What 4th-level spells should any Wizard have?

[dcollins]

Here's a poll I'm using to generate a "baseline" core Wizard's spell list. You can pick as many selections as you like.

Say you have a Wizard of about 10th level -- adventuring, PC or NPC, non-specialized, non-multiclassed, core rules only. He or she can prepare maybe 3 or 4 spells of 4th-level. What spells should he or she prepare in those slots?

You can pick as many selections as you'd like -- I would suggest 3 or 4. I've tried to narrow down the full list to about 24; feel free to choose "Other" and post the core-rules must-have selection that you think I left out.

 

[The Souljourner]

The only real must haves are greater invisibility and dimension door. Everything else is up in the air. Greater Invisibility can make a single caster into a wrecking ball if the opponents aren't prepared for it, and dimension door is a life saver when you're grappled, and any time you just need to go that way.

4th level is a very interesting level. Not a powerful level, but interesting. Polymorph could be good, depending on how your DM rules on it. Evard's Black Tentacles is another one that is better than it looks. It's like an entangle spell that does damage. Not bad.

-The Souljourner

 

[EvilGM]

Whoops, meant to vote for Stone Shape too (Dimension Door, Greater Invis, Wall of Fire were votes). Awesome, versatile spell.

 

[Herpes Cineplex]

I'll agree that Greater Invisibility and Dimension Door are about as close to essential spells as you can get. Greater Invisibility wins by a huge margin over Dim. Door, I think, but I doubt there's a single wizard out there who wouldn't want both of them in his book.

I also eventually gave the nod to Scrying and Evard's Black Tentacles, though I'm not as enthusiastic about those selections. Scrying's just too handy and too valuable in higher-level campaigns to pass up, I think; if you take it, you will use it, and if that's not the definition of a must-have spell, I don't know what is.

Evard's Black Tentacles is also an impressive spell, although whether it will actually be useful to a wizard depends greatly on the style of the campaign. In our game, for example, I opted to not get it because we tend to run our combats very freeform (no mat, just cheesy GM maps of the area we're in, scrawled out on notepaper); trying to figure out where the tentacles would end up and how to use them would just be too much of a pain in the ass to be worthwhile. But if you're in the mat & miniatures camp (or even just more inclined to spend time figuring out things like that), well, Tentacles will always be a winner for you.

A wall spell is also a good backup choice: I like Wall of Ice better than Wall of Fire, personally: it has a better duration, it's more flexible, and it does a better job of blocking opponents. But obviously, opinions might differ on that. And finally, if your characters are ridiculously wealthy, stoneskin is a great spell; it's just a poor choice if your character can't afford to keep the material component on hand in large quantities, because if you're noticing how much it costs per casting, you'll either regret it every time you cast it, or (more likely) you'll find that you never cast it at all. It's enough of a limitation to keep it out of my first picks, anyway.


Actually, when we were playing, I typically memorized a couple of spells out of Relics and Rituals 2; it has a much nastier 4th-level selection than you'll find in the core rules.

--
i'd usually have affliction and purifying flames racked
ryan

 

[ironmani]

I went with Dimension Door (great for escaping the unescapable), Stoneskin (Being able to up your armor class is always good), Black Tentacles (Annoying spellcaster pissing you off, drop these on him and watch him squirm.) and Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser (Being able to catch a breath in a fight is always good!)
Those are my picks and that what I am staying with!

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I went with black tentacles, dimension door, wall of fire, charm monster, confusion, other for solid fog. Though I'd either take black tentacles or solid fog, probably black tentacles I like the damage over the concealment and either charm monster or confusion, both nice will save based save or dies.

Wall of fire is just for cool factor its ok but not great otherwise.

I didn't put imporved invis its a great spell but I prefer to rely upon the team to keep people away, and without the old haste I'd rather kill things quicker than buff up with a 1rd/level buff in order to protect myself. If I prepare this its for the rogue to make them a more efficient damage dealer. I never take stoneskin its powerful but not worth 250gp generally. Its someting you probably want in your spellbook because when you want it you really want it but I'd never prepare it on a day to day basis.

I really like D-Door its 4th level so it works well with contingency, and its a vocal only get out of jail free card. This was more improtant in 2e where you took a many moons to advance from 12th to 15th, but its still a factor.

 

[Li Shenron]

I think Polymorph is still the winner for its versatility.

Bestow Curse has a nice versatility: you can cast it on any type of opponent (probably unless they are constructs) choosing which stat to drain; if you don't know which is best, you can choose another effect. Multiple curses probably don't stack, but some rule that curses with different effects do.
The only problem with this spell is that it is a touch spell.

Dimension Door and Greater Invisibility are also great and very popular.

In any case, no spell is a "must have" in the sense that you cannot live without. Especially since there are less/more powerful versions of these spells at different level, so if you have the other you don't need the 4th-lv ones

I am playing a Sorcerer/Incantatrix and my only 4th level spell is Phantasmal Killer. It's quite hard to make it work, because it actually grants 2 saves, a Fort and a Will! In any case, I haven't used it yet because we are only encountering undead and constructs

 

[argo]

Essential spells.

Dimension Door: this spell will save your life. Is usefull for mobility too.
Invisibility, Greater: not a personal favorite but it is just too usefull to pass up.
Resilient Sphere: a wizard is all about flexibility. Powerfull offense and defense in one spell? Now thats flexibility.
Stone Shape: again with the flexibility.
Wall of Ice: controling the battlefield, espically in the early rounds, is one of your strongest abilities, don't neglect it.


Spells I didn't vote for but deserve a mention.

Evards Black Tentacles: is too great for words.
Enervation: few things take the wind out of a BBEG's sails faster than a couple of negative levels. Can turn the tide of an entire battle.
Scrying/Detect Scrying: just too powerful to ignore.
Polymorph: flexibility.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

IMO, Polymorph and Rary's Mnemonic Enhancer are the key spells at fourth level.

Polymorph is a very flexible buff/utility spell that can give special attacks, boost fighters' strength, give the ability to fly, and a has a million other uses besides.

Rary's Mneomic Enhancer allows a wizard to leverage an open fourth level slot at the end of the day to prep some extra spells on the next day. Leave a slot or two open and if you haven't had to prep them at the end of the day, prep Mnemonic Enhancers and have some extra firepower on the next day. Any time you are gearing up for an assault, this will prove very helpful.

I forgot to vote for Scrying and Detect Scrying but they deserve top billing as well. For basic information gathering and anti-divination defense, there's not much that compares to either.

At the second tier, I'd place Greater Invisibility, Evard's Black Tentacles, Dimension Door, and Enervation. They're all very good spells that can turn a combat and create lots of synergies (Tentacles + Acid Fog or something similar works quite well, Enervation+anything works well, and Greater Invisibility has incredible synergy for rogues as well as having the ability to make you very hard to find). Dimension Door really comes into its own at high levels when you don't need your fourth level slots for combat and can afford to have a get out of grapple/transport your tank next to the enemy wizard/cross the canyon/emergency Evac spell.

 

[Inconsequenti-AL]

I voted for Polymorph, Black tentacles, dimension door and Detect Scrying.

Havn't seen a case for it yet but - Det. scrying isn't one I'd take until higher levels, but it's really useful. In some circumstances it can be more useful than mindblanking. A combination of it and telepathic bond has worked well for our party on more than one occasion. Misinformation is fun!

Enervation and Wall of Ice nearly ended up on there.