Whenever you are a wizard, primarily thinking of D&D type wizards, do you always pick the same spells?

[ZedClampet]

Started Solasta again last night. Created a wizard and found myself selecting the same spells I've been selecting since the 80's, and ignoring the same spells I've always ignored. Honestly, I don't even know what "Detect Magic" even really does for you, I just know that I really like Magic Missile, Charm, Sleep, etc.

 

[Colif]

For the Duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your Action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any.

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That last sentence might make it useful, depends what rules game uses for spell too. Thats D&D 5th edition.

I don't play enough magic users to have a favorite build type. Last time I played Diablo 3 I tried fire, ice and whatever 3rd is.

 

[Zloth]

Low level wizard spells are junk in D&D. Or at least they were when I was playing, which was a mighty long time ago. Magic missile was the only one worth squat in the long term. Charm person could be good depending on what you were fighting. Web has its uses.

There's a bunch of spells that can be useful outside of battle - which isn't so great in a dungeon crawler. Also, there's some spells that just don't work well in a PC game because their use is so unpredictable. (Wish spells is the classic there.)

 

[ZedClampet]

Low level wizard spells are junk in D&D. Or at least they were when I was playing, which was a mighty long time ago. Magic missile was the only one worth squat in the long term. Charm person could be good depending on what you were fighting. Web has its uses.

There's a bunch of spells that can be useful outside of battle - which isn't so great in a dungeon crawler. Also, there's some spells that just don't work well in a PC game because their use is so unpredictable. (Wish spells is the classic there.)

I'm regretting not taking a couple of utility spells, but I'm not sure if these are all actual D&D spells or if some of them are just specific to the game because there seem to be situations that are designed just to use them. As an example, there's one that lets you climb walls, and I found a place I couldn't figure out any other way to get into. My rogue couldn't climb it with a 20 dexterity.

 

[Pifanjr]

I'm regretting not taking a couple of utility spells, but I'm not sure if these are all actual D&D spells or if some of them are just specific to the game because there seem to be situations that are designed just to use them. As an example, there's one that lets you climb walls, and I found a place I couldn't figure out any other way to get into. My rogue couldn't climb it with a 20 dexterity.

Spider Climb is a spell in D&D. The problem with video games is that a lot of utility spells are often worthless outside of the few times the developers decided to put in a challenge specifically to be solved by that spell. It's a lot harder to do non-combat encounters in video games that require creativity to solve, as you'd have to account all options beforehand and program in responses to each thing the player might try.

Detect Magic is pretty useful to detect magical traps or illusions. Being able to cast it as a ritual (meaning it doesn't cost a spell slot) and a duration of 10 minutes means you can cast it before an encounter or dungeon without spending additional resources.

As for myself, I do tend to gravitate to the same spells as some are just useful more often than others in my experience, but I do also switch it up occasionally by making specific builds or synergies with my party.

 

[Sarafan]

Usually I pick the same spells. The main reason is that these are the most useful ones. I was thinking about doing a playthrough of some D&D games during which I'd pick completely different spells. I'm afraid however that it'll make the game impossible do finish.

I agree that low level mages in D&D are very weak. The real power starts when you get access to Fireball at spell level 3. This plus Haste and the mages get useful.

 

[Pifanjr]

I remember in Eye of the Beholder for the Game Boy Advance the wizard was actually quite useful at low level when dealing with large groups of low level enemies, as a sleep spell could take most of them out of the running long enough to easily mop them up. Of course you could only cast that maybe twice before the wizard was out of spell slots, but that doesn't take away that those two sleep spells were very useful.

 

[Ryzengang]

I'm playing a Wizard in the DnD campaign I recently started. This is my first time playing so I just took cantrips and spells that seemed cool and/or useful.

Cantrips: Firebolt, Light, Mage Hand

1st Level Spells: Feather Fall, Magic Missile, Sleep

2nd Level Spells: Misty Step, Scorching Ray

Those are just my prepared spells, though. I do have more in my spellbook, but I don't recall them off the top of my head. I usually like to have a nice mix of combat spells and utility. As for combat spells, I tend to like the more standard elemental stuff (e.g., fire, lightning). On the utility side there are so many possible ways you can go, especially when playing in a traditional TT session where there are no limitations due to how a game was coded.

