Notes on Treatmonk Videos

0 Cantrips Guide

• Strategy
  
  • one ranged attack
  • one saving throw attack
  • utilities

1 Level

2 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Find Traps
  2. Barkskin
     • concentration
  3. Continual Flame
• Best
  
  1. Find Steed (paladin)
  2. Pass Without a Trace
     • + 10 stealth
  3. Spiritual Weapon (cleric)
     • no conc
• Overrated
  
  1. Healing Spirit
  2. Dust Devil
  3. Prayer of Healing
• Underrated
  
  1. Rope Trick
     • guarantees a safe short rest
  2. Enlarge/Reduce
     • can cast on objects
       • shrink a door
       • throw a reduced rock, cast enlarge in the air, two levels larger, dm iffy (commenter says it doesn't work)
  3. Levitate (conc)
     • melee only enemies can be taken out of combat

3 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Catnap
  2. Wall of Sand (conc)
  3. Flame Arrows
  4. Honorable Mentions
     • Conjure Barrage
     • Feign Death
• Best
  
  1. Hypnotic Pattern (conc)
     • 10r
     • one save WIS
  2. Spirit Guardians (cleric)
  3. Counterspell
  4. Honorable Mentions
     • Animate Dead
     • Revivify
• Overrated
  
  1. Erupting Earth
     • blast spell at a level where a wizard and change the world
  2. Fireball (no conc)
     • good
     • don't get caught up using it at much higher levels
  3. Call Lightning (druid)
     • compare Moonbeam cast at 3rd level
  4. Honorable Mentions
     • Bestow Curse
     • Daylight
• Underrated
  
  1. Leomund's Tiny Hut
     • guaranteed safe long rest
     • can't burrow underneath
     • ritual
     • 10m to cast
     • can see out
     • for bad guy to get in, either
       • dispel magic
       • teleport inside
  2. Conjure Animals
     • CR 1/4: Giant Poisonous Snakes
     • CR 1/2: Warhorses, Apes
       • Giant Owls, Giant Bats: everyone gets a mount
     • CR 1: Brown Bears, Giant Spiders
     • CR 2: Giant Constrictor Snakes, Plesiosaurus
  3. Thunderstep
     • teleport to a space you can see, 90ft
       • each creature left behind within 10ft, CON save, takes 3d10/half
       • can bring objects within carrying capacity
       • can bring willing creature, 5ft
       • can save a weakened team member
     • compare with misty step (2)
       • ba, teleport to a space you can see, 30ft
     • compare with dimension door (4)
       • teleport anywhere in range, 500ft; can see, visualize, describe
       • can bring along object if you could have carried them
       • can bring one willing creature, within 5ft
       • fails if that place has a creature or object, 4d6 force damage
  4. Honorable Mentions
     • Slow
     • Tiny Servant

4 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Elemental Bane, conc, 1 target, st
  2. Confusion, 10ft rad, st every rd
  3. Grasping Vine, conc
• Best
  
  1. Polymorph
     • boost injured, low hp fighter
     • buff, heal
     • Giant Ape, lots of hp, throw rocks
     • or vs enemy, take him out of the fight, drop him in the volcano
     • familiar flys up and drops him
  2. Find Greater Steed
  3. Conjure Woodland Beings
• Overrated
  
  1. Stoneskin, 100gp, 1h, conc, resis non-magical spb damage
  2. Banishment
     • good
     • 1 cr, CHA st, conc, incap
  3. Phantasmal Killer, 1cr, st, frightened 1r, st, 4d10, st
• Underrated
  
  1. Fire/Chill Shield, no conc, resistance to f/c, 5ft 2d8
  2. Otiluke's Resiliant Sphere
     • large or smaller
     • DEX, can't cast, can't attack
     • can cast on self or ally, can bring back whenever
  3. Guardian of Faith
     • protection for campsite, 8h, enemies 20pt radiant damage
     • cast it in combat, 1a, no conc

5 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Immolation (xgte)
     • DEX 8d6/half
     • same as fireball, but that's splash
     • this is 1 cr
     • conc
     • following rds, 4d6
  2. Enervation
     • conc
     • 60ft
     • DEX 4d8/half
     • next action, 4d8
     • they can run
  3. Wall of Light (xgte)
     • not a wall, obscures vision
     • provides light
     • conc
     • CON save, 4d8, blinded, another save
     • 4d8/turn, if they don't just leave
     • can use action to attack, 4d8 radiant
     • wall reduces in size
• Best
  
  1. Wall of Force
     • no save
     • indestructable
     • need dispel magic, disintegrate
  2. Animate Objects
     • 10 tiny, 10d4+40/rd
     • can move objects
     • bust doors
  3. Circle of Power (paladin)
     • 30ft rad
     • adv saves vs magic
     • helps casters keep conc inside
  4. Contagion
     • suggested by commenter
     • target needs to make 3 saves
     • but check errata, it may have been nerfed
• Overrated
  
  1. Swift Quiver
     • often recommended with Valor Bard Archer build
     • bards are not good archers, no archer combat style
     • bard spells don't help
     • need action to cast, shoot twice
     • then can fire 4/turn, but not special arrows
     • fighters do better, attacking 4/turn normally, 6 with action surge
     • ok if you're a ranger
  2. Hold Monster
     • 1 cr, save every rd
     • could turn out well, but probabalistic
  3. Flame Strike (cleric)
     • ok, not great
     • 8d6, 10ft rad, column, half radiant/fire
     • just a bad fireball
• Underrated
  
  1. Antilife Shell (druid)
     • conc
     • 10ft rad, no living creature can come in
     • prevents melee
     • essentially a force field
     • can restrict enemy movement, block exits, cover allies
  2. Awaken
     • no conc
     • charmed plant
     • probably likes you afterwards
     • can join your party
  3. Banishing Smite (paladin)
     • melee or ranged
     • banished if <= 50hp

6 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Circle of Death
     • kind of a big fireball
     • CON save
  2. Move Earth
     • dirt, sand, clay
     • not stone
  3. Investiture of Wind
• Best
  
  1. Contingency
     • 10d
     • trigger
     • result: otiluke's, dimension door
     • die => revivify
  2. Mass Suggestion
     • up to 12 cr
     • no conc
     • 24h
  3. Heal
     • 70 hp
• Underrated
  
  1. Word of Recall (cleric)
     • teleport
  2. Create Homunculus
     • a little better than Find Familiar
     • adds another sidekick
     • cast on rest day
     • don't give homey your hp
     • better scout, no 100ft range limit–same plane
     • has hands
  3. Eyebite
     • conc, 1m
     • different cr each rd
     • save, effect: frighten and run, unconcious, (don't choose sickened)
     • good for multiple 3-10, tough cr
• Overrated
  
  1. Tensor's Transformation
     • conc
     • turns wizard into a martial character
     • adv on attack rolls
     • adds 2d12, second attack
     • 50 temp hp
     • prof heavy armor, shield
     • lose conc, have to remove armor
     • Comment
       • Let's analyze how good this spell is with the Bladesinger wizard. Now we will look at it assuming that no magical items are available but keep in mind that with magical armour, weapons and with some wonderous items the power of this spell increases and can increase significantly.
       • So you on your first turn you will activate Bladesong and cast Tenser's Transformation. Then put away your arcane focus and pull out your second shortsword. Now lets assume you are at level 12 and your dex score is at 18 and int is at 20. Your AC will be 13(mage armour)+4(dex)+5. That would be an AC of 22. This is a very decent AC score for a melee attacker and this will get better if you gain access to items like +2 or +3 studded leather armour or bracers of defense. The extra 50 THP also goes a long way in significantly increasing your sustainability. Now if you are worried about failing your Con save, the features of this spell and Bladesong have you covered. Assuming your Con score is 14 your Con save will be 2+4+5. That is a con save of +11 and for you to not auto pass your con save a creature would need to deal at least 26 damage to you. Now lets say you took more than 26 damage in one hit, well Song of Defense has you covered there. You can burn a low level spell slot, reduce the damage and lower the save DC for you. Now lets take a look at the damage of this spell. With 2 shorts swords and a dex of 18 your are dealing 3d6+6d12+8(average of 57.5 damage). This damage will increase with magical weapons like +1/+2/+3 shortswords and strength boosting items. With the magical weapons you can bypass resistances to not hinder your damage. The damage will also increase once you reach level 14(an increase of +15) thanks to Song of Victory. We should also mention that you are attacking with advantage which significantly reduces the chances of you missing. Now lets assume everything goes wrong and you fail your concentration check. In this case you just continue on doing wizard things since you don't have to remove armour or take off a shield. All of the drawbacks you mentioned aren't even drawbacks in this case. We don't need to cast other wizard spells because we are using our concentration and doing efficient and effective damage as a Bladesinger. I hope you read this post and it changes how you look at this spell. Even if this post doesn't change your mind, thank you for reading this post anyways.
  2. Otto's Irresistable Dance
     • 1 cr, disadv DEX saves, attack roles
     • each rd, WIS save
  3. Disintegrate
     • 10d6 + 40 force
     • DEX save/nothing
     • high level cr have great saves
  4. True Seeing

7 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Mordenkainen's Sword
     • uses conc, action, ba
     • compare to Spiritural Weapon (2, cleric)
  2. Regenerate
     • 4d8+30 (worse than Heal)
     • 1hp/rd after that
     • can save you if you drop to 0hp, but still weak result
  3. Prismatic Spray
     • cones are easy to get friendly fire
     • random effect
• Best
  
  1. Simulacrum
     • duplicate beast/human
     • half hp, no equipment
     • all spells and abilities, can't regain after they're used
     • can dup yourself
     • 1500gp
  2. Force Cage
     • 20x20x20ft cube, huge, gargantuan
     • save to teleport
     • can't break with Dispel Magic
  3. Plane Shift
     • combat goes bad, leave with entire party
     • can go anywhere
     • expensive banishment (4) if needed
• Overrated
  
  1. Delayed Blast Fireball
     • 12d6
     • conc until explosion, each rd +1d6
     • bead can be thrown
     • have to avoid ff
  2. Finger of Death
     • 1 cr, avg 55 necrotic
     • CON/half
     • kill it, it comes back as a zombie
  3. Project Image
     • conc
     • creates image of yourself
     • can move it around
     • can see through it
     • similar to Trickery Cleric Level 2 spell
• Underrated
  
  1. Divine Word
     • ba, 30ft rad
     • blind, restrain, ko low hp enemies
     • mass banishes monsters from another plane
     • no conc
  2. Etherealness
     • entire party
     • bypass challenges
     • more than just a passwall
  3. Conjure Celestial

8 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Power Word Stun
  2. Control Weather
  3. Glibness
     • auto 15 on CHA check
     • undetectable
     • 1h
  4. Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (nec, xgte)
  5. Telepathy
• Best
  
  1. Animal Shapes (Druid)
     • willing cr withing 30ft
     • transform them all into <=CR4 beasts
     • can change the forms every rd (full hp)
     • 24h
  2. Maze
     • enemy banished to plane, no st
     • to return, INT check DC 20, no magic or legendary resistance
  3. Antimagic Field
     • spells or spell-like effect
     • spell attack
     • fueled by spell slot
     • magical object (not artifacts)
• Overrated
  
  1. Clone
     • good
     • 1000gp, 2000gp
     • 120 days to be ready
     • lose equipment
     • lose ability to be raised
       • equiped and ready in combat
  2. Dominate Monster
     • 1cr, st
     • in combat, save with adv
     • takes damage, another save
     • conc
     • short duration
     • action to control
  3. Feeblemind
     • 4d6 psychic damage
     • INT save, INT=1, CHA=1 for 30 days
• Underrated
  
  1. Antipathy/Sympathy
     • 10 days
     • lots of saves required, uses up legendary saves
     • no conc
     • can cast repeatedly for cumulative effect
     • have to know what you're up against
  2. Demiplane
     • treasure rooms
     • long rests
     • escape, large can't get in
     • no V component
     • prison for medium or smaller
     • mass teleportation
  3. Earthquake
     • cr DEX prone
     • cr DEX pit
     • spellcasters CONC save, DC = your spell DC
     • large area of effect

9 Level

• Worst
  
  1. Weird
     • 30ft rad, st, frightened
     • st 4d10
     • fear (3) better
     • just bigger range
  2. Power Word: Kill
     • guess their hp right or nothing
  3. Imprisonment
     • save or die
  4. Storm of Vengeance
     • story value only
     • huge aoe
• Best
  
  1. Wish
     • emulate any spell <=8 in the game
     • only V component
     • other things too, but don't do it, can make it impossible to cast wish again, unless part of the story
     • once a day
  2. True Polymorph
     • Adult Dragon
     • Legendary resistance, breath weapon, etc.
     • can be permanent until dispelled
     • turn a tree into a friendly dragon
     • turn a dragon into a tree
  3. Foresight
     • 8h, no conc, self or another
     • adv or disadv buff
  4. Psychic Scream
     • Int save, Stunned condition, no concentration
  5. Prismatic Wall
     • like Wall of Force, but no conc
• Overrated
  
  1. Invulnerability
     • good
     • drawbacks
       • self only
       • conc
       • 10m
       • only damage, doesn't prevent stun, polymorph, charms
  2. Time Stop
     • used to be great, now ok or bad
     • d4+1 rds
     • can't do much
  3. Mass Polymorph
     • ok
     • 10 person save or polymorph
  4. Gate
     • used to be that they'd be compelled to serve you, not anymore
• Underrated
  
  1. Shapechange
     • self only
     • change form with your action
     • can't get legendary actions, but legendary resistances ok
     • used up leg res?, change to another creature
     • can't cast your spells, but can use the cratures innate spells
     • frightful presence
  2. Meteor Swarm
     • 500ft
     • 40d6
     • 40ft rad
     • worthy 9th level blast spell
  3. Mass Heal
     • in or out of combat
     • healing pool, good since damage isn't distributed evenly
     • 700hp
     • 8th level heal, 100hp

Worst

Best

Overrated

Underrated

Part 1: Why is a Trickster Cleric good?

