featuring Steve & Chris
Hello orcs! We’re back. Our recent hiatus was both unplanned and unavoidable, but the siren’s song of RPG blogging and podcasting can be resisted for only so long. And don’t worry, we do have something to show for our time away.
Our very own Steve had a face to face (well… Skype conversation) with living legend Treantmonk! The famed author of D&D class guides took exception to some of our criticism of the Wizard class in 5E (http://orclabs.com/2015/05/18/orc-labs-podcast-35-dd-5e-crowd-control/), and was kind enough to tell us exactly where our playstyle had gone wrong. We went into this expecting to get schooled by the master himself… and he did not disappoint.
The major points:
4:12 – Single target lockdown is a brute force solution but often a risky proposition, and taking chances isn’t what a properly played wizard is about.
10:10 – Just like in past editions, proper spell selection is crucial.
10:44 – Mind the concentration! (Note: Chris later mentions getting out of melee combat by going invisible, but that, too, is a concentration effect. It’s a great option, but disruptive to the potential benefits a Wizard can provide to a party.)
10:56 – Alway always always plan out different spell action types and creative ways to maximize your use of the action economy. An effective wizard is an efficient wizard.
12:55 – Relying on cantrips is essential to making it to the end of the day.
14:21 – With a proper party complement, Minor Illusion is the single most overpowered cantrip in the game. Why? Saving against it requires an action. It can be used to give advantage to an ally and disadvantage to an enemy. And most importantly, you can cast it every single round.
22:43 – When the going gets rough, disengage and GTFO of dodge.
31:00 – Polymorph is all sorts of broken, which means a Wizard who can polymorph his squishy allies is broken, too.
34:55 – Don’t underestimate the potential utility of Portent, regardless of what you roll.
39:10 – Prepared casting is the new Easy Mode.
49:40 – Illusory Reality is the 14th level Wizard’s ascension to godhood.
Treantmonk 3.5 Guides:
http://community.wizards.com/forum/previous-editions-character-optimization/threads/1146876
Treantmonk Pathfinder Guides:
http://www.d20pfsrd.com/extras/community-creations/treatmonks-lab
Treantmonk 5E Guides:
http://community.wizards.com/forum/player-help/threads/4209951
Orc Labs 