 

[FreezerBurn]

Honestly your spell list is gonna change depending on play style. Cantrips are gonna be your bread and butter. for me the mains one are firebolt, light, and either message or mage hand. One of the first level spells I almost always take is witch bolt and magic missile and mage armor. Witch bolt is great because one you hit all you have to do is maintain concentration and it's 1d12 every round.

 

[ZedClampet]

*sigh* Why did I start this thread? Now I have to start over

 

[mainer]

I'm straying a bit off the main topic question here:

Started Solasta again last night. Created a wizard and found myself selecting the same spells I've been selecting since the 80's, and ignoring the same spells I've always ignored.

Glad ot hear it! It's been one of my favorite D&D CRPGs in the last few years and the turn-based combat system is one of the best I've played (I might even become a convert from the Real Time /w Pause combat). Considering that it's an indie game using only the free D&D license, as opposed to the full D&D license (though I don't know what the differences are), it's extremely well done. One thing that I do wish for, is that the UI were a bit smaller and took up less space on the screen.

*sigh* Why did I start this thread? Now I have to start over

I started 3 times before I got the party balance I liked (much like Wasteland 2). It pays to spend time rolling dice to get the main stats you want, and well as other choices like background, sub-classes, known languages, skills, and other choices. One piece of advice I'd give (if you hadn't already noticed it), it that certain skills and other options have no effect in the game. See that little blue exclamation point in the lower right of the skills? Those skills have no use in the game and are a waste of available points. Why were they included? I really don't know, maybe they were features that Tactical Adventures didn't have time to implement.

As to your original question, yes, I tend to pick the same spells over and over in D&D games while ignoring others. If I'm playing a CRPG where I can only create one character (as in the Baldur's Gate games), I never create a mage or sorcerer, as I lean more to a martial arts type character, such as a Ranger, Paladin, or Fighter (though I have multi-classed or dual-classed with the mage).

In CRPG games where I create my entire party, such as Solasta, I always create one as a Mage. Weak in the early levels, they can become mass killers in later levels. Low level spells that I always take and often retain usefulness at higher levels include Magic Missile, Grease, Web, Identify, Mage Armor, Detect Magic are all spells that retain some usefulness, or even scale up, at later levels. Progressing in levels, any elemental damage spell (fire, ice, lightning) are always huge for me, whether and individual target or AOE damage. Also, any mage spell, like Confusion, that can change an enemy's temporary allegiance can change the tide of battle.

Specific to Solasta (since you're currently playing it), are the spells Jump, Climb, Fly, and Daylight. There are certain areas you'll never reach without the first 3 spells, and Daylight will help with undead-type creatures (as undead take continual damage in daylight).

 

[Sarafan]

Those skills have no use in the game and are a waste of available points. Why were they included? I really don't know, maybe they were features that Tactical Adventures didn't have time to implement.

I believe some of these skills are used in the Lost Valley DLC and probably in fan made campaigns. Besides that, they had to be implemented because of D&D license.

 

[mainer]

I believe some of these skills are used in the Lost Valley DLC and probably in fan made campaigns. Besides that, they had to be implemented because of D&D license.

I just recently picked up the Lost Valley DLC on a Steam sale, but haven't played it yet (though I hope to before the end of the year), and have yet to try any of the Workshop content, but it's good to know that some of those unimplemented skills (from the main campaign) may be utilized in the additional content.

I also wasn't aware that they (Tactical Adventures) were required to include those skills as part of the D&D license agreement, it makes more sense to me now why those are in there. At least they marked them to let players know that certain skills don't have any actual affect in the game.

 

[Sarafan]

I also wasn't aware that they (Tactical Adventures) were required to include those skills as part of the D&D license agreement, it makes more sense to me now why those are in there. At least they marked them to let players know that certain skills don't have any actual affect in the game.

I'm not 100% sure that they had to implement the unused skills. I only suspect this. I think it's quite possible, so the game can stay faithful to the license.