Part 2: Leveling up an example Trickster Cleric

• Level 1
  
  • Goddess: Tymora
    • good
    • trickery
  • Race
    • prefer +1 WIS
    • consider: aarakocra, hill dwarf, wood elf, ghostwise halfling, kenku, variant human
    • Variant Human
      • Feat
        • War Caster
        • Resilient
        • Lucky
  • Background
    • Criminal Spy
  • Attributes
    • 8 14 14 10 16 12
  • Equipment
    • at early levels, better to go heavier armor with high ac
      • don't worry about stealth disadvantage
      • can change later
  • Spells
    • Charm Person, Disguise Self
    • 0: Guidance, Toll the Dead, Light
    • 1: Bless, Healing Word, Detect Magic (rit), Detect Poison and Disease (rit)
  • 10hp, AC18
  • Combat
    • rd 1: bless (makes others deal more damage)
    • Healing word if someone goes down
    • toll the dead
• Level 2,3
  
  • Invoke Duplicity
  • Turn Undead
  • lots of spells because of domain spells
  • with spiritual weapon, bonus actions are valuable
    • use cure wounds, action, instead of healing word, ba
    • or keep both, touch vs ranged
• Level 3
  
  • combat
    • ba, spiritual weapon
    • a, toll the dead
• Level 5
  
  • ASI, WIS
    • maybe feat for improved concentration
  • blink
    • need an action to set up
    • can stack with mirror image
    • while you're in the ethereal plane:
      • you can't be targeted
      • you're not there, so no AoE damage
  • dispel magic
  • spirit guardians
    • scales well
  • sacred flame
  • combat
    • rd 1: spirit guardians
    • rd 2: spiritual weapon + cantrip like Toll the dead
    • 35 damage to one target, 13.5 damage to group, per rd
• Level 7
  
  • good level for Trickery Clerics
  • 4th level spells
  • dimension door (extra person your size or smaller), polymorph
  • aid (2), sanctuary (1)
  • Cloak of Shadows
• Level 9
  
  • ASI at 8, WIS=20
  • dominate person, modify memory
  • greater restoration
    • for petrification
    • ability score gets zeroed
    • hp max down to zero
  • scrying (5)
  • contagion (check errata)
  • 28 prepared spells! (24 + cantrips)
• Level 12
  
  • ASI, feat: resilient CON
  • utility cantrip, mending
  • 6th level spells
  • heal
    • 70 hp
  • word of recall
    • teleport to deity's temple
  • blade barrier
  • rarely using weapon
• Level 16
  
  • ASI, feat, CON increase?, Tough
  • conjure celestial, quaddel
  • plane shift or etherealness
  • resurrection
    • but don't keep it prepared
    • it can wait one more day
  • anti-magic field
    • go toe to toe with enemy caster
    • neither can use magic
    • bring a friend to kill him
• Level 20
  
  • ASI, Alert
  • many 9th level spells have costly, consumed components
  • mass heal (9)
    • cures 700hp on targets within 60ft
    • cures diseases, blindness, deafness
  • astral projection (9)
  • death ward (4)

Cantrips

1st Level (once per day)

Blockade

Distraction

Intimidation

Alternate Targets (know DM)

Obscuration

Short Rests

Humans

Rage

Berserker

Moon Druid

Monk

Ranger

Sorcerer

Warlock

Fighter

Potions

Spells

Inspiration

Spell Focus

Ammo

Find Traps

House rules he's considering

Comments

On not fudging

Need to succeed on check to advance story

Need to change result on random encounter roll

Need to change result of random treasure roll

Need to improve Enemy roll to boost encounter

Need to keep PCs from being killed by enemy

Review

Rogue Basics

Rogue Build, Arcane Trickster

• Level 1
  
  • only using PHB
  • skill prof
    • perception
    • stealth
    • sleight of hand
    • acrobatics
  • expertise
    • perception
    • stealth
  • background
    • don't worry; can customize
    • criminal
      • arcana
      • playing card set
      • disguise kit
  • ability scores
    • std array
    • STR 8
    • CHA 10
    • WIS 12
    • INT 13
    • CON 14
    • DEX 15
  • race
    • want DEX +1, halflings, elves, etc.
    • high elf
      • DEX +2
      • darkvision
      • keen senses: perception
        • already have it
        • investigation
      • fey ancestrey
      • trance
      • lang
        • common
        • elvish
      • INT +1
      • elf weapon training
        • longbow
      • starting cantrip
        • minor illusion
        • (booming blade)
        • (green flame blade)
      • extra lang
        • dwarvish
  • equipment
    • easier to just take starting equipment
    • rapier or shortsword
      • rapier
    • shortbow
    • burgler's pack
      • ball bearings, very rogue-like thing to do
      • bell
      • crowbar
      • hooded lantern
    • leather armor
    • two daggers
    • thieves' tools
    • another crowbar
    • dark common clothes, hood
    • gp
  • make sure we have sneak attack
    • hide before combat
    • attack enemies with ally beside them
    • melee or ranged
    • ranged a little better, upgrade to longbow soon
    • don't waste action trying to hide in melee
  • scout?
    • trouble, can die fast
    • stay within 15-20 ft
    • have second guy have light source
• Level 2
  
  • cunning action
  • minor illusion to make something to hide behind
  • bonus action to hide
  • next attack has adv
  • longbow d8
  • studded leather, AC 15
• Level 3
  
  • arcane trickster
  • 3 cantrips
  • mage hand, presti., message
  • two first level spell slots
  • 3 spells known
  • two must be ench or ill
  • color spray (hp count), disguise self, find familiar (shield)
  • familiar can be ally within 5ft of enemy
  • sneak attack 2d6
  • mage hand legerdemain
    • invisible
    • stow an obj
    • retr an obj
    • use thieves' tools
    • DEX not be noticed
    • control with cunning action
    • pick locks, disarm traps at range
    • pick pockets
• Level 4
  
  • use ASI to max main ability score
  • but have 17 in DEX
  • athlete feat, +1 DEX
    • can stand up 5ft movement
    • climbing, no extra movement
    • long jump shorter room
  • one more 1st level spell, one more spell known
    • tasha's hideous laughter
    • set's up sneak attack
  • 31 hp
  • AC 16, with DEX increase
  • init +4

Influence of Video Games

Challenges

Out of Combat

• The Face
  
  • charisma, social skills, persuasion, etc
• The Scout
  
  • stealth, dex, light armor, perception, traps, tracking, darkvision
  • don't send them too far ahead
  • don't want other players to just sit there while the scout is away
  • scout is easily killed
• The Muscle
  
  • lifts the gate, bashes down the door, pushing guard out of the way
  • can have dex fighters but end up without a strength guy
• The Utility Caster
  
  • detect magic, comprehend languages, rituals
• Knowledge Guy
  
  • Nature, Lore, History, research, high INT, investigation, Religion
• The Lump
  
  • bored if it isn't a fight
  • try to provoke a fight

Combat

• Big Stupid Fighter/Tank
  
  • melee, draw attacks
  • need to survive
    • either avoid getting hit
    • or absorb lots of damage
  • better to have two
  • can do relevant damage, needn't be the most
• The Glass Cannon
  
  • lots of damage
  • archers, rogues, sorcerers, warlock
  • maybe not the best defense
• Single Target Striker
  
  • warlock, archer
• Area of Effect Striker
  
  • fireball
  • should have single target options
• Support/God Wizard
  
  • wizards, other classes
  • four pillars (should do at least two)
  • buffing allies
    
  • debuffing enemies
    
  • battlefield control
    
  • healing in combat
    
    • healing word, heal
    • not a good sole purpose
      • reactive
      • won't be able to keep up
• "Roleplayer" who can't do anything
  

Earlier guide notes

Introduction

• Wizards are Awesome
  
  • versatility, utility
  • defense
    • block enemy spells
    • boost AC
    • relocate
  • Spell Quantity
    • Arcane Recovery
    • rituals
  • Preparation
    • change at long rest
  • best spell selection
    • many only on wizard list
  • varied and powerful subclasses
  • Wizards are nerds

Wizard Subclasses

• misc
  
  • Color code
    • Blue, great
    • Green, solid recommendation
    • Purple, ok
    • Orange, circumstantial or not so good
    • Red, bad or not what it sounds like
  • Savant (orange)
    • cheaper, quicker to copy spells
    • doesn't happen a lot
    • wasn't especially expensive anyway
• Abjurer (green)
  
  • Arcane Ward (2, blue)
    
    • shield that blocks damage
      • 2*wizard level + INTm
      • replenishes when cast abj spell
      • less damage means easier conc saves
  • Projected Ward (6, purple)
    
    • lend ward to another cr
  • Improved Abjuration (10, purple)
    
    • counterspell, dispel magic
    • can add PB
  • Spell Resistance (14, blue)
    
    • adv spell st
    • resistance spell damage
• Conjurer (green)
  
  • Minor Conjuration (2, purple)
    
    • conjure obj, 3ft
    • have to think of a way to make it useful
    • what is an object?
    • examples
      • 3ft barrier to hide behind
      • is poison an object? a poisonous plant?
      • suddenly need a grappling hook? make it.
      • manacles
      • copy a key
      • create spell components? expensive components?
      • alchemist's fire?
  • Benign Transposition (6, green)
    
    • teleport
    • not casting a spell
    • can switch positions
      • get grappled, swap with the barbarian
    • do it once, but get it back when cast conj spell
    • enemy mage protected in their rear
      • misty step back there, then swap with fighter
    • uses action
  • Focused Conjuration (10, blue)
    
    • avoid conc saves with concentrating on conj spell
    • conjure elemental, if lose conc, elemental turns on party
  • Durable Summons (14, red)
    
    • summon a cr, 30 tmp hp
    • not a big deal
• Diviner (blue)
  
  • Portent (2, super blue)
    
    • every day, roll 2 d20s
    • can replace attack, st, ability checks with those
    • as good as a mid level spell
    • allows more options when spells can fail due to an average st, can force a bad roll and likely failure
    • legendary saves bypass portent
  • Expert Divination (6, purple)
    
    • good, but not great
    • regain a lower spell slot
    • need to have used one
    • not a lot of divination spells
    • can't be higher than 5th level
  • Third Eye (10, purple)
    
    • choose one, darkvision, comprehend langs, see invis
  • Greater Portent (14, blue)
    
    • one more portent die
• Enchanter (blue)
  
  • Hypnotic Gaze (2, blue)
    
    • cr, 5ft, WIS/charmed, incap, speed=0
    • lasts as long as you want
    • not conc
    • magical effect, not a spell
  • Instinctive Charm (6, green)
    
    • reaction, force op to attack someone else
    • sort of like shield, but doesn't use a slot
  • Split Enchantment (10, blue)
    
    • cast ench spell, targets 1 cr
      • target 2 cr instead
    • can do over and over again
    • makes weak spells better
    • tasha, then hyp gaze
    • hold monster, better
  • Alter Memories (14, purple)
    
    • cr doesn't know it was charmed, INT
    • circumstantial
• Evoker (green)
  
  • good blaster
  • Sculpt Spells (2, blue)
    
    • can blast without as much concern
    • avoid allies with AoE
    • RAW: can't avoid yourself
  • Potent Cantrip (6, red)
    
    • cantrip damage with st, enemy takes half instead of none
    • don't use cantrips for long
  • Empowered Evocation (10, purple)
    
    • add INTm to one damage roll
    • it's ok
    • Frostbite can use both Potent Cantrip and Empowered Evocation
      • but casting a cantrip at 10th level?
  • Overchannel (14)
    
    • max damage plus INTm, 5th or lower
    • once per long rest (effectively)
• Illusionist (green)
  
  • Improved Minor Illusion (2, purple)
    
    • one more cantrip
    • get both image and sound
  • Malleable Illusions (6, purple)
    
    • can change illusion elements in real time
    • framework can't move
    • frame of reference issues
    • have to be able to see all the area you're affecting
    • DM dependent
  • Illusory Self (10, purple)
    
    • once per short or long rest
    • reaction, cr attacks, put illusion in your place
    • not really better than shield
    • shield lasts a round
  • Illusory Reality (14, blue)
    
    • game changing
    • action, cast illusion
    • bonus action, make object real for 1m, no conc
    • stone wall
• Necromancer (purple)
  
  • carry bones into the dungeon
  • make you skellies archers with magic bows
  • flavor other spells to fit the concept
  • Grim Harvest (2, red)
    
    • kill cr with spell
    • regain some hp
    • have to be wounded to benefit
    • not killing many creatures
    • necromancy spells doing damage are poor choices
  • Undead Thralls (6, green)
    
    • get animate dead
    • get two instead of one
    • better undead
    • doesn't scale especially well
  • Inured to Undeath (10, orange)
    
    • not useful against most creatures
    • necrotic damage is rare
    • maybe good in the right campaign
  • Command Undead (14, orange)
    
    • take control of someone else's undead
    • intelligent undead get adv on st
    • keep it until use this ability again
    • but some powerful undead out there
    • great in the right circumstance
• Transmuter (purple)
  
  • combine with War Caster
  • easy to maintain conc
  • give stone to cleric casting spririt guardians
    • helps them with conc
  • Minor Alchemy (2, red)
    
    • wood, stone, metal
    • short time
  • Transmuter's Stone (6, green)
    
    • 8h to create stone
    • cast trans spell, change effects
    • prof con saves
    • some versatility
    • can pass it around
  • Shapechanger (10, red)
    
    • polymorph
    • once per short rest
    • cast on yourself, CR <=1
    • just utility
    • get mental aspects of target cr
  • Master Transmuter (14, green)
    
    • consume stone
    • major transformation
    • restore youth
    • restore lift, raise dead, no spell slot
      • still need components
    • panacea
      • remove curses, diseases, regain all hp
      • great
• Bladesinger (green)
  
  • elves, half-elves
  • earlier editions, was fighter and wizard half and half
  • almost as good at melee as other chars at lower levels
  • survive low levels and become full wizard with occasional melee, esp when concentrating on something
  • Training in War and Song (2, purple)
    
    • prof light armor
    • prof melee weapon, probably rapier
    • prof performance
  • Bladesong (2, blue)
    
    • 1m
    • AC += INTm
    • speed += 10ft
    • adv acrobatics
    • conc st, add INTm
  • Extra Attack (6, purple)
    
    • good if have good weapon
    • can use bow
  • Song of Defense (10, green)
    
