Wizard

They're pretty much like this.

This, too.

For the /tg/ homebrew, see WIZARD (system)

Wizards are magic-wielding people who use their knowledge of magical arts to cast spells and lay down charms and such. The wizard often requires much planning and preparation before using magic, and usually cannot perform magic trivially. Wizards are powerful and intelligent individuals, taking on the role of the scientist or alchemist in fantasy settings. They also are known for being squishy. The preferred class of people who hate to lose.

Wizards are the can-all, do-all guys of pretty much all systems. You want something done? There's a spell for it. It may not be quite as effective as the 'hands-on' method, but it's close enough (and sometimes better). In most cases though, wizards are simply reduced to casting Fireball or any spell of the same effect in mass quantities over and over again (until they run out of spells per day). For that matter, it should be noted for new players that the only thing weaker than a level one wizard is a level one wizard who just cast magic missile.

Players should be advised to ignore the hell out of spells that do damage, and look for spells that remove the ability for enemies to act against the party, or spells that significantly improve the performance of their party. Wizards are not about dealing damage, they are about buffing, debuffing and controlling the battlefield at the same time. Or alternatively they are about explosive runes and save-or-die spells but that's a story for another page. The wizard is capable of essentially beating any encounter with a few spells and can be prepared for anything - thus being a Batman[1]. They can also focus on spells which cause an enemy to effectively lose if they fail a save, starting early on with Color Spray and Grease - and Grease never stops being good.

4e has several different archetypes for wizards. The Control wizard is how you should be playing them: based on INT and WIS they cast spells that hinder enemies, render them unable to attack the party or do other things that you do not want them to. The War Wizard instead is designed to cast fireball after fireball until the enemy drops via a combination of firepower from INT and accuracy from DEX. Only use him if your party has limited long-range firepower. The Illusionist Wizard is what you play if your DM does not allow you to play as a Psion: befuddling, confusing and dominating your enemies with a combination of high INT and CHA. Finally there is the Summoner Wizard who, as you might guess, summon creatures. Because they are linked to your Healing Surges and your Bloodied Value you will be needing high CON for them to be effective, as well as high INT.

At this point the more astute reader might have noticed that this means that there is a speciality fit for anyone who gets a bonus to both their INT and another stat, except for STR. This means that if you wish to roll a Muscle Wizard you might want to pick up a Swordmage instead. Or pick all of Bigby's spells if you want to CAST FIST.

Wizards are known to put on a robe and wizard's hat every morning, and especially before being intimate.

In 5e

Wizards changed only slightly from the conventional mold in 5e, but the changes they underwent are some of the more contentious; in older editions, while spells were divided into eight schools, wizards were assumed to be "generalists" by default, and instead specialised in a given school only for extra skill. In 5e, a wizard has to specialise in a school at level 2, which gives various school-related bonuses. Fortunately, there's no forbidden school approach like there was in the old editions, so it's not really so bad.

5e wizards get the Arcane Recovery class ability to start with (once per day, you can regain a small number of spell slots with just a short rest), free points to their ability scores (either +2 to one score, or +1 to two scores) at levels 4/8/12/16/19, and gains the abilities Spell Mastery (can freely pick one 1st level and one 2nd level spell and can cast these mastered spells at their lowest level without burning up a spell slot once/day, takes 8 hours to replace these) at level 18 and Signature Spells (pick two level 3 spells; you always have them prepared, they don't count towards your number of spells prepared, and each can be cast at its basic level without using up a spell slot once before needing a short rest to recharge) at level 20.

All specialists also get the "[Tradition] Savant" feature, which halves the time and gold it takes to copy a spell of their tradition into their spellbook.

Transmutation

The Classes of Pathfinder 1st Edition
Core Classes:	Barbarian - Bard - Cleric - Druid - Fighter - Monk Paladin - Ranger - Rogue - Sorcerer - Wizard
Advanced Player's Guide:	Alchemist - Antipaladin - Cavalier Inquisitor - Oracle - Summoner - Witch
Advanced Class Guide:	Arcanist - Bloodrager - Brawler - Hunter - Investigator Shaman - Skald - Slayer - Swashbuckler - Warpriest
Occult Adventures:	Kineticist - Medium - Mesmerist Occultist - Psychic - Spiritualist
Ultimate X:	Gunslinger - Magus - Ninja - Samurai - Shifter - Vigilante