Evocation and conjuration

[Kaos]

I recently (being yesterday), made a universalist wizard. Chaotic good, elven (male) wizard. Simply, generic. Classic.
I wanted to opt for evocation, as I like throwing out 12d6 damage :p, and summoning.

A big bummer for me in 5e, is the lack of summon x spells. So I thought I would finally try out summoning. But I don't want to restrict myself from using other schools of magic.

I ramble. Sorry. What are some good general spells I am forgetting? It's been almost 4 years since I played 3e and my 5e brain is still on full throttle.
I need (other than summon, monster) some good recommdations for conjuration, and evocation spells.
Also, spells foe surviving...
I forgot how squishy wizards where!

[haplok]

Grease, Glitterdust, entire Pit line, Web (T here), Stinking Cloud, Chains of Light

See a pattern? :)
Well, there's also Icy Prison, Sirocco and Mass Icy Prison. Plus Slow, Phantasmal Web, Phantasmal Putrefaction.

Then you have buffs, like Sense Vitals, Haste, Heroism, Greater Heroism, Enlarge, Legendary Proportions (for your martials), Frightful Presence, Shield, Sea Mantle, Fiery Body.

For damage.. let's see... Fireball, Chain Lightning, Stormbolts (!). Single target Scorching Ray, Hellfire Ray.

But if you're serious about doing damage, you should definitely take the Arcane Trickster Prestige Class. It allows you to add sneak attack damage dice to spells (initially only single target - including unlimited touch attack cantrips, like Acid Splash, but at level 10 with Surprise Spells cap also to aoe spells).

You'll double your fireball's damage that way (not counting Maximize) and for example Ice Storm / Vulcanic Eruption normally do only 2d6 + 3d6 damage (no save), but on an AT with Sense Vitals buff active regular 2d6+3d6 damage in a huge range will be increased by 12d6 (again, no save).

Your top damage spells like Stormbolts can still be boosted by AT bonus damage by about 30%.

[Finrod]

Originally posted by Legendary Taco:

A big bummer for me in 5e, is the lack of summon x spells. So I thought I would finally try out summoning. But I don't want to restrict myself from using other schools of magic.

I don't know how it works on 5e, but in pathfinder, opposition school spells take 2 spell slots to cast, but you can use them. Opposition school it is not an absolute restriction as it was on 2 ed advanced (Baldur Gate). And I am sure you can choose 2 schools that you won't use much. (Enchantment and divination maybe?)
Octavia, the NPC prepared for arcane trickster, has abjuration and necromancy as opposed schools. (Not the best choice, I would have liked her casting necromancy at 1 spell per slot)
Still, I use her evocation and transmutation (disintegrate) and she's very effective, as AT adds sneak attacks to spells

[Gregorovitch]

I play a wizard, Conjugation. I also use Octavia (Transmutation) so I have two.

Snowball is good early game, better than magic missile I think. Scorching Ray and Hellfire Ray are especially good for Octavia (she an AT, get's sneak damage) but I empower both for both my wizards.
Webs, grease and clouds are always a favourite.
#1 spell for me is Scirocco
Scirocco + web + sticking cloud + cloudkill is.......nasty. Very nasty. Mercifully the AI doesn't seem to know that.
Prismatic Spray is a one-shot battle winner.
Of the summons my favourite is the Bogeymen. Mercifully the enemies don't seem to summon them much.
There is a spell that 100% protects your own chars from your own fire damage (can't remember it's name offhand). Which means you can sling fireballs into the melee with impunity.

[Kaos]

[/quote]

I don't know how it works on 5e, but in pathfinder, opposition school spells take 2 spell slots to cast, but you can use them. Opposition school it is not an absolute restriction as it was on 2 ed advanced (Baldur Gate). And I am sure you can choose 2 schools that you won't use much. (Enchantment and divination maybe?)
Octavia, the NPC prepared for arcane trickster, has abjuration and necromancy as opposed schools. (Not the best choice, I would have liked her casting necromancy at 1 spell per slot)
Still, I use her evocation and transmutation (disintegrate) and she's very effective, as AT adds sneak attacks to spells [/quote]

Huh. I tought it banned schools of magic. Dammit. Then I could've specialized! Oh well. In 5e you get features tied to youe school of choice. Nothing like 3e or pathfinder.
I better read up on wizards some more. They are surprisingly different in pathfinder than 3e!

[Kaos]

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

I play a wizard, Conjugation. I also use Octavia (Transmutation) so I have two.

Snowball is good early game, better than magic missile I think. Scorching Ray and Hellfire Ray are especially good for Octavia (she an AT, get's sneak damage) but I empower both for both my wizards.
Webs, grease and clouds are always a favourite.
#1 spell for me is Scirocco
Scirocco + web + sticking cloud + cloudkill is.......nasty. Very nasty. Mercifully the AI doesn't seem to know that.
Prismatic Spray is a one-shot battle winner.
Of the summons my favourite is the Bogeymen. Mercifully the enemies don't seem to summon them much.
There is a spell that 100% protects your own chars from your own fire damage (can't remember it's name offhand). Which means you can sling fireballs into the melee with impunity.