    • reduce damage with spell slot
    • don't want to lose slots
    • but improves conc saves
  • Song of Victory (14, purple)
    
    • damage += INTm
    • full wizard, 7th spells
    • still doing melee?
• War Mage (XGTE, blue)
  
  • generalist
  • great for campaigns < 15th level
  • Arcane Deflection (2, green)
    
    • hit by attack, or fail st
    • reaction
      • if attack: AC +2
      • if st: add 4
    • can only use cantrips until end of next turn
  • Tactical Wit (2, blue)
    
    • init += INTm
    • good for battlefield control
  • Power Surge (6, purple)
    
    • gain "surges" when end spell effects with dispel magic or counterspell, up to INTm surges
    • reset to one at long rest
    • can use surges to add half wiz level to spell damage
    • weak damage
  • Durable Magic (10, green)
    
    • if concentrating
      • +2 to AC and st
    • combines with Arcane Deflection
  • Deflecting Shroud (14, red)
    
    • use Arcane Deflection
    • deal half wiz level to 3 cr, 60ft
    • weak damage
• Comments
  
  • Conjurer
    
    • Durable Summons
      • Summon Lesser Demons, Conjure Minor Elementals
        • get lots of little creatures, so 30hp is a lot
  • Diviner
    
    • upcast Mind Spike, regain 4th level slot
  • Enchanter
    
    • Hypnotic Gaze
      • Hypnotic gaze suddenly makes a couple kinds of spells really interesting; you mentioned Greater Invisibility, but what about just Invisibility? HG isn't a spell or an attack, so would it break invisibility? RAW, certainly not, and as a DM, I'd probably allow it just because I love the idea of this invisible, enchanting entrancer.
      • The other spells this makes viable: Crown of Stars and Melf's Minute Meteors. If you're using your action to maintain concentration, you should be doing something with your bonus action—why not hurl some meteors to help out your party?
  • Necromancer
    
    • Control Undead
      • control White Dracolich
    • Jamie Katz
      • As someone who has played the Necromancer I wholeheartedly disagree with your assessment.
      • I love how you expound the value of "adding actions" with spells like find familiar and create homunculus but when you are confronted with a wizard who creates resilient action economy breaking minions you think the one feature that makes that sustainable is anything but light blue.
      • Describing Undead Thralls as making undead minions "just a little bit better…."
      • This feature should've been light blue. I've seen it trivialize tier 2 (that tier that sees the most amount of play) and keep undead minions contentious into tier 3.
      • Even at level 6 it's adding 50% to a skeleton's HP and 50% more damage (+3 on a 1d6+2 is 54%). One level 3 spell to have four 19hp skeleton archers follow you around means you've essentially turned yourself into a squad with by spending a level 3 slot before or after you long rest.
      • Oh, and getting that squad would've normally cost a regular wizard four level 3 spell slots to build up to but costs the Necromancer two because they can target an additional pile of bones to animate when they cast the spell.
      • The creatures can also expend hit dice to heal, so long as you play safe with them they will be able to survive and recover during short rests.
      • Even at only +4 to hit you have a whole host of spells which grant advantage against targets and in many cases restraining them.
      • Grim Harvest by the way, it's once per turn not once per round. So any spell which deals damage on another creature's turn and functions in a large area of effect makes regaining HP trivial on the necromancer: Sickening Radiance, Wall of Fire, Evard's Black Tentacles etc. High level spells that can kill multiple creatures have the potential to help you rebound from half to full hp for free. This is arguably better than temp hp in many circumstances because unlike temp HP, this effect can occur multiple times (where as temp hp doesn't stack).
      • The necromancer is so broken, my long time DM won't let me play them anymore because of how radically it shifts the balance of a 4 man group and forces crazy increases in CR. That one character overshadowed an entire adventuring group.
  • Transmuter
    
    • Not my favorite Arcane Tradition, but I'm currently playing one (Deep gnome); one possible use to consider for the Minor Alchemy and Major Transformation abilities is changing the support of a major structure from something like iron or stone to something far weaker, like wood, then damaging it as much as possible before the transformation ends. Or, for Major Transformation, changing one 5ft cube of material into another that can then be interacted with using spells (Mold Earth, Meld Into Stone, Stone Shape, Transmute Rock, Move Earth).
  • Bladesinger
    
    • Extra Attack
      • Shadow Blade

Party Roles

• List
  
  • The Face
  • The Scout
  • The Muscle
  • The Utility Caster
  • The Knowledge Guy
  • The Big Stupid Fighter
  • The Glass Cannon: Single Target, AoE
  • Support: Buff, Debuff, BC, In Combat Healing
• The Face, probably the leader
  
  • wizard probably not the best choice
    • not the best charisma
  • but
    • intelligent
  • maybe Noble background, Entertainer
  • Relevant Spells
    • Friends: short term
    • Suggestion: don't need charisma
    • Diviner has portent
• The Scout
  
  • Backgrounds: Criminal, Urchin
  • good DEX
  • Relevant Spells
    • Invisiblity
    • conjure critters or undead to lead the way and "search" for traps
• The Muscle Guy
  
  • can make a wizard with a high STR
    • but probably not
  • Enlarge/Reduce
    • many uses
  • summoning
    • zombies have 13 STR
    • elementals have 20 STR
  • Tensor's Floating Disk
  • Gust
    • push people out of the way
  • Catapult
• The Utility Caster
  
  • detect magic (rit)
  • identify (rit)
  • water breathing (rit)
  • leomund's tiny hut (rit)
  • phantom steed (rit)
  • alarm (rit)
  • comprehend languages (rit)
• The Knowledge Guy
  
  • high INT
  • languages
  • maybe one level dip in Divine Domain (Knowledge)][Knowledge Cleric
    • Guidance
    • armor, shields
  • Relevant Spells, divination usually
    • tongues
    • scrying
    • detect thoughts
    • arcane eye
    • clairvoyance
• Support/God Wizard
  
  • buff, debuff, bc, healing
  • do at least two
  • buffs:
    • longstrider
    • dragon's breath
      • for your familiar
    • shadow blade
    • magic weapon
    • fly
      • sometimes essential
    • haste
    • improved invisibility
      • on paladin, rogues
    • polymorph
    • foresight
  • debuffs
    • multiple targets are better
    • slow
    • hypnotic pattern
    • sleep
    • diviner, portent
    • enchanter, hypnotic gaze
  • BC
    • wizards are the best
    • druids ok
    • not clerics or bards
    • divide and conquer
    • web
    • wall of force
    • fog cloud
    • slow them down, spread them out
    • grease
    • sleet storm
    • darkness
  • healing
    • guaranteed rest
    • leomund's tiny hut
    • rope trick
    • bring up a dying char
    • polymorph
    • don't take damage in the first place
    • counterspell
• The Glass Cannon
  
  • multiple targets
    • evoker
  • single target
    • not so good at that
    • magic missile is ok
      • evoker makes it good at level 10
• Big Stupid Fighter/Tank
  
  • usually high STR, high CON, lots of hp
  • wizards are not bad at this, if done carefully
  • bladesinger is pretty good
    • high AC
  • mirror image
  • blur
  • abjurer, war mage
  • race benefits
  • absorb elements
  • booming blade
  • can be reasonable
  • still have other spells available
  • can melee while conc on something, hypnotic pattern
  • they'll want to take out the wizard
  • can get armor
• Multiple Roles
  
  • can have a focus, but do a little bit of many things
  • can fill roles in the party

Races

• INT bonus
  
  • not as important with Wizards
  • doesn't affect a lot of spells, especially at low levels
  • so go with concept even if it won't give you the best INT
• Tank role
  
  • bladesinger
    • high elf
    • half elf
  • abjurer, arcane ward
    • deep gnome
    • feat: skerfneblin magic
      • nondetection at will
      • cheesy, but tops off arcane ward all the time
    • githyanki
      • medium armor, half plate
      • race spells
• Blaster, God Wizard
  
  • high elf
  • gnomes
    • +2 INT, bonus to CON or DEX
    • 25ft movement
    • small size
      • thunderstep, dimdoor, your size or smaller
    • deep gnomes
      • 120ft darkvision with no light sensitivity
      • stone camoflague
    • forest gnome
      • DEX, CON
      • minor illusion cantrip
      • communicate with small beasts
    • rock gnome
      • CON
      • adv some history rolls
      • tinker
  • Variant Human
    • get to INT 20 quickly
    • perception
    • warcaster
    • leave resilient for higher levels
  • Tiefling
    • not especially strong, more CHA based
    • but ok
    • winged tiefling
      • gives up the CHA bonus, but you have wings
  • Hobgoblin
    • like roman centurions
    • INT, CON
    • shoring up, bonus to st
    • martial weapon profs
      • heavy crossbow, good for beginning
    • light armor
      • hard to use mage armor with few 1st level spells
      • switch to magic studded leather later
      • opens up Moderately Armored feat
  • Yuan-ti
    • INT, CHA
    • poison immunity
    • bonus saves vs spells
  • Githyanki
    • INT
    • half plate
    • extra spells

Feats/ASIs

• max INT
  
  • eventually, by level 20
  • nice by level 12
  • elevate secondary scores last
• Full Feats
  
  • War Caster
    
    • get this feat first
    • adv st CON for conc check
      • the big one
      • adv really helpful at lower levels
      • Resilient better over level 13 or so, or if CON is high
      • use conc checks a lot, levels 4-8
    • can make somatic components holding weapons or shield
      • staff is quarterstaff, so that's ok
    • get AoO, can cast spell instead of weapon attack
      • shouldn't be in melee
  • Lucky
    
    • important conc saves
    • maybe as alternate to War Caster
  • +2 INT
    
  • Alert
    
    • want to do battlefield control or illusions before anybody else can do anything
    • maybe take this first if it fits you spell choices
  • Tough
    
    • probably have the lowest hp
    • this can make us comparable to other classes
    • sometimes you just get hit
  • Wood Elf Magic
    
    • longstrider
    • pass without trace
  • Healer
    
    • ok at low levels
    • wizard is conc on main spell, then has time to do upkeep
  • Magic Initiate: Druid
    
    • Guidance
    • Mending
    • Goodberry
  • Elemental Adept
    
    • circumstantial
    • ignore resistance
    • can use fire on everybody
    • monsters can still have immunities
  • Svirfneblin Magic
    
    • Elemental Evil book, but didn't make it to Xanathar's
    • circumstantial
    • abjurer, nondetection loophole
  • Crossbow Expert
    
    • don't recommend
    • no disadv ranged spell attacks
    • few spells require ranged spell attacks
  • Defensive Duelist
    
    • don't recommend
    • daggers, improved AC, one attack per round
    • shield is better (but uses spell slots)
    • War Mage is better
  • Spell Sniper
    
    • don't recommend
    • cantrips are too weak
• Half Feats
  
  • Resilent CON
    
    • get INT to 20 first
    • maybe if ended up with odd INT score
    • works on every type of CON save
    • war caster better at lower levels
    • level 12 or 16, look at this one
  • Moderately Armored
    
    • circumstantial
    • hobgoblin, have light armor prof
    • but with this, get half plate and shield
    • big improvement
  • Fey Teleportation
    
    • circumstantial
    • high elf, odd INT score
    • misty step with one free use
  • Flames of Phlegethos
    
    • circumstantial
    • tiefling wizard
    • odd INT score
    • bonus on fire based spells, reroll 1s
  • Observant
    
    • circumstantial
    • INT+1
    • read lips
    • bonus passive perception, passive investigation
  • Keen Mind
    
    • circumstantial
    • INT+1
    • which way is north
    • can keep time, sunset, sunrise
    • perfect memory recall
    • depends on DM

Equipment and Magic Items

Tactics, Low-level (1-2)

Tactics, Mid-level (3-10)

• Levels 5,6
  
  • buff
    • haste, polymorph
  • bc
    • sleet storm
      • started as one group
      • enemies trickle out, divide and conquer
  • debuff
    • hypnotic pattern
  • blasting
    • fireball
      • use on three or more cr
      • best on five or six
      • about 9 damage per level
      • scales terribly over level 6
  • tactics
    • stay in the middle of the party
    • can hit with fireball as they swarm in
      • but still alive
    • hyp pattern, same area
      • only half succeed at st
      • problem reduced
    • might get attacked, consider dodge
    • sleet storm
      • huge area
      • get some on the forward edge
        • so we can hit them from outside the AoE
      • some fall prone
      • others slowed
    • get surrounded? all mixed together
      • better to have had a good initiative
      • slow
        • can affect six enemies
        • reduces their offense
        • can be mixed together
    • targetting saving throws
      • doesn't like it
      • don't have enough prepared spells
    • spell prep
      • 6th level wizard
      • 16 INT, war caster
        • counterspell (vs enemy spellcasters)
        • fireball (vs DEX)
        • hypnotic pattern
        • slow (mixed group)
        • stinking cloud (vs CON)
        • pantasmal force (vs INT)
        • mirror image
        • misty step
        • mage armor, but out of spells
        • no shield, no absorb elements
      • save 1st level for defense
        • absorb elements, mage armor, shield
      • 2nd
        • mirror image (defense, no conc)
        • misty step (maneuverability, ba)
        • big gun
          • levitate
          • web
      • 3rd
        • counterspell
        • hyp pattern
        • slow
  • ritual spells
    • 5th: tiny hut (rests), punt on slow
    • water breathing, 24h
• Levels 7-10
  
  • 4th level spells
    • polymorph (conc)
      • ally takes damage
      • poly them
      • high hit points, still does damage
    • dim door (no conc)
      • fighter low
      • dim door both away
      • fighter can do ranged attacks from afar
  • summoning spells (better with druids)
    • summon elementals (1m)
    • summon greater demon (1a)
    • keep enemies away
    • damage
    • positioning is important
    • let them be expendable
  • layering defenses (before combat)
    • fire shield
    • mirror image
    • want to keep concentration
      • consider Dodge to retain conc
      • especially over a tiny cantrip
  • 5th
    • bigby's hand (lots of variety)
    • synaptic static (many enemies, debuff)
  • wizard
    • 18 INT
    • 13 spells prepared
    • 1st
      • ae, sh, ma
      • misty step, mirror image, (web)
      • counterspell, hyp pattern, (slow?)
      • arcane eye, dim door, poly (many great options)
      • animate objects, wall of force
  • wall of force
    • no st
    • against foes with legendary st
    • dragon plus trolls
    • put dragon in wall of force
      • maintain conc, at all costs
    • deal with underlings
    • regather yourselves
    • gang up and attack dragon

