So… One of my friends has said he’s going to run a 3.5 game, and usually in such things I play the caster role, most often wizard.
The problem is, I -think- we’re starting out at first level. Which means, what? 1-2 spells a day? I’ve always kinda disliked the ‘memorized spells’ (or prepared, or whatever it’s called) system, so I’m wondering if anyone here has any tips to get more spellcasting bang-for-the-buck so I’m not entering combat number three of the day and saying, “Whoops, sorry, can’t cast anything.”
3.5’s biggest weakness IMO is how it handles spellcasting. Early on casters are weak and later on they are incredibly powerful. I recommend modifying some rules (ie give a caster a small reliable ranged attack) and picking a small subset of spells to use instead of doing all that memorization nonsense.
If your DM is going by the book, my suggestions would be:
- Specialize (that give you an additional spell per level per day in your specialty school)
- Get good with a crossbow (and see if your DM will be willing to let you trade out of feats like Point Blank Shot and Precise Shot once you get up in level, and won’t be using them anymore)
If your DM is willing to use the Pathfinder rules, the specialization rules for wizards give you additional “spells” depending on your school (for example, an Evoker gets an extra few Magic Missile-like effects per day).
One spell per day for wizards at first level, plus bonus spells based on INT, plus one spell from the school of specialization. Sleep is a good spell for a low-level wizard because you can affect several enemies with it.
D&D has never had a good magic system. The Vancian system was ridiculous from the beginning. Later systems that used resource-based casting provide for a much better balanced (though, mages are almost always overpowered in a system at high levels) way of working. For example, GURPS uses fatigue to cast spells. Fatigue is based on your Strength score (with option to buy extra fatigue, and mana storing items that you can tap for extra fatigue points). Shadowrun used a point system as well.
In resource-based systems, you can replenish your resources, but they come at a cost. You also have your full complement of spells at your disposal, assuming you have the resources to cast them at cost.
There is no logical basis for the Vancian system. It’s never explained “why” you have spell slots that must be preloaded with a spell before you can use it. It’s never explained why someone who spends multiple years in magical study only has access to a few spells when they start out, and can only cast them a limited amount per day, and must decide ahead of time when to do so.
It’s a horrid system that is boring at low levels and breaks games at high levels. The spontaneous casting classes that were introduced in 3.0 were an attempt to bring D&D in line with pretty much every other game system that was its contemporary, but because they still had classes with Vancian casting, they had to nerf the spontaneous casters so they wouldn’t be unbalanced compared to the Vancians, effectively making them an even worse choice to play. (Sorceror’s in 3.0/3.5, to put it plainly, sucked. Especially since they were delayed by one-level at acquiring the same spells a wizard could get.)
3.0 was an opportunity for D&D to actually rehash the magic system entirely to something that was logical and balanced. But for whatever reason (nostalgia or fear of alienating 2nd ed players or maybe something else), they decided to continue with the ugliness that was the Vancian system.
If your DM is a really generous guy, maybe your character’s great-great grandpa wizard left you a Wand of Magic Missiles or something similar…
One word: Gish. Take one level of something more survivable, take four levels of primary spellcaster, then go into a Prestige Class. If you want to be an Int-based spellcaster from the get go, use Duskblade (from PHB2). Other options would be to go for Eldritch Theurge (Warlock / Arcanist) or Jade Phoenix Mage (ToB / Arcanist).
Or if you ask nicely, he might let you take a Reserve feat (from Complete Mage) earlier than usual, since it scales with the highest spell level of a particular sort you have available.
This is an excellent idea. You should also look at the Pathfinder versions of the base characters. It is freely (and legally) available online here. Most of the various Pathfinder options for spell casters include a class ability that you can use 5+ times a day for some minimal damage. This doesn’t scale well, so it gives you a free bonus at a point where you really need it, at the really low levels. But doesn’t become a problem later. This will also require DM permission, but shouldn’t be a problem as long as your DM is reasonable.
My DM is -very- reasonable, especially when it comes to ‘play what you like’. I just want to make sure I’m not avalanching him with something completely unbalancing. I’ll take a gander at what’s been said so far, we’ll see what pops up.
