Difference between revisions of "Wizard"

Revision as of 11:25, 9 April 2012

Diablo III	Barbarian	Demon Hunter	Monk	Witch Doctor	Wizard	Crusader	Follower	Armory
Difficulty Levels	Monster Power	Special Effects	Experience Gain	Paragon	Item Rarity	Magic Find	Gold Find	Nephalem Valor

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The Wizard is the third character confirmed to be in the game by Blizzard. Wizards appear to have a very similar gameplay style to Diablo II's Sorceress: they are pure spellcasters. Wizards use Arcane Power, which is a fast-regenerating resource. Also, their "Signature" skills decrease in cost as the Wizard levels, eventually being free to cast.

Builds and Guides

Please use our Wizard forum to hash out the details of any builds. Once a build is theorycrafted and tested, feel free to post it here. Ideally, build posts would include significant commentary about the skills used, choices made, etc.

Theorycraft

Please post any class-specific theory that isn't included in Blizzard's documentation. Similar to the build section, use the forums for the preliminary discussion, and post here once the details are known and agreed-upon.

Skills

Skill Calculator
Information on this page is based on a level 60 character, and was last updated April 2012.

Primary

Skill	Unlock Level	Arcane Power	Cooldown	Description

Magic Missile	1	None	None	Launch a missile of magic energy, causing 110% weapon damage as Arcane.
	6	Charged Blast		Increases the damage of Magic Missile to 143% weapon damage as Arcane.
	13	Split		Fire 3 missiles that each deal 50% weapon damage as Arcane.
	31	Penetrating Blast		Missiles have a 70% chance to pierce through their target and hit additional enemies.
	42	Attunement		Whenever Magic Missile hits a target you gain 4 Arcane Power.
	52	Seeker		Missiles track the nearest enemy and their damage is increased to 121% weapon damage as Arcane.

Shock Pulse	3	None	None	Release a medium range pulse of 3 unpredictable charges of electricity that deal 105% weapon damage as Lightning.
	9	Explosive Bolts		Slain enemies explode, dealing 70% weapon damage as Lightning to every enemy within 10 yards.
	18	Fire Bolts		Cast bolts of fire that each deal 137% weapon damage as Fire.
	33	Piercing Orb		Merge the bolts in a single giant orb that oscillates forward dealing 105% weapon damage as Lightning to everything it hits.
	47	Lightning Affinity		Every target hit by a pulse restores 2 Arcane Power.
	54	Living Lightning		Conjure a being of lightning that drifts forward, electrocuting nearby enemies for 37% weapon damage as Lightning.

Spectral Blade	11	None	None	Summon a spectral blade that strikes all enemies in your path for 135% weapon damage.
	19	Deep Cuts		Enemies hit by the blade will Bleed for an additional 35% weapon damage done over 3 seconds.
	24	Impactful Blades		Hits have a 5% chance to cause Knockback and Slow the movement of enemies by 60% for 1 second.
	35	Siphoning Blade		Every enemy hit grants 1 Arcane Power.
	51	Healing Blades		Whenever the blades do critical damage, you are healed 8% of the damage done.
	57	Thrown Blade		Extends the reach of Spectral Blade to 20 yards.

Electrocute	15	None	None	Lightning arcs from your fingertips, dealing 80% weapon damage as Lightning. The lightning can jump, hitting up to 2 additional enemies.
	22	Chain Lightning		Lightning arcs from your fingertips, dealing 80% weapon damage as Lightning. The lightning can jump, hitting up to 2 additional enemies.
	29	Forked Lightning		Critical Hits release 4 charged bolts in random directions, dealing 46% weapon damage as Lightning to any targets hit.
	36	Lightning Blast		Create streaks of lightning that pierce through targets, hitting all enemies for 80% weapon damage as Lightning.
	44	Surge of Power		Gain 1 Arcane Power for every enemy hit by Electrocute.
	59	Arc Lightning		Blast a cone of lightning that causes 80% weapon damage as Lightning to all affected targets.

Secondary

Skill	Unlock Level	Arcane Power	Cooldown	Description

Ray of Frost	2	-20	None	Project a beam of frozen ice that blasts 215% weapon damage as Cold to the first enemy it hits, slowing the target's movement by 30% for 3 seconds.
	7	Sleet Storm		Create a swirling storm around you, dealing 215% weapon damage as Cold to all enemies caught within it.
	15	Cold Blood		Reduce casting cost to 0 Arcane Power.
	28	Snow Blast		Using continuously on a single target increases damage over 1.5 seconds to inflict a maximum of 280% weapon damage as Cold.
	38	Numb		Increase the amount the target's movement is slowed to 60% for 3 seconds.
	53	Black Ice		Enemies killed with Ray of Frost leave behind a patch of ice that deals 193% weapon damage as Cold to enemies moving through it over 3 seconds.