Tactics, High-level (11+)

• Avoiding Counterspell
  
  • counterspell has a range of 60ft
    • stay outside that range
  • also requires los
    • hide
    • concealment
      • los on target, hidden from anti-mage
• Dealing with Legendary Resistances
  
  • CR 10+
  • need spells like Wall of Force (no st)
• Working Around Concentration
  
  • starting to get powerful non-conc spells
• Game Changing Spells
  
  • Levels 11-12
    
    • Contingency
      
      • defensive spells (only targets us)
      • Otiluke's Reslient Sphere, Dim Door
        • prefers Dim Door
        • because conc
          • don't want conc interrupted
      • need a good trigger
        • command word?
          • but need to say word on your turn
        • hp threshold
          • 1/3 or less
    • Scatter
      
      • rearrange battlefield
      • good guys and bad
    • Mass Suggestion
      
      • liberal DM?
        • join our side
      • neutral
        • hire them as mercenaries
      • anti DM
        • run for your lives
        • we'll kill you otherwise
      • lasts 24h
  • Level 13
    
    • Forcecage
      
      • no conc
      • cubical, not spherical
        • gargantuan creature
      • attack through the bars?
        • not swords
        • not arrows
        • moonbeam, cloud of daggers
    • Simulacrum
      
      • copies creature, yourself, etc.
      • half hp
      • can conc itself
      • doubles yourself
      • can use it on an enemy
        • enemy is Warlord
        • defeat, unconscious
        • simulacrum on it
        • 3 legendary actions
        • allows ally to attack
      • indefinite
    • Illusory Reality
      
      • huge cr
      • surround with illusionary prison
        • minor or major image (1st or 3rd level spell)
      • make it real
      • pepper it with arrows
  • Level 15-16
    
    • Demiplane
      
      • store hoards of treasure
      • no encumberance
      • store mounts
      • safe place to rest
    • Maze
      
      • INT 20 check (no legendary st)
      • conc
    • Clone
      
      • need significant amount of downtime
      • avoids TPK
      • lose loot, far away from fight
  • Level 17
    
    • Meteor Swarm
      
      • 15.5 pts damage per spell level
      • insane range and area
      • expect 100 damage per enemy
      • army of dragons
    • Wish
      
      • danger of wasting it waiting for perfect time
      • simulacrum
        • monster has to fight itself
      • resurrection
      • use it before a long rest if still have it
    • Spell Mastery
      
      • 1st: absorb elements, shield
        • always useful
      • 2nd: mirror image, silent image if illusionist

Level 1 Spells

• Abjuration Spells
  
  • Shield (blue)
    • scales well to level 20
  • Mage Armor (blue)
    • medium armor is better
    • light armor is probably good enough
  • Absorb Elements (green)
    • energy damage is uncommon in low levels
  • Alarm (purple, blue for abjurers)
    • fades in value after Leomund's Tiny Hut
  • Snare (X) (orange) (1m cast)
    • have to know where they're coming from
  • Protection from Good and Evil (orange)
    • certain creature types
• Conjuration
  
  • Find Familiar (blue)
  • Grease (green) (no conc)
  • Fog Cloud (green)
    • early levels, maybe mid
    • sleet storm better
  • Unseen Servant (purple)
    • light telekinesis, like mage hand
  • Ice Knife (X) (purple)
  • Tenser's Floating Disk (rit) (orange)
    • wheelbarrow
    • 1h
• Divination
  
  • Detect Magic (blue) (rit)
    • use after a battle to check plunder
    • books on shelf have explosive rune?
  • Comprehend Languages (green) (rit)
    • written and verbal
  • Identify (orange) (rit)
    • rarely needed in 5e
    • short rest identifies items
    • is potion poison?
• Enchantment
  
  • Sleep (blue)
    • great at 1st level
    • great against small swarms
    • bigger enemies if they're alone in AoE
    • scales terribly
      • 1st, 2nd, maybe 3rd
  • Tasha's Hideous Laughter (green) (conc)
    • single target, st or nothing
    • fail: prone, incap
    • repeated st (still prone until their next turn)
    • scales well
    • enchanters (10th) can target two enemies
  • Charm Person (orange)
    • humanoids only
    • charmed condition is minor
• Evocation
  
  • Magic Missile (green)
    • ok damage
    • rarely resisted
    • 3*(1d4+1) (jeremy crawford)
    • evoker (10th) can add INTm to each dart
  • Thunderwave (green, blue for evokers)
    • poor against single target, want > 2-3
    • evokers can use sculpt ability to protect nearby allies
    • doesn't scale well above 1-3
  • Chromatic Orb (purple)
    • can choose type
    • vulnerabilities are rare
    • consider Magic Missile instead
  • Witch Bolt (red) (conc)
    • less damage than Chromatic Orb
    • target can get cover, move out of range
    • scales terribly
    • trap
  • Earth Tremor (X) (red, orange for evokers)
    • centered on you
    • probably allies around you, protecting you
    • low levels, ok for evoker
  • Burning Hands (red, purple for evokers)
    • fire damage commonly resisted
    • small area
    • take thunderwave instead
• Illusion
  
  • Silent Image (green, blue for illusionists (14th))
    • BC
    • can move
    • low to mid levels
    • Illusionists (14th), Illusory Reality, make it real
  • Color Spray (purple)
    • Sleep often better
  • Disguise Self (orange, sometimes green)
    • should be ritual
    • good for espionage campaign
  • Illusory Script (red)
• Necromancy (weak until level 9)
  
  • Ray of Sickness (purple, almost orange)
    • poison often resisted
    • secondary effect rarely takes effect
  • False Life (purple, almost orange)
  • Cause Fear (X) (red)
    • WIS or nothing
    • aren't turned
    • st every round
    • take Tasha's instead
• Transmutation
  
  • Expeditious Retreat (purple, almost green) (conc)
    • ba cast
    • doesn't scale well
      • good for levels 1-3
  • Longstrider (purple)
    • need to cast beforehand (1a cast)
  • Feather Fall (orange, green sometimes)
    • affects a group
    • good for campaign with flying
  • Catapult (X) (purple)
  • Jump (red)
    • jumping distance counts as movement

Level 2 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Arcane Lock (red)
• Conjuration
  
  • Web (blue)
    • nice to have anchor points
    • can layer on floor, which is fine
    • enemy get two tries: STR check and DEX st
      • but check takes their action
    • good chance they have a good STR or DEX
      • but good start
  • Misty Step (green)
    • ba
    • can't combine with a good spell (only a cantrip)
    • but can use Dodge or Hide
    • Enchanter, use to get into position for Hypnotic Gaze
  • Flaming Sphere (green)
    • not great damage
    • but can add with cantrip damage to get weak damage x2 which is ok
    • can combine with Booming Blade to trap enemy in place to take flaming sphere damage
  • Cloud of Daggers (orange)
    • conc, doesn't move
    • good for choke point
  • Dust Devil (X) (red)
    • cr has to end its turn beside it, why would it?
• Divination
  
  • See Invisibility (purple)
    • sometimes just need it
  • Locate Object (orange)
    • short range (1000ft)
    • must be familiar with object
  • Detect Thoughts (orange)
    • is cr telling the truth?
    • no st for surface thoughts
    • can move from target to target
    • look for hidden creatures
  • Mind Spike (X) (red)
    • weak damage for level
    • conc
    • can know where target is, even if invisible, etc.
    • maybe ok for Diviner
    • weak scaling
• Enchantment
  
  • Suggestion (green)
    • DM dependent
  • Hold Person (orange)
    • single target
    • makes save, nothing happens
    • fail, paralyzed
    • only on humanoids
    • st every round
  • Crown of Madness (orange)
    • only humanoids
    • single target
    • make save, nothing happens
    • fail, cr attacks your choice, if possible
• Evocation
  
  • Darkness (purple)
    • like Fog Cloud
    • follows target if it moves
    • warlock with devil's sight can see through it
      • can help that ally
    • short duration
    • short range
    • small area
  • Shatter (purple)
    • AoE blast
    • 3d8 thunder
    • weak after level 4-5
  • Warding Wind (X) (orange)
    • throws off ranged attacks (disadv)
    • affects friendlies
    • 10ft radius on you
    • conc
    • look at blur
  • Gust of Wind (orange)
    • line
    • conc
    • STR/knocked back 15ft
    • good defense?
    • easily avoided, unless in a hallway
  • Scorching Ray (orange)
    • compare with magic missile, consider probabilities
  • Continual Flame (orange)
    • use cantrip instead
    • small radius
    • works against darkness, keep lit object in pack for this
  • Melf's Acid Arrow (red)
    • weak, 6d4 damage
  • Aganazzar's Scorcher (X) (red)
    • worse than shatter
  • Snilloc's Snowball Swarm (X) (red)
    • 3d6, tiny area
    • worse than shatter
    • cold commonly resisted
• Illusion
  
  • Mirror Image (blue)
    • 3 duplicates
    • turn 3 attacks into automatic misses
    • 1a cast, best beforehand
  • Invisibility (green)
    • 5E enemy knows where you are
    • Hide check is additional
  • Blur (purple)
    • conc, prevents you from doing other things
    • sort of like Improved Invisibility
    • mirror image probably better
    • evoker might be ok with blur
  • Shadow's Blade (X) (purple)
    • conc
    • ok damage
    • probably already have a magic weapon
    • scales well
  • Phantasmal Force (purple)
    • DM dependent
    • nothing if they save
    • how does DM have cr react to illusion?
    • consider Suggestion
  • Nystul's Magic Aura (orange)
    • provides false info about itself
  • Magic Mouth (orange)
• Necromancy
  
  • Blindness/Deafness (purple)
    • no conc
    • scales well (adds targets)
  • Gentle Repose (orange)
    • postpone revivify
  • Ray of Enfeeblement (red)
    • CON save
    • duration bad
    • single target
• Transmutation
  
  • levitate (green)
    • debuff enemy, up out of range
    • move allies
    • maybe not at higher levels
  • Dragon's Breath (X) (purple)
    • AoE, ok damage, repeats
    • weak on team
    • good on familiar, steed
  • Rope Trick (purple)
    • safe short rest
    • can get slot back from arcane recovery
    • switch to tiny hut at 5th
  • Pyrotechnics (X) (purple)
    • short term blindness
    • no conc
    • need non-magical flame, may need setup
  • Darkvision (purple)
    • one party member without dv
    • can allow whole party to go without light source
  • Magic Weapon (orange)
    • conc
    • doesn't scale since will get a magic weapon anyway
    • low magic campaign
  • Alter Self (orange)
    • breathe underwater
  • Enlarge/Reduce (red)
    • weak buff
    • reduce door in frame
  • Knock (orange)
  • Spider Climb (orange)
    • 1h
  • Earth Bind (X) (orange)
    • STR/comes to earth
    • don't need when party can fly
  • Maximilian's Earthen Grasp (X) (orange)
    • STR/restrained
    • 2d6
    • STR escape
    • maybe use web
    • can let go and restrain another cr
  • Skywrite (X) (red)
    • ritual

Level 3 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Counterspell (blue)
    • 3rd or less, auto succeed
    • check on 4th+
  • Dispel Magic (green)
    • 1a cast
    • remove enemy's buffs
    • remove ally's debuffs
    • removes multiple effects
  • Nondetection (purple)
    • protected from divination magic 8h
    • no conc
  • Glyph of Warding (orange)
    • can use to deliver spell
    • go to demiplane, receive buffs, come back
  • Protection from Energy (orange)
    • worse than Absorb Elements
    • conc
    • have to choose which energy
    • acts when you take damage, so have to pass conc check
    • 1h
  • Remove Curse (orange)
    • doesn't fix cursed item, but can separate user from item
  • Magic Circle (red)
    • 1m cast
    • stationary
    • expensive
• Conjuration
  
  • Thunderstep (X) (blue)
    • your size or smaller
    • los
    • possibility of friendly fire
    • choose either this or dimdoor
  • Sleet Storm (green)
    • large area, big battlefield
    • they can't see you, they fall down
    • divide and conquer
    • doesn't scale great
    • (comments: good against flying crs, and casters (conc check))
  • Stinking Cloud (purple)
    • divide and conquer
    • CON/poisoned
  • Tidal Wave (X) (purple)
    • 4d8
    • can deal damage and knock prone
  • Summon Lesser Demons (X) (red)
    • much worse than Summon Creatures
    • random creatures and count
    • might be hostile
• Divination
  
  • Clairvoyance (purple)
    • first classic divination spell
    • maybe worth it
  • Tongues (purple)
    • probably have comprehend languages
    • need this one to speak
• Enchantment
  
  • Enemies Abound (X) (purple)
    • don't need to be humanoid
    • INT st
    • single target
    • chooses random target, maybe friendly
  • Catnap (X) (red)
    • short rest in 10m
    • not safe like rope trick
    • if time is important, probably don't have 10m
• Evocation
  
  • Leomund's Tiny Hut (blue) (rit)
    • inside, can see out and shoot out
  • Fireball (green)
    • 8d6 [28 avg, 14 with save]
    • good range, AoE
    • weak on one target, try to hit a group
    • no conc
    • doesn't scale too well
  • Sending (purple)
    • the standard for long range communication
  • Melf's Minute Meteors (X) (orange)
    • conc
    • 6 mini fireballs
    • 2d6 each
    • 1a cast, prepare beforehand
    • pair with fireballs
    • small area
  • Lightning Bolt (orange)
    • 8d6 lightning
    • starts from you
    • skinny AoE
  • Wall of Water (X) (orange)
    • conc
    • almost red
  • Wall of Sand (X) (red)
    • small obstacle
• Illusion
  
  • Hypnotic Pattern (blue)
    • AoE
    • 1 st
    • incap until wakened or take damage
  • Fear (green)
    • 30ft cone
    • save or run away
  • Major Image (purple)
    • illusionists, can make permanent at medium level
    • can't move unless cast on moving creature
      • then, DM dependent
  • Phantom Steed (purple)
    • movement 100
• Necromancy
  
