I envision a long journey, your path sometimes through villages, sometimes trailing to the side to explore ruins or strange phenomena, very occasionally straying through cities.  So, probably no lengthy underground confinement, nor staying in a city for months on end.

Thanks again for your advices. I have been busy recently, sorry for the delay in my answers.
Reading your comments I decided to give up necromancy and keep Illusion. My character is not the type of Wizard who will learn necromancy, he will prefer to combat against necromancers.
I have 20 skill points to spend, my first array is the following:
4 Spellcraft
4 Concentration
4 Knowledge Arcana
4 Decipher Script
1 History
1 Nature
1 Religion
1 Architecture/engineering

I was hesitating which familiar, I like for flavor the Owl.

My spell list (according to the table 3 level 0, 1 level 1 and 1 conjuration spell as a specialist)

level 0
Acid splash
Detect magic
Dancing lights

Level 1
Summon Monster 1

Conjuration extra spell
Mage Armor or Color Spray?

I rolled 90gp, I have to look for the equipment. I already chose a light crossbow (I will upgrade for a heavy later when I'll have more money) and a quarterstaff.

Now, you get to learn all the 0th level spells, save those from your prohibited schools.  You also know 3+Int mod 1st level spells in your spellbook.

You get 1 spell per day from your class, one conjuration spell for being specialized, and another from having a high Int.

Unless you're going to be in combat or casting on some lightly-armored fellow who is, I think you might be better served with color spray... or summon monster 1!

Haazheel: also, you don't roll for gold, you take the average, and don't forget the bolts for said crossbow. From there, just grab some living gear (remember to keep it light). And, for the love of Kord, don't forget to purchase any outstanding spell components, if any.

One last thing, you probably are aware already, but I am going to say it here; if you want to cast a given spell more than once a day, you have to prepare that spell multiple times, with multiple spell slots, that day. For example, if I had 3 level 1 spell slots, and wanted to use magic missile twice that day and Mage armor once, my list would look like this:

1st level:
Magic missile
Magic missile
Mage armor
This message was last edited by the player at 22:57, Sun 01 June 2014.

Knowledges cannot be used untrained, so just 1 rank gives you that roll + Int. Good call.


If you've made up your mind on "flavor", great! But I'm sure others will have flying animals/familiars/companions, and there some other familiars that will help keep him alive better via Saving Throws. Just so you don't think that's a deciding factor.


With a party this big, the only thing you're really worried about is missile fire, and unless/until you run forward that won't be targeted at you. Mage Armour can be handy in melee, but it doesn't last all day (yet), and if someone runs up one of us will be there to talk to them. So, again, going with offense is probably better than a defense that you may or may not need.

It's tough at first with only 3 spells to offer to the party (plus misc cantrips), but I always try to have my wizards be prepared for (at least) 2 combats and/or 1 big one. Something that will level the field nicely and decisively. Summon Monsterr is good (and will get better), but it's just 1 more friendly face, and (for now) just 1 round. So whatever your other 2 choices, make sure they pull their weight - don't get fancy yet, just put the hammer down and smile. ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 23:52, Sun 01 June 2014.

It is always a challenge to play a wizard, particularly when beginning at first level. I say just go with your gut and with what you think will make your character stand out. Above all, let's remember to try and keep it simple and have fun.

Can't wait for the carnage. I have updated some of my character description and sheet. Volsh will be quite the rounded character with the following attributes:

STR 16
DEX 14
CON 14
INT 12
WIS 12
CON 10

HT: 6'8"
WGT: 285
Hair: Light Brown, long and slightly wavy. Full, unkept beard.
Eyes: Dull Green (except when in rage. hehehe)

FEATS:
Quick Draw
Power Attack

+ A handful of good solid skills.

Thanks for the tip Bruenor, I'll check for spell compenents.
DM, i'm confused. When i look to the wizard table i have 3 level 0, one level 1, one level 1 bonus since i have a high int and one bonus level 1 conjuration as a specialist. These are my slots of spells i can prepare and use per day. Correct?
Do I cast level 0 spells without needing to prepare them? Are they one time cast or multiple?
All level 0 spells are in my spellbook (except necro and enchantment)?
The three level 1 spells i will choose will be per se in my spellbook?