Arcane Orb	5	-35	None	Hurl an orb of pure energy that explodes when it hits, dealing 175% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 10 yards.
	11	Obliteration		Increase the damage of the explosion to deal 228% weapon damage as Arcane.
	20	Arcane Orbit		Create 2 Arcane Orbs that orbit you, exploding for 70% weapon damage as Arcane when enemies get close.
	32	Arcane Nova		Modify the orb to deal 175% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 20 yards.
	45	Tap the Source		Reduce casting cost to 20 Arcane Power.
	55	Celestial Orb		The orb will pierce through targets, damaging any enemy it passes through.

Arcane Torrent	12	-20	None	Hurl a barrage of arcane projectiles that deal 175% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies near the impact location.
	18	Disruption		Targets hit by Arcane Torrent become disrupted for 6 seconds, causing them to take 15% additional damage from any attacks that deal Arcane damage.
	25	Death Blossom		Unleash a torrent of power beyond your control. You no longer direct where the projectiles go, but their damage is increased to 670% weapon damage as Arcane.
	34	Arcane Mines		Instead of firing projectiles, lay Arcane mines that arm after 2 seconds. These mines explode when an enemy approaches, dealing 150% weapon damage as Arcane. Enemies caught in the explosion have their movement and attack speeds reduced by 30% for 3 seconds.
	49	Power Stone		Every missile hit has a 2% chance to leave behind a Power Stone that grants Arcane Power when picked up.
	57	Cascade		Enemies killed by Arcane Torrent have a 100% chance to fire a new missile at a nearby enemy dealing 175% weapon damage as Arcane.

Disintegrate	21	-20	None	Thrust a beam of pure energy forward, dealing 155% weapon damage as Arcane and disintegrating enemies it kills.
	26	Convergence		Increase the width of the beam allowing it to hit more enemies.
	30	Chaos Nexus		When casting the beam you become charged with energy that spits out at nearby enemies doing 40% weapon damage as Arcane.
	39	Volatility		Enemies killed by the beam have a 35% chance to explode causing 395% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 8 yards.
	48	Entropy		The beam fractures into a short-ranged cone that deals 178% weapon damage as Arcane.
	59	Intensify		Damage increases slowly over time to inflict a maximum of 202% weapon damage as Arcane.

Defensive

Skill	Unlock Level	Arcane Power	Cooldown	Description

Frost Nova	4	None	12 s	Blast nearby enemies with an explosion of ice and freeze them for 3 seconds.
	12	Shatter		A frozen enemy that is killed has a 50% chance of releasing another Frost Nova.
	18	Cold Snap		Reduce cooldown of Frost Nova to 9 seconds.
	28	Frozen Mist		Frost Nova no longer freezes enemies, but instead leaves behind a mist of frost that deals 160% weapon damage as Cold over 8 seconds.
	41	Deep Freeze		If Frost Nova hits at least 5 targets, you gain a 15% bonus to Critical Hit Chance for 12 seconds.
	51	Bone Chill		Enemies take 15% more damage while frozen or chilled by Frost Nova.

Diamond Skin	8	None	15 s	Transform your skin to diamond for 6 seconds, absorbing up to 10853 damage from incoming attacks.
	14	Crystal Shell		Increases the maximum amount of damage absorbed to 21707 damage.
	20	Prism		Reduces Arcane Power cost of all spells by 15 while Diamond Skin is active.
	32	Mirror Skin		Reflects 50% of damage absorbed back at the attacker.
	44	Enduring Skin		Increases the duration of Diamond Skin to 8 seconds.
	56	Diamond Shards		When Diamond Skin wears off, diamond shards explode in all directions dealing 155% weapon damage as Physical to nearby enemies.

Slow Time	16	None	20 s	Invoke a bubble of warped time and space for 8 seconds, reducing enemy attack speed by 20% and movement speed by 30%. This bubble also slows the movement of enemy projectiles by 90%.
	23	Miasma		Slow Time effects cling to enemies for 3 seconds after they have left the bubble.
	29	Time Warp		Enemies caught in the bubble of warped time take 20% more damage.
	39	Time Shell		Reduces the area Slow Time affects to 10 yards, but increases the potency of the movement speed reduction to 80%.
	47	Perpetuity		Reduces the cooldown of Slow Time to 16 seconds.
	53	Stretch Time		Time is sped up for any allies standing in the area, increasing their attack speed by 10%.