  • Animate Dead (green/blue for necromancers)
    • 24h
    • ba to command
  • Life Transference (X) (orange)
    • take damage, give double to ally
    • triggers conc save
  • Bestow Curse (red)
    • touch, st, conc
  • Feign Death (red) (rit)
  • Vampiric Touch (red)
    • conc
    • touch, 3d6 necrotic damage
      • same as 1st level spell
    • gain some of that damage as healing
• Transmutation
  
  • Slow (green)
    • can cast in mixed melee
    • can choose targets, up to 6
    • st every round
      • probably just drop conc if only 1-2 cr
  • Water Breathing (green) (rit)
    • do as rit every morning
  • Blink (purple)
    • 1a cast, do before combat
    • no conc, can layer with mirror image
    • means you can't counterspell if you're not there
  • Fly (purple)
    • 60ft/r
    • single target, or upcast
  • Haste (purple)
  • Tiny Servant (X) (purple)
    • a little like Animate Dead
    • can give it Dragon's Breath
  • Gaseous Form (orange)
    • non-magical weapons still affect you
    • magic spells can still hit you
    • movement 10ft/r
  • Flame Arrows (X) (orange)
    • additional 1d6 fire damage
    • 12 arrows
  • Erupting Earth (X) (red)
    • 3d12 damage, weak
    • small area, 20ft cube
    • dif ter
    • can upcast

Level 4 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Banishment (green)
    • CHA st
    • upcast to add targets
  • Mordenkainen's Private Sanctum (orange)
    • 10m cast
    • privacy
  • Stoneskin (orange)
    • 100gp material cost
    • ok buff
    • conc
    • buff on someone else, ok
• Conjuration
  
  • Dimension Door (green)
    • quick getaway
    • better if you're medium sized or larger
  • Watery Sphere (green)
    • STR st
    • (8m, battlefield examples)
    • conc
    • probably not using at high levels
  • Summon Greater Demon (green)
    • better cr than lesser demon
    • have some control over them
    • command it to give you its true name
    • can choose cr with weak CHA st
    • place at far side of enemies
      • they break free and attack nearest, still ok
    • CR <= 5
    • babau (CR 4, but better than it seems)
      • good spells at will
      • good melee attacks
      • lots of hp
      • CHA +1
    • Bulgura
      • reckless attack
      • CHA -1
    • Tanneroot
      • CHA -1, adv
    • upcast to 5, Vrock
      • spores, stunning screech
      • good hp, good resistances
    • also good at 5th level, but not higher
  • Evard's Black Tentacles (purple)
    • not clear it's much better than Web
  • Conjure Minor Elementals (orange)
    • elementals don't turn against you
    • 1m cast
    • crs has to move into position
    • DM's choice
    • CR <=2
  • Mordenkainen's Faithful Hound (red)
    • weak damage
    • warns about invis crs
    • might detect illusions
    • better ways to detect invis
  • Leomund's Secret Chest (red)
    • expensive, 5000gp + 50gp
    • might disappear after 60d
    • not a big chest, either
• Divination
  
  • Arcane Eye (green)
    • mobile, invisible
    • 1h
    • don't let other players just sit there, let them help direct
    • needs a 1in gap
    • Diviners regain a 3rd level slot
  • Locate Creature (orange)
    • running water conflicts
    • vague directions
• Enchantment
  
  • Charm Monster (orange)
    • not limited to humanoids
    • WIS nothing
    • not good for combat
    • maybe Suggestion is better
    • Enchanter can use on 2 crs
  • Confusion (red)
    • just better options
    • 3rd level mass debuff spells are better
    • lose reactions
• Evocation
  
  • Otiluke's Resilient Sphere (green)
    • many effects
    • sort of like wall of force
    • conc
    • use if see something terrible about to happen
    • combine with contingency
  • Fire Shield (green)
    • 1a cast
    • resistence, fire or cold damage
    • not conc
  • Wall of Fire (purple)
    • 60ft long wall, can circle us
    • conc
    • good size, ok damage
  • Storm Sphere (purple)
    • 20ft radius
    • friendly fire possible
    • conc
    • access to lightning bolt
    • similar to Flaming Sphere upcasted
    • Evoker, sculpt helps
    • scales reasonably well
  • Sickening Radiance (orange)
    • 30ft rad sphere
    • CON nothing/4d10 radiant, not invis, exhaustion
    • combine with something that restrains them
    • one level of exhaustion is easy, but multiple levels are terrible
  • Vitriolic Sphere (orange)
    • like fireball but acid
    • spreads damage over two rounds
    • might do more damage than fireball
  • Ice Storm (red)
    • less damage than fireball
    • cold and bludgeoning
• Illusion
  
  • Greater Invisibility (green)
    • conc
    • maybe not used at higher levels
  • Hallucinatory Terrain (orange)
    • 10m cast
  • Phantasmal Killer (red)
    • worst at this level
    • conc
    • use Fear instead
• Necromancy
  
  • Blight (red)
    • single target
    • CON st
    • weak damage
    • good against plants
• Transmutation
  
  • Polymorph (blue)
    • doesn't scale well
    • giant ape can't compete against big creatures
    • loses power at levels 10, 11
  • Stone Shape (orange)
    • get through wall
    • close up a hole in the wall
  • Control Water (orange)
    • create a flood, raise water up 20ft
    • tidal wave if lake is big
    • target seaside structures, town
    • part water, avoids having to fight water creatures
    • redirect flow, on a boat, change current
    • whirlpool, ship battlefield control
  • Fabricate (orange)
    • change trees into bridge
  • Elemental Bane (red)
    • almost the worst
    • one target
    • they lose resistance to one energy type
    • hit them with that type
    • CON nothing

Level 5 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Planar Binding (purple)
    • 1h cast
    • combine with Magic Circle and a summoning spell
      • Conjure Elementals
      • Infernal Summoning
      • Conjure Greater Demon
      • Conjure Fey (druid, cleric)
      • Conjure Celestial (druid, cleric)
    • extends duration of paired summoning spell
    • if cr is hostile, will try to subvert commands
      • DM dependent
    • 1000gp consumed
    • need to maintain conc the whole time
    • no CR limit
      • Balor, Pit Fiend
    • scales ok, long duration
    • Conjurer has conc save help
      • ups spell to green
• Conjuration
  
  • Conjure Elemental (purple)
    • nice target creatures
      • choose area (air)
      • but DM chooses specific creature (air elemental)
    • air elemental, great
    • earth elementals, water elementals have good properties
    • invisible stalker
      • less damage, but invis, can sense creatures from any distance
    • galeb duhr
      • can animate boulders, 3 attacks per round
      • lots of damage
      • restrictions, though
        • need boulders in range
        • animating boulders uses its conc
        • boulders last 1m
    • lose conc, hostile
    • Conjurer can't lose conc by taking damage
      • ups spell to green
  • Steel Wind Strike (X) (purple)
    • select 5 creatures
    • 30ft range, must stay in range
    • good for gish
  • Teleportation Circle (orange)
    • 1m cast
    • target other circle you know about
  • Infernal Calling (X)
    • 1m cast
    • 1h duration
    • cr is unfriendly
    • CHA check to befriend
      • boost yours or drop theirs beforehand
    • devils aren't any better than elementals
  • Far Step (X) (red)
    • conc
  • Cloudkill (red)
    • poison
    • CON st
    • conc
    • 5d8 damage
    • moves 10ft per round
• Divination
  
  • Rary's Telepathic Bond (green) (rit)
    • 1h duration
    • whole party can be linked
    • or familiar
    • no range limit
    • regardless of language
  • Contact Other Plane (orange)
    • ask 5 questions
    • yes, no, unclear
    • INT save for caster, DC 15
      • fail, need long rest or Gr Restoration
  • Scrying (orange)
    • consider Arcane Eye
    • target particular cr
    • target gets st
    • Diviner can regain lower level spell slot
  • Legend Lore (red)
    • enhance History, Arcana check
    • cryptic results
• Enchantment
  
  • Synaptic Static (X) (green)
    • psychic damage
    • target gets INT st
    • also d6 debuff
  • Modify Memory (purple)
    • charms and incaps target
    • not a good combat spell
  • Hold Monster (purple)
    • single target
    • target makes WIS st, nothing happens
    • paralyzed is really great effect for us
    • target gets st every round
    • Enchanter can twin at level 10
      • ups to solid green
  • Geas (orange)
    • long duration charm
    • tell it what to do
    • if it doesn't, takes 5d10 damage per day
  • Dominate Person (red)
    • conc
    • st, nothing happens
    • humanoid
    • 1a, totally control them
    • Enchanter can twin
      • purple
    • consider Hold Monster
• Evocation
  
  • Wall of Force (blue)
    • no st
    • globe, or wall segments
    • can target one creature
    • divide and conquer
      • encase tough cr, deal with crowd of remaining
    • use Dodge to maintain conc
  • Bigby's Hand (green)
    • versatile
    • ba, some damage per round
    • grapple creatures
    • conc
  • Wall of Stone (green)
    • twice the area of Wall of Force
    • not easy to break through
    • conc for 1m, becomes permanent
    • wall, bridge
  • Cone of Cold (purple)
    • 8d8 cold
    • big area
    • cones are hard to place without ff
    • Evoker's Sculpt Spell
  • Dawn (X) (red)
    • weak damage
    • conc
    • enemy must end turn in area
    • consider Moon Beam by druid
    • counts as real sunlight
      • great against the right cr
  • Wall of Light (X) (red)
    • terrible damage
    • not a real wall, blocks vision
    • cat cause blindness with a failed st
  • Immolation (X) (red)
    • worst spell at level 5
    • like single target fireball
    • conc
    • weak followup damage
• Illusion
  
  • Mislead (purple)
    • illusionary double
    • see through its eyes, ears
    • 1h duration
    • like Arcane Eye but can hear
    • can be seen by enemies
  • Seeming (orange)
    • 8h
    • mass disguise self
    • infiltration
    • better for Illusionist
  • Dream (red)
    • maybe on enemy spellcasters
    • mess with their rest
    • long range communication
    • but Sending is probably better
  • Creation (red)
    • creates object, but it disappears after a while
    • up to a day
    • lasts 1m
• Necromancy
  
  • Danse Macabre (X) (purple)
    • 5 sk
    • general commands
    • Necromancer gets INTm bonuses
    • sk not durable
  • Negative Energy Flood (X) (red)
    • CON save
    • single target
    • target dies, becomes zombie, but you can't control it
  • Enervation (X) (red)
    • 4d8 per round
    • uses action each time
    • conc
    • get half damage as self healing
• Transmutation
  
  • Animate Objects (blue)
    • up to 10 objects
    • use their legs or fly
    • better to use against single target
    • ba attack
    • conc
    • combine with non-conc spells
    • or Dodge
    • silver pieces against lycanthopes, devils
    • adamantium sling stones
    • weaker but ok against cr with resistances
    • also utility uses
      • watch for things
    • communicate with it
      • move here for yes, here for no
  • Telekinesis (green)
    • like Bigby's Hand
    • enemy resists with STR check
    • can lower their STR
  • Transmute Rock (X) (green)
    • not conc
    • enemies fall into it, restrained, 1/4 movement
    • cast on ceiling, falls on them
  • Passwall (orange)
    • consider Shape Stone
    • deeper, lasts longer, non stone ok
  • Control Winds (X) (red)
    • great range
    • no good effects
    • adv ranged attacks
    • harder to move
    • good against army of archers
  • Skill Empowerment (X) (red)
    • expertise in one skill
    • can combine with Enhance Ability
    • but just use Enhance Ability (2)

Level 6 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Globe of Invulnerability (purple)
    • 10ft rad globe
    • blocks spells <=5th
    • conc
    • AoE spell effects don't enter
    • people can enter globe
  • Guards and Wards (red)
• Conjuration
  
  • Scatter (green)
    • 5 cr
    • teleport 120ft
    • escape
    • arrange for tactical adv
    • divide and conquer
  • Arcane Gate (orange)
    • 2 portals in los
    • conc
  • Drawmij's Instant Summons (red) (rit)
    • 10 lb or less
    • 1000 gp
• Divination
  
  • True Seeing (orange)
    • true sight
    • see through illusions, invis, eth plane, magical darkness
    • no conc
• Enchantment
  
  • Mass Suggestion (blue)
    • no conc
    • 12 cr
    • 24 hrs
  • Otto's Irresistable Dance (orange)
    • 1 cr
    • disadv to attack, adv to be attacked
    • WIS st every round after first
    • Enchanter, split, 2 crs, green
• Evocation
  
  • Contingency (green)
    • cast in off time
    • trigger, 5th level spell
    • spell targets yourself
    • best to use as a defense
    • hp damage, command word (must be your turn to say it)
    • dim door, res sphere
    • might break conc of current spell
  • Otiluke's freezing sphere (purple)
    • 10d6
    • freezes water
    • can make spell-stone and throw
  • Chain Lightning (purple)
    • up to 4cr, 10d8 [45]
    • can select targets
  • Sunbeam (orange)
    • bright light 30ft (sunlight)
    • good for vampires
    • blast each round, line, 1a
  • Wall of Ice (red)
    • wall spells are great, but better walls at 5th level
    • does a little damage
• Illusion
  
  • Mental Prison (green)
    • INT st
    • perceives barrier around it
    • restrained, blinded
    • can still attack it, with adv
    • cr tests barrier, takes damage, escapes
  • Programmed Illusion (purple)
    • set trigger, illusion appears
    • cast on ring? command word, creates duplicate?
    • Illusionist, malleable illusion
    • DM dependent
• Necromancy
  