I'm almost done with my character sheet, hope to have fun soon with all of you guys! Welcome Volsh our Barbarian!

Oh yeah... I meant to ask... DM would you happen to have a crude map of the land we are in?

(He has a nice map - we're trying to teach it to belch and swear and fart and scratch its privates - we'll let you know when it's "barbarian ready".)
;)


@ Haazheel Thorn

Spellbook and spell slots are entirely different, and unrelated.

It's possible to have a spellbook handed to you with hundreds of spells, but only be able to case a few (as per that Table). It's also possible to lose your spellbook, and have no spells to learn each day (this is, as they say in the olde tongue, "bad").


Correct.

The Table shows what the minimum spells are that a wizard can cast each day. If they have high enough Int (you do), they get another +1/day of that level, from any School they can cast. And if a wizard has a Specialization, they have an additional 1 spell in that School (only) that they can prepare and cast/day.

So at 1st level, when you prepare your spells, you can prepare any 3 Lvl 0 (that are not banned), plus any 2 Level 1 that you know, plus 1 more Level 1 in your Specialty.


All Wizard's spells must be prepared before being cast. All prepared spells can only be cast once*, and then are "forgotten" until prepared again from a spellbook.

(* There are some nifty (and expensive?) magic items that allow a spell to be "retained" after being cast. Just fyi.)

All spells are cast 1/round.*  Note that most spells take one full action (effectively consuming an entire round, but being cast before the Round is over), but some few (see Feather Fall, for example) take less.

(* barring some advanced metamagic Feats/Rules that will probably not enter into this game)

(Also, spells with "Range:Touch" can be cast ahead of time, and "held" on the fingertips, and can take effect "later" on the first target you touch. No other spell can be cast while "holding" such a spell, or the held-spell is lost. See Rules for more info.)


A Wizard's starting spellbook contains all Level 0 spells except for those Schools that are banned due to Specialization.  So, yes, correct.

A Wizard's starting spellbook also contains a number of Level equal to 3 + Int Modifier.  So (as a purely random example, ahem) a Wizard with a 16 (+3) Int starts with 3 + 3, or 6 x1st level spells, chosen from any school that is not banned due to Specialization.


When a Wizard prepares spells, they can "erase" and choose entirely new ones, or save a bit of time and just add to the ones they did not use the day before. A spell is remembered and ready until cast - there is no "expiration date". Years could pass, and the spell is still there, unless cast or replaced by another.
This message was last edited by the player at 06:12, Mon 02 June 2014.

Yarp, your DM she does!  It's up in the Game Map section.  It's fairly sparsely populated in terms of naming every place ever, so if you want to say, "I'm from the village of Vinnish Morn on the banks of the Seed River," I shan't quibble.  The Farlight Forest is the biggest and oldest of the forests, but not the only forest.  Feel free to make some up if need be.  Just, you know, don't add a massive volcano or something in the middle of the plains.  I shall be cross if you do.  And then I'll send a fire giant after you, so there!

Albon (southern coast of the Sea of Song) is a major trade center.

The Unwanted Sands are dry lands shifting into desert right before they meet the cliffs above the Forbidden Lands.

Aaaaand, I think that's the major stuff.  I'll have a post up later about Low'verok's guild system, and the Adventurer's Guild.

---



NoName did a good job of explaining, so I'm just adding.  :)

But yes, the spell chart in the book shows the base amount of spells you can cast per day.  Then you get a bonus 1st level spell per day for having a high Int, and another 1st level spell (any conjuration spell) for being a Conjurer.

Your spellbook is basically your study notes of every spell that you know.  You study these notes for an hour every morning, and select which spells you prepare that day.  You can prepare a spell more than once so thusly you can cast it more than once, as NoName described.

You do NOT want to lose your spellbook - you are unable to prepare any spells (save read magic, all wizards can prepare that from memory) until you get it back.  Keep it safe.  When you get more money, you can buy spellbooks made from tougher materials than paper, books that are waterproof or even fireproof!

As for casting time, most spells are one action, which means you can cast it and have it go off in a round.  One or two you can cast faster - notably feather fall, which you can cast even when it's not your turn.

