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One of my favorite characters was a Wizard who specialized in enchantment magic, the evilest magic there is! I learned a lot about playing an enchanter and about playing an evil character that I want to impart to anyone interested in doing the same.
Enchantment magic manipulates the mind, serving the spellcaster in and out of combat to achieve their goals. What does it take to succeed as an enchanter and enjoy the game with your fellow players? I’ll tell you everything I know.
Disclaimer: using enchantment magic can be a swift path to alienating other players and losing friends. The point of playing this game is to collectively have fun, so please don’t do anything creepy or exploitative. I think you know what I mean. Be dastardly, not bastardly.
Tactics of an Evil Enchantment Wizard
Enchanters hold the keys to the human psyche. They specialize in manipulation and misdirection as they modify memories and force deeds upon those they influence. Wizards of enchantment must guard their secrets well so they’re not discovered. After all, enchantment has more potential than necromancy for evil deeds.
Casting enchantment spells can be benevolent, even if your methods and motives are selfish in nature. You must avoid being a player that no other player wants to play with, so I dare say it’s a requirement for you to find a way to fit in with your group. You can’t be a completely selfish jerk who lacks a common goal with your allies.
In combat, you’ll focus on staying out of harm’s way and locking down enemies. You’ll enjoy using Instinctive Charm at level six, but you really want to hit level ten for Split Enchantment to improve your action economy and the efficacy of your spells.
Your subclass features aren’t your main focus; however, they’re nice to have since they don’t expend resources to deploy. Enemies grouping up against you might find themselves attacking each other instead of you due to Instinctive Charm. Having said that, you’ll need to weigh whether it’s better to cast Shield. You can also incapacitate a single enemy rushing at you with Hypnotic Gaze.
There are feats you might be interested in that you’d normally ignore. Actor, Keen Mind, and Observant, for example, are feats that can help you as an Enchanter (depending on your DM). If you have a hard time remembering details, maybe your DM will help you be consistent in your lies and misdirections if your character has a super memory.
You’ll shine in political/social campaigns that have multitudes of opportunities for you to work your magic. It’s not enough to charm random NPCs; you want to meet influential NPCs who have power in their factions. They can become assets to you when you apply the advice in this article.
Clarification Questions for Your DM
DO NOT SKIP THIS PART OF MY ADVICE
Of all the characters I’ve ever played, my Enchantment Wizard is the one that warranted the most questions from me to my DM. Enchantment spells are complicated, and you’ll quickly see why if you begin casting them often. DMs will interpret the rules very differently from one another, and there are strange nuances here that you need to consider between the lines of D&D 5e’s rules.
Depending on your DM’s answers, you may find that you need to save your Enchanter for another game. Don’t waste the concept on a game where it won’t be fun. Be prepared to put your Enchanter on the shelf for another game. Most of these questions are merely clarifications, not deal-breakers. Some of them, however, will broadcast much about how the game will unfold and be moderated by the DM.
Questions for your DM before you play an Enchantment Wizard:
- Are we going to reach high levels beyond level 10?
- Do you think the other players can roll with my antics or will they be combative and resistant toward my actions? (“You’re evil! I attack!”)
- If I play an enchanter, will you help me to succeed with my ideas? Is there anything you want to veto that I shouldn’t do when using enchantment magic?
- Will this campaign have opportunities for me to manipulate people within factions, kingdoms, and more if I am smart with my moves?
- Will you agree to adapt to me playing an evil character if I don’t work against the other player characters?
- I worry about the DM unintentionally using their meta knowledge to influence NPCs. Will you agree to treat my character choices fairly? For example, I don’t want influential NPCs inexplicably knowing my secret identity as an enchanter before I meet them when it doesn’t seem reasonable that they would acquire that knowledge.
- When I cast an enchantment spell, are there magical auras, lights, or manifestations around me and my target that make it obvious that magic is afoot?
- Do the verbal components of spells need to be spoken loud enough that everyone in a room would hear it? (be careful not to step on the toes of the Sorcerer’s Subtle Spell Metamagic)
- Do the somatic and material components of spells need to be openly displayed and obviously used to cast a spell?
- Will an enemy know that I tried to charm them with a spell if they succeed at their saving throw?