Teleport	22	-15	16 s	Teleport through the ether to the selected location up to 35 yards away.
	26	Safe Passage		For 4 seconds after you Teleport, you will take 30% less damage.
	31	Wormhole		After casting Teleport, there is a 1 second delay before the cooldown begins, allowing you to Teleport again.
	37	Reversal		Casting Teleport again within 8 seconds will instantly return you to your original location.
	43	Fracture		Summon 2 decoys for 8 seconds after teleporting.
	59	Calamity		Casts a low power Wave of Force upon arrival, dealing 75% weapon damage as Physical to all nearby enemies.

Force

Skill	Unlock Level	Arcane Power	Cooldown	Description

Wave of Force	9	-25	15 s	Discharge a wave of pure energy that repels projectiles and knocks back nearby enemies. This also slows the movement of enemies by 60% and deals 200% weapon damage as Physical.
	15	Impactful Wave		Increases the distance enemies are knocked back and Stuns all affected enemies for 2 seconds.
	22	Force Affinity		Reduce casting cost to 15 Arcane Power and the cooldown is reduced to 12 seconds.
	32	Forceful Wave		Increases damage to 260% weapon damage as Physical, but reduces Knockback.
	39	Teleporting Wave		Enemies caught in the Wave of Force have a 100% chance to be randomly teleported.
	49	Exploding Wave		Enemies hit have a 40% chance to cause a smaller Wave of Force that deals 100% weapon damage as Physical and knocks back enemies caught in its wake.

Energy Twister	13	-35	None	Unleash a twister of pure energy that deals 360% weapon damage as Arcane over 6 seconds to everything in its path.
	19	Mistral Breeze		Reduces casting cost of Energy Twister to 20 Arcane Power.
	24	Gale Force		Increases the damage of Energy Twister to 468% weapon damage as Arcane.
	36	Raging Storm		When two Energy Twisters collide, they merge into a tornado with increased area of effect that causes 360% weapon damage as Arcane over 6 seconds.
	41	Wicked Wind		Twisters no longer travel but spin in place, dealing 252% weapon damage as Arcane over 6 seconds to everything caught in them.
	52	Storm Chaser		The following skills are Signature spells: Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute

Hydra	21	-40	None	Summon a multi-headed Hydra for 15 seconds that attacks enemies with bolts of fire dealing 33% weapon damage as Fire. You may only have one Hydra active at a time.
	26	Arcane Hydra		Summon an Arcane Hydra that spits Arcane Orbs, which explode on impact, causing 33% weapon damage as Arcane to enemies near the explosion.
	33	Lightning Hydra		Summon a Lightning Hydra that electrocutes enemies for 40% weapon damage as Lightning.
	38	Venom Hydra		Summon a poison breathing Hydra that leaves a pool of acid that causes 19% weapon damage per second as Poison to enemies who remain in the pool.
	46	Frost Hydra		Summon a Frost Hydra that breathes a short range cone of frost, causing 36% weapon damage as Cold to all enemies in the cone.
	56	Mammoth Hydra		Summon a Mammoth Hydra that breathes a river of flame at nearby enemies, dealing 26% weapon damage per second as Fire to enemies caught on the burning ground.

Meteor	25	-60	None	Summon an immense Meteor that plummets from the sky, causing 180% weapon damage as Fire to all enemies it crashes into. The ground it hits is scorched with molten fire that deals 60% weapon damage as Fire over 3 seconds.
	29	Molten Impact		Increases the damage of the Meteor impact to 234% weapon damage as Fire and the molten fire to 78% weapon damage as Fire over 3 seconds.
	34	Star Pact		Reduces the casting cost of Meteor to 35 Arcane Power.
	43	Meteor Shower		Unleash a volley of 7 smaller Meteors that each strike for 72% weapon damage as Fire.
	48	Comet		Transforms the Meteor to ice that deals 216% weapon damage as Cold. The impact site is covered in a freezing mist that deals 72% weapon damage as Cold and Slows enemy movement by 60% over 3 seconds.
	58	Liquefy		If the initial impact of the Meteor causes critical hits, the molten fire duration is increased to 8 seconds.