The one big exception, which you need to know as a conjurer, is the spells that take a "full-round action" to cast.  Notably those include all the summon monster spells.  That means you start casting it one round and keep casting, but it doesn't go off until your turn comes around on the next round.

Having ranks in Concentration and/or the Combat Casting feat may be useful for you.  If someone manages to damage you while you're in the midst of casting, you have to make a Concentration check or lose your spell.

There are a few other spells with longer casting times (ten minutes, an hour), but you generally never have to worry about them in a combat situation.

Sheet is done and ready for inspection except for his spells, which I have to do when I get home from the store. ;)

Are we already members of this guild? Or do we need to join up?

If we have to join, I hope it is either VERY cheap, or we 'already paid'.

Since dues are only 1gp, you may consider yourself already a member (essentially, the DM will pay, or maybe you had a friend who spotted you the gold), or you may roleplay out getting your first badge, whichever tickles your fancy more.

Ok everything but my spells are done. I think :)

It's a hard decision, choosing one spell to have access to and rejecting another - so many spells you want, so few spaces on the starting list.  I don't know if this will help, but when I choose spells for a Wizzie I take several things into consideration...

1) You can't use them all at once, so be realistic about what "having one more" will do for you. Having several nifty attack spells does you no real good if you only have room for 1 or 2 to start, or you're just going to rely on 1 favorite.


b) I try to decide what sort of spells I want for a typical day of "adventuring" - maybe 2 attack, one personal defense - something like that. Utility spells are great, but will you really want to have one in place of something more... "meaty"? (and see next...)
 No one knows what a day might bring, but there are different expectations for any specific environment.  So, I have 3-4 modes for which mix of spells are memorized - wilderness travel, city/town, "dungeon crawl", or "at home" (or whatever, and however you want to define those).  If nothing dangerous is on the agenda, you can afford to take more Utility spells and fewer pure combat.


iii) Utility spells (Hold Portal, Spider Climb, Erase) are great, but you almost have to know in advance whether that one spell will be handy or not - at lower levels, you just don't have room to gamble "just in case this comes in useful".  So, if(?) you want some, pick the ones that you might reasonably be able to predict in advance. It's easier to know "tomorrow we'll need to do X" and have that spell ready for some of those than others.

Otoh, if one really speaks to you, that "this is a problem I'd really like to be able to solve", then that's you.

Note: Also, especially if the spell is not greatly improved by Level, you can buy scrolls of that spell, to have in your hip pocket for when you need them. THIS is how many pro wizards deal with the wide variety of "utility" effects that are nice but just not predictably useful. ;)


fourth) Some spells really just aren't good until higher level. For example, Tenser's Floating Disk carries 100 pounds/level for 1 hour/level. So at 1st level, it can carry 100 pounds for 1 hour - meh. But at 3rd level, now it can carry 300 pounds - an unconscious body + gear, for instance - for 3 hours, and now we're talkin'.  If a spell isn't helpful until later, then save it for later (or, at least, "not to start" - see comments at bottom).


Also) Some spells are more flexible than others, to be able to solve more than 1 problem. As a few examples, Flaming Hands can light a campfire or torches quickly, Unseen Servant can carry "anything, anywhere", and illusions can be as versatile as your imagination. Some magi get a LOT of mileage out of getting creative with the same spell.


Last) And don't forget - there are 2 ways to learn more spells. First, you WILL get +1 spell of the highest level you can learn when you level up - so you will learn +1 1st Level spell at 2nd, and +1 2nd Level spell at 3rd and 4th Level, etc.  Also, during any level* you can buy a scroll and try to learn that spell by making a SpellCraft roll - no guarantees, but it's a pretty good bet. (If you fail the roll, you have to wait until next Level to try again.)

(* Even before your first adventure, if you can scrape up the cash and find someone to sell you the scroll!)

If that helps any, yw - we've all been where you are, trying to make that decision. ;)
This message was last edited by the player at 22:25, Mon 02 June 2014.

Don't forget, you're a wizard. You just make a few scrolls of the utility spells that you might need, save your slots for attack/defend.