  • Magic Jar (green)
    • container, gem, 500gp
    • you enter container, body separate
    • can see, hear, etc within 100ft
    • can possess any humanoid, st, no conc, as long as you want
    • keep your own class features
    • get non-class features from cr
    • cr dies while you're inside, need to pass CHA st
    • container destroyed, you go to body if within 100ft, or die
    • infiltration tool
  • Soul Cage (green)
    • humanoid dies within range
    • reaction, trap soul
    • heal yourself, 2d8, six times
    • query soul, must answer truthfully
    • borrow exp, get adv on attack roll, save
    • Eyes of the dead, see where humanoid has been
    • no conc
    • comments
      • defeat high level wizard
      • use eyes of the dead to find their clones and phylactery
  • Eyebite (green)
    • 1 cr, 1m
    • WIS st
    • asleep
    • panicked (frightened)
    • sickened, least favorite, st every round
    • if cr gets st, get to try again
  • Create Undead (orange)
    • 3 ghouls
    • 24h
    • ghouls weak at these levels
    • don't upcast
  • Circle of Death (red)
    • 60ft rad
    • 8d6 necr, CON half
    • same as 3rd level fireball
    • danger of friendly fire
• Transmutation
  
  • Disintegrate (orange)
    • 1cr, nothing happens if it makes its st
    • avg 75 damage
    • destroys force effects, wall of force, force cage (sage advice)
  • Create Humunculus (orange)
    • kind of improved familiar
    • 5hp, can fly
    • shared mind, see what it sees, communicate, over any distance
    • 1000 gp
    • can give own hp to hummie, don't do it
    • comments
      • has 10 int, 4 str (can carry stuff)
      • hands
      • fly
      • can attune to magic items
      • constructs don't need to breathe
      • have it stay in a library and give you adv on lore checks
  • Investiture of Flame (orange)
    • immunity to fire
    • conc
    • resistance to cold damage
    • 10m
    • shed light
    • action, 4d8 damage, weak
  • Investiture of Ice (orange)
    • immunity to cold damage
    • resistance to fire
    • action, cone, terrible damage
  • Investiture of Stone (orange)
    • resistance to bl, p, sl
    • action, knock crs prone
    • earth glide, 10m
  • Investiture of Wind (red)
    • flight, like fly (3rd)
    • ranged attacks get disadv
    • action, cube, 2d10 damage
  • Flesh to Stone (red)
    • 3x st
    • CON/restrained
    • CON/restrained
    • CON/petrified
    • conc
  • Tenser's Transformation (red)
    • extra attack unless have one, bladesinger's already get it
    • 50 temp hp
    • prof martial weapons, armor, shields
      • need 10m to put armor on
      • if put armor on first, can't cast the spell
    • can't cast spells
    • maybe useful if target has magic immunity
  • Move Earth (red)
    • sand, clay, loose dirt

Level 7 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Symbol (red)
    • 1m cast
    • trigger
    • best is stun, 1m, no st
    • 1000gp, consumed
    • Glyph of Warding, 3rd level, 200gp, 1h cast
• Conjuration
  
  • Teleport (green)
    • include allies within 10ft
    • table, whether you have a mishap
    • some damage possible
    • look for places as you go, take an object
  • Plane Shift (green)
    • allies have to be touching
    • no mishaps
    • can target teleportation circle
    • can target enemy, touch
  • Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion (purple)
    • extradimensional space
    • choose who can enter
    • can make portal invisible
    • palace, servants, food, 24h
• Divination
  
  • none
• Enchantment
  
  • Power Word: Pain (red)
    • 1 target
    • if target > 100hp, nothing
    • <, lots of disadv effects
    • st every turn
• Evocation
  
  • Forcecage (blue)
    • cubical, 10ft solid, 20ft barred
    • must fit
    • hard to teleport out
    • no conc
    • invisible
      • can target with disintegrate?
      • see invisible?
    • barred
      • target with moonbeam and wait
  • Crown of Stars (X) (green)
    • stars around head
    • ba, fire at enemy, ranged spell attack
    • no conc
  • Whirlwind (X) (purple)
    • like watery sphere
    • range 200ft
    • can move
    • sucks up creatures, st, restrained
    • up 5ft each round
    • STR or DEX check to get expelled, fall, thrown
    • divide and conquer
    • restrained is weak for 7th level
  • Delayed Blast Fireball (orange)
    • as much damage as upcast fireball (not good)
    • conc
    • delay 1m, then 10d6 [35] damage, pretty good
  • Prismatic Spray (red)
    • 60ft cone
    • cone, hard to avoid ff
    • random for each enemy
    • 60% of options, 10d6 [35], weak
    • chance to blind, restrain, worse if fail saves
    • slim chance (1/8) of multiple effects
  • Mordenkainen's Sword (red)
    • less damage than Crown of Stars
    • conc
    • can't move it
• Illusion
  
  • Simulacrum (blue)
    • 12h cast
    • yourself or someone else
    • fewer hp, but same abilities
    • has spells you currently have, can't get them back
    • friendly, obeys
    • 1500gp
  • Mirage Arcane (purple)
    • illusion with touch
    • 1 mile
    • feels like stairs, structures, wall, ..
    • Illusionist, can combines with Malleable Illusions
    • can't conceal anyone
    • DM dependent
    • still just an illusion
  • Project Image (orange)
    • like a divination spell
    • maybe send it in to conduct negotiations
• Necromancy
  
  • Finger of Death (orange)
    • fail CON st, 60+ damage
    • one step above disintegrate
    • but not a good blast spell
    • kill it, it rises as a zombie, permanent
• Transmutation
  
  • Reverse Gravity (purple, green dependent on DM)
    • 50ft radius cyl
    • DEX/fall upwards
    • hit ceiling or rise 100ft and remain
    • limitations
      • lots of creatures at this level have flight or dim door, etc.
    • watch ff
    • creatures make st, grab onto something
      • requires both hands?
      • affects their actions?
  • Etherealness (orange)
    • 8h
    • conc
    • move through walls, floor
    • can't be seen
    • can't affect anyone
    • get inside walls, doors, etc.
    • upcast, affect up to 3 creatures
    • could even take a long rest
  • Sequester (orange)
    • more of a DM spell
    • 5000gp
    • obj, cr
    • invisible, can't be detected, suspended animation
    • need for this is so rare, basically red rating

Level 8 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Mind Blank (green)
    • 24h
    • immunity (foolproof)
      • charmed
      • reading of thoughts, emotions
      • divining effects
  • Anti-magic field (purple)
    • be careful
    • 10ft radius
    • best against magic users stronger than you
    • work with other party members, grappler
    • works against AoE, magic creatures
    • magic items are suppressed
• Conjuration
  
  • Maze (blue)
    • cr disappears
    • 10m
    • like banishment but no st
    • cr gets INT check, DC 20, to come back
    • hard to make that check
    • after duration, cr comes back
    • clear minions, get ready, mazed cr comes back
    • conjurer, conc can't be interrupted by taking damage
  • Demiplane (green)
    • create door, 1h, door disappears
    • connects to demiplane
    • 30ft cube
    • safe place to rest
      • need a way out
        • plane shift
        • banish yourself or friend back to home plane
    • store treasure
      • can't transport heavy, voluminous treasure
      • pour it into the demiplane
    • store mount
      • need to travel carefully, small tunnel, etc.
    • hide prisoner there
  • Mighty Fortress (X) (orange)
    • like Mord. Mansion
    • well defendable
    • lasts 7d
    • cast every week, 1y, permanent
      • 1y worth of downtime?
  • Incendiary Cloud (orange)
    • 20ft rad
    • cloud, 1m
    • 10d8 damage [45], st half
    • great if get more than 1 rd of useful effect
    • moves with wind
• Divination
  
  • none
• Enchantment
  
  • Antipathy/Sympathy (green)
    • cast well before
    • attracted or repelled by cast-on object
    • 60ft rad
    • WIS/must come closer; WIS/frightened
    • target on tank that wants melee
    • one creature type
    • if don't know, try humanoid
  • Dominate Monster (purple)
    • WIS st for nothing
    • adv on st if in combat
    • good in the right circumstance (before combat)
  • Feeblemind (orange)
    • targets INT
    • target can't communicate, or cast spells
    • some crs, dumb already
    • enemy wizards likely have high INT
      • still decent
    • enchanter, 2 targets
  • Power Word Stun (orange)
    • cr, 60ft, 150hp or less, stunned, no st
    • no conc
    • CON st to break effect
      • enemies often strong at this
    • how to know when cr has low hp
    • battle probably near over anyway
• Evocation
  
  • Maddening Darkness (X) (orange)
    • better than incediary cloud
    • targets take damage at beginning of turn
    • big, doesn't move
    • 8d8 damage, weak
    • best if trap creatures in the area
    • evoker, can sculpt
  • Sunburst (orange)
    • 12d6 radiant
    • big area
    • watch ff
    • evoker, sculpt spells really valuable (green)
  • Telepathy (red)
    • too minor for 8th level spell
    • great for a communication spell, when it's the right thing
    • consider Rary's Telepathic Bond, ritual
• Illusion
  
  • Illusory Dragon (X) (green)
    • 120ft, 1m, conc
    • if they can see it
    • st/frightend
    • can move as ba
    • 7d6 damage fire breath weapon
    • best for frightening a ton of enemies
• Necromancy
  
  • Clone (green)
    • 120d to mature
    • target dies, wakes as clone
    • 1h cast
    • put clones in demiplane with scrolls and spare equipment
  • Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting (X) (red)
    • 30ft cube
    • necrotic damage
    • great against non-magical plants
• Transmutation
  
  • Control Weather (red)
    • great against enemy armies
    • changes very slowly
    • one step per 1d4 * 10m
• Comments
  
  • Sixty5
    • Demiplane is one of those spells that scales really well with downtime.
    • Filling a Demiplane with clones as well as glyphs of warding with buffs, heals and teleportation gives you a place of strength to work from.
    • Combine with Instant Summons on your important items (3 attunement slots plus spellbook) and you end up being functionally immune to death. In fact, the only thing that killing you does is replenish your spell slots at a modest gold cost.
    • Give a wizard a month of downtime, and that is 30 wishes they can use to fill that demiplane with all kinds of juicy magic.

Level 9 Spells

• Abjuration
  
  • Prismatic Wall (blue)
    • ultimate wall
    • better than force cage
    • massive
    • wall or sphere (15ft rad)
    • 175 damage if try to just walk through it
    • allies can walk through just fine
    • bright, enemies might be blinded
    • can use as a defensive wall too
  • Invulnerability (X) (purple)
    • immune to all damage, hp-wise
    • conc
    • invul /= invicible
    • restrained, imprisoned, etc can be done to you
    • 10m
    • 500gp component
  • Imprisonment (red)
    • maybe good for story purposes; not a good player spell
    • 1m cast
    • st
• Conjuration
  
  • Wish (blue)
    • good to use for
      • simulacrum
      • find greater steed
        • pegasus, griffon
      • heroes' feast
      • magic jar
      • mighty fortress
      • temple of the gods
      • symbol
      • glyph of warding
      • resurrection
  • Gate (red)
    • good for safe, mass planar travel
    • pull a cr to you if you know its true name
    • lower level spells usually work just as well
• Divination
  
  • Foresight (green)
    • give to your sharpshooter, gwm
    • gives adv
• Enchantment
  
  • Power Word Kill (orange)
    • kills if <= 100 hp, otherwise nothing
    • 100hp isn't a lot at high levels
    • good if enemy is invulnerable
    • circumstantial
  • Psychic Scream (X) (orange)
    • blast
    • only a somatic component
    • no ff
    • up to 10 cr
    • INT st
    • terrible damage, 14d6 [49]
    • compare to Meteor Swarm
    • stuns targets, but st every round
    • unaffected if INT<=2
    • high level enemies have legendary resistances
    • depends on target creature
• Evocation
  
  • Meteor Swarm (green)
    • range of 1 mile
    • AoE, 40ft rad
    • 40d6 [120] damage for every enemy
    • save for half
    • danger of ff
• Illusion
  
  • Weird (red)
    • worst
    • should be around 5th level, or 4th
    • mass frighten, like 3rd level spell Fear
    • ff
    • WIS nothing/frightened
    • sphere is better than cone
    • get st every round
    • 4d10 psychic if fail both st, but repeats
• Necromancy
  
  • Astral Projection (orange)
    • actual characters are still in material plane
    • hard to die
    • has duplicates of your equipment and consumables
    • can use things up yet keep your real stuff
• Transmutation
  
  • True Polymorph (blue)
    • can do almost anything
    • if more than 1h, needs to be dispelled
    • can end with dispel magic
    • adult gold dragon
      • CR17
      • 256hp
      • AC19
      • huge
      • breath weapon, frightful presence
  • Shapechange (green)
    • self only
    • buff
    • conc
    • action to change forms
    • hp must be lower than previous form
    • get innate spellcasting from cr
  • Time Stop (purple)
    • d4+1 free rounds
    • can't damage other crs
    • can cast forcecage, delayed fireballs, buffs
  • Mass Polymorph (X) (purple)
    • 10 crs
    • temp hp
    • conc
    • buff, debuff
    • Polymorph doesn't scale great

Builds Preview

• Prologue
  
  • assuming no spell scrolls, or enemies spell books
  • every build to level 20
  • every character is playable at every level
    • no low level sacrifices to get a good high level char
  • every subclass will be a different race
  • some will multiclass
    • want to show different styles
    • will always end up with 9th level spell
  • different types of wizard
    • god
    • blasts
    • etc.
  • mix of point buy or standard array
• Bladesinger
  
  • can multiclass to extend melee capability
  • but will go Wizard to 20
  • melee/god wizard cross
  • Blade Arcana
  • limited to elves, high-elf
• Diviner
  
  • The Auger
  • Knowledge Cleric 1/Wizard 19
  • BC, debuffing
  • can force a failed st
  • will use a lot of st spells
  • variant human
    • stronger at lower levels
    • other races catch up and can be better later
• Enchanter
  
  • Yuan-ti
  • The Beguiler
  • can twin enchantment spells
  • god wizard, debuff, personal defense
• Evoker
  
  • The Elementalist
  • blasts, different damage types
  • forge gnome
  • gnome aspect
  • Wizard 20
• Conjurer
  
  • The Master of Creation
  • like Circle of Shephard
  • goblin
  • summoning, BC, maneuverability
  • teleportation
• Illusionist
  
  • The Ultimate Arcane Trickster
  • skills
  • Rogue 2, Wizard 18
  • Kenku
• Warmage
  
  • The Battlemage
  • melee
  • Fighter 3/Wizard 17
  • battle master
  • githyanki
    • STR, INT
  • action surge with spellcasting
  • spell + cantrip restriction just with ba
• Abjurer
  