But doesn't cloud spells hit my party? Even if I was CE I still need to to survive. :p

[Kaos]

Originally posted by haplok:

Grease, Glitterdust, entire Pit line, Web (T here), Stinking Cloud, Chains of Light

See a pattern? :)
Well, there's also Icy Prison, Sirocco and Mass Icy Prison. Plus Slow, Phantasmal Web, Phantasmal Putrefaction.

Then you have buffs, like Sense Vitals, Haste, Heroism, Greater Heroism, Enlarge, Legendary Proportions (for your martials), Frightful Presence, Shield, Sea Mantle, Fiery Body.

For damage.. let's see... Fireball, Chain Lightning, Stormbolts (!). Single target Scorching Ray, Hellfire Ray.

But if you're serious about doing damage, you should definitely take the Arcane Trickster Prestige Class. It allows you to add sneak attack damage dice to spells (initially only single target - including unlimited touch attack cantrips, like Acid Splash, but at level 10 with Surprise Spells cap also to aoe spells).

You'll double your fireball's damage that way (not counting Maximize) and for example Ice Storm / Vulcanic Eruption normally do only 2d6 + 3d6 damage (no save), but on an AT with Sense Vitals buff active regular 2d6+3d6 damage in a huge range will be increased by 12d6 (again, no save).

Your top damage spells like Stormbolts can still be boosted by AT bonus damage by about 30%.

I don't have any levels in rogue. I found myself wanting the high level spells of a wizard whenever I was playing my grenadier. And saw Octavia level up. Getting spells like ♥♥♥♥♥♥♥ Christmas Eve! So I wanted a wizars myself. I didn't plan on going into rogue. But maybe it's worth it. It just has to make sense for the character of couse :p.
btw. I'm level 4. So helldire ray is out of reach for some time!

[Gregorovitch]

Originally posted by Legendary Taco:

But doesn't cloud spells hit my party? Even if I was CE I still need to to survive. :p

I have my wizards cast web and scorocco first in front of my melee line. Then add clouds, horrid wilting/prismatic spray and such. I have melee AI turned off so they stay put out of danger on the edge of it. The advantage the enemies have in this game is there are a lot of them and they are tough/dangerous. The advantage you have is that you can see them before they see you.

But you can't always do this which is why I'm also big on ranged touch spells like scorching ray to kill them as fast as possible and summons to keep them at bay.

[haplok]

Originally posted by Gregorovitch:

Originally posted by Legendary Taco:

But doesn't cloud spells hit my party? Even if I was CE I still need to to survive. :p

I have my wizards cast web and scorocco first in front of my melee line. Then add clouds, horrid wilting/prismatic spray and such. I have melee AI turned off so they stay put out of danger on the edge of it. The advantage the enemies have in this game is there are a lot of them and they are tough/dangerous. The advantage you have is that you can see them before they see you.

But you can't always do this which is why I'm also big on ranged touch spells like scorching ray to kill them as fast as possible and summons to keep them at bay.

I don't use Sirroco. Would be too annoying for my melees :P

But clouds (Stinking!, Cloudkill) are not a problem. Have a divine caster use Communal Delay Poison (level 3) and you're entire party is immune to the effect - for a loooong time.

There's even a Kingdom Project to gain poison immunity within your claimed territories.

[pie gie]

For Arcane trickster
9 Levels in Wizard
1 level in Vivisectionist, not Rogue
10 levels in Arcane trickster


It's a great class, especially if you aren't playing with mods.

[haplok]

Originally posted by pie gie:

For Arcane trickster
9 Levels in Wizard
1 level in Vivisectionist, not Rogue
10 levels in Arcane trickster


It's a great class, especially if you aren't playing with mods.

Indeed, 1 Vivi is a better dip. Actually you may want to finish with 2nd Vivi level at level 20. Pick Cognatogen Discovery and enjoy +4 Alchemical Int bonus to boost your spell DCs by 2.

[ppaladin123]

If you choose the wizard archetype, "Thesselonian Specialist" then your opposition schools are banned just like in 2e and 3.5. Also each specialization has specific opposition schools so you don't get to choose what is banned. It's there for people who liked the old school wizard I guess.

[Kaos]

Originally posted by pie gie:

For Arcane trickster
9 Levels in Wizard
1 level in Vivisectionist, not Rogue
10 levels in Arcane trickster


It's a great class, especially if you aren't playing with mods.

I'll have to look it up then. Thanks! :p

[Kaos]

Originally posted by ppaladin123:

If you choose the wizard archetype, "Thesselonian Specialist" then your opposition schools are banned just like in 2e and 3.5. Also each specialization has specific opposition schools so you don't get to choose what is banned. It's there for people who liked the old school wizard I guess.

I wasn't really sure what Thesselonian did so I just went standard wizard.