Note before I begin: This guide is in guide is in no way official, and I won't be touching all the points of the Wizard, like ALL the spells or anything like that. This is mainly for the players interested in the Wizard class and those DMs that might need help figuring out the Wizard.

WIZARDS!!! Why them?

Hello fellow humanoids/anthropomorphic creatures! If you're reading this, you're probably interested in the Wizard (or here to watch me fail at explaining them)!

Ah, the Wizard. A class for both newcomers and veterans alike with spells and effects that nobody can hate. Well, except for the enemies. Whether it be from bedazzling your foes with enchantment and illusion to boasting your allies' attack and defense prowess with abjuration and evocation, Wizards always has something up their sleeves.

My job here is to help new players understand the class and realize that it is much more than an old, frail man that sits in the back and throws spells every once in a while.

Note that this guide is in no way shape or form official, so call me out on something that is wrong in the comment section!

Level 0: What are Wizards (Lore-Wise)?

Wizards are, simply put, scholars of arcane magic. They study about the "weave" of magic and learn to channel it to their will. Studying harder than a procrastinating college student before finals, they seek to gain more and more power through their magic- whether it truly is POWER that they seek or just knowledge is something that you can decide for your character.

They get this knowledge in a plentiful of ways- dragons, fey, their own experiments, or even other wizards. That being said, most store their massive amount of magical knowledge into a spellbook- you wouldn't go through college without taking notes, right?

... Right?

Level One (Part One): What are Wizards (Playing-Wise)?/Arcane Recovery

Wizards are Full Casters. PERIOD.

Wizards are designed around their spells, and there's very little they do outside of that. If you think you'll be uncomfortable sitting in the back and casting spells instead of taking hits for the team in the front line, then pick another class, or multiclass a LOT, because the Wizard has the LOWEST HP in the game, tied with the Sorcerer.

I'd suggest that you lay out your stats like this: INT, DEX/CON, CHA, WIS/STR. Intelligence is the stat you'll be casting with, so it's the most important thing you have. Dodging and taking hits are both equally important, so focus on those two in second place. Charisma, on the other hand, is especially useful if you plan on utilizing deception, like charming and making illusions. Wisdom and Strength... aren't that useful for you at all.

Now... your starting weapons and armor.

<What's that? ... What do you mean, "there's no armor"?! All classes have light armor at LEAST!!! ... Oh s***.>

Well, your starting equipment... is okay! You can get a quarterstaff or a dagger at the beginning, but that's like choosing between what type of pointy stick you want when you have a gun in your holster.

A component pouch vs an arcane focus is an odd case, as both are basically equal, but I like the idea of waving a wand around, so an arcane focus is nice. If you really want one of your hands free all the time, then pick the component pouch.

And, gee, do you want to have a bunch of pens and papers, or do you want food, torches, rope, and other exploring materials? If you chose option two, then pick the Explorer's Pack over the Scholar's Pack.

Also, you get a spellbook. I'll explain that a bit more in a little bit.

So, Arcane Recovery! Once per short rest, you can get some combined spell slots back equal to half your level, rounded up! Basically, say I was at 6th level- I have 3 spell slots to recover. I can only recover 3 1st level spells, 1 2nd level and 1 1st level, or 1 3rd level. you have this! Your spells are something that you treasure, and you're based around them!

Speaking of spells:

Level One (Part Two): Spellbook/Spellcasting

Also like college students, the book in which you take notes in means your future. While college students fail a course without it, you will fail at life (by dying repeatedly).

Your spellbook, at first level, has 6 spells. You choose these spells yourself, but afterwards, you need to scrounge around for them, much like a college student without his notes begs other students.

But knowledge ain't that free: it costs 2hrs and 50gp (each multiplied per level of the spell) for every spell you copy from a spell scroll or spellbook you find.

This is supposed to represent how you get fine inks in order to copy down these spells as accurately as possible, but I prefer the idea that the book consumes the money itself, digesting all the coins and turning it into ink.

CASTING spells, on the other hand, is a completely different monster. After every long rest, you look at your spells and "prepare" a number of spells equal to (level+INT mod). These "prepared" spells are the only spells you can cast on that day, and you have to use a spell slot to cast them. Once you're out of spell slots, well, tough luck, as you have to wait for your next rest to get them back. At least you can cast cantrips.

