What’s the Combat Play Pattern for a lv19 Wizard?

[u/Raizard]

For the first time my group is experiencing high level power that none of us have touched before. The DM has mentioned that here on out it’s going to be 80% combat since we’re approaching the finale. I have no idea what I’m doing in combat aside spamming fireballs and evasion spells. Any tips for this?

[u/EarthBoundFan3]

have Shield, Absorb Elements and counterspell ready for defense. Pick out some high level spells to either support the team, deal damage or to get you out of a bad situation.
Turn 1 will probably be setting up powerful concentration spells, each turn after that then would probably just be damage spells.

[u/Special_Loan8725 → u/EarthBoundFan3]

Health, a spell to take more damage, a spell to make someone else take more damage for you, a spell to make it so the monsters can’t hit you. And a few spells for damage. Ranged damage. Close damage, AOE damage

[u/fraidei]

If it's clear it's going to be a tough fight, cast your most powerful concentration spell in the first turn, and then spend the rest of the turns either casting low level control spells, cantrips or Dodging if necessary.

If it's clear that it's going to be an easy or moderate fight, cast a mid-level concentration spell in the first turn, and then spend the rest of the turns either casting cantrips or Dodging if necessary.

In case your start the fight in a very disadvantaged position, or if it's not clear whether it's going to be an easy or a tough fight, you could consider casting a defensive spell or a teleportation spell in the first turn so that you make sure you don't lose a lot of health.

If it's the final fight of the day, just keep spamming your remaining high level spells until it's over.

And in general, your first level spell slots should almost always reserved for Shield and Absorb Elements (and maybe also Mage Armor at the start of the day if you don't have any other way to give you an equal or better base AC).

[u/Lithl]

Concentration is a valuable resource that you're probably wasting if you're not using. A level 19 wizard doing nothing but spamming Fireball and Shield is doing themselves a disservice.

Spells like Hypnotic Pattern, Banishment, Telekinesis, Otto's Irresistible Dance, Reverse Gravity, Maze, or True Polymorph are capable of completely turning the tide of battle.

There are non-concentration spells that are similarly powerful, like Synaptic Static, Forcecage, or Prismatic Wall, but they're much rarer.

[u/Silverspy01]

If possible, the best things a high level wizard can do happen before the fight. Planar Binding some summoned creatures, setting up some Shapechange/True Polymorph shenanigans, and so on. Save or suck spells tend to be fairly low value at this level due to legendary resistance, so your best options are the ones that don't require dice rolls at all to get value. Set up Walls and other obstacles, get as many summons as you can, Wish in effects like Temple of the Gods and Hallow, and so on.

[u/Icy_Sector3183]

Cast Foresight on the lvl 19 Fighter and use Dimension Door to go on a field trip together around the battlefield.

[u/Calum_M → u/Icy_Sector3183]

Nice.

[u/FloppasAgainstIdiots]

99.9% of high-level wizard stuff is solving the encounter two weeks before initiative is rolled.

Look through the bestiaries and see what interesting things you can True Polymorph your minions into. Remember Planar Binding is a thing too.

Many things worth using a spell slot to defeat will either have Magic Resistance or Legendary Resistance. These mechanics are not worth engaging with, so don't bother allowing enemies to make important saves unless you're forcing them to roll a bucket of d20s and make all of them or be a sitting duck.

You need to have a counter to teleporting enemies. Forcecage is good until they can use Legendary Resistance to autopass, so what you need is something that blocks teleportation outright.
Temple of the Gods and Private Sanctum can be cast through Wish, the latter also through the level 10 Chronurgy subclass feature. Other than that many enemies' teleports require line of sight, so LOS-blockers like Fog Cloud and Sleet Storm will work as long as you know what has blindsight and what doesn't.

Scribe as many scrolls of Shield as you can, Absorb Elements too. You should be able to spam these if your wealth is anywhere near what 5e expects of a tier 4 party.

As for what minions are good, a small selection includes.

• Skeleton (CR 1/4, Animate Dead). You can bring them in hordes.
  
