Wizard

Wizards are scions of arcane magic. Wizards tap the true power that permeates the cosmos, research esoteric rituals that can alter time and space, and hurl balls of fire that incinerate massed foes. Wizards wield spells the way warriors brandish swords.

Magic lured you into its grasp, and now you seek to master it in turn. You could be a bespectacled sage searching for dusty tomes in forgotten sepulchers, a scarred war mage plying foes with fireballs and foul language in equal measure, a disgruntled apprentice who absconded with your master's spellbooks, an eladrin upholding the magical tradition of your race, or even a power-hungry student of magic who might do anything to learn a new spell.

A cloak of spells enfolds you, ancient rituals bolster your senses, and runed implements of your craft hang from your belt. Effervescing arcane lore pulses through your consciousness, a constant pressure craving release. When will you know enough magic to storm the ramparts of reality itself?

Class Traits

Role: Controller. You exert control through magical effects that cover large areas—sometimes hindering foes, sometimes consuming them with fire.
Power Source: Arcane. You channel arcane forces through extensive study, hidden knowledge, and intricate preparation. To you, magic is an art form, an expressive and powerful method by which you seek to control the world around you.
Key Abilities: Intelligence, Wisdom, Dexterity

Armor Proficiencies: Cloth.
Weapon Proficiencies: Dagger, quarterstaff.
Implement: Orbs, staffs, wands
Bonus to Defense: +2 Will.

Hit Points at 1st Level: 10 + Constitution Score.
Hit Points per Level Gained: 4
Healing Surges per Day: 6 + Constitution Modifier.

Trained Skills: Arcana. From the class skills list below, choose 3 more trained skills at 1st level.
Class Skills: Arcana (Int), Diplomacy (Cha), Dungeoneering (Wis), History (Int), Insight (Wis), Nature (Wis), Religion (Int).

Build Options: Control Wizard, War Wizard.
Class Features: Arcane Implement Mastery, Cantrip, Ritual Casting, Spellbook.

Creating a Wizard

Wizards have a range of powers, but tend to specialize in one of two character builds: control wizard or war wizard. Every wizard relies on Intelligence for attack powers, and secondarily on Wisdom, Dexterity, and sometimes Constitution.

Control Wizard

Your favorite powers restrict your enemies in various ways—crushing them in the coils of a lightning serpent, trapping them in a cloud of noxious vapor, or encasing them in ice. Intelligence drives your attack powers, so make it your highest ability score. Wisdom can help you maintain control over your enemies if you choose the orb of imposition form of Implement Mastery, so it should be your second-best score. Make Dexterity your third best score. Putting a good score in Constitution can help you stay alive by increasing your hit points and healing surges, as well as contributing to your Fortitude defense. If you choose the staff of defense form of Implement Mastery, your Constitution can also help your other defenses. Select powers that help you control the battlefield and make the best use of your high Wisdom score.

Feat: Improved Initiative (Human feat: Human Perseverance)
Skills: Arcana, Diplomacy, Insight, Nature
At-Will Powers: cloud of daggers, thunderwave
Encounter Power: icy terrain
Daily Power: sleep

War Wizard

Your delight is in powers that deal damage—lots of damage, to many foes at a time. Enormous bursts of fire, searing bolts of lightning, and waves of caustic acid are your weapons. Intelligence is your most important ability score. Dexterity should be your second-best score, and it is important if you choose the wand of accuracy form of Implement Mastery. Make Wisdom your third-best score. You might instead choose the staff of defense form of Implement Mastery, which lets your Constitution aid your defenses against some attacks. Even if you don’t, Constitution increases your hit points, healing surges, and Fortitude defense. Select powers that deal lots of damage and that make the best use of your high Dexterity score.

Feat: Expanded Spellbook (Human feat: Action Surge)
Skills: Arcana, Dungeoneering, History, Religion
At-Will Powers: magic missile, scorching burst
Encounter Power: burning hands
Daily Power: acid arrow

Wizard Class Features

You have the following class features.

