13th Age 2E Pregenerated Character Builds: War Monger Wizard

By Jay Godden

In this series, I’m presenting two different pregenerated builds for every 13^th Age Heroes’ Handbook character class, at all levels. My goal is to present complete mechanical builds using only standard elements and rules from the Heroes’ Handbook, ready for you to apply your own backgrounds, icon relationships, and One Unique Thing.

In this pair of articles, we look at two potential builds for the Wizard.

Wizards are defined by their spells. They get more than anyone else, and can use them to solve a wide range of problems. Most wizards have a mixture of spells that offer single target damage, battlefield control, area of effect blasts, or utility. Unlike sorcerers, wizard talents and feats don’t improve specific types of spells, instead offering them more powerful offence or defence or widening their options even further.

Compared to 1e the Wizard is structurally unchanged. Many of its talents have been improved a bit (or cheapened to a feat in the case of Cantrip Mastery), and there are some new talents to pick from. Since spells now have even-level versions you will see significant improvements to your casting at every level-up, making for a smoother experience overall. There are also a number of new and interesting spells, all the way from the lowly at-will Mana Storm to the mighty and high-level Power Word Kill.

Wizards are one of the more complicated classes in the Heroes Handbook, as even the simplest of them will have to make decisions about when to use exactly which of their many limited use spells. The most complicated wizards will also be balancing choices around using cantrips, rituals, utility spells, and vancian variants of spells to accomplish various improvisational effects curated to their circumstances.

WAR MONGER WIZARD

Download the War Monger Wizard character sheets here. These sheets make use of the class-specific character sheets designed for second edition by Miguel Friginal.

This Wizard build focusses on artillery-like spells, dealing large amounts of damage to groups of enemies, alongside powerful defensive spells to keep them blasting safely all arc. As wizards go, it is on the simpler side, eschewing utility and condition-inflicting spells for direct damage and protection. One of your three talents is also passive, letting you focus on your casting choices.

As usual magic item choices are left out of the character sheets, check with your GM to see if they will be granting you any. An arcane implement is probably the most desirable item for you, to increase the accuracy of your spells. Helms and necklaces will help you avoid and shake off conditions that will make it harder for you to cast your spells effectively.

Talents

Abjuration

After casting a per arc spell, this talent grants you a defensive bonus. This means that at the most dangerous moments in a battle you can afford to use your actions to unleash limited use offensive spells, knowing you will still be protected.

Evocation

Evocation grants you additional targets with some of your spells, helping you to unleash more powerful magical barrages.

Mental Phenomenon

This talent lets you use your Intelligence in place of Dexterity and Strength for a number of important combat stats. This makes you faster, tougher, and a bit more dangerous with weapons than other wizards.

Kin Power

Human’s Quick to Fight offers great utility to any class, as going earlier in initiative is always useful. In particular this lets you get off big damaging spells and maybe kill a weaker enemy or some mooks before they can even act, reducing incoming damage against your party for the whole battle. It also synergises with your already high initiative, thanks to Mental Phenomenon.

Attributes

Intelligence is your most important stat by far, affecting spell accuracy, initiative, and your defences. Constitution still determines your HP, and Wisdom your MD: Str 13 (+1) Dex 10 (+0) Con 16 (+3) Wis 15 (+2) Int 19 (+4) Cha 12 (+1).

1^st level

Attributes: Str 13 (+1) Dex 10 (+0) Con 16 (+3) Wis 15 (+2) Int 19 (+4) Cha 12 (+1).

Kin Power: Quick to Fight

Talents: Abjuration, Evocation, Mental Phenomenon

Spells: Mana Storm, Shocking Grasp, Colour Spray, Force Salvo, Acid Arrow (You can change your spells freely when you have a full heal-up, these spells are just suggestions for a default arc, but remember you have to have at least two at-will spells.)

Feat: A: Magic Missile

2^nd level

New spell (Shield), new feat (A: Mana Storm).

3^rd level

New spell (Lightning Bolt), new feat (A: Acid Arrow).

4^th level

+1 to three attributes (Strength, Wisdom, Intelligence), new feat (A: Shield).

5^th level

New spell (Fireball), new feat (C: Evocation).

6^th level

New feat (C: Magic Missile).

7^th level

+1 to four attributes (Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence), new spell (Power Word Kill), new feat (C: Shocking Grasp).

8^th level

New feat (E: Shield).

9^th level

New spell (Meteor Swarm), new feat (E: Meteor Swarm).

10^th level

+1 to five attributes (Strength, Constitution, Wisdom, Intelligence, Charisma), new spell (Blur), new feat (E: Magic Missile).

Zenith feat

New feat (Z: Lightning Bolt).