Speaking of, you start off with 3 cantrips. It's a long list, but my suggestion is to stick with Fire Bolt for a long range and good attack. I'd also reccomend having at least two attacking cantrips always, but at least one utility cantrip for sticky situations that you can't smack your way through (Prestidigitation and Minor Illusion are good examples).

Your Spell Attack is (profiency bonus + INT mod), with your Spell Save DC being that +8.

With that out of the way, you might look at the Wizard spell list and realize that if the entire list of spells were a cake, Wizards cut a small slice for everyone else and take the rest of the cake. In this rare occasion, I'm going to try to be a little more helpful in helping you through your beggining spells. Note that these are not what you SHOULD take, but some reccomendations.

-Burning Hands: Throw a cone of fire at your enemies! Solid damage, but be aware that this game does NOT have friendly fire.

-Charm Person: If you like beguiling people outside of battle but don't have the Bard or Warlock to help you do so, then this is a good option to pick up. Just know that a charmed person is NOT your personal slave, but will regard you as though you just offered your seat on the crowded bus to him: a very friendly acquantance.

-Chromatic Orb: If you can spare 50gp, then this spell is an impressive damaging spell with a lot of damage types you can choose from to by any resistances that might be thrown your way. It's good for those who don't like being one trick ponies.

-Find Familiar: A perfect little scout that's by your side! Spend 10gp to create for a little buddy that you can send out as a way to detect/activate traps, fly to high up areas, and even scout ahead. If you have a Ranger or Rogue pal, this might not be AS useful, but still cool nontheless.

-Mage Armor: Increase your own AC from 10+DEX mod to 13+DEX mod. It doesn't have to be you, of course, but it lasts for 8 hours, and no concentration required. If you're afraid that your highly sensitive ass will get blasted left, right, and center, try it!

-Magic Missile: 3 darts that deal 1d4+1 force damage come out and automatically hit your foes. Later on, you'll notice that this spell isn't the best... but starting out, this is good for picking off your foes without actually having to gamble to hit them.

-Sleep: I'd explain how AWESOME this spell is, but Zee Bashew's video on Sleep should tell you all you really need to know, plus it's a cool story.

Level Two: Arcane Tradition

Also just like a college student, you need to know what you're going to be doing for a living by taking some classes focusing on it. While a college student might take some courses based on engineering, maybe creative writing, Wizards need to be focusing more on one of the eight schools of magic: Abjuration, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation.

This might be a LITERAL school of magic, like Hogwarts but more focused on learning how to kill people with their magic, or maybe its just an institution or series of books teaching about these types of "schools".

Either way, your Arcane Tradition is your Wizard subclass. Unless you choose to focus on War Magic, your subclass can half the price in order to copy those certain types of spells into your spellbook. For example, if you choose to be an Illusionist, and you find an Illusion spell that you can copy into your spellbook, it costs half as much than normal. Neat.

But... which school of magic do you choose to be in? Well, let's look at our options: 8 from the Player's Handbook (each based on the schools of magic) and 1 from Xanathar's.

School of Abjuration

Do you like the idea that whenever someone is taking a hit, they... DON'T get hit? Maybe you like the idea of looking at an enemy's spell and going "nope" while counterspelling it, or even casting Mage Armor on yourself to protect against mighty foes.

In short, Abjurationists focus on the spells that protect your allies with things like Guards and Wards, but also banishing extraplanar foes with Banishment.

At this level, you'll get the ability to create a magical ward on yourself that appears when you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher. This ward takes hits for you (HP=INT mod+twice your level) and heals whenever you cast another abjuration spell (Heals 2 times level of the spell). You can only have one ward at a time that does not leave when it has 0 HP (goes away every long rest), but it's awesome if you want to prevent yourself from being smacked around all the time by your foes.

Later on, you'll be able to take ALLIED hits with your ward, beef up the power of spells like Dispel Magic and Counterspell that let you use your ability modifier, and even gain resistance and advantage against ALL SPELLS. All in all, if your ass is pretty weak to attacks, the Abjurationist is a great pick.

School of Conjuration

Conjuration is always fun. Think about it: whether it be summoning a creature from another plane of existence with Conjure Elemental to fight for you, or maybe just teleporting away or to a place in battle, the School of Conjuration always has something for you to use.

The real downside is that, most of the time, you need to keep concentrating on the conjuring spell you just cast, so you're going to HAVE to be in the back more than ever while summoning another creature to fight on your behalf.