Arcane Implement Mastery

You specialize in the use of one kind of implement to gain additional abilities when you wield it. Choose one of the following forms of implement mastery: Orb of imposition, Staff of defense, Wand of accuracy.

Orb of Imposition

Once per encounter as a free action, you can use your orb to gain one of the following two effects.

You can designate one creature you have cast a wizard spell upon that has an effect that lasts until the subject succeeds on a saving throw. That creature takes a penalty to its saving throws against that effect equal to your Wisdom modifier.

Alternatively, you can choose to extend the duration of an effect created by a wizard at-will spell (such as cloud of daggers or ray of frost) that would otherwise end at the end of your current turn. The effect instead ends at the end of your next turn.

You must wield an orb to use this ability. Control wizards select this form of mastery because it helps extend the duration of their control effects.

Staff of Defense

A staff of defense grants you a +1 bonus to AC. In addition, once per encounter as an immediate interrupt, you gain a bonus to defense against one attack equal to your Constitution modifier. You can declare the bonus after the Dungeon Master has already told you the damage total. You must wield your staff to benefit from these features. This form of mastery is useful for all wizards, particularly if you dabble in both control and damage-dealing spells.

Wand of Accuracy

Once per encounter as a free action, you gain a bonus to a single attack roll equal to your Dexterity modifier. You must wield your wand to benefit from this feature. This form of mastery is good for war wizards because it helps increase their accuracy with damaging powers.

Cantrip

Cantrips are minor spells you gain at 1st level. You can use the ghost sound, light, mage hand, and prestidigitation cantrips as at-will powers.

Ritual Casting

You gain the Ritual Caster feat as a bonus feat, allowing you to use magical rituals.

Spellbook

You possess a spellbook, a book full of mystic lore in which you store your rituals and your daily and utility spells.

Rituals: Your book contains three 1st-level rituals of your choice that you have mastered.

At 5th level, and again at 11th, 15th, 21st, and 25th level, you master two more rituals of your choice and add them to your spellbook. Any ritual you add must be your level or lower.

Daily and Utility Spells: Your spellbook also holds your daily and utility spells. You begin knowing two daily spells, one of which you can use on any given day. Each time you gain a level that lets you select a daily spell or a utility spell, choose two different daily spells or utility spells of that level to add to your book. After an extended rest, you can prepare a number of daily and utility spells according to what you can cast per day for your level. You can’t prepare the same spell twice.

If you replace a spell because of gaining a level or through retraining, the previous spell vanishes from your spellbook and is replaced by the new spell.

Capacity: A typical spellbook has 128 pages. Each spell takes up 1 page. A ritual takes up a number of pages equal to its level.

Wizards and Rituals

A wizard's spells are potent in combat and useful in a variety of challenge encounters and other situations, but the wizard is also the undisputed master of magical rituals.

As you gain levels, you automatically gain access to new rituals, but you can also buy new rituals or acquire them in the course of your adventures. Higher-level rituals let you seal or open doors, view places or people from a distance, or open portals to other places.

Implements

Wizards make use of orbs, staffs, and wands to help channel and direct their arcane powers. Every wizard has mastery of one type of implement (see "Class Features"). Without an implement, a wizard can still use his or her powers. A wizard wielding a magic orb, staff, or wand can add its enhancement bonus to attack rolls and damage rolls of wizard powers, as well as wizard paragon path powers, that have the implement keyword.

Character Classes
Player's Handbook ClericFighterPaladinRangerRogueWarlockWarlordWizard
Player's Handbook 2 AvengerBarbarianBardDruidInvokerShamanSorcererWarden
Player's Handbook 3 ArdentBattlemindMonkPsionRunepriestSeeker
Setting-Specific Artificer (Eberron Player's Guide) ✦ Swordmage (Forgotten Realms Player's Guide)
Character Classes

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