlarge spell is allowed in its pre-errata form). Yay for nova casting! [My wizard was called a 'pacifist' by one of the members of the party. While he isn't evil, this insult won't be taken lightly.]

Post your objections, improvements, comments, and alternate lockdown builds at this level, if you like too.

awaken DM golem

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Re: Wizard Lockdown at Level 6?
« Reply #1 on: August 07, 2010, 04:43:03 PM »
Take the Mark of Making feat at level 3.
Write it's ritual into your spellbook.
Retrain it away at level 4.
Get the feat slot back and have Enchant ritual in your spellbook.

Make your own gear, gets you stuff your DM won't allow on your Wishlist.

**

I didn't pay much attention to the early Stun-lock stuff,
because it was so Obvious.
Just get a huge pile of penalties, to nail some monster with.
I assumed (correctly) a nerf would happen.
But kudos to the guys that found it and extended it to it's logical conclusion.

So I'm not interested in dumpster diving for this gear and that gear,
that would make this work that much better.
The idea is sound, in any case.
Stunlock-lite is still available ... which is what you are doing.


**

edit - Nox Noctis would tell you a Burst centered on yourself, is easier to get big (or bigger) than a ranged AoE attack.
I think that material is still findable at the wotc site.
« Last Edit: August 07, 2010, 05:08:16 PM by awaken DM golem »