- Are enemies aware that their minds were assaulted by a charm spell when they succeed at their saving throw, or will they be oblivious?
- Do targets of my enchantment spells remember that I charmed them after the spell ends, or do they retain all their memories except for the part where I charmed them?
- Will I be able to find spell scrolls to learn more spells in the campaign?
- How will the Hypnotic Gaze subclass feature mechanically function in your game? Does it refresh for a whole round, allowing me to walk away before they come to their senses?
- How do you interpret the Geas spell? Do you think a creature can work against me and take the damage while surviving, so the spell ultimately does nothing? Will enemies be able to ask their allies to cast Dispel Magic and that will be the end of it? Will targets know about the potential psychic damage or will they trigger it like a trap they are ignorant of, causing them to die? Does the target need to hear me set the conditions of the Geas, or will they magically know the conditions regardless of whether they’re aware of me?
- In what ways can Modify Memory be discovered and dispelled?
- Does Detect Magic indicate when a creature is charmed? What about if a creature has a memory modified by Modify Memory?
- If I do or say something clever, will I be required to roll a Charisma check anyway and possibly fail, regardless of how persuasive or compelling I was as a roleplayer?
- (If applicable) Will you help me keep my identity secret until I choose to reveal it or I reveal my identity in a meaningful way? (you don’t want the DM to reveal it in session two, for example, before the build-up)
- Do you understand precisely how the charmed condition works, and are you willing to work with me using charms often in the campaign?
- Are the other players going to be able to work with my character concept and enjoy the game?
Notes from the DM’s Perspective
Mike from RPG Storycraft was the DM when I played my Enchantment Wizard. He weighed in to share his perspective as the DM when I chose to play such a character. Here are his thoughts:
When DMing a group that has an Enchanter in the party, it is important to note that your plot and story will be taken over by the will of that player more often than you are comfortable with. This is one of the reasons that session zero is so important; the DM can adjust the story, encounters, and environment to fit the theme of the player characters.
Specifically dealing with social control characters, you will need to work with the player closely to ensure that not only the rules on that social control are outlined clearly (as stated in the questions to ask section of this article), but also that expectations are clear as well. The DM will also need to build into the encounters opportunities for the Enchanter to shine. Do not forget to let them succeed.
As a player, it is important to approach the social control character (i.e. Bards, Enchanters, high Charisma characters) as an enhancer to the story that the DM is presenting, not a wrecking ball. With DM and Player working together and taking cues off of each other, they can collaborate to ensure that everyone at the table has a great time.
The most important thing to remember is that both the DM and the player with the social control character MUST be on the same page about moving the story in a positive direction. Playing an Enchanter (especially an evil one) requires maturity and cannot be about power-trips or no one at the table will have a good time.
Mike, RPG Storycraft
Spell List for Enchantment Wizards
Here is D&D Beyond’s list of Wizard spells from the Enchantment school of magic. You’ll want to figure out which enchantment spells to scoop up or skip for later. Remember, you can learn enchantment spells faster and cheaper. Your free two spells per level should probably be non-enchantment spells for efficiency’s sake. The exception would be if you don’t think you’ll find spell scrolls and spellbooks that contain enchantment spells.
Enchantment spells that target a single creature will be notable since you get Split Enchantment at level ten. It’s a wonderful ability that can effectively double your presence in the action economy while hedging your bets to have at least one target successfully fail their saving throw.
Remember you’ll be twin-casting (targeting two instead of one) at level ten with the Split Enchantment subclass feature. It makes some spells that are often not great for your action economy because they’re likely to fail to suddenly become viable with multiple targets.
The Charmed Condition
Make sure you understand how the charmed condition works. When you charm a creature, you have advantage to socially interact with them (ability checks). Charmed creatures cannot willingly harm you (attacks, spells, or otherwise).
Remember there will be creatures who are immune to charms, so take note of your spells and abilities that involve charms. You don’t want to make a move only to realize the enemy is immune.
Best Enchantment Spells I Recommend
I’ve provided a list of Enchantment spells on the Wizard list that I recommend considering. Some are better than others, so ration them as needed. I’m also going to provide ideas for other spells you need to not be a one-trick pony who gets squashed by a golem who doesn’t care about your Jedi mind tricks.