  • The Armadillo
  • hobgoblin
  • Warlock 1/Wizard 19
  • loophole option
    • armor of shadows at warlock 2
  • armor of agythus
  • melee, good AC
  • weaker offense
  • god wizard
• Necromancer
  
  • The Grave Mage
  • kobold
  • Wizard 20
• Transmuter
  
  • The "Pacifist" Wizard
  • doesn't do damage at all
  • stout halfling
  • will help allies do damage
  • Wizard 20

Multiclassing

• Prereqs
  
  • must meet prereqs of all your classes to multiclass
  • easiest: fighter, rogue
    • probably already have DEX >= 13
  • hardest: paladin
    • STR and CHA >= 13
    • not abilities wizards need
    • hard to bump two more stats without dumping CON
  • don't get next class's profs
  • bard, ranger, rogue
    • gives you a skill
  • multiclassing to another spellcaster is helpful
  • mismatch of nr of spell slots vs spell selection
  • warlocks' magic is separate, but mixes too
  • best multiclass approach
    • 1-2 levels of wizard, finish in one class
    • 1-2 levels of one class, finish in wizard
• Cleric
  
  • 1 level dip cleric, 1st level
    • more hp
    • medium armor, shields
      • big AC boost
    • simple weapons
    • more cantrips
    • good buffs: bless, healing word
    • more prepared spells
    • subclass at level 1
      • weak WIS
      • arcana
        • 8 cantrips
      • death
        • necrotic cantrip, target two crs
      • forge
        • heavy armor
        • enchant +1
      • knowledge
        • 2 (limited) skills, expertise
      • trickery
        • adv stealth
    • disadvantages to multiclassing
      • min 13 WIS
      • spell slots one level behind
        • but at least can upcast, unlike multiclassing into a non spellcaster
  • 1 level cleric, decent option for any wizard
• Fighter
  
  • 2-3 levels fighter
  • advantages
    • more hp
    • armor, weapons
      • AC boost
    • easy to meet DEX 13
    • fighting style: defense
    • second wind
    • action surge
      • great with spellcaster
      • two spells per round
        • bonus action spell
        • another spell that round must be cantrip
        • different than action surge
  • disadvantages
    • two levels behind other wizards
    • fewer spells overall
    • asi behind
• Rogue
  
  • adv
    • easy to qualify for
    • better hp
    • light armor, some weapons
      • can bump to medium armor with feat
    • great skills
    • expertise
    • cunning action (with 2 levels rogue)
    • sneak attack (1d6)
      • adds to booming blade, gfb
      • booming blade works well with cunning action's disengage
  • disadv
    • behind spell slot progression
    • behind spell preps
    • behind feats
    • behind in asi
    • behind wizard abilities
  • usually don't recommend
    • unless want skill based character
• Warlock
  
  • 1-2 level dip
  • adv
    • pact magic
    • get spells back after short rest, shield
    • armor, weapon profs
    • hexblade
      • better than other warlock variants
      • lots of profs
    • extra hp
    • subclass at level 1
    • hexblade curse
    • about 1 extra spell
    • eldritch blast is based on CHA, so not best choice
  • disadv
    • behind spells selection, slots
    • behind feats, asi
    • ability scores behind
  • usually don't recommend
    • unless
      • hexblade + evoker
        • magic missile specialist
        • vs single enemy
      • abjurer
        • invocation, mage armor
        • armor of agathys

Bladesinger

• Level 1
  
  • elves only
  • high elf great for wizards anyway
    • +2 DEX
    • +1 INT
    • darkvision
    • perception
    • elf weapons
    • language
    • extra cantrip
      • booming blade
  • prof
    • INT and DEX are good
    • arcana
    • history
  • background
    • noble
    • persuasion
    • stealth
  • gaming set
  • language
  • point buy
    • int 15
    • dex 14
    • con 14
    • wis 10
    • str 10
    • cha 8
  • equipment
    • avoiding melee at this level
    • quarterstaff
    • component pouch
    • explorer's pack
    • long bow
  • spells
    • cantrips
      • minor illusion
      • green flame blade
      • toll the dead
        • no attack roll; st instead
    • 1st level
      • shield (prepared)
      • mage armor (prepared)
      • sleep (prepared)
      • absorb elements (prepared)
      • find familiar (rit)
      • detect magic (rit)
  • 8 hp
  • 13 AC
  • prefer longbow (if you can get it)
• Level 2
  
  • arcane tradition
    • bladesinging
  • light armor prof
    • studded leather
    • worse than mage armor, but open to magic armor later
  • one handed melee weapon
    • rapier, 1d8, finesse
    • whip?
      • reach
      • but booming blade, green flame blade don't have reach
      • could add spell sniper feat, but expensive
  • bladesong
    • ba, start
    • AC + intmod
    • walking speed +10ft
    • adv acrobatics
    • con save + intmod
  • spells
    • 1st level
      • grease (prepared)
        • no conc
      • maybe thunderwave
      • comprehend languages (rit)
  • equipment
    • rapier
    • studded leather armor
  • tactics
    • 2 bladesongs
    • 3-4 spells
      • mage armor
      • shield or two
      • sleep, grease
    • AC 19-24
    • always add booming blade or green flame blade
      • gfb when two enemies beside each other
      • bb otherwise
    • use longbow after bladesongs used up
    • minor illusion to confuse
    • dodge action
    • toll the dead vs wounded
• Level 3
  
  • still a melee character
    • until bladesongs end
  • spells
    • mirror image (prepared)
    • flaming sphere (prepared)
      • can combine with melee
    • drop sleep
  • melee on par with fighter or paladin
• Level 4
  
  • asi
    • war caster
  • spells
    • misty step (ba) (prepared)
      • can maybe convince enemy to move with you to get booming blade effect
      • keep at higher levels
    • web (prepared)
    • drop mage armor
• Level 5 [34m36s]
  
  • spells
    • cantrip
      • still using longbow
      • cantrip now will do slightly more damage
      • but next level, get two attacks
      • ray of frost
        • good for the future
    • 3rd level
      • hypnotic pattern (prepared)
      • leomund's tiny hut (rit)
      • counterspell?
        • hut used more often
        • take at 6th
  • melee damage weaker than fighters, etc.
  • about the same if they run out of special things
• Level 6
  
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • counterspell (prepared)
      • drop web
      • slow (prepared)
        • target enemies when all mixed up
        • hyp pat if can hit the group
      • haste weaker than flaming sphere
  • extra attack
    • longbow for ranged
    • attack with rapier twice or use once with gfb/bb
    • gfb better
    • bb usually better
    • much better if using magic weapons
    • hit twice if
      • if weapon is really good
      • enemy is immune from gfb/bb extra damage
• Level 7
  
  • spells
    • 4th level
      • polymorph (prepare)
        • great at 7th level
        • giant ape to buff injured allies, 100hp
        • rarely use on yourself
        • drop at higher levels
      • fire shield
        • good for melee
        • resistance to fire or cold
          • can replace absorb elements if know its fire or cold
        • attacker hits, he takes damage
• Level 8
  
  • asi
    • alert
      • boost init
    • DEX+2
      • also boosts init
    • INT+2
      • improves damage, AC, preparations
    • go with int+2
  • spells
    • 4th
      • watery sphere (prepared, but either)
      • greater invisibility
        • adv attack
        • disadv to be attacked
      • prepare fire shield
• Level 9-10
  
  • song of defense
    • most bladesinger abilities are defensive
    • melee falling behind other classes
    • but still engage if spell doesn't fit
    • can use spell slots to absorb damage
    • uses reaction
    • 5pts per level of spell
    • competes with shield or absorb elements
    • works with fire shield if take fire damage
    • usually prefer shield/ae
  • spells
    • cantrip
      • fire bolt (or mage hand)
        • outpaces normal longbow
      • rarely use cantrips
    • 5th
      • wall of force
      • rary's telepathic bond (rit)
      • steel wind strike
        • mass damage, no ff
      • drop flaming sphere
      • animate objects
        • use this first
        • enemy can be resistant to bl, nonmagical damage
• Level 11-12
  
  • asi
    • INT+2 still great
    • but other options also good
    • tough feat
      • AC falling slightly behind
      • he chose this
      • or elven accuracy
  • spells
    • 4th
      • dimension door
    • 6th
      • contingency
        • hp low, dim door
      • mass suggestion (prepared)
      • soul cage (prepared)
    • prepared
      • can keep or drop grease
      • can swap for gr invis
• Level 13-14
  
  • song of victory
    • add intmod to damage
    • less melee at this level
    • one hit with gfb/bb still usually better than two hits
  • 7th level
    • simulacrum
    • forcecage
      • no conc
    • crown of stars
      • ba damage
      • alt to animate objects
      • multiple enemies
      • no conc
    • teleport
• Level 15-16
  
  • asi
    • INT+2 = 20
  • spells
    • 8th
      • maze (prepared)
      • demiplane
        • utility
      • anti-magic field
        • optional, rare
        • affects yourself
      • mind blank
        • this or maze
• Level 17-18
  
  • spell mastery
    • shield
    • misty step
  • spells
    • 9th
      • wish (prepared)
      • foresight (prepared)
        • yourself or someone else
        • esp if he gets a lot of crits
      • true polymorph
      • prismatic wall
        • ultimate bc
        • maybe prepare this instead of foresight
  • could multiclass at 17th
• Level 19-20
  
  • asi
    • alert
    • elven accuracy
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • dispel magic
      • thunderstep
        • can take someone with you
      • water breathing (rit)
      • clairvoyance
  • signature spells
    • dispel magic
    • thunderstep
  • 162 hp
  • AC 15
• adventure league options
  
  • spell selection a bit different
    • toll the dead => acid splash, poison spray
    • absorb elements => protection from elements
    • thunder step => anything else, fear
    • steel wind strike => bigby's hand, wall of stone, telekinesis
    • soul cage => globe of invul, true seeing
    • crown of stars => plane shift, reverse gravity
  • can't choose elven accuracy
• comments
  
  • note that using song of defense to lower damage can make con saves easier
  • high elf arcane trickster + bladesinger 2

Diviner (The Auger)

• Level 1, Cleric
  
  • any good wizard race
  • no adventure league adjustments necessary
  • variant human
    • language
    • INT +1
    • CON +1
    • skill
      • perception
    • feat
      • war caster
        • will use shield
        • 8m, discussion of using material and somatic components with a shield or staff, vs using war caster
    • abilities
      • STR 9, DEX 14, CON 13+1, INT 15+1, WIS 13, CHA 8
  • class
    • Cleric
      • prof
        • light armor, medium armor, shields
          • would get str penalty on movement with heavy armor
        • simple weapons
      • st
      • features
        • blessings of knowledge
        • languages (2)
        • skills, expertise
          • arcana, history
          • religion, insight
  • background
    • sage
      • skills
        • acrobatics
        • investigations
      • languages (2)
  • prepared spells (cleric), WISmod = +1
    • identify
    • command
      • will probably never use it
  • cantrips
    • guidance (conc)
    • light
    • mending
  • 1st level spells
    • bless (conc)
    • healing word
  • equipment
    • mace
      • will never use it
    • scale mail
      • bad stealth anyway
    • light crossbow
      • better than ranged attack cantrip
    • shield
      • won't use at first level
    • holy symbol
  • AC=16, good
    • without using mage armor or anything
• Level 2, Cleric 1/Wizard 1
  
  • class
    • wizard
      • cantrips
        • minor illusion
        • ray of frost
          • ranged attack
          • slow enemies down
          • cold
        • toll the dead
          • WIS st
          • necrotic
      • 1st level spells (6)
        • find familiar
        • shield
        • absorb elements
        • tasha's hideous laughter
          • 30ft, conc, WIS/prone, incap
          • st again, end of each turn
          • will have portent
        • detect magic (rit)
        • comprehend languages (rit)
  • equipment
    • use shield
    • stop using crossbow
  • AC 18 + shield spell, 23
  • buy arcane focus
  • 6 cantrips
• Level 3, Cleric 1/Wizard 2
  
  • arcane tradition
    • diviner
      • portent (2d20)
  • spells
    • feather fall
      • have lots of spells, cleric and wizard
      • mostly using shield, aa, tasha's
    • magic missile
      • cantrip damage is weak
      • mm a little better
      • always hits, no st, multiple target options
      • have second level slots, but no second level spells
      • upcasts to 2nd fine
• Level 4
  
  • 2nd level spells
    • web
      • best God spell at 2nd level
      • for multiple enemies
    • suggestion
      • for few enemies
      • easy to place in a confused mass
• Level 5
  
  • have 3rd level slots, but no 3rd level spells
  • asi
    • Alert
  • 2nd level spells
    • upcast web
    • thinking about maneuverability, defense, but not yet
    • blindness/deafness
      • upcasts well
      • CON
      • no conc
    • flaming sphere
      • stop using at higher levels
      • conc
  • stay away from melee
  • flaming sphere against singles
  • web against groups
  • remember portent
• Level 6
  
  • fifth level wizard
  • cantrip
    • presti
  • 3rd level spells
    • counterspell
      • works well with portent
    • fear (or hyp pt)
      • cone
      • affected flee, divides the problem
  • keep aa
  • ff or suggestion
  • keeping tasha's
  • blindness, web
  • counterspell, fear
• Level 7
  
  • expert divination
    • cast div spell, 2nd level or higher
    • regain lower level spell slot
  • 1st level spell
    • thunder step (or misty step)
      • take someone with you
      • action
  • 3rd
    • hut (rit)
• Level 8
  
  • 4th level spells
    • arcane eye
    • poly
  • drop tasha's
• Level 9
  
  • asi
    • INT+2
  • 5th level spells
    • banishment (prepared)
      • good with portent
  • 2nd
    • detect thoughts (prepared)
• Level 10
  
  • 5th
    • rary's telepathic bond (rit)
    • wall of force
• Level 11
  
  • the third eye
    • action to use, lasts until rest or incap
    • darkvision
    • ethereal sight
    • greater comprehension
    • see invisibility
  • cantrip (5th wizard, 8th total)
    • mage hand
  • spells
    • 6th level slots, but only up to 5th level spells
    • conjure elemental
      • upcasts well
    • transmute rock
      • no conc
      • versatile effect options
      • good bc
• Level 12-13
  
