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Author: Redweaver
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From Merlin, Gandalf, or Raistlin, to the newer Harry Potter, wizard characters have always played a big part of fantasy literature. Magic is what sets fantasy apart from other genres with it's reality warping abilities. Playing a wizard can be demanding and difficult with the variety of spells open to these characters, and often knowing which spell to use when will be the difference between being a good wizard and a great one. Playing the class is not without it's rewards, however, because often you'll be the only member of your group able to damage your opponents significantly, or one of your buffs will make the difference between completing optional objectives and just finishing the quest.
We'll follow the same steps as my other guides, going from your Race selection, through Ability scores, Skill placement, Feat choices, and finally look at what is possibly the biggest part of playing a wizard, Spells. Being as we are still gathering data on the Action Points available, I'll refrain from discussing them much if at all for now, but I will revisit these guides at a later time to work that information in when we have it. For those coming from other MMOs, open your mind to a wizard class which is more than just a "nuker". That paradigm has changed and there's much more to the DDO wizard than just high burst damage output.
Races:
Humans gain an extra Feat at first level, which is useful for all classes in game. Wizard is no exception, because that extra Feat could be spent on Toughness for a few additional prescious Hit Points (HP), or Dodge for a slight boost to AC, or could get you into a Feat like Improved Cast on the Run sooner than you could have gotten it without. The extra skill points are moderately helpful to a wizard character for getting a useful but not vital skill such as Haggle, Search or Tumble. A player of intermediate skill taking on an advanced class like wizard may be best served with the relatively simpler Human race choice with it's less options and considerations.
Dwarves start with a +2 to Constitution and a -2 to Charisma. The Con bonus adds some of those wonderful HP all wizards can stand to have more of, and adds into the Concentration skill which helps a wizard cast through damage taken. The Cha penalty won't hurt a wizard too much, unless you're wanting to be able to use cleric wands via the Use Magic Device (UMD) skill, or are interested in the Haggle or Diplomacy skills. The dwarven +4 bonus to the Balance skill is neither here nor there for the wizard class, it's just a nice little extra. A well played wizard shouldn't be hit with poison effects too often, so the +2 bonus to poison saves isn't terribly important either, but the +2 bonus to spell saves is a great boon, as you will often find yourself the target of enemy casters. Dwarf is a decent choice for a wizard because their penalties don't really hurt you, but they aren't outstanding because their bonuses don't play to a wizard's strengths. Choosing Dwarf will be an flavor choice for enjoyment and roleplay more than a pick for what they bring to the table stat-wise.
Elves begin play with a +2 bonus to Dexterity and a -2 penalty to Constitution. A well-played wizard shouldn't be getting hit much in melee combat, so the bonus to Armor Class (AC) the extra Dex offers will be the biggest help at low levels when getting whacked is much more likely and much more deadly, and the boost to Reflex saves always comes in handy for avoiding trap and spell effects. The penalty to Con is the other side of that, which reduces your HP each level and thus your ability to survive when damage gets through your defenses. The biggest boon to Elven wizards, I think, is their bonus weapon proficiencies. Having some skill with weapons is a huge plus to lower level characters when spell points run low and to higher levels when rest shrines get further apart. A close second would be the Elven immunity to Sleep and resistance to spells of the enchantment school like Suggestion and Hold Person, because a held or sleeping wizard is a worthless Wizard. Elf is a solid race choice for the wizard class for all player skill levels.
Halflings have a +2 to Dexterity and a -2 to Strength. The minus to Str neither helps nor hinders the wizard character significantly, other than the reduction to encumberance, which only makes worse the Halfling's inherant encumberance penalty. The additional Dex gives Halflings the same boons as to Elves, so no need to repeat them. The small +1 to AC for their size will be most useful at lower levels as will their bonuses to stealth skills which can keep them out of the attention of enemies. Their extra +2 to all saving throws are a big plus for this race and could be a good reason to pick Halfling. Pick Halfling perhaps for a sneaky, damage avoiding wizard that focuses less on pure damage and more on party support or other types of magics.
Warforged get +2 bonus to Constitution and a -2 to both Wisdom and Charisma. More Con means more HP and better Fortitude saves, and both are decent for a wizard but not major if you avoid poison, disease, and damage in general. Cha isn't too important for most wizards, but losing out on some Wis hurts the Will saves most, which reduces your ability to shrug off many enchantments. Their general resistance to poisons, sleep effects, paralysis, disease, nausea, fatigue, and exhaustion are a good thing for wizards, but not vital. The best reason to play a Warforged wizard is that you can be your own cleric with your Repair spells, which can be an even bigger boon if you wish to play a multi-class wizard/melee character. Be aware, however, that the Warforged natural armor can cause your wizard spells to fizzle into uselessness like all armors, and you won't be able to wear any of the variety of magical robes. Warforged as your race is a personal choice much like Dwarves or because you have a solid concept in mind and can require a more advanced player to do well.