Here are spells I recommend from the enchantment school for split-casting and effective charming (I don’t list all enchantment spells, but I include most of them):
First-Level Enchantment Recommendations
- Charm Person
- Tasha’s Hideous Laughter (you can cripple an enemy in combat with a mere first-level spell slot, or two enemies when you twin-cast it later)
Second-Level Enchantment Recommendations
- Hold Person
- Suggestion
- Tasha’s Mind Whip
Third-Level Enchantment Recommendations
- Catnap (only if you have short-rest-dependent allies and aren’t long resting between encounters)
- Enemies Abound (requires skill to use effectively)
Fourth Level Enchantment Recommendations
- Charm Monster
- Confusion (works on creatures that are immune to charms)
- Raulothim’s Psychic Lance (a rare enchantment spell with damage that targets a creature for twin-casting, plus it incapacitates)
Fifth-Level Enchantment Recommendations
- Dominate Person
- Geas
- More about this spell later in the article
- Hold Monster
- Modify Memory
- More about this spell later in the article
- Synaptic Static
Sixth-Level Enchantments
- Mass Suggestion
- Otto’s Irresistible Dance (the best thing about this is that the enemy doesn’t get a saving throw until after they waste a turn, and you can twin-cast it)
Seventh-Level Enchantments
- Power Word Pain (I don’t usually cast this spell, but it’s the only enchantment spell of its level)
Eighth-Level Enchantments
- Antipathy/Sympathy
- Dominate Monster
- Feeblemind
- Power Word Stun (twinning this spell can make it worthwhile against enemies who are worn down or weak)
Ninth-Level Enchantments
- Power Word Kill (like the other ‘Power Word’ spells, it can be a reliable ace up your sleeve for an enemy you need to take out, and you can twin-cast it)
- Psychic Scream
Diversify Your Spells
Don’t put all your eggs in the enchantment basket (you’re not the Easter Bunny). As I mentioned, some enemies won’t fall for your charms. You’ll need helpful spells for such situations. Make sure you select spells from the best Wizard spells that will be useful to your party (find the best Wizard spells here).
You must carefully consider your spells so you prepare the best ones for a situation. If you’re going to face hordes of monsters, prep Shield in case they get too close. Feather Fall is perfect for air travel or cliffside hikes. Pack your Absorb Elements before entering a dragon’s lair.
Ritual spells are invaluable to Wizards. You’ll want to learn several ritual spells that can add to your resources. For example, Phantom Steed is perfect for you to avoid trouble and keep yourself in advantageous positions in combat. Leomund’s Tiny Hut is invaluable for long resting or setting up party safe zones. Tenser’s Floating Disk can carry allies who are unconscious (such as those short resting with your Catnap spell).
I also recommend illusion and transmutation spells since they can help you with misdirection, which I’ll go into in the next section below.
Public Presentation
Never tell characters outside your party that you specialize in enchantment magic. Don’t do it! You’ll put a target on your back while earning distrust from anyone whom you inform. They’ll never know if they can trust you or their memories. Tell people you’re an Elementalist or something. You’re going to earn immediate distrust when you’re outed as an Enchanter.
I recommend using an alias for yourself. Anyone you don’t trust shouldn’t know your true name and origin. Acting as a charlatan will make it difficult for enemies to counteract your tactics or discover your intentions. I personally played as a Yuan-ti Pureblood posing as a regular human, spying on human civilizations for the serpent race. The emotionless nature of the Yuan-ti made it extremely fun to roleplay my utilitarian methods vs. the egalitarian sentiments of other characters.
This was a point of frustration for me in my campaign as an enchanter. Many influential NPCs in the campaign already knew who I was and that I specialized in enchantment magic before they met me. They even knew my secret identity. This severely limited what I could do as an enchanter, so one of the DM questions later in this article is meant to get ahead of this kind of issue. Your DM will believe they are justified in doing this against you if they do it at all, so see if they’re going to do it.
Charisma and Other Stats for Enchanters
Charming someone doesn’t mean you’ll get your way. After all, the Charmed condition gives you influence but not compulsion over a creature. You’ll still want to succeed on Persuasion checks that charm allows you advantage to roll.