  • asi
    • INT+2 = 20
  • spells
    • 6th
      • contingency
        • usually use with dim door
        • here, use with thunder step
      • true seeing (div)
      • mass suggestion
        • multiple enemies
        • no conc
        • pretty good
      • eyebite
        • conc
        • can use every round
      • drop polymorph
        • not getting access to stronger creatures
        • those creatures were great at 8th level
        • but now a bit behind
        • banishment can be upcast to hit 4 crs
• Level 14-15
  
  • greater portent
    • 3 portent dice
  • spells
    • 8th level slot
    • 7th
      • forcecage
      • simulacrum
      • teleport
        • good utility, get away
      • reverse gravity
        • bc
• Level 16-17 [16m8s]
  
  • asi
    • resilient CON
  • spells
    • 9th level slot
    • 8th
      • illusory dragon (or maze)
      • clone
        • out of combat
      • mind blank
        • no conc
        • 24h
      • demiplane
        • storage
        • out of combat
• Level 18-19 Cleric 1/Wizard 18
  
  • spell mastery
    • 2nd: detect thoughts (or suggestion)
    • 1st: shield
  • spells
    • 9th
      • wish
      • true polymorph
      • prismatic wall
      • shapechange
• Level 20 Cleric 2/Wizard 18 [22m50s]
  
  • channel divinity
    • knowledge of the ages
      • prof in skill or tool, 10m
  • spells
    • 1st cleric
      • ceremony (rit)

Enchanter

• Overview
  
  • boost to enchantment spells
  • great subclass abilities
    • one of the best subclasses
  • chose race that's thematically appropriate, but not the best
  • 20 straight wizard levels
    • 1 level dip in cleric good too
• Level 1
  
  • race
    • yuan-ti
      • CHA+2
        • don't need it
      • innate spellcasting
        • poison spray
        • suggestion (at level 3, 1/day)
        • CHA based
      • INT+1
        • can start at INT=16
        • lots of st spells in enchantment
      • darkvision
      • magic resistance
        • adv st against spells and magical effects
        • only this race
      • poison immunity
        • no other race gets this
    • best race
      • variant human (good for cleric dip)
      • high elf
      • hobgoblin
        • CON bonus
        • light armor
  • enchanters need to get close
    • 1 dip cleric can help
  • class
    • reverse snake charmer
      • ok at social skills, deception
    • wizard
      • skills
        • insight
        • arcana
  • background
    • criminal
      • villinous
      • skills
        • deception, stealth
        • cards
  • ability scores
    • standard array
      • STR 8, WIS 10, CHA 12+2, CON 13, DEX 14, INT 15+1
    • point buy
      • CON 14, WIS 8
  • equipment
    • standard
    • dagger
    • explorer's pack
    • criminal
      • crowbar
      • dark clothes, hood
      • 15 gp
  • spells
    • cantrips
      • have poison spray
        • but CHA based
        • already behind, 12 vs 13
        • limitations of poison
        • best to choose better attack cantrip
      • chill touch, fire bolt, ray of frost
        • either, but choosing chill touch
          • can't regain hp until next turn
          • undead immune to necrotic, but still get effect
      • minor illusion
      • friends
        • adv CHA check
        • 1m
        • target becomes hostile
        • maybe want to pick a fight
    • 1st (6)
      • mage armor
      • shield
      • sleep
      • absorb elements
      • find familiar (rit)
      • comprehend languages (rit)
  • tactics
    • chill touch (1d8), poison spray (1d12)
      • weak but something
    • sleep, shield
• Level 2
  
  • subclass enchanter
  • hypnotic gaze
    • action, magical entrall cr
    • 5ft
    • WIS/charmed until end of your next turn
    • speed=0, dazed
    • subsequent turns, action extends
    • can't move more than 5ft
    • cr can't see or hear you, takes damage
    • can maintain indefinitely
    • 1/R per cr
    • no conc
    • can still use ba spells
    • need to get close, need high defense
    • always have mage armor up
  • spells
    • 1st (2)
      • tasha's hideous laughter (or thunder wave)
        • will get adv later
      • detect magic (rit)
  • tactics
    • hyp gaze as much as possible
• Level 3
  
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • web (or mirror image)
      • misty step
        • get close, hyp gaze, fail, ba get away
      • drop sleep (for web)
  • yuan-ti
    • get suggestion
      • CHA based
      • free, so use it
  • tactics
    • be careful
    • low hp
    • low AC
    • misty step out of there
• Level 4
  
  • asi
    • resilient CON
      • CON+1 = 14
  • cantrip
    • frostbite
      • st, CON/disadv next attack
  • spells
    • 2nd
      • mirror image
        • tough combat, first round if using hyp gaze
        • don't need it for web
      • blur?
        • conc
      • flaming sphere
        • conc
        • r1 mirror image, r2 flaming sphere, r3 hyp gaze
        • place sphere near to block enemies
        • I think I like fs, mi, hyp; since I'd get two rounds of fs, and if the battle looks like it will end soon, can keep mirror image's slot
• Comments 1-4
  
  • invisiblity at level 3, hyp gaze isn't an attack so combines well
  • enchanter good for kidnapping, bounty hunter
• Level 5
  
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • sleet storm (or hyp pat)
        • strong at level 3
        • multiples
        • large area
        • slows people down
        • wrecks enemies' conc
        • ff
      • slow
      • drop web
• Level 6
  
  • instinctive charm
    • cr, 30ft, los
    • reaction, divert attack to near cr
    • use shield if think you'll be attacked by numerous attacks
    • make sure they have an enemy beside them, or friendly tank
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • counterspell
      • hut (rit)
• Level 7
  
  • spells
    • 4th
      • polymorph
      • otiluke's resilient sphere (or improved invisibility)
        • if use this defensively
        • maybe can still use hyp gaze
        • have to use action to move have speed
        • another creature can use action to move you
          • can it be your familiar?
          • use animate dead for a skel to move you
      • drop flaming sphere
• Level 8
  
  • asi
    • INT+2=18
  • spells
    • 4th
      • charm monster
      • dim door
• Level 9
  
  • spells
    • 5th
      • wall of force
      • synaptic static
        • aoe, 20ft rad
        • debuff
        • good against similar enemies, spellcasters
• Level 10
  
  • split enchantment
    • enchantment spell, can target additional cr
    • have built up a catalog of single target ench spells
  • cantrip
    • presti
  • spells
    • 5th
      • hold monster (or dominate person)
        • weak as it is, but great with split enchantment
        • 90ft, WIS (DC=16)/paralyzed
        • new st at end of each of its turns
        • can upcast to target an additional cr
      • rary's telepathic bond (rit)
      • add tasha's
      • drop polymorph
      • add charm monster
      • drop synaptic static
        • painful to lose
      • add hold monster
• Level 11-12
  
  • asi
    • INT+2 = 20
  • spells
    • 6th
      • contingency
        • otiluke's, dim door
      • Otto's Irresistable Dance
        • twice as good as enchanter, 2 targets
        • he gets WIS st to regain control
      • Magic Jar
      • Soul Cage
• Level 13-14
  
  • Alter Memories
    • cr unaware of magical influence
    • unaware of being charmed
    • cr forgets some time while being charmed
    • CHAmod hours
  • spells
    • 7th
      • simulacrum
      • forcecage
      • crown of stars
        • ba, following turns
      • teleport
• Level 15-16
  
  • asi
    • lucky
  • spells
    • 8th
      • feeblemind
        • target 2 targets as enchanter
      • dominate monster
        • enchanter
      • mind blank
      • maze
      • might drop slow, magic jar
• Level 17-18
  
  • spell mastery
    • 2: misty step
    • 1: tasha's hideous laughter
      • enchanter
      • can still redirect attacks in a group
  • spells
    • 9th
      • wish
      • true polymorph
      • foresight
      • power word kill
        • enchanter
  • could multiclass
    • sorcerer
• Level 19-20
  
  • signature spells
    • counterspell
    • slow
  • asi
    • tough
  • spells
    • 6th
      • mass suggestion
    • rituals
      • contact other plane (rit)
      • water breathing (rit)
      • phantom steed (3) (rit)

Evoker (The Elementalist)

• Level 1
  
  • race
    • forest gnome
      • dex, int
      • darkvision
      • gnome cunning
        • adv int, wis, cha st against magic
      • natural illusionist
        • free minor illusion
      • speak with small beasts
      • small size
        • thunder step, dim door
        • can bring fellow with us, but our size or smaller
  • ability score
    • std array
      • str 8, wis 12, cha 10, dex 15+1, int 14+2, con 13
      • we're a blaster; most blast spells don't use conc
  • skills
    • arcana
    • history (or investi)
  • backgrd
    • sage
      • perc
      • stealth
  • langs
    • draconic
    • primordial (fire)
  • equip
    • std
    • exp pack
  • spells
    • focus on damage dealing, evo, spells
    • cantrips
      • already have minor illusion
      • fire bolt (evo)
      • frostbite (evo)
      • mage hand
    • 1st
      • mage armor
      • shield (abj)
      • absorb elements
      • thunder wave
        • enemy fails save, gets pushed back
        • bigger area than burning hands
        • already have fire damage
      • detect magic (rit)
      • find familiar (rit)
• Level 2
  
  • evoker
  • sculpt spells
    • spell level + 1, choose that many crs to avoid damage in AoE
    • los to ally
    • exclude yourself?
      • mike mearls said yes
      • jeremy crawford said no, "other creatures"
  • spells
    • 1st
      • alarm (rit)
        • good until get hut
      • magic missile
• Level 3
  
  • spells
    • 2nd
      • shatter (evo-x)
      • levitate (trans-c)
      • drop thunderwave
• Level 4
  
  • asi
    • resilient CON
      • low hp, low con
  • spells
    • cantrip
      • ray of frost
    • 2nd
      • misty step
      • web
  • 26 hp, 13 ac
• Level 5
  
  • blaster, few conc spells, slots seem few, will use more cantrips
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • fireball (evo)
      • melf's minute meteors (evo)
        • ba to shoot 1-2 meteors
        • 10m, 6 meteors
      • drop magic missile
      • cantrips scale up
• Level 6
  
  • potent cantrip
    • cr makes save, still takes half damage
  • spells
    • 3rd
      • counterspell
      • leomund's tiny hut (rit)
• Level 7
  
  • spells
    • 4th
      • polymorph
      • storm sphere (or vitriolic sphere, wall of fire)
      • drop shatter
• Level 8
  
  • asi
    • INT+2 = 18
  • spells
    • 4th
      • Vitriolic Sphere
        • start with it, it peters out
        • hit a group
      • Fire Shield
        • vs elemental damage
  • 50 hp, ac 13
• Level 9
  
  • spells
    • 5th
      • Cone of Cold (evo-x)
        • cones are hard to place, but better for an evoker
        • good big cold damage option
        • big area
      • wall of force (evo)
      • maybe bigsby's hand
      • drop fire shield, or vitriolic sphere
        • varies on campaign
• Level 10
  
  • empowered evocation
    • add INTmod to damage roll
    • combines well with magic missile
      • mm one d4 roll, each target takes that damage (jeremy crawford)
      • but everyone rolls a d4 for each missile
      • kind of cheesy
    • add hexblade, hexblade curse
      • bonus of +pb to damage
  • spells
    • rary's telepathic bond (rit)
    • telekinesis (trans-c)
      • 10m
      • can use an action to move things each round
      • crs restrained
  • cantrip
    • light, or presti
• Comments 5-10
  
  • likes slow better than melf's
    • slow is rarely saved against and hurts their DEX saves
    • makes them more vulnerable to fireballs
    • melf's is just another fire option
  • consider sickening radiance
    • radiant damage
    • exhaustion
  • cantrip choice: thunderclap
  • wizards with phantom steed are pretty cool
• Level 11-12
  
  • spells
    • chain lightning or Otiluke's freezing sphere?
      • cl let's you choose targets, so no benefit to being an evoker
      • fs is AoE, helps to be evoker
      • he chooses freezing sphere
    • Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
      • 10d6, worse than upcast fireball
      • huge area, 120ft, great if enemies are spread way out
      • freezes surface of body of water, 1m
      • can create sling stone version
        • can you exclude people at cast time? or at throw time?
        • can place and run away
    • contingency
      • fire shield (or dim door, otiluke's resilient sphere)
• Level 12
  
  • asi
    • INT=20
  • spells
    • wall of ice
      • don't usually choose this one
      • 10d6 cold
    • mass suggestion
  • 74 hp, ac 13
• Level 13-14
  
  • overchannel
    • 1-5 level spells
    • deal max damage
    • once per LR, but can keep doing it and take damage
      • 2d12 per spell level
  • spells
    • 7th
      • crown of stars
        • 7 times per hour, ba
      • forcecage
      • simulacrum
      • teleport
        • no limits on how big others are
• Level 15-16
  
  • asi
    • lucky or alert
  • spells
    • 8th
      • demiplane
      • maze
      • maddening darkness (evo-c)
        • huge area, 60ft rad sphere
        • goes around corners
      • sunburst (evo-x)
        • huge area
        • CON/12d6 radiant, blinded 1m
      • drop melf's meteors
• Level 17-18
  
  • could multclass these last 3 levels
  • spell mastery
    • misty step
    • shield
  • spells
    • 9th
      • wish
      • true polymorph
      • invulnerability
      • meteor swarm
        • ultimate blast spell
        • 40d6
        • 1 mile
• Level 19-20
  
  • signature spells
    • fireball
    • counterspell
  • asi
    • alert or lucky
  • spells
    • water breathing (rit)
    • bigby's hand
    • plane shift
    • create homunculus
    • dim door
• Comments 11-20
  
  • sorcerers as blasters
    • more slots
    • twinning, heightened, silent casting vs other casters
  • clerics as blasters
  • choose evoker exceptions at cast time
    • need los
    • conc spells
    • might not be able to see whole party when cast
    • allies might arrive mid-conc
    • need to drop to avoid ff
    • or likely to forget and injure them
  • invulnerability to protect evoker, can't exclude himself
  • consider sunbeam
  • consider melf's as signature spell