"[Neal] Ranged class with mind energy"
A powerful ranged class with Int as his combat stat.
Compared to his predecessor in Zenonia 4 (the Druid) the Wizard is a good deal stronger, being the undisputed damage-dealing powerhouse of the classes.
Offensively, his standard attacks are faster (the second fastest of the classes behind only the Paladin), have a wider targeting angle and the fourth attack of his combo is a powerful, multi-striking linear AoE shockwave. The ATT boost from his equipment is the second highest of the classes, behind only the Mechanic (and not by much). Furthermore, he gets a wide array of powerful attack and buff skills that his high SP pool will let him use quite liberally, either heavily boosting his main attack combo or putting shattering damage into entire screens worth of enemies; the Wizard has no fewer than 4 separate skills that when upgraded enough can easily inflict 1000% damage or better per cast before even considering critical hits, to everything in a wide area. Several of these skills are so powerful their damage output is cut in half OR WORSE in PvP.
Defensively, as per usual in previous Zenonia games his armor is the weakest of the four classes at equal levels and quality. However, two of his skills let him absorb portions of incoming damage into his SP instead of his HP, and given that his INT preference combined with a proper stat allocation will give him an SP pool that is downright obscene compared to other classes, a Wizard can still be surprisingly tough. The "traditional" build of the Wizard for his 3 stat points per level is 2 Int 1 Con, for a good increase in damage while also not being too fragile for the occasional attack that will still get to him.
One key thing to remember, you only have 8 quickslots for active skills/items. It is typical for general purpose play to have 1 slot for an SP potion, one for an HP potion and the remaining 6 for skills. Increasing the level of a skill you won't have in a quickslot is a severe waste of skillpoints, so don't start increasing the levels of active skills past level 1 until you have tested them and determined which ones work well. One particular set that has been found to be quite effective is Magic Arrow, Psychic Shield, Mental Break, Mana Drain, Psychic Spin and Starfall.
NOTE: All +# notes below are the per-level increase in SP cost or effect as it is upgraded past level 1. Active skills can go to level 10, Passive ones to level 15.
SKILLS[]
Active Skills[]
PSYCHIC BALL
Level 1, 80+10 SP
ATT: 150% +10%, Immobile Rate 30% +10%, Duration 4 seconds
3 energy balls in a spread pattern are fired forwards, with a chance to Immobilize the target (surrounded in blue flames). An annoying aspect of this, Immobilized enemies appear to be immune to all types of damage (at least in PvP), so do not focus heavily into this one.
TELEPORT
Level 1, 68+6 SP
ATT: 200% +3%, Constant DMG: +30%+2%, Bleeding Rate: 30%+3%, Duration 6 sec
A very short-range blast hits the area the Wizard was standing while he teleports a short distance forward.
TORNADO
Level 5, 97+13 SP
ATT: 250%+15%, Slow Rate 25%+2%, Duration +6 sec
Two tornadoes get shot forward in a straight line for a long range piercing double-strike. This is fast enough to cast that it can even be done in the middle of the standard attack combo without breaking the combo sequence.
FORCE WALL
Level 5, 117+16 SP
ATT: 65%+3%, Slow Rate 10%, Duration 3 sec
A wide wall of blue flames is created a moderate distance in front of you. Anything silly enough to stay in the flames will get hit for damage multiple times, however most opponents won't. Very, very difficult to aim the wall to hit an opponent on-cast, with even computer-controlled PvP opponents frequently missing.
BLESSING OF WISDOM
Level 5, 117 SP
SP Absorb 2%, Duration 30 seconds
Absorbs some of your received damage into SP for a limited time
MAGIC ARROW
Level 15, 194+18 SP
Normal Attack