Blizzard	27	-45	None	Call down shards of ice to pelt an area, dealing 255% weapon damage as Cold to all enemies in the area over 6 seconds. Multiple casts in the same area do not stack.
	35	Grasping Chill		After the Blizzard ends, the ground is covered in a low lying mist for 3 seconds that Slows the movement speed of enemies by 60%.
	42	Frozen Solid		Enemies caught in the Blizzard have a 20% chance to be Frozen for 3 seconds.
	47	Snowbound		Reduces the casting cost of Blizzard to 20 Arcane Power.
	54	Stark Winter		Increases the size of Blizzard to cover 22 yards, dealing 255% weapon damage as Cold over 6 seconds.
	60	Unrelenting Storm		Increases the duration of Blizzard to deal 340% weapon damage as Cold over 8 seconds.

Conjuration

Skill	Unlock Level	Arcane Power	Cooldown	Description

Ice Armor	14	-25	None	Surround yourself in a barrier of ice. Melee attackers are either Chilled or Frozen for 2 seconds. Lasts 120 seconds. This is an Armor spell. Only one Armor spell can be active at a time.
	21	Chilling Aura		Lower the temperature of the air around you. Nearby enemies are chilled, slowing their movement speed by 30%.
	31	Crystallize		Whenever you are struck by a melee attack, your Armor is increased by 15% for 10 seconds. This effect can stack up to 3 times.
	42	Jagged Ice		Melee attackers also take 100% weapon damage as Cold.
	49	Ice Reflect		Melee attacks have a 25% chance to create a Frost Nova centered on the attacker, dealing 75% weapon damage as Cold.
	53	Frozen Storm		A whirling storm of ice builds around you that deals 30% weapon damage as Cold over 3 seconds after casting Ice Armor.

Storm Armor	17	-25	None	Bathe yourself in electrical energy, shocking ranged and melee attackers for 70% weapon damage as Lightning. Lasts 120 seconds. This is an Armor spell. Only one Armor spell can be active at a time.
	23	Reactive Armor		Whenever you are hit, you have a chance to be enveloped with a lightning shield for 6 seconds that shocks nearby enemies for 50% weapon damage as Lightning.
	33	Power of the Storm		Reduce the Arcane Power cost of all skills by 3 while Storm Armor is active.
	37	Strike Back		Increase the damage of the shock to 91% weapon damage as Lightning.
	43	Scramble		Increases your movement speed by 25% for 3 seconds whenever you are hit by melee or ranged attacks.
	58	Shocking Aspect		Critical Hits have a chance to electrocute a nearby enemy for 35% weapon damage as Lightning.

Magic Weapon	20	-25	None	Imbue your weapon with magical energy, granting it 10% increased damage. Lasts 120 seconds.
	27	Electrify		Attacks have a chance to cause lightning to arc to 3 nearby enemies, dealing 10% weapon damage as Lightning.
	35	Force Weapon		Increases the damage bonus of Magic Weapon to 15% damage, and gives up to a 2% chance to Knockback any enemies hit.
	38	Conduit		Attacks have a chance to restore 1 Arcane Power.
	46	Venom		Attacks poison enemies, dealing 15% weapon damage as Poison over 3 seconds.
	55	Blood Magic		Attacks recover 1.5% of damage caused as Life.

Familiar	22	-20	None	Summon a companion that will attack your targets for 20% weapon damage as Arcane. This companion cannot be targeted or damaged by enemies and lasts for 120 seconds.
	30	Sparkflint		Summon a fiery familiar that increases the damage of all attacks by 12% while Familiar is active.
	40	Dartling		Summon a lightning Familiar whose projectiles have a 100% chance to pierce through enemies.
	44	Ancient Guardian		Summon a protective Familiar. When you are below 35% Life the Familiar will fully absorb damage from 1 attack every 6 seconds.
	50	Arcanot		While the Familiar is active, you regenerate 2 Arcane Power per second.
	57	Cannoneer		The Familiar's projectiles explode on impact, dealing 20% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 6 yards.

Energy Armor	28	-25	None	Focus your energies, increasing your Armor by 65% but decreasing your maximum Acane Power by 20. Lasts 120 seconds. This is an Armor spell. Only one Armor spell can be active at a time.
	32	Absorption		You have a chance to gain 4 Arcane Power whenever you are hit by a ranged or melee attack.
	41	Pinpoint Barrier		Increases your chance to critically hit by 5% while Energy Armor is active.
	48	Energy Tap		Rather than decreasing your maximum Arcane Power, Energy Armor increases it by 20 while it is active.
	54	Force Armor		While Energy Armor is active, incoming attacks that would deal more than 35% of your maximum Life are reduced to deal 35% of your maximum Life instead.
	60	Prismatic Armor		Increases all of your resistances by 40% while Energy Armor is active.

