Wizard hopeful, needs questions answered

[Shostak]

Originally Posted by TimTimmy

If you wanted to have something to do at range, but not use up strength, what would you do?

Lob a molotail. Spells and staff zaps cost ST, and your DX will be too low for much else to be effective.

[hcobb]

Originally Posted by Shostak

Lob a molotail. Spells and staff zaps cost ST, and your DX will be too low for much else to be effective.

Molotails are a good way to die within 55 throws and low DX throws can be really fun.

Here are some alternatives for being helpful at low ST and low DX but with superhuman IQ: https://www.hcobb.com/tft/Molly.html

[zot]

Originally Posted by TimTimmy

My friends and I have decided to try TFT for our new campaign. (Interestingly enough we did play the original melee when it first came out.) I’ll be making my first character with the new rules, and I prefer Wizards to all other classes. So here is what I was thinking about: Since you get a spell per IQ only upon generation, you max it out. As such:

Goblin, ST 6, DX 8, IQ 18. (I wish I could lose even more ST and raise that to IQ 20).

So, what does this Wizard do?

Search for Molly among hcobb's posts -- you'll find a plethora of ideas around this type of starting character...

[Axly Suregrip]

Originally Posted by TimTimmy

I’d love to hear from the those who have hands-on experience.

Your low DX is going to make any of the gimmick builds useless. If you stay with that, then you will want to look at spells that require IQ roll instead of DX roll to be of some use (eg, Scrying). But these are not combat spells.

First, you want to review the Gestures rules on ITL page 42. Depending on how much higher the wizard's IQ is vs the IQ required of the spell, non-staff items in his hands may prohibit him from casting some spells. "staff does not impede his gesturing; anything else does."

As you know, non-silver metal on the wizard gives a -4 DX for casting.

Also, wizards staff may be a dagger or sword. No other weapon.

With these limits in mind there are lots of gimmicks that your Wizard can use to stay useful without casting spells. Here are a few I have either used or considered. I have tried Bola and Whip and feel they take unfair advantage of these items being unbalanced. If your GM has not nerfed these, then have at it. Even if they have been nerfed, they may still be great choices.

1) Thrown Weapons with Thrown Weapons skill. The advantage is they do not interfere with spell casting because you keep thrown weapons on your belt. With the TW skill you draw and throw them in the same turn. One hand on staff and the other free ready to throw.

1.1) Bola. This can be more effective than spells and contains no metal. ST9 is required. TW and Bola skills will take up 6 IQ slots.

1.2) Sha-ken. These will need to be silver. That affects the $ cost. Shaken skill and TW skill will take up 6 IQ slots.

1.3) Daggers. These will need to be silver. Upside is individually they do more damage than Shakens stars. Also, this won't cost you any IQ slots since you already plan to have knife skill. So only 4 IQ slots for TW skill.

1.4) Boomerang. Same as the above but with higher ST requirement.

2) Whip. Can be used to choke or knock down foes at range 3 to 5 hexes. Or attack faces to ignore armor at range 3. Or just damage. Very versatile and has no metal. Cannot be in your hand when casting some spells. Can be dropped to cast and the picked up in later turn. IQ cost is cheap: 2 points.

3) Molotail. This is a very deadly weapon. The downside is eventually you will die in your own fire. Also the cost is high and can destroy items on your foes that you may have wanted (at least that is how I played it). No metal. BUT a big down side is you have to have a torch in your hands. This will interfere with spell casting. A lit torch can't be kept waiting in your belt. No IQ costs.

4) Hvy/Lt Crossbow and cranequin. This is extreme. Advantages: high damage and low IQ cost (only 2). Disadvantages: crossbow and quarrels made of silver is pricy. Need a friend to carry your cranequin or have that too made of silver. It is a one shot and drop. Reload after combat. There will be a DX minus for having ST too low. Since you are looking at a DX or 8, you may want to go with the Heavy Crossbow and just hope for a crit roll. Start with it in hand, fire early then drop it. Now you may cast.

5) Spear thrower and javelin/spear. This is extreme. This is similar to the crossbow choice. All the same advantages and disadvantages. Except a higher IQ cost at 6. I did not list this with the other thrown weapons as the spear thrower itself remains in hand, thus being an obstacle to casting.

[Chris Rice]

I prefer my Wizards, even beginning characters, to cast spells. That means high DX (so spells succeed and ST isn’t wasted), moderate ST (so you can cast a fair number of spells) and low IQ (there are plenty of low IQ spells which are useful and have a cheap casting cost).

You can build IQ later.

[hcobb]

Okay, let's build a wizard too dumb to cast any spells.

Wally, Human wizard, age 20
ST 12, DX 11, IQ 9, MA 10
Talents include: Crossbow, Missile Weapons III
Spell: Staff
Weapons: 2-h oak staff (1d+2, 1d occult), Light Crossbow (2d, adjDX 14)
Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-2)

He puts out fire elementals by beating them with his stick.

[Axly Suregrip]

This just goes back to the separation of XP for IQ vs XP for talent/spells. It used to be that gaining an IQ point granted you 1 IQ more toward a talent/spell. Now they are to be gained separately. So, a beginning wizard with IQ18, compared to what used to be a normal beginning wizard of IQ11, effectively has a 3500 XP lead.

So, it makes sense that Tim wants to make a IQ18 wizard work and that Henry has his Molly.

Henry has a house rule that works very nice at eliminating this situation. Whenever you increase your IQ, you also gain 500 XP to be used towards talents/spells ONLY.

Tim,
May I suggest that house rule instead of trying to make a DX8 Wizard viable. The game is more fun when your wizard can contribute.

[hcobb]

Molly is more or less predicated on the first two points of DX being "free" or at least easy to get while adventuring before you get to the Boss level.

Ergo we get characters like this after a few sessions.

Yet another Molly (Yam), Goblin wizard, age 20
ST 6, DX 11, IQ 17, MA 10
Talents: Alertness, Literacy
Spells include: Create/Destroy Elemental, 7-Hex Fire, Magic Rainstorm, Pathfinder, Remove Thrown Spell, Spellsniffer, Staff V
Languages: Common, Goblin, Sorcerers’ Tongue
Weapons: 2-h staff (1d, 1d+2 occult)
Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-4)
Equipment: Pathfinder pendent

Yam is a party support person. Her ST 1 elementals are useful for scouting and pulling tripwires. (Much more effective when paired with an apprentice). In combat she occult zaps from the second rank (adjDX 14).

[phiwum]

Originally Posted by hcobb

Molly is more or less predicated on the first two points of DX being "free" or at least easy to get while adventuring before you get to the Boss level.

Ergo we get characters like this after a few sessions.

Yet another Molly (Yam), Goblin wizard, age 20
ST 6, DX 11, IQ 17, MA 10
Talents: Alertness, Literacy
Spells include: Create/Destroy Elemental, 7-Hex Fire, Magic Rainstorm, Pathfinder, Remove Thrown Spell, Spellsniffer, Staff V
Languages: Common, Goblin, Sorcerers’ Tongue
Weapons: 2-h staff (1d, 1d+2 occult)
Attacks and Damage: Punch (1d-4)
Equipment: Pathfinder pendent

Yam is a party support person. Her ST 1 elementals are useful for scouting and pulling tripwires. (Much more effective when paired with an apprentice). In combat she occult zaps from the second rank (adjDX 14).

Seems like your wizards have to seriously rest after each skirmish. In a situation where this is not an option, they are more like baggage.

To be sure, once they gain some experience, this problem goes away thanks to the staff.

[hcobb]

If you can arrange for two wizards in your party then a big dumb "Pinky" apprentice is a good backup for your "Brain".