(And, as a side note, I know he’d let me tote a crossbow; he actually builds crossbows IRL. He’s a bit of a fanatic about them. 
)
I don’t find low spellcasters to be that bad, myself. I recommend wizards specialize in area spells to distinguish themselves from fighters, though: a magic missile once a day is much worse than a sword once around. Grease or sleep, however, can make a huge difference. Sleep is more useful usually, but grease is a helluva lot more fun to use. Play your cards right, and you’ll have three spells.
I wouldn’t go for the wand of magic missiles idea, incidentally. I DMed once in a convention game where someone found a way to tweak the rules to give his first-level character a wand; it was completely unbalancing to the game.
Couple that with a crossbow, which at first level you aren’t too far below everyone else in using (make dex your secondary stat, giving you a high AC and a decent attack bonus), and Bob’s your uncle.
One alternative might be the Sorcerer class.
They don’t memorize spells as a Wizard does, they are “spontaneous casters,” meaning they have a select spell list they “know” and they can cast any spell they from that list so long as they have a spell slot left.
The main advantages are that they get more spells per day to start (3 first level spells at character level 1 plus any bonus spells from Charisma), have greater flexibility in casting because they’re not restricted by how many of which spells they chose to memorize for that day, and, eventually, the spontaneous application of metamagic feats allows for great versatility.
The main disadvantages are that they have a much more limited spell “book.” Whereas a Wizard can eventually learn literally every spell in the world by scribing it into their spellbook for later use, the Sorcerer only knows the one’s they know and gets precious few opportunities to add to their knowledge base. Also, Wizards can begin casting 2nd level arcane spells at third level, while a sorcerer has to wait until level four.
It’s really tough to be a low level arcane caster in v3.5 because you do tend to run out of spells quickly, so like others have said, definitely pick up a crossbow.
And don’t forget about the oft overlooked cantrip. You get gobs of them every day and some of them can be pretty useful in the right circumstances.
Wizards suck at first level, but then, almost everyone sucks at first level. That’s a feature, not a bug: First-level characters are supposed to suck. Even at that, though, wizards already show some hints of why they’re overpowered, even at first level.
At first level, you’ll get 3 first-level spells per day. 3rd edition D&D is designed around the assumption that there will be about four encounters per day. That means that, in 75% of the encounters you meet, you’ll have one spell available. And, and this is the key, that one spell, if you pick it right, will be able to pretty much end the encounter all by itself. Now, obviously, a first-level Magic Missile won’t do the trick, but that just means that you don’t pick Magic Missile. But specialize in Enchantment and spend all three of your spell slots on Sleep, and the rest of the party just has to gang up on the maybe one or possibly two (or possibly zero) goblins who made their save, and coup-de-grace the rest. Or specialize in Illusion, and do the same with color spray. Or Conjuration for Grease, which isn’t quite as definitive, but leaves you better options at higher levels. Or specialize in any one of those, and memorize a mix of those spells (which also gives you some flexibility to choose which is best for a given situation). Basically, you end up with 1/4 of the party solving 3/4 of the party’s problems.
thinks
A first level wizard is fairly fragile, so think about running away a lot. At high levels, however, the monsters should be running from you. Do it right, and you’ll never run out of spells.
If PHB 2 is available, read the Beguiler. Int-based spellcasting, far more spells per day at low level, light armour doesn’t give ASF, 6 skill points/level for a skill list that looks slightly better than the Rogue’s. The downside is that you know only Enchantment, Illusion and a few Abjuration spells.
One of the later 3.5 rules supplements had an optional system to make prepared casting a bit more flexible. If you have 3 spells per day of a given level, for instance, you choose three spells to be prepared that day, but then can cast three spells from that list in any combination. So, you could prepare Sleep, Grease, and Charm Person, and then cast Sleep twice and Grease once, or Charm Person three times, or each spell once. Even with a handful of spells per day, you feel like you have more of a toolbox at your disposal.
