Masters of the Arcane: Wizard and Sorcerer Tactics in DDO

By Lyle Vertigo

Wizards and sorcerers may be difference classes but they share one common trait: they specialize in spell casting. For the wizard, his versatility in being able to scribe the full list of spells for his level and memorize them enables him to have the right spell for the right occasion, making him an invaluable addition to any party. A sorcerer's spell list may be limited, but she has the ability to become a casting powerhouse, using her large spell points pool and fast casting rate to take down troublesome foes.

Some Basics of Fulfilling Your Role

Wizard builds can be categorized into four types. Wizards, having the ability to scribe their spells, are really able to play whatever style they prefer (though spending their bonus feats in a magic school specialization makes their choice a little more permanent). Here is a general list of builds for wizard:

• Viable Caster: Choosing no set of spells as a staple, he carefully selects all spells for each special occasion. Also, he invests into use with a ranged weapon just in case he runs out of spell points. A man who has everything is a man who wants nothing.
• Nuker: Favoring damage above all else, this build focuses on different types of magic attacks that are strong vs. the local inhabitants. Ah, the smell of roasting kobolds in the morning!
• Buffer/Debuffer: Concentrated on turning the tides of battle to the party's favor, this build is committed to giving party members statistical boosts and other bonuses while weakening and disabling the opposition. Got Bard?  No thanks.
• Mesmerizer: The control freak, preferring to befuddle his opposition and--better yet--send them to attack one another. A person looking for a Necromancer build will likely fall under this build. Leather suit not included.

Now, sorcerer is a different story.  One major downside about sorcerer is that he/she has to select spells each level and you can never go back once you choose. This means you are going to be a specialist one way or another. I only recommend 2 builds for sorcerer: the Nuker and Buffer/Debuffer.

The Backline Fighter

Due to a lack in armor and weapon proficiencies (aside from basic weapons), it is suicide for a wizard or sorcerer to melee. It is best to stay to the back of parties, only running up to a foe to cast a touch spell and scurry back behind your fighter friend whose name just happens to be Bob the Big. If for some reason you find yourself in melee mode--with or without spell points--it is best to dodge/jump/flee your way back and around group until the enemy loses interest in you. If you try to cast a spell while under attack, you have to roll a concentration roll or your spell becomes interrupted. Also if you are under attack while casting the foe will receive an extra attack roll against you, a not so good thing. It is always a great idea to invest those left over ability points to Dexterity when first building your character. Since you are not proficient in any armor, you will want as much AC bonus as possible from the Dexterity modifier. Also, find a good range weapon ping at the enemy between spells or when you find yourself low or out of  spell pointssince you will be doing most of you fighting from the back .

Feats, Oh the Possibilities

There are many Feats to choose from for wizards and sorcerers. The trouble is finding what best suits your needs.

Mental Toughness is a no-brainer here; it adds 10 spell points for the first level and 5 spell points for each additional level that you have. The good thing about Mental toughness is you don't have to get it from the start to get the full benefits. Getting it at Level 8 would give you the same spell points as if you chose it for Level 1.

Toughness may be a good choice for those afraid of the low hit points associated with wizards and sorcerers, giving 3 hit points for 1st level and 1 hit points for each level thereafter. This Feat wroks just like Mental Toughness in that you can get the full benefit even if you pick it late in character development.

Heighten Spell is a great choice when planning ahead when many foes will start to have a high spell resistance. Otherwise the extra spell points required to cast while Heighten Spell is active is inconvenient for active use.

Enlarge Spell is another potential, turning your Burning Hands into effective flamethrowers, fireballs into daisy-cutters, and your obscuring mist into bigger pains.

Extend Spell is a great feat for Buffers/Debuffers, allowing them focus on more things while not having to worry as much about time limits on the party's buffs.

Empower Spell useful for Area of Effect (AoE) nukes, adding that extra “oomph” which can give enough to wipe out that group of mobs swarming your party. As far as the extra spell points needed to cast with this feat, it is sometimes better just to cast the spell in question multiple times instead.

Quicken Spell is probably the least desired of the meta-magic feats. Sorcerers don't need it with their fast casting time, and wizards will find themselves reluctant to use this Feat due to its 3x spell points cast requirement.

Eschew Materials can come in handy in a pinch but usually not until the higher levels when the spell components in question are rare and cannot be bought in shops.

Dodge is great Feat to have for wizards and sorcerers since they need to find other methods to acquire armor class. AC +1 to  is always nice to have.

Combat Casting may seem like eye-candy at first glance but the +4 to concentration checks isn't worth the feat slot. Feats are best invested elsewhere.

Spending Skill Points Wisely

Wizards get a bit of an advantage here since your Intelligence modifier will give you bonus skill points each level. It's a bit harder for sorcerers to decide on the best ones to choose from because most are not class skills and cost double points.Consider carefully beforehand what you will be using the most with your play style.

Concentration is a must. It is just about the only skill that isn't penalized, giving you 1 for 1 for your skill points. The higher the Concentration, the less likely your spells will fail if under attack.

Use of Magical Device (UMD) becomes very handy, especially to help a sorcerer with spell limitation and utililizing the Charisma bonus.

Tumble would be a difficult skill to master but in times where you have a powerful foe on your tail, those quick dodges can mean the difference between life and death.

Diplomacy is a consideration for sorcerers (use that Charisma bonus!) to help detour foes' attention away from you. Then again, limited skill points may dissuade you from choosing this skill.

Final Words

Lastly, this is more common sense than anything else, conserve spell points. For the most part, try to see a pattern on the number of foes per encounter. They tend to show a trend as to what's to expect deeper inside the quest. Conserve but don't hoard your spell points. Sorcerers can just about go "spaz-happy" with their spell points without much worry, and each dungeon is different. Sometimes there are 2-3 rest points in one and another may have none at all!  But if you find yourself with still over half of your spell points when you're through most of the dungeon and you left a rest shrine unused, then chances are you are over-conserving.  Likewise, if you find yourself with 0 spell points 5 minuts into the dungeon, you might want to hold back some. Be sure not to spam damage on a foe (and especially a group) as you may find yourself running around like a chicken with its head cut off while the group is trying to chase after enemies in mass pandemonium (my favorite!).

By watching how your other party members deal with encounters and other situations you can guess pretty well how much casting will be required of you.  Half of your casting success will come from your party's collective fighting style; the other half will have to come from you.

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