Evocation Wizard 5E Subclass Guide [Master of Offensive Magic]
If you’ve chosen the path of the Wizard in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, then understanding the variety of magical schools available to your character is an essential part of creating a solid gameplay experience.
One such magical school is the evocation wizard 5e, attuned to raw energy and elemental forces.
This subclass stands out in its usage of magic where it manipulates energy or taps into unseen sources of power to produce a desired end in effect, causing something that could not have happened otherwise.
Understanding how to play an evocation wizard 5e effectively can greatly enhance your overall D&D game-playing experience.
This guide aims to give you invaluable information about this particular subclass. With a particular focus on its abilities, spell utilities, strengths, and creative uses, you will unravel the tools needed not just for survival but also for achieving potent control over raw magic itself.
The journey ahead is speckled with numerous fascinating elements so keep your curiosity stoked as we delve further.
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Ability Scores of Evocation Wizard
Inevitably, as an evocation wizard, you need to prioritize the most suitable ability scores. Intelligence should undeniably be your highest ability score to maximize spellcasting potential.
Secondary importance should be given to constitution or dexterity due to their respective roles in enhancing your character’s resilience and reflexes.
Understanding your ability scores is pivotal in shaping the potency and effectiveness of your Evocation Wizard throughout the game.
| Ability | Point Buy | Standard Array |
|---|---|---|
| Str | 8 | 10 |
| Dex | 15 | 13 |
| Con | 15 | 14 |
| Int | 15 | 15 |
| Wis | 8 | 12 |
What is Evocation Wizard 5e?
In the domain of Dungeons & Dragons, the Evocation Wizard 5e subclass formulates an intriguing identity as a practitioner of forces and energy.
As an evocation wizard, your field of specialty is an aspect of arcane magic imbued with a command over elemental powers like a searing flame, crackling lightning, bitter cold, rolling thunder, and burning acid.
This focus allows you to induce these effects and thus manipulate them into offensive or defensive strategies depending on your gaming situation.
With the potency of raw elements at your fingertips, you hold the potential to nullify adversaries with impactful authority or shield companions by using their inherent properties.
Make no mistake; playing out this subclass correctly requires both strategic prowess and an understanding of when each force serves you best in line with varying game scenarios.
Also Read: 15 Best Wizard Subclasses 5E [Select Your School Of Magic]
What are the Features of an evocation wizard?
Embarking on the path of an evocation wizard brings along unique benefits and strengths, allowing your character to reach magical prowess.
These distinct features, when appropriately leveraged, can make the difference between simply harnessing raw energy and becoming a force to be reckoned with in your game world.
Evocation Savant
As an evocation savant, economizing your resources becomes an inherent trait.
This facet reduces the expenditure of gold and time required when copying an evocation spell into your spellbook by half, making it highly encouraging for you to explore spells beyond the realm of evocation as well.
Sculpt Spells
At times you need to bend reality without harming your allies; that’s where sculpt spells come in handy.
This feature enables you to create pockets of safety within your area-effect spells. Your allies remain unscathed while the foes are targeted directly in their vicinity.
This ability lends a strategic advantage and versatility to your offensive measures.
Potent Cantrip
The potent cantrip feature breathes new life into saving throw cantrips by ensuring some level of guaranteed damage regardless of whether enemies in question make their saving tosses or not.
This nudge pushes you subtly towards utilizing such cantrips with increased frequency – after all, damage calculation becomes fairly straightforward when even partial success yields damage infliction.
Empowered Evocation
Evoking the essence of true magical prowess is Empowered Evocation which amplifies the efficacy of damaging spells cast by you.
It adds your Intelligence modifier as bonus damage to any wizard evocation spell you cast, which can be particularly potent for low-level spells, maximizing their disruptive potential.
Consider Magic Missile a spell where each dart deals identical damage.
With Empowered Evocation at play, a single magic missile cast throws multiple darts yet only one is empowered yielding an unexpected but powerful twist.
Also Read: 12 Best Fighter Subclasses 5E [Define Your Battlefield Role]
Overchannel
Sealing the prowess of an Evocation Wizard is the Overchannel feature your go-to for low-level spell maximization.
Through this feature, you hold the leash to raw magical power, manipulating it so that any wizard spell (5th level or lower) deals the maximum possible damage every time.
If its damage is over-channeled, the potential destruction you wield becomes truly intimidating.
Keep in mind this feature might be susceptible to varying interpretations and it’s wise to clarify its use with your Dungeon Master.
Evocation Feats
As an Evocation wizard, your prowess is inevitably linked with the specific feats you choose.
These feats serve to enhance your spellcasting abilities further and provide unique advantages during gameplay.
Such feats, however, should be picked wisely keeping the character’s strengths and intentions at the forefront.
Elemental Adept
One particular feat that often draws attention is the Elemental Adept. Though it may seem appealing initially; for an Evoker it may not always be beneficial.
This feat allows your spells to bypass resistance to a specific element’s damage which on the surface sounds advantageous but when we consider that many enemies possess immunity rather than resistance to elements, makes it less effective.
The overall value of this feat diminishes especially for an evoker.
Multiclassing
One way to diversify your character’s skills and abilities is through multiclassing. Multiclassing can add flavor and depth by allowing you to combine different classes’ strengths in a single character.
For evocation wizards, there are several potential relevant combinations. Before you commit to multiclassing ensure you fully understand how these changes might affect your gameplay.
Death Cleric
Consider Death Cleric as one potential option for multiclassing although unconventional it certainly can add intriguing aspects into the mix.
The Death cleric domain found in the Dungeon Master’s Guide on page 96 grants proficiency with martial weapons and features centered around dealing necrotic damage spells adding some interesting frontline potential into the fray of magic manipulation.
With a careful selection of spells from cleric and wizard repertoire potentials of this combination might provide rather alluring possibilities for creative players all while staying within realms of much immunity-resilient necrotic damage focus.
Also Read: 10 Best Sorcerer Subclasses 5E [Choose The Right Magical Origin]
FAQs About Evocation Wizard 5e
What makes an evocation wizard unique from other subclasses in D&D 5e?
The evocation wizard subclass is known for its control over raw elemental energy, making it perfect for dealing with high amounts of damage. Key features such as Sculpt Spells and Empowered Evocation set them apart from other subclasses.
How does the Elemental Adept feat interact with an evocation wizard’s abilities?
Though it’s somewhat attractive, the Elemental Adept feat isn’t usually beneficial for evocation wizards. It can bypass resistance to elemental damages, but many enemies possess immunity rather than resistance.
Is multiclassing as a Death Cleric beneficial for an evocation wizard?
Multiclassing as a Death Cleric can expand an evocation wizard’s bulk with robust frontline potential and add additional dimensions to spellcasting abilities such as affinity towards necrotic damage.
Do evocation wizards have any special defensive abilities?
Yes, the Sculpt Spells feature allows an evocation wizard to protect their allies from their area effect spells, making them less likely to harm their team in combat.
How does the Potent Cantrip feature impact gameplay for an Evocation Wizard?
Potent Cantrip elevates saving throw cantrips by ensuring they are effective even when enemies successfully save against them, offering increased dependability of these spells in combat situations.
