Wizard question

[ReticentTarsier]

So this is my first character on here. I played back on live up until PoP. Had a 54 bard as my main.

Decided to try a wizard on here, mainly because it's different than a bard, I wanted to be able to port, and dont care to play a healer.

I just hit level 30, and am very underwhelmed by the wizard. The mobility of ports is nice, but soloing entails a ton of downtime. Grouping is better, but it feels like every other DPS class does the job better than I can. I am nuking once or twice per mob for 240ish (assuming no resist, which I seem to get a ton of) while melee characters are pumping out far more damage (especially if they're twinked) with no mana concerns.

So does anything change at higher levels, or is this just what being a wizard is? If it gets better, I dont mind sticking it out, but if this is just how it is, I will likely reroll something else. I'm just not particularly enjoying the class.

[Ravager]

That's a wizard life. Quadding will let you kill things 4x faster, but it's still a lot of down time. The nice thing about Wizard though is it's the perfect in the background class. You can kite and then walk away for however long to do other stuff while you med back up and then repeat.


If you don't enjoy it though, definitely reroll. No point playing something you hate.

[Muggens]

Yes the wizard is a single minded class, a perfect match for certain type of people. I made my wiz to have a porter and lonesome soloer. Noone will ever bug u for any buffs and most just do /w druid when lookin for ports. Now that youre getting above level 30 new possibilities opens up to you, like quadding.
Dps wise You have no chance of matching twinked out melees in a group, so use utility spells and evac to contribute more. But, u can burst Dps down mobs faster then any other class, which is great for lots of stuff esp Raids.
To me the wiz really turned out a great class(so far lvl 51)

Edit: stuff like staff of Temperate Flux, Journeyman's Boots and shrunken goblin skull Earring makes wizard life alot more sweeter !

[Foxplay]

Druid can port, and really isn't a healer

And is better at killing things than wizards too

[ReticentTarsier]

Thanks for the responses. I think i will just take a break from the Wizzy for a while. I've got 9 other character slots, so will try something else and then come back.

I did do the Staff of Temperate Flux quest, which is nice. JBoots are far out of my budget at the moment, but on my wish list. I also have all but one rod I need for the Staff of Wheel, but have died twice trying to get the last one from LGuk. Gonna have to wait a few levels to get that one, I guess.

One question, though. How does the Shrunken Goblin Skull Earring help a wizard? It's just a minor atk buff, isn't it?

[Cen]

You may not like wizard, because what you describe is all true. The truth is that a Wizard is an artillery piece. Artillery is a useful tool on the battlefield for doing high damage to fortifications, but its the foot soldiers (sustained DPS) who will do the most damage to enemy armies and the enemy as a total unit. Artillery is a niche and powerful tool. You are useful as a Wizard to do as much damage in the shortest time possible when need apply. A few situations call for this, but not many situations call for this.

[Foxplay]

Somebody has to TL box all the melee back to Temple of Veeshan for repops...

[Puluin]

Gorenaire is killed Alot easier by having 4-6 wizards there oppsed to 2-3 groups of melee classes.

Only wizards can port to plane of sky or plane of hate...

Thsee are examples for why wizards are wanted.
*Sadly I cannot think of other "wizard only" needs*

[Foxplay]

Gorenaire is killed Alot easier by having 4-6 wizards there oppsed to 2-3 groups of melee classes.

Only wizards can port to plane of sky or plane of hate...

Thsee are examples for why wizards are wanted.
*Sadly I cannot think of other "wizard only" needs*

Yeah ok so kunark dragons... Because the fight is so much easier when it only lasts 20 or 30 seconds...

[Gozuk]

Ice Comet though

[Solist]

So pull for your groups.

Use eyeballs for pulls, CC with root, lock out casters. All of these means more DPS up-time for the real dps...your monk/rog/wars.

You're not very good at dps, infact, if you're casting nukes in a regular xp group 'regularly' you're doing your job wrong.

[pickled_heretic]

Ice Comet though

Bad. The first draught spell (51) completely replaces it as it is superior in nearly every way.

Wizards are bad, OP. I have a lvl 52 wizard and I haven't grouped once since exp since low 30's (not because I don't want to, but because the effort of begging for a spot in a group is a lot more daunting than just going out for another quad). I knew what I was getting into, but the prospect of getting 60 is still very daunting to me. If you're having doubts now please just reroll for your own sake.

[Cen]

Wizard is also a great class if you own a power rack in the basement, but you play on the second floor, and you do a set between downtime's. Make sure to push, pull and legs either every day or split up the days.

Playing the wizard is the easy part.

[Gozuk]

Bad. The first draught spell (51) completely replaces it as it is superior in nearly every way

Who ever picked up a hot chick by telling her you nuke for 688?

[Zuranthium]

Bad. The first draught spell (51) completely replaces it as it is superior in nearly every way.

Not completely, as that draught is Fire based. Ice Comet isn't entirely outclassed until Level 57 with Draught of Ice. For PvE anyway. On a PvP server (which is what everyone should be playing, God help you all still playing boring PvE), having Ice Comet is very much worth it as an opener to get a kill, or when you are able to reliably secure a single big spell via an ally mesmerizing an opponent (or perhaps an ally dropping someone's Magic Resist enough for a Root to reliably stick for a 6 second cast).