This can be an awkward aspect of the character build. You need to have enough Charisma to be decent at influencing charmed people. The subclass is also designed to use Charisma for the Alter Memories feature, though it’s not critical to have a high Charisma for it. If you invest too heavily in Charisma, you may find yourself more vulnerable with lower AC, Initiative rolls, and/or fewer hitpoints.
Instead of investing heavily in Charisma as a stat, you can gain Expertise (x2 PB) on several critical skills. Do this by selecting the Skill Expert feat at some point. Your skill rolls will scale with your PB as you increase in level.
I recommend having a twelve or fourteen for your Charisma, which is doable without cutting your Dexterity, Constitution, or Intelligence. You need your spells to succeed on single targets, so Intelligence needs to be a twenty before level nine. An eighteen in Intelligence will be fine if you want to take feats that don’t increase it, but a twenty is ideal if you can do that. Several feats can boost your Intelligence along the way, and that might be best. Using feats to boost your Intelligence to twenty with ASIs at levels four and eight would be ideal.
Alter Memories Note
Being able to force amnesia on those you charm is very useful. Don’t sleep on how much the Alter Memories feature at level fourteen opens up your options.
I think one of the evilest things I did as an Enchanter was when I convinced the Monk in the party to do an experiment to see if they could shake off my domination spell (using Stillness of Mind) because the BBEG had similar powers. While dominated, I used the Alter Memories feature to make them forget that I had them divulge their secrets from their backstory to me during the experience (the DM fed them to me so the player wouldn’t know).
Fun fact, you can force the Alter Memories saving throw before actually doing the thing you want them to forget, so you can make sure you’ll succeed at making them forget the hour before you pull a fast one on them. Also fun fact, Stillness of Mind by RAW can’t overcome Dominate Person since it requires an action.
Misdirection
One of the downsides of charms is that, depending on the spell, your victims will know that you’ve charmed and manipulated them. How can we get around this dilemma? One solution is to make them think you’re someone else.
Alter Self is a prime example of a misdirection opportunity. It allows you to convince a target that you are someone they trust due to your appearance. Then you can cast a non-concentration spell, like Charm Person, and they’ll think they were charmed by a dear friend after the fact.
Again, check with your DM on how they’ll officiate spells like Charm Person. Will the person remember you casting the spell if the person fails the saving throw?
Even the Friends cantrip that explicitly says a target will become hostile to you after Friends ends can work in your favor if the target doesn’t know who you really are. To them, you could’ve been another person on the city council, one of their lieutenants, or even a family member.
Not only will your manipulations proceed smoothly with the appearance of a trusted confidant, but you’ll keep your own hands clean. Play your cards right and you’ll topple kingdoms with anonymity!
Carefully Pick Your Moment/Timing
Player: “I cast Charm Person on the king!”
DM: “The king’s entire court sees you weaving a spell as you’re intently focused on his highness.”
Player: “Oh… whoops!”
DM: “Roll initiative, everyone.”
Most of your key spells are readily noticeable to everyone in the room. Whether your spells require verbal, somatic, or material components, you’re not likely to get away with charming one person in a crowd. If you try to waltz up to powerful people to influence them with your magic, you’ll probably be disappointed.
As I mentioned earlier, you need to gain trust by any means necessary so you can find one-on-one moments with your targets. You need your charms to be woven in secret. Check with your DM if such moments will require you to roll Initiative against the person you attempt to cast a spell on.
You also need to be prepared for your spells to potentially fail. Creatures won’t take kindly to your attempts to manipulate their minds, so violence and escape need to be your backup plans.
Spell duration will also be important. Don’t lose track of how long your spells persist. It would be a shame to lose your influence over someone in the middle of an operation.
Tailor Your Targets
You need to identify two traits in a target: (1) susceptibility to charms (not immune, weak at Wisdom saving throws) and (2) leverage towards your goals.
I recommend paying attention to the types of creatures you’re thinking of targeting with your spells. There are many monsters who will completely ignore attempts to charm them. You can make guesses as to which ones you should avoid, such as constructs.
You also don’t want to waste a spell that only affects humanoids by casting one on a non-humanoid monster. Hold Person won’t work on beasts, for example.
