Wizard Noob

[Legacy_juicyjuke]

                HI! I'm new to NWN I'm a level 6 Wizard and I was wondering about spells. I can only cast each of my memorized spells once and want to know what I need to do to be able to cast them more than once. Does it increase with level? I was reading on wikia about the ability modifier, but don't fully understand. 

Thanks
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               To the right of your spellbook page are the "slots" for each spell level.  You can fill them with any spells that have been learned by your wizard (either by selecting a spell during level-up or by reading scrolls).  The total available number of  spells depends on how many you have slotted.  If you want more than 1 for a spell, just drag it to as many slots on that spell level as you want.  You can also use metamagic feats to gain more casts of the same spell.

You will get more slots by 1) more caster levels and 2) higher ability level (for wizard, this would be Intelligence).  For each even increase your ability gains a modifier.  For example, raising from INT 14 to INT 16 increases the modifier from +2 to +3, respectively.  The higher the modifier, the more slots. But there is a pattern as to which spell level(s) gains slots.  This is where that NWNwiki ability table comes in handy that you were reading.

Just make sure your ability is at least 10 + spell level so you can at least cast those level spells (for instance, to cast level 5 spells, your wizard needs at least 15 base INT, where base INT is the ability value without enhancements from spells or items).

Hope that is enough to get you out of the woods! '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 15 novembre 2011 - 03:56 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_juicyjuke]

               Thanks for the reply. '>

OK so my intelligence is 17 3 does that mean that 17 is the score and 3 is the modifier? If so that would mean that for right now I can only cast each spell once until my intelligence is 20 5 and I would be able to cast 1st level spells twice. Am I right? Close to being? hehe.

And with the metamagic will just add more slots that I can memorize?
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               

HipMaestro wrote...
Hope that is enough to get you out of the woods! '>

That's surely the funniest thing I've ever heard from you... 
Until the next one, indeed. 
You could have eaten him, Hip! 
But maybe bears don't eat while hibernating... '>

*** a special note for juicyjuke *** 
HipMaestro is known to be some sort of a bear shaman, who polymorphs once in a while into a human form, such a bizarre choice, to share his tremendous NWN knowledge, with us, feeble mortal players. 
You've got yourself "La crème de la crème", juicyjuke. 
Hail to Hip! 
               
               

               

                     Modifié par jmlzemaggo, 15 novembre 2011 - 08:27 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_Mystery X]

               

juicyjuke wrote...

Thanks for the reply. '>

OK so my intelligence is 17 3 does that mean that 17 is the score and 3 is the modifier? If so that would mean that for right now I can only cast each spell once until my intelligence is 20 5 and I would be able to cast 1st level spells twice. Am I right? Close to being? hehe.

And with the metamagic will just add more slots that I can memorize?

Because you are a 6th level wizard, you can cast 4 0-level spells (called cantrips), 3 1st level spells, 3 2nd level spells, and 2 3rd level spells.  (There is a chart in the manual, or you can find it at the wiki here: http://nwn.wikia.com/wiki/Wizard )

Because you have 17 intelligence, you get +1 1st level spell, +1 2nd level spell, and +1 3rd level spell.  (I don't know if this chart is in the manual, but it is here: http://nwn.wikia.com...ls#Spellcasting )

So for you, that's a total of 4 0-level spells, 4 1st level spells, 4 2nd level spells, 3 3rd level spells.

Because you are a wizard, you cannot cast any spell in your spell book; you must have it memorized beforehand.  You can memorize the same spell multiple times if you want; so if you want to cast Magic Missile 4 times, memorize it 4 times (and that uses up all your 1st level spells).  Or you can memorize four different 1st level spells.

When you want to refresh your spells, rest.  If you want to change the spells you have memorized, remember to do it before resting.

You can add spells to your spellbook by copying them from scrolls.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_MrZork]

               Note also that you can magically increase your intelligence with spells you can cast yourself, equipable items, and spells cast from potions, scrolls, and potentially other items. Having a magically enhanced INT almost always confers some benefit to a wizard's spellcasting (it increases the difficulty your opponents have in making saving throws against your spells), but not all magic will add spell slots. You will encounter some equipable items (like helmets and rings) that increase your INT and, therefor, potentially add some valuable spellslots, as long as you keep them equipped until after you have cast the spells in the extra slots.

Of course, potions, scrolls, and spells of Fox's Cunning will increase your INT and temporarily increase your spellslots, but the effects disappear when you start to rest and any spells you put in those temporary slots disappear before you can use them.

There are also a couple equipable magic items that directly add spellslots, without increasing INT - keep an eye out for them.
               
               

               

                     Modifié par MrZork, 15 novembre 2011 - 12:03 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_HipMaestro]

               OP:  Just because your wizard has learned many spells on each level, doesn't mean you necessarily want to slot EACH of them.  Only slot those that are particularly useful under the current circumstances and multiple times.  This is the chief benefit of a wizard over most casters:  selective casting.  They have the greatest spell repertoire available of all arcanists but must rely on resting to make the best spell selection. For example, spells that cause negative damage are worthless to have slotted when your PC is facing an army of undead.

RE: Metamagic

If you select one of the metamagic feats (like Extend Spell, Empower Spell, Still Spell, etc.), the availability of more uses of a particular spell will appear on higher spell levels.  You won't gain more slots, you'll just be able to manage a particular spell on more than one spell level.

Example:  Extended Fox's Cunning will appear as slot-able on spell level 3 and the standard version of Fox's will still be available on spell level 2.  

Each metamagic feat has a specific "displacement" (number of spell levels higher than the original version where it can be slotted) to use it.  So, in some cases, especially with the highest level spells, metamagic versions will never be available to use. 

OT: As a newbie wizard, not really directly related to spellcasting but still extremely handy to know...

...you can possess your familiar. 

That means your PC will gain all the familiar's abilities at the cost of giving up your PC's abilities while in possessed form.  When your possessed familiar form is killed, your original PC will suffer a small bit of HP damage but survives at the spot where the possession took place... a very effective means of scouting new territory, especially if you cast Invisibility on yourself before possession.

Wizards are lots of fun to play in NWN! '>

@j-m

The woods are not always the safest place to wander.   When it's dark and still at night, every creak and rustle can be alarming... unless, as you say, you can just eat anything that passes by. '>
               
               

               

                     Modifié par HipMaestro, 15 novembre 2011 - 03:15 .
                     
                  

            

[Legacy_juicyjuke]

               You all are so helpful, thank you all so much!
I'm starting to understand it a little more each time. Just got to keep playing and experiment I suppose. Wizards and the offensive magic type have always been my favorites. I usually play turn based RPGs and other than Baldur's Gate for the Playstation, this is the only dungeon crawler game I've played.

It's good to know that there's such a great community for this game!
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Vampir Drache]

               If you want to cast spells without preparing them, try a sorcercer or bard. All you have to do to cast spells is rest. It helps alot if you get ambushed.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_jmlzemaggo]

               A sorceror is to a sunny beach with italian women without the husband and the mother what a wizard is to a smoky library filled with french philosophers but only one microphone.
Pick your poison.
               
               

               
            

[Legacy_Vampir Drache]

               Very funny jmlzemaggo.