The Power Of Intelligence

  Recently I had the honor to play in a new event type we're offering at the center: Modular Madness.  
Now, witty title aside, the event structure is certainly no One-Shot scenario (though we did have a character death in the first combat - curse those Nat 20's), and not as grand long-form as a Knight Owls or Gray Owls.  What it is is a set of 4-6 sessions planned over roughly 4-6 months.  We meet and play for approximately six hours each sitting with 2-3 breaks between the action.  We do this to experience and play through an actual module inside the given game system.  
  This time around?  We're playing Dragon Heist.
Run by John, with a strict party of 6 adventurers at maximum, and no clue of each other's complete intentions, we muddled our way through chapter 1 of the adventure at our first session about a week ago.  IT WAS A BLAST AND A HALF, and I've done some thinking on the experience.

I play a Yuan-Ti Wizard named Soren Finranda.  He's a little creepy, keeps to himself, but is generous and cunning when he needs to be.  Now, I've played wizards before, but I wanted to take a specific approach when it came to Soren.  
  This Yuan-Ti is not strong, nor is he dextrous in any way.  My Constitution gives me +1 HP per level, and with 6+1 HP at first level...yeah, I have 7 hit points walking into this.  With no armor and barely a dagger to my name, I have no business being a damage dealer.  And, dare I say, until higher levels, nor does ANY WIZARD, and here's why.
Soren's spells are not built for dealing damage.  Sure, the Yuan-Ti race feature gives him Poison Spray, and he grabbed Toll The Dead like a boss, but the rest is rounded out with Mold Earth and Minor Illusion.  Yes, I skipped Prestidigitation this time.  All of his level 1 spells?  Grease, Shield, Sleep, Silent Image, Unseen Servant, Magic Missile.
  Soren's whole schtick is to wait and plan, and in a system where I often play Fighter, Barbarian, Paladin, Monk, Sorlock...this was old school D&D.  There's a rite of passage that follows the low-level wizard; the knowledge that all it takes is one errant arrow and a failed saving throw versus halitosis and BAM you're dead.  You have to be careful, smart, and save your VERY limited spell slots for the most opportune moment.
  And Arcane Recovery...  Well, Arcane Recovery at level 1 allows you to "recover" one level 1 spell slot (1/2 of the two you have at the get-go) during a Short Rest.  Over the course of chapter 1, TIME IS OF THE ESSENCE, so no long rests, meaning all I've got is one Arcane Recovery to recover ONE SPELL SLOT.  Make 'em count, gents.
So I did.
  Grease the troll so my melee buddy has advantage, and keep my distance.  Arcane Recovery.  Sleep the ambushing archers because they're close together and I rolled high on the 5d8 Hit Point pool (I'll at least drop one of them).  One slot down.  Summon Silent Image to confuse the heck out of a major foe and SKIP that combat altogether.  By now, I'm tapped out.  Just cantrips to go on.  Use Minor Illusion to cover the mishaps of my allies and divert attention - fail a stealth check and nearly die from one arrow to the chest - then Poison Spray for max damage because why not?
  I had to be quiet, careful, and cunning.  Especially with average damage working out the way it does, and with a module setting with a high emphasis on laws, stealth, and cloak and dagger, my job is better served as a controller, not a blaster.  

The Most Expansive Spell List

The wizard spell list is extensive.  The biggest one in the game.  And though there are some spells that we'll never get (lookin' at you, Eldritch Blast), what we do get can alter time and space.  It's hard to argue with a well-placed Fireball, but I beg you to consider the less obvious options.  Options like Charm Person - which can end a combat if you're on point, later following the Dominate Person and Dominate Monster train; Detect Magic and Identify keep you knowledgable of the arcana that surrounds you (not to mention spell traps around your allies); Disguise Self; Feather Fall has saved many lives in MANY campaigns; Flaming Sphere coupled with Pyrotechnics (flaming marble madness in a smoke cloud of chaos); Suggestion, to really drive a point home.  
  And most of those I just listed are lower leveled spells, so you'll have more opportunities to use them.  An expanded spell list offers you options, and each spell has a reason to exist; I urge you to collect as many spells as you can into your spell book and entertain the option of each - play through the mental landscape of its use, usefulness, and level of control on the social, exploration, or combat fields.  The rest is up to how patient you are with your tactics and how creative you can be with its use (but always have a backup plan ready in case it goes sideways).
  You have the resources to be smart, and a wizard is a great class to practice playing smart.

Working Knowledge

The first time I played in 5th Edition I chose a wizard, and picked as many damage-oriented evocations as possible.  Through playing, however, I began to understand more of the game's mechanics; not only my own, but how other players and enemies navigated all the pillars of play...and how magic can infiltrate, manipulate, augment, and dilute these mechanics.
  And after 2 and a half years of teaching the game, talking the game, designing the game, plus over 10 years in other systems...  I get it.  My knowledge of how the game works, action economy, and how each spell functions makes me finally work like a wizard.  Knowledge is power.
  I understand how powerful prone is, so Grease is obvious.  Silent Image is confusing and powerful to less inquisitive creatures, so of course I have it.  As AC continues to rise, and I don't want to be seen as a combatant, then spells like Toll The Dead and Poison Spray, that require saves, are very advantageous early on...and will continue to be as I try to be secretive.  On top of this, as my options continue to increase (the most expansive list in the game), I can continually adjust my focus each long rest, making me extremely flexible day to day.

Returning to the wizard allows me superstar moments.  Time to wait, watch, and listen...then throw out a clutch spell that's going to change the landscape of the encounter.  I have the power to alter time and space; you can bet your butt I'm going to wield that power with Intelligence to maximize its effectiveness, no matter what.

Knowledge is power.
See you at the table.
-Adamus

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