Out of combat, you don’t necessarily need to charm a ruler of a realm as they can be difficult to covertly influence (unless you have Subtle Spell Metamagic and your DM has answered my clarifying questions in favorable ways). You can settle for people who are close to a ruler or their helpers. The castle’s cook might be influenced to naively try something different in their cooking that would be harmful to the ruler. Jesters might deliver false information to the court, and you might not even need spells to accomplish that!
Your goals can be achieved in small steps. Persuading a court advisor, guard, and rival politician with charms and a silver tongue can spread out your effort in gradual accomplishments. A rival politician invites you to attend dinner with the ruler because they’re convinced that you would make a valuable advisor. Guards can start to lose morale as they somehow come to believe that the ruler speaks ill of them behind their backs. The court advisor could give advice that plays into your hands after you use your influence to sway them.
Geas
Influential NPCs can become assets if you can successfully cast Geas on them. These sleeper agents can be essential to carrying out your requests and achieving your goals. The ruler of the land might count on their captain of the guard to defend them in a moment of need, only to have the captain avert their eyes to honor the Geas.
An example of something you may use a Geas for would be to stop sending guards to a location. You could also compel someone to stop speaking to their friend, stop attending a guild meeting, cease to show affection to a lover, or some other seemingly mundane thing that would distance them from their allies and create strife in their circles. These social fractures can be exploited by you in the long run, even if you’re merely holding someone’s life ransom until they do as you ask and you lift the curse.
Ask your DM the questions I described earlier, especially the questions about Geas. You don’t want to use this spell if the DM says its targets will try to lawyer their way around your wording instead of remaining beholden to the intent of your wording, for example. You also don’t want targets to metagame and disobey you because they know they have enough hitpoints to survive working against your wishes once or twice per day before they need healing. It’s an awful, non-immersive way to see the spell work in these ways.
Modify Memory
You get the Alter Memories feature at level fourteen, but you get the Modify Memory spell at level nine. Being able to change a creature’s recent memories (or core memories at higher levels) is essential to an Enchanter’s tactics. Even if you don’t modify someone’s memories, you can terrorize entire kingdoms by telling them that you’ve been altering memories for years. They won’t trust their own minds and experiences, sowing doubt and distrust in their ranks. If they don’t know who you are, you can turn people against one another as they hold a witch hunt for a powerful enchanter in their midst.
Also, Modify Memory is interesting because it can incapacitate a creature for one minute while you concentrate. They don’t get additional saving throws each turn as other spells like Hold Person or Tasha’s Hideous Laughter do. I believe this spell wasn’t meant to be used in combat, which is why hostile enemies have advantage on the saving throw to resist Modify Memory. Still, incapacitating an enemy for one minute can make a fight easy as you dispose of their allies first.
Pairing Modify Memory with the Geas spell can be effective at covering your tracks. You’ll make an enemy out of anyone you cast Geas on, but Modify Memory can make them remember a vision of one of their ancestors forbidding them from pursuing a course of action. When the vision ended, they found themselves unable to work against your wishes without being harmed. Works like a charm! Pun intended.
I had an interesting experience with Modify Memory in my campaign. My character suggested altering a friend’s traumatic memory to help them escape the stress it caused them. Another character challenged the morality of this, and we have a fun debate in character about it. As I mentioned earlier, it was important to not be a jerk about it so other players knew they could challenge the morality of my character in an enjoyable way. It turns out roleplaying is fun!
Dream Espionage for Enchantment Wizards
It’s no secret that the Dream spell is a favorite of mine. It’s an illusion spell that can be used effectively for manipulation and deception. I highly recommend reading my article about the Dream spell. I guarantee it’ll get your creativity churning.
You can addict targets to the dreams you create, plant and extract ideas or secrets like it’s Inception, and more. This is one of the greatest spells in the game for a creative player, and that’s exactly what you need to be. It also allows you to communicate long-range without being detected. You can impersonate people and make dreams seem real to see what a person would do. Enjoy the Dream spell; you won’t be sorry.