[pickled_heretic]

On a PvP server

If I wanted to play a singleplayer game I'd play a roguelike or something

[7thGate]

Wizards can also put up pretty respectable DPS vs. certain high end raid targets with the 2000 damage unresistable nuke. On Aegis' first Vindi kill, a wizard came in top on DPS by a wide margin. They're also the best for PBAOE damage, if you're putting something together that requires blowing up a ton of stuff all at once.

[Yasi]

I think wizards are undervalued in groups. Especially if fights go messy, nothing better than having a wizard who can burn through his mana to quickly take out 1 or 2 mobs.

[Legidias]

Make some plat by porting, then do a new thing

[AkashicRecord]

Who ever picked up a hot chick by telling her you nuke for 688?

Usually better results if you show a glimpse of your Crooked Staff of Thrusting.

[Ravager]

I think wizards are undervalued in groups. Especially if fights go messy, nothing better than having a wizard who can burn through his mana to quickly take out 1 or 2 mobs.
This is true. Wizard can do some ghetto ccing with roots and stop a complete heal with the line of stuns too, but most wizards don't have the wherewithal to use their entire tool set.

[Obeast44]

I think wizards are undervalued in groups. Especially if fights go messy, nothing better than having a wizard who can burn through his mana to quickly take out 1 or 2 mobs.

If they aren't afk...like they normally are.

[pickled_heretic]

This is true. Wizard can do some ghetto ccing with roots and stop a complete heal with the line of stuns too, but most wizards don't have the wherewithal to use their entire tool set.

I struggle to see how being just a worse enchanter is any sort of argument as to why wizards are undervalued in groups.

[Zuranthium]

I think wizards are undervalued in groups. Especially if fights go messy, nothing better than having a wizard who can burn through his mana to quickly take out 1 or 2 mobs.

Wizards are incapable of doing this at the higher levels. MOBs have ridiculous amounts of HP and higher resists. The best you can hope for with a Wizard is to get a clicky item from Veeshan's Peak or Velketor, and then do a steady stream of DPS just like any melee character. Except that your DPS will be lower than a Rogue or Monk. Trying to use a bunch of quick nukes chained together will only draw aggro onto you. PvE Everquest is very poorly balanced for Wizards (and Velious era PvP isn't good for them either...).

I struggle to see how being just a worse enchanter is any sort of argument as to why wizards are undervalued in groups.

You're correct. The stun line is not reliable at the higher levels, so Wizards can't even really use that from their supposed toolkit. Comparing anything to an Enchanter is usually unfair because Enchanters are just the best, but yeah Wizards are very much near the bottom in terms of PvE group value. THE worst in the game if they don't have one of those rare clickies, IMO.

[Yasi]

General remark: This is EQ. You're not supposed to min max.

[Muggens]

Wizard is for the most baddest of dudes - sky five to all my wiz homeboys

[Ravager]

I struggle to see how being just a worse enchanter is any sort of argument as to why wizards are undervalued in groups.
The point is when played right they're useful in a group. But I've never been one of those dorks that has to have ideal class compositions in a group anyway. This game is so easy a group of 6 wizards can do most of the leveling content.


I've never had problems stunning and rooting on my wizard when dungeon crawling at any level. Raid mobs are obviously a different story, but a wizard is just supposed to nuke those anyway.

[tarkhis]

I have to say that I made a wizard about 2 years ago and never leveled it until recently because of all the negative propaganda. I went the typical druid route for first character and leveled easily to 46, ported for plat and twinked some melee to start leveling.

I actually started leveling the wizard after teasing another wizard player who was telling me how fun wizards are. In leveling to 59 here are the things I learned:

1. Wizards aren't desired in groups- it was very hard to get groups in popular zones, unrest, MM CoM due to the quantity of melee dps lfg and wizard afk reputation

2. The best way to overcome this bias is to play your character well- once accepted into a group I received invites from them each time I logged on

3. Wizards need to know their role and class- in groups wizards have a very solid tool set

I pulled easily with staff of flux or eyes and tanks could grab agro very easily

For cc either a root pull to split mobs, nuke adds and drag away to root or simply burn the add down. For caster mobs the last option worked great, tanks would be sitting there getting nuked from a distance waiting for mob to run to camp or tanking one already while other mob nuked from range, I would unload on it and quickly kill it

remove damage shields, wizards have a dispel line

control chanter pets- a quick stun to help them recharm

Evacs save long cr's

and finally DPS when tank has agro and I don't need to do any of the above I can med and nuke and with clarity and/or potg keep a steady dps going

4. Now that I am raiding my role is get everyone to dungeons/ targets fast, kite stuff with temperate flux, no summoning and nuke mobs with draughts and lures. with raid buffs and gear mana isn't an issue so nuke away

5. Aoeing and quading is very relaxing- here you can kill, afk, kill and get a lot done at home without agroing the wife

As you can see a wizard does bring a lot to the table and if you overcome some of the bias you can enjoy the class. In the end if you have a desire to play a wizard give it a shot

TLDR play what you want-wizards are fun too

[Menenolly]

If you want some more action play a bard or shaman. They will both keep you busy and they're group friendly.

[Swish2]

Wizard was fun in PoP, I'm not sure I could do it at this point in the timeline.

[Cenii]

i enjoy wizard


learn to quad kite (watch some youtube videos), camp your own jboots, make some friends and you'll get groups. get into a solid guild. wizards can be fun