At this level, you'll be able to conjure a copy of an inanimate object that you've seen before that is small(ish). This object is visibly magical (as it's glowing), and it disappears after 1hr, if you summon another object, or if it takes damage. I like this because it's like Prestidigitation's small object creation, but it's a little larger (no larger than 3ft on one side), so you can be creative with it.

Later on, you'll be able to teleport w/in 30ft (recharging after a use of a Conjuration spell), can concentrate on your Conjuration spells even after taking damage, and can give your conjured allies 30 temporary HP. The Conjurer is proof that the more friends you have, the better you can kick some ass.

School of Divination

Everyone knows about the "all-knowing oracles" and people like that- those bois are Divinators. Whether it be seeing into the future or past the spooky, scary corridor, Divinators are in charge of knowing what's up. Your spells might not be the most damaging or protecting, but seeing the weaknesses of both your friends and foes and acting upon them is something that should be cherished.

Now, what you get at this level, called Portent, is a bit... complicated. Let me explain:

At the end of a long rest, you roll 2 d20s. Record the results. Whenever someone you see (including yourself) rolls a d20, you can replace that d20 with one of the d20s you rolled and recorded. After replacing it, you can't use that result again, but you reroll every long rest. Note that you can replace both your own, allied, or enemies' rolls.

This is AMAZING. Say I rolled a 2 and a 17 at the end of a long rest. Now, whenever I hear the DM say that the monster scored a critical hit on me or one of my allies, I can just say, "A 20? Nah fam, more like a 2." Granted, I can only do THAT once, but it's still impressive.

Later on, you'll be able to use your Divination spells to recover lower level spell slots, increase your powers of perception (either by darkvision, language reading, ethereal sight, or invisibility sight), and even roll THREE times for Portent. In the end, seeing everything sure does have its perks.

School of Enchantment

If your party does not have a Bard or Warlock to deceive and persuade others with their high charisma, then maybe the school of Enchantment is here for you. Focusing on entrancing, enthralling, and beguiling others, Enchantment spells are best used with a high Charisma so you can fool others with a flick of your wrist. Charm Person, Sleep, Enemies Abound, and other mind dominating spells are fantastic for this.

At this level, you learn how to hypnotize people by standing near them. Once per long rest, you can force a WIS save on a creature (DC is your spell save DC). If they fail, they are charmed, have 0ft speed, are incapacitated, and are visibly dazed. As long as you keep using your action to maintain it and that you are still within 5ft of the creature. This is fun if you have some strong allies that can carry the creature once it is stunned, allowing you to pick up an Owlbear and carry it to another town to wreak havoc.

But be warned that when you use this, you have to be within 5ft of the creature, so be CAUTIOUS!!!

Later on, you can force a creature that's attacking you to smack someone else instead, have your Enchantment spells affect two creatures instead of just one, and even make it so that charmed creatures forget what happened while they were being charmed, possibly removing their idea that they've been charmed.

If you just want to have a little bit of fun bending others to your will, the school of Enchantment is fantastic for you.

School of Evocation

Magic Missile. Witch Bolt. Acid Arrow. Shatter. Fireball. Wall of Water. Fire Shield. Being the school that primarily focuses on damaging, the school of Evocation sure knows how to smack foes up with nasty spells. Sure, you also have stuff like Sending, Telepathy, Darkness, and some other outliers, but those spells are just so that Evocationists don't feel like they should JUST focus on damage. With both utility and damage, there's little to lose with Evocationists.

But first, you need to learn friendly fire. At this level, when you cast an evocation spell, you can choose a number of creatures equal to (1+spell level). These creatures automatically succeed on their saving throws against the spell, and take no damage if they would normally take half damage on a success.

Later on, you'll be able to hit creatures that avoid your cantrips for half damage, deal more damage to all evocation spells (INT mod), and even deal MAXIMUM damage with lower level spells, at the cost that you also take some damage.

In the end, if you just want a simple, fun, yet cool wizard subclass, the School of Evocation has a spot open for you.

School of Illusion

Like a street magician, an Illusionist focuses on fooling others that something is there when it's not. The art of misdirection is something that Illusionists master to the point where they can make the impossible seem as real as you and I. Whether it be Silent Image to fool others, Color Spray to blind them, or Shadow Blade to stab them, your creativity and love for trickery will go long and far while you're an illusionist.

At this level, you learn Minor Illusion, or another cantrip if you already have it, and can make the illusion carry both sound and sight. This might not seem cool, but think about it- your decoys and distractions can now fool more intelligent creatures while the rest of your group is able to take advantage- all from a CANTRIP.