Abilities:
Strength. Not terribly important to wizards in general, this stat alters your to-hit bonus, your melee damage, and the amount of weight you can carry in your inventory before becoming encumbered. I would say spend no points in this stat unless additional weight capacity is important to you or you want a bit of extra in the Jump and Swim skills.
Dexterity. More AC and better Reflex saves are useful to almost all characters, but not vital to a wizard. The skills this stat adds to are likewise unimportant for this class unless they fit your build concept. I recommend putting a minimum of 10 into this stat to keep your modifier out of negatives.
Constitution. Here you will gain your additional HP and Fort saves, both useful but not necessary to wizard characters. The best reason to spend points into your Con is for the bonus to the Concentration skill which keeps your casting from being interrupted by damage. I advise a minimum of 12 in this stat to keep your modifier positive.
Intelligence. The single most important Ability score for a wizard because you draw both your bonus mana and the increase in difficulty monsters have resisting your spells from this stat. Warforged will be interested in the bonus to the Repair skill to be gained from a higher Int which will let them gain back more HP when resting at a shrine. The more points you can spare here, the better, though you may not wish to take it all the way to max in order to save points for other stats. You generally will not regret putting extra here. I highly recommend putting at least a 14 into your Int, and more if you can spare it.
Wisdom. This stat alters your Will saving throws and some skills. Higher Will saves will keep many enchantment spells from hitting you, and I can't stress enough how debilitating some of these can be, especially Hold Person. The Heal skill is also based on your Wis modifier, which lets you gain back more HP when resting at shrines. I would suggest a minimum of 10 in this stat so your modifier isn't negative.
Charisma. A high Cha isn't needed by most wizard builds as it won't come into play much unless you're working on your UMD skill for access to cleric wands and scrolls. I say no points are really needed here unless your build wants better UMD, Haggle, or Diplomacy skills.
Skills:
Concentration and Repair are the only skills on the wizard's class skill list. These can be increased by one rank for a single skill point. All other skills are cross-class, and cost two skill points to raise a single rank. Some important skills for a wizard may include Heal (based off Wis), Bluff and Diplomacy (based off Cha). Warforged and those friendly to them will want to put some points into Repair. Keeping your Concentration skill maxed each level is a good idea for all wizards in general. Skill choices will largely be dependant on your exact build, so will be a highly personal choice.
Feats:
Wizards gain a bonus class Feat at first level and every 5 levels thereafter (1, 5, 10, etc) picked from the following list of Metamagic Feats:
Empower Spell
Enlarge Spell
Eschew Materials
Extend Spell
Heighten Spell
Maximize Spell
Quicken Spell
Some other Feats for a wizard to consider would include Mental Toughness and Improved Mental Toughness for additional SP, Combat Casting for a bonus to your Concentration checks, Discipline for more Concentration and Will saves, Spell Focus to increase the difficulty monsters have in resisting your spells, Dodge which adds to AC, and Mobile Spellcasting and Improved Cast on the Run to increase your combat mobility without hampering your casting ability. Explore our Class Feat section for full explainations and descriptions of all in game Feats. Consider your Feat choices carefully with your build concept always firmly in mind and you won't go wrong.
Spells:
The wizard spellbook can come to contain every arcane spell in the game, so the important consideration won't be what to put in your book, but instead what to memorize for each quest you do. This will always be a case of know your enemy, and think of every adventure as your enemy. Knowledge is power to a wizard character, so the more you know about the quest you are about to do, the better, as your spell choices will often make the difference between a successful run and a total party wipe. If you want to go with a traditional nuker concept, know the monsters you will fight and thier weaknesses to specific types of damage. If you are more interested in a party support role, you'll want to coordinate with the other casters in your group to keep from memorizing redundant buffs. Always remember you can play cleric to the Warforged race, so you may want to make a friend of a 'forged melee character to keep the hunt for a healer down to a minimum or for duoing opportunities. Haste is a welcome addition to most any party, and some of your crowd controling ability will be in high demand. Such spells as Hypnotic Pattern, Ray of Enfeeblement, Touch of Idiocy, Otto's Resistable Dance, Web and Hold Person/Monster are great choices for the arsenal of a mage with less of a focus on damage output. Each spell can become the best spell in game dependant on exact circumstances, so experiment with all of them til you find the ones that work best for you, and understand that a brand new spell set is only a shrine or tavern away. You can change up your character's focus given a short rest period, so you aren't restricted to a specific role, and instead can be the most versatile character in DDO if you understand your spells and how to use them all.
Versatility and knowledge are a wizard's strong suits, so always play to your strengths and learn everything you can about how your spells function, how they work on monsters, and what situations you may face in each quest. Don't restrict yourself to a single character concept alone, and instead, understand that you can be anything if you have a chance to prepare beforehand. Always be open to learning what you're going up against, and figuring out new ways to use old spells. A well-made, well-played wizard can guide many groups to multiple victories, even against overwhelming odds.
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