Hypnotic Gaze Tactics
I’ve not heard many 5e enthusiasts talk about this feature positively, but it absolutely has its place. If you successfully use Hypnotic Gaze on an enemy, they’re not getting out of it until you stop using your action to perpetuate the hypnosis or someone interferes with your ability to focus on it. Any creature who gets close to you will be risking complete lockdown as you incapacitate them with Hypnotic Gaze.
Don’t use Hypnotic Gaze on enemies who are likely good at Wisdom saves or are not susceptible to charms. I also recommend my question earlier to your DM about Hypnotic Gaze, particularly to find out how using your action to perpetuate it works; can you use your action then move away freely while they begin to snap out of it, or do they immediately snap out of it the moment you move away? Ask your DM!
Invisibility Spell + Hypnotic Gaze
Invisibility is your friend when you use Hypnotic Gaze. I encourage you to read Hypnotic Gaze carefully because it says using it requires you to see the target, and the target must be able to see or hear you. Hypnotic Gaze isn’t a spell, so you can use Hypnotic Gaze without ending your Invisibility spell. Make yourself invisible as you go to guards on patrol and whisper in their ear to freeze them in incapacitation until you choose to stop.
Spell Mastery Wizard Feature for Enchantment Wizards
This is one of the jackpot subclasses for Spell Mastery because Enchanters can use their Split Enchantment feature to cast enchantment spells on two foes instead of one. They can also alter memories of those they charm using the Alter Memories feature. Get ready for manipulation and mischief as you convince stooges to trust you.
Here are the best Enchanter Spell Mastery options:
- Charm Person – Target two humanoids without worrying about spell slots! You’ll be able to alter the memories of those you charm, assuming they fail the additional Intelligence saving throw. You’ll walk into a castle charming everyone two by two!
- Hold Person – Target two humanoids to paralyze them so your melee fighting party members will auto-crit them to death.
- Suggestion – One of your favorite spells as an enchantress. Cast it on two targets to ruin their collective day.
- Tasha’s Hideous Laughter – A solid disabling spell that you can cast on two targets each round.
Race and Lineage for Enchantment Wizard Characters
You really can’t go wrong with the race you select for your Enchanter character, but there are several standouts.
Elf (High, Shadar-kai, or Eladrin Autumn) – Being able to resist charms will be useful if someone tries to use your own tactics against you. Several subraces have useful teleportation abilities and cantrips to help you stay out of trouble.
Flying Races – Aarokocra, Tiefling Variant, Fairy, and Owlin can give you flying speeds that can keep you out of harm’s way in combat.
Changeling – Transforming to appear as other people is a perfect way to sow distrust in organizations you target. Many low-level charms do not hide the fact that you charmed someone, so framing someone else to protect yourself is essential.
Feat Races – Variant Human and Custom Lineage are always powerful choices with the feat option at level one. Several feats can help an Enchanter to succeed, including Metamagic Adept (Subtle Spell).
Mountain Dwarf – You can play with the racial bonuses thanks to Tasha’s to apply +2 to two of your stats. You’ll also get proficiency with light and medium armor, which is perfect if you have a fourteen Dexterity stat.
Yuan-ti Pureblood – This is a strong race, but I put it here mostly for the roleplay aspect. Yuan-ti societies tend to send spies who look like humans. I played one of these for my enchanter and I enjoyed it very much.
Kalashtar – You resist psychic damage and mind attacks (Wis saves) so others can’t turn your specialties against you. Telepathy is useful for giving orders to those you charm without speaking aloud.
Hexblood – Several lineage features lend to your spying methods. Eerie Token helps you communicate with thrawls. Hex Magic gives you Disguise Self so you can manipulate people with someone else’s face.
Triton – Your ability to speak underwater and communicate with aquatic creatures will open you up to unique enchantment options. Enchantment spells often require creatures to understand you, so you can be Aqua Man (kinda).
Low-Level Enchanter Tactics
Charm Person and Suggestion will be your go-to spells for manipulating people. Your big guns enchantment arrive at level nine in the form of your fifth-level spells, so look forward to those and try to survive! You need to be creative to play an Enchantment Wizard, but that is especially true at lower levels. Don’t blow your cover, settle for minor manipulative schemes, and don’t get killed or become wanted dead or alive by powerful factions. Be as friendly as possible to all you meet, allowing you to deceive many people as to your true powers and intentions.