If memory serves, arcane magic in 3.5 wasn’t all that spectacular for single-target damage at any level. You’re generally better off using non-damaging spells in a cunning manner. Sleep can incapacitate several first-level enemies, potentially winning a battle in one fell swoop. Charm Person instills the target with an artificial trust in you that you can exploit to avoid fights entirely or otherwise easily accomplish your goals without needing to fight.
One explanation of spell preparation that kinda made sense was that magic is normally hard and time consuming to cast, but you can set yourself up for something that will be usable in a reasonable timescale by spending several minutes early in the day casting all but the final few words of a spell, which you can then activate with a few key words and gestures. IOW, the Magic Missile you let rip in combat is just the culmination of a ritual you performed after breakfast with the aid of your spellbook and a rested mind - since then, the energy has been simmering in you, just waiting for you to add “…and thereby I smite yonder goblin shaman!” and point your finger.
And yes, 3rd Ed wizards are positively rolling in firepower compared to their predecessors. 
I just remembered that there are, if the DM will allow it, supplemental books (aren’t there always?) like Complete Arcane that offer more specialized base classes like the Warmage (one of my personal favorites) that offer a slightly different experience than the standard Wizard, both with and without spells.
Whenever I play a 3.5 spellcaster, I always take first level of either rogue or warrior. Rogue gives you a lot of skills to get out of the way at first while still being useful to the party (esp. since you’re going to have high Int anyway), warrior gives you a free feat, hit points and weapon proficiencies. Elf Rogue-turned-wizard is nice, too: Dex boost, free Longbow proficiency, backstab bonus on the first shot (and if you’ve got decent Stealth, on the later ones too - or does only Pathfinder include the Sniper stealth check ?). That’ll give you some decent ranged support while you’re waiting for those Fireballs to come online. IIRC elves can pick Wizard as their favoured class so that first level in another class comes without drawbacks anyway.
Another amusing build is the Paladin 2/Sorcerer, either Human or Aasimar. Paladin gives you weapons, armour, lay on hands, fear and disease immunities and a bonus to saves to be useful while you’re waiting for your big spells to materialize (just cast out of combat buffs and/or spell scrolls and eat the whiff penalty for wearing armour at first). Holy Shield remains nice even if you fight naked with a magic shield (or Shield spell) hereafter. Smite Evil can be fun with touch attack spells. Detect Evil is always a nice utility. Later on you may wish to add a third Paladin level for a bit of BaB, Evasion and a free spell slot.
The Beguiler is a Warmage variant with different spell schools and more skills.
There is a penalty for multiclassing, and that is you get access to more potent spells later than you otherwise would. You need a clear goal for that to be worthwhile - a benefit other than the bonus feat the Fighter gets, or the skills of the Rogue. (If you dip into Fighter, make that second level, not first. The hit points aren’t worth the hurting you take over having to spend your first level’s skill points as a fighter. The Commoner’s class list is better than the Fighter’s. None of the skills on the Fighter list will be relevant to the Wizard you intend to be.)
If you want to combine Fighter and Wizard, ask if Complete Mage is available. There’s a Fighter class option that will enable you to wear light armour and not suffer ASF on Wizard spells at low levels, a feat allowing you to cast spells while holding a weapon in hand, and a nice 5-level prestige class that gives you full spellcasting, d10 hit dice and full BAB while boosting the effectiveness of abjuration spells.
But not nearly as much damage 
Yeah, there are several alternative base classes that offer twists on the standard Wizard or Sorcerer. It’s been a while since I’ve played but I recall thinking that they did a pretty good job balancing things.
For instance, the Warmage is, eventually, a premier death dealer, and, while no one will ever confuse them with a Fighter, they can participate in melee far more effectively than a typical arcane caster (love me some Ring of Blades). But as you say, they lack flexibility in their skills and their spell selection is severely one-dimensional so they aren’t of much use beyond blowing stuff up.
My old gaming group tended to be very combat heavy, so a Warmage was a great addition to the party… however I ran a campaign where the recurring villain was a Beguiler. How the party hated him!
It been a issue all the way back to AD&D. Low level wizards are a liability.By about 4-6 they were well balanced. By 7 they started to overpower everybody, and by 12 or so you’d better have a good DM or everybody else is really just there to carry the bags.