Mastery

Skill	Unlock Level	Arcane Power	Cooldown	Description

Explosive Blast	19	-20	6 s	Gather an infusion of energy around you that explodes after 1.5 seconds, causing 205% weapon damage as Physical to all enemies within 12 yards.
	24	Unleashed		Reduces the casting cost of Explosive Blast to 10 Arcane Power.
	29	Time Bomb		Explosive Blast detonates from the point it was originally cast after 2.5 seconds for 266% weapon damage as Physical.
	39	Short Fuse		Immediately release the energy of Explosive Blast for 205% weapon damage as Physical.
	50	Obliterate		Increases the explosion radius to 18 yards for 205% weapon damage as Physical.
	56	Chain Reaction		A chain of 3 consecutive explosions cascade off you, each causing 89% weapon damage as Physical.

Mirror Image	25	None	15 s	Summon 2 illusionary duplicates of yourself that last for 7 seconds and have 25% of your Life. The images may cast some of the same spells as you, but those spells deal no damage.
	31	Simulacrum		Increase the Life of your Mirror Images to 100% of your own.
	37	Duplicates		Summon 5 Mirror Images that have 25% of your Life each.
	45	Mocking Demise		When a Mirror Image is destroyed, it explodes, doing 45% weapon damage as Physical and has a 50% chance to Stun for 2 seconds.
	51	Extension of Will		The duration of your Mirror Images is increased to 10 seconds and their Life is increased to 29% of your Life.
	58	Mirror Mimics		Spells cast by your Mirror Images will do 10% of the damage of your own spells.

Archon	30	-25	120 s	Transform into a being of pure Arcane energy for 15 seconds. While in Archon form, your normal abilities are replaced by powerful Archon abilities, and your Armor and resistances are increased by 40%. Every enemy killed while in Archon form adds 1 second to the duration of Archon.
	36	Arcane Destruction		An explosion erupts around you when you transform, causing 450% weapon damage as Arcane to all enemies within 15 yards.
	40	Teleport		Archon form can now cast Teleport with a cooldown of 10 seconds.
	46	Pure Power		Decreases the cooldown of Archon to 100 seconds.
	52	Slow Time		Archon form can cast Slow Time that lasts for 8 seconds.
	60	Improved Archon		Increases the damage of all Archon abilities by 25%.

Passive

Skill	Unlock Level	Description
Blur	10	Decreases melee damage taken by 20%.
Power Hungry	10	Gain 30 Arcane Power whenever you are healed by a health globe.
Evocation	13	Reduces all cooldowns by 15%.
Glass Cannon	16	Increases all damage done by 15%, but decreases Armor and resistances by 10%.
Prodigy	20	When you deal damage with a Signature spell, you gain 4 Arcane Power. The following spells are Signature spells: Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute
Astral Presence	24	Increases your maximum Arcane Power by 20 and Arcane Power regeneration by 2 per second.
Illusionist	27	Whenever you suffer more than 15% of your Life in a single hit, the cooldowns on Mirror Image and Teleport are automatically reset.
Cold Blooded	30	Cold damage dealt to chilled and frozen targets is increased by 20%.
Conflagration	34	Fire damage dealt to enemies applies a burning effect, increasing all damage done to them by 10% for 3 seconds.
Paralysis	37	Lightning damage dealt to enemies has up to a 5% chance to Stun the target for 3 seconds.
Galvanizing Ward	40	Increases the duration of your Armor spells by 120 seconds. As long as an Armor spell is active, you gain 310 Life per second. The following skills are improved: Energy Armor, Ice Armor, Storm Armor
Temporal Flux	45	Whenever you deal Arcane damage, enemies are slowed by 30% for 2 seconds.
Critical Mass	50	Critical Hits have a chance to reduce the cooldown of your spells by 1 second.
Arcane Dynamo	55	When you deal damage with a Signature spell, you may gain a Flash of Insight. After 5 Flashes of Insight, your next non-Signature spell deals 75% additional damage. The following spells are Signature spells: Magic Missile, Shock Pulse, Spectral Blade, Electrocute
Unstable Anomaly	60	When reduced below 20% Life, release a shockwave that knocks all enemies back. This effect cannot occur more than once every 60 seconds.