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.