If you have the XP to do item creation.  ;)

For purposes of that, I'll grant everyone 50 XP to start, assuming you have your character backgrounds, personalities, and descriptions up.


Everyone, when you do your description, have both your physical appearance as well as any outward mannerisms or personality.  Yes, you may be a good-looking elf archer, but if you walk into town with your bow habitually in hand and a scowl on your face, that will get a different initial reaction than if you have your weapon stowed, a smile on your face, and are whistling a jaunty tune.  Just saying.

And even if you have your description up in the Description section, remember to fill out all the sections of your character sheet.  All of them.

.

Ok here's what I went with skills.  Like I said this is the first time I've played a Druid so I kinda spread it around a bit.

Handle Animal +7 (4 ranks, +1 Cha, +2 animal affinity)
Heal +6 (3 ranks, +3 Cha)
Knowledge (nature) +8 (4 ranks, +2 Int, +2 druid)
Listen +8 (3 ranks, +3 Wis, +2 elf)
Spellcraft +5 (3 ranks, +2 Int)
Spot +8 (3 ranks, +3 Wis, +2 elf)
Survival +9 (4 ranks, +3 Wis, +2 druid)

Did someone say "good looking elf archer"?  (Well, then keep looking, cuz this ain't that...) ;D


And Welcome, Farian! (sorry, entirely missed that we had a new face!)


Hokay - after deep moral searching (read: I slept on it), I've decided... the Elven Archer.

(A Bard just won't add that much to the party at 1st level - 1 song/day, 2x cantrips/day, a light armoured meh-fighter - hrmmmmm... a few Rank 4 social skills could be handy at times, but... nah. By 3rd-4th level, yes, but I'd like to see something right out of the gate for this game.) :/

So...

Averdante - Elven archer

A is not a "Ranger" - or not yet*. A's motivations are typically elven in their simplicity - "do good" and excel at one's chosen path.

(* Rogue at Lvl 1, Ranger at Lvl 2. This will also let him choose his "Favored Enemy" in character, as his "enemy" grows organically based on his experiences during our adventures.) (& not Oozes... please?) ;D

Str 14 (6)
Dex 18 (10)(16+2)
Con 12 (6) (14-2)
Int 14 (6)
Wis 12 (4)
Cha _8 (0)

4 ranks in each of ...

o Listen*, Spot*, Search
o Hide, Move Silently
o Balance, Tumble
o Climb, Use Rope
o & 1 rank in each of Appraise, Dis Dev, Open Lock, and Kn: Local (representing "mysterious elfy learning" more than any (in)formal "thief" training.)

*Feat: Alertness (4 ranks +2 Feat + 1 Wisdom +2 elf = +9 bonus to each)

Longsword, Longbow, Studded Leather Armour (& 10 gp doesn't leave much else...)


"Heal" is one of those skills that may be critical or may never get used. The Cleric can do so much better with a single spell - IF they are nearby. The biggest use of Heal is to stabilize a character who is down and bleeding (DC 15) if a Cleric is busy - or if it's the Cleric that's down and bleeding.

I notice you have no Concentration. If you take damage or get jostled, or there are any other distractions going on, you need to make a Concentration roll to cast any spell, or you lose it. For a spellcaster, Concentration can be pretty important.

http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm

Sadly, a character must have enough intelligence to get enough skill points to spend. My cleric is lacking in concentration. He has it, but not enough ranks for my taste.

My point was that it might be more, or at least [u]as[/i] important as, say, Healing.

Granted, it's more important for a front-line spellcaster (combat cleric, for example) than a back-row Druid, but there are lots of situations where, damage or no, a Concentration roll is required. Good for any "adventuring" caster, if they can scrape it up.

(It may have gotten overlooked, but here's a link to a (partial) list from the official SRD (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/concentration.htm), just to spark the imagination.)

I think I may just take your advice, A.  I skipped right over concentration when I was doing my skills.  I guess I missed it.

Concentration may be of more use to Haarheel than Narthian or Farian, purely because of his vulnerability.  He's less tough than you two, so needs to make sure his spells go off without a hitch.

Not that it's a bad choice for any spellcaster, mind.  :)

As long as you're out of harm's way, you don't need it that bad, but if you plan on being where you can get hurt, you need it.