In combat, Hold Person will be useful against humanoids, but Tasha’s Hideous Laughter will help against a broader range of enemies. Don’t forget to pack other impactful spells like Web and Fireball.
You’ll want cantrips that deal damage so you can conserve resources for the right fights. I recommend Ray of Frost to slow enemies, Chill Touch to deny healing, Shocking Grasp to take away an enemy’s reaction as you move away (sometimes better to Disengage), or Firebolt to keep your distance. For my character, I went with Chill Touch and Shocking Grasp.
Keep away from enemies. You might step within range to use a cantrip, then step back to put more distance between you and your enemies. Take cover against ranged attacks. You’ll thrive in parties with multiple frontliners who garner enemy attention while you remain on the backline in a supportive role. Seriously, don’t get out of position or you’ll become a liability.
Enemies who attack you should be punished by Instinctive Charm. Solo enemies who get too close might become victims of your Hypnotic Gaze to take them out of the right for a while. Keep Shield and Absorb Elements prepared; I almost always keep those two spells handy for emergencies.
Be mindful of your positioning in battle and use your resources wisely, and you’ll do well.
Roleplaying an Evil Enchantment Wizard
You can find heaps of advice on the internet about how to play an evil character without being a dufus about it. Here are my two cents about it!
Allow your character to develop in benevolent ways (they don’t have to become good, but they can dabble in it).
You’ll do well to find a common goal with your party that aligns with your ambitions. Find common ground with your allies and the rest will fall into place, even if your methods are unsavory. Goals can shift throughout a campaign, too. You might decide that your original goals were misguided as you piece together a fresh agenda.
Think of fiction you enjoy where a wicked or selfish character somehow fits in with the group. I think of Diego from Ice Age, Cobb from Firefly, Loki from the MCU, and Gollum from The Lord of the Rings who all tend to keep secrets and act in their own interests. This can often lead to a “reveal” moment that can sully the character’s relationship to their allies, but reconciliation is often part of that.
You can also be an anti-hero like Hellboy, Sasuke Uchiha (Naruto), the Punisher, Walter White (Breaking Bad), Severus Snape (Harry Potter), or Druig (Eternals). Many of these characters are defined and motivated by vengeance, desperation, and disillusion, pushing them to do whatever it takes to achieve their goals.
Multiclassing Dips for Your Enchantment Wizard
I don’t recommend multiclassing more than two levels (if you multiclass at all). This means you’ll want to stick to classes that give a lot at low levels.
Clerics make excellent one-level dips because you can gain heavy armor as a subclass feature at level one. You can also start the character as a Cleric at level one to gain light and medium armor proficiency if you want a subclass that doesn’t get heavy armor. You also gain access to level-one Cleric spells like Healing Word and Bless that be extremely useful without needing high Wisdom. You’ll need a thirteen Wisdom stat to multiclass with Cleric. The Twilight Cleric is tough to pass up since it gives you so much for one level, including advantage on Initiative rolls. The Order Domain would also be amazing because you could prompt your allies to attack by casting an enchantment spell on them (like Bless or Command).
Artificer dips are easy because they require Intelligence. You can gain armor proficiencies and useful spells with one level multiclassed. Sanctuary is a useful spell you’ll gain since you can use it on yourself while still using Hypnotic Gaze or Instinctive Charm features (it’s not a spell or attack). You’ll also get Bless and healing options.
Two levels of Fighter for Action Surge isn’t something I’d be interested in with this type of spellcaster. It’s nice to have, but not worth two levels for an enchanter.
Since you’ll probably have a decent Charisma score, Warlock is tempting. You could take Hexblade for the armor proficiencies alone, and that might be worth it. A second Warlock level gets you Invocations, which is tempting since Mask of Many Faces would be useful for a deceiver like you.
Two Rogue levels get you Cunning Action and Expertise for your Persuasion and Deception skills. This isn’t at the top of my list, but these Rogue abilities are worth consideration.
Additional Wizard Resources from Flutes Loot
I hope I’ve helped you to imagine what it takes to be successful as an Enchantment Wizard. It’s my favorite Wizard subclass (and one of my favorite character types in the game).
We have additional resources that may help you succeed as an Enchanter (or any kind of Wizard):
