It really helps to use Mage Armor and keep Shield ready as a reaction. Wizards are squishy, but they have good defensive options if you are willing to use some learned spells on defense over offense.
I think the real problem here is not starting at 3rd level. Most things 1-2 shot most PC’s at level 1, it’s just a degree of difficulty easier for wizards to die
Start with forge/life cleric, then go with wizard. For extra survivability, choose abjuration or war wizard. Slightly MAD and you get a delay in progression, but can make RP sense if you worship a god who has both knowledge/arcana and forge/life domain.
Good to have if you have a tough DM, tough campaign or crazy party. Expect to play the party’s parental unit, however.
If enemies were smart, wizards would never live to cast fireball. Wizards are mostly overpowered compared to martials because DMs go easy on them until they get overpowered.
Baddysunny
Imagine playing an edition where they were on a d4 Hit Die.
Hit-Die, being the operative term, given that if you get hit, you die
It really helps to use Mage Armor and keep Shield ready as a reaction. Wizards are squishy, but they have good defensive options if you are willing to use some learned spells on defense over offense.
They don’t if you don’t dump constitution.
Sometimes I like to give the party wizard a +1 to AC if he holds up his book as a shield
played a wizard & the first combat action I ever took was running to the back of the room
Sounds like the DM needs to work on balancing if they’re going to start PCs at level 1.
I am very proud of my (alive) wizards
I think the real problem here is not starting at 3rd level. Most things 1-2 shot most PC’s at level 1, it’s just a degree of difficulty easier for wizards to die
I need to take a break from the osr content. For a sec my thought was “yeah the d8 hit die is one of the fighter’s advantages”.
if you want a spellcaster with hp try a draconic sorc hill dward, gives you a good chunk of life and unarmored defence
Start with forge/life cleric, then go with wizard. For extra survivability, choose abjuration or war wizard. Slightly MAD and you get a delay in progression, but can make RP sense if you worship a god who has both knowledge/arcana and forge/life domain.
Good to have if you have a tough DM, tough campaign or crazy party. Expect to play the party’s parental unit, however.
Ah yes, the mistake you made here, was not starting as a Barbarian, getting to level 20, and then multiclassing into wizard, pretending to be level 1.
Playing at level 1/2 is your problem… level 3 start is the way to go
If enemies were smart, wizards would never live to cast fireball. Wizards are mostly overpowered compared to martials because DMs go easy on them until they get overpowered.
And this is why we don’t start at level 1. At least at level 2 you get death saves if you get crit.
Everyone is fragile as glass at levels 1-3, the game just doesn’t work there.
All things considered, wizards are the most durable class because 19-24 AC and spells go brr.