Later on, you'll be able to shift your illusions' appearances using your action even AFTER they've been cast, fool your foe into attacking an illusionary duplicate of yourself, and even make your inanimate illusions become REAL temporarily.

With deception, trickery, and the art of misdirection, the school of Illusion for all you fancy tricksters out there.

School of Necromancy

Fun fact: Just because you raise the dead does NOT mean you're evil. It might be considered a taboo most parts of the world to raise the dead, but think about it like you're Batman. Batman does illegal things (being a vigilante ain't legal), but he's still doing good things through his unorthodox methods.

In short, Batman is a Lich.

No, wait, I meant that using spells like False Life, Cause Fear, Raise Dead, Eyebite, and even Danse Macabre does not make you evil per se, as long as you're doing it for good reason, like fighting a great evil.

At this level, you can sap health off of creatures you kill, healing an amount equal to (2 times spell level, 3 times if the spell is Necromantic). Even though this does not work against undead and constructs, due to your squishiness, this is good to stay alive while also dealing damage in the process.

Later on, you'll be able to cast Animate Dead (with the twist of animating MORE dead that have more HP and damage), gain resistance to necrotic damage and can't have your HP max reduced, and even command other undead that you didn't summon.

So... do you want to be Wizard Batman? Take a spin in Necromancy, then.

School of Transmutation

Physics class will tell you that you can't create or destroy energy, or matter, but Transmutation class will tell you that your Physics class is teaching you lies. Your Transmutation teacher will tell you how to create and alter the physcial and mental states of reality, whether through shaping the elements (Shape Water, Control Flames) to boosting others (Enlarge/Reduce, Alter Self).

At this level, you'll be able to take 10 minutes to alter 1 cubic foot of material of either wood, stone (not gems), iron, copper, or silver to a different material on that list. This lasts for 1 hour (or until you stop concentrating), and it's free to use, so use it creatively!!! Turn a wood door to a metal door so it's sturdier (or vice versa)! Have fun with it!!!

Later on, you'll be able to craft a "Transmuter's Stone" to grant a benefit (whether it be a resistance to an element, increase speed by 10ft, prof in CON saves, or grant darkvision), learn polymorph and can cast a weaker version of it without a spell slot, and can even use your Transmuter's Stone to explode, causing an awesome affect (Raise Dead, heal all HP and ailments, restore youth, or transform a block of materials).

If the laws of physics doesn't necessarily work for you, then break them by becoming a Transmuter.

War Magic

Do you like both Abjurationists and Evocationists, but don't really know which one to pick? Well, here's a good option. Focusing on using magic in combat, the War Magic casters ask themselves the question, "What good is having Fireball if I die before I cast it?" With countering spells and dishing out some of their own, they know EXACTLY what to do when a hoard of baddies rush in on them.

Note that you're not exactly committed to a set of spells like the other casters are (Illusionists to Illusion spells, etc). This means that you should NOT feel inclined to pick certain spells (but Fireball, Counterspell, and Dispel Magic is always good to have).

At this level, you get to add your INT mod to your initiative, so getting the jump on your foes is easier than ever. Also at this level, you can use a reaction when someone attempts to smack you to gain a +2 to AC or a +4 bonus to a saving throw. After that, you can't cast any spells other than cantrips until the end of your next turn. That might suck, but protecting yourself- especially if you REALLY need to keep concentrating on a certain spell.

Later on, you'll be able to steal energy from spells that you Counterspell or Dispel Magic (allowing you to deal more damage with every spell you cast), gain +2 to AC and saving throws while concentrating on a spell, and even smack creatures who dare attempt to smack you.

Abjurationists and Evocationists are both good subclasses, but maybe a little more variety is what you need, so War Magic is for you.

Level Three: Good Luck!!!

Wizards don't get anything at 3rd level except for the ability to cast 2nd level spells. Since you aren't getting any more spells and this tutorial has gone on for long enough, I'm gonna call it off here.

So...

Outro: The (Sometimes) Mystical, The Wizard

Wizards are fun for both new players and veterans alike, with fantastic spells and a large variety of subclasses to choose from. Magic is a core part of DnD, and if there's magic, there's got to be Wizards.

Now, I think I'll take a step back and enjoy... something NOT complex. Barbarians, I guess, unless someone REALLY wants something else.

All pictures were from WotC.