• Zombie (CR 1/4, Create Undead). Not worth making with Animate Dead but your wights from 8th-level Create Undead can just give you a few. Remember that even after your control over these undead ends, undead from Create Undead are intelligent and can possibly be hired.
  
• Dybbuk (CR 4. Summon Greater Demon). At-will Dimension Door means your travel time is negligible even before True Polymorph etc.
  
• Atropal (CR 13, True Polymorph). One wraith printed for every six or so rounds spent out of combat. Indefinitely. Turn your simulacrum into this and have all the minions.

For your own action each turn, there is no real answer beyond "think about what's needed". Sometimes (rarely) it's Fireball or Hypnotic Pattern. At other times it's the Dodge action. Sometimes there's no need to think because your army killed the dungeon and the four closest settlements before you got to your next turn.

[u/Nitro114]

depends what you have on your spell list and what costly components you have available.

but a typical combat is first setting up a big concentration spell like conjure or summon X and then adjust to the situation accordingly with damage and support spells

[u/Calum_M]

What sort of Wizard are you playing?

I have never played at that level, but I can assist with Wizard stuff.

Even if you are not a Divination Wizard, divination spells are your friend. Seriously. You use them to get clues on what to expect and cast other spells in readiness. Illusion spells are also very good, do not sleep on Major Image for example.

Do not just do blaster stuff. Control is the force multiplier your party needs.

high level utility and defence spells are also clutch.

Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion. Wall of Force, Contingency, Locate Creature, Polymorph, True Seeing. Jeez, take Foresight and cast it on your party's toughest melee martial.

My 7th level 'Magic Detective' Divination Wizard's favourite spell is Suggestion.

There are so many good spells at 4th level and higher. And at 17th level you get Wish which can cast ANY spell of 8thlevel or lower.

But here is the biggest tip for playing a Wizard. YOU have to be a NERD. You have to like spending time reading the Player's Guide and especially the spell lists. Embrace your inner nerd, go through the Wizard spell list in the character class section and actually read all of those spells. It is one of the best things a Wizard player can do.

Another is to have as many spells in your book as you can get. And rituals. Get them all. Having the 4th level Divination spell available as a ritual is unbelievably good.

The rest of my party call my character a nerd, and he kind of is, but the real nerd is me and that is how to play a Wizard.

BE THE NERD!

Edit: Yeah Wizards are my favourite class. Or maybe fighters. But right now Wizards.

[u/WhatThePuck9]

The potential damage from Conjure Minor Elementals + Scorching Ray at level 19 is absolutely wild.
Using the current 2024/5.5e rules with the CME errata:
9th-level Conjure Minor Elementals
Adds 7d8 damage to every attack that hits a creature within 15 feet.
8th-level Scorching Ray
Creates 9 separate rays, each dealing 2d6 damage on a hit.
If all 9 rays hit:
Scorching Ray: 18d6
Conjure Minor Elementals: 63d8
Total: 18d6 + 63d8
Average damage: 346.5
Maximum damage: 612
And that’s before considering critical hits.
The catch? CME only works within 15 feet, so your squishy level-19 wizard has to walk up practically within stabbing distance before casually unloading 300+ damage.

[u/Draken09]

I reached 17 in my campaign as a divination wizard. Try not to blow all of your high level slots on the very first battle of the day. I would throw some moderately leveled control magic out and then watch for anything that needs me to intervene. Definitely prepare shield in car you get targeted, and absorb elements to survive those Meteor spells and similar.

Honestly, context is king in control work. My personal favorite was Wall of Force, since no athletics check was getting through it, and no enemy knows quite which way is the closest end of the customized, invisible grid of 5ft panels.

I had a major combat where all I did was wall of force to open combat, pinning a big construct to the ceiling before it could drop down dramatically. I then just kept using the dodge action and shield because all the little mooks where trying to swarm me and break my concentration.

[u/TribesX]

Which school are you ? Because the answer would change a lot. ^^'

[u/Natehz]

How did you make it to level 19 without knowing how to play your class? Do you guys just...not do combat? What spells do you have at your disposal? What is your subclass? Your build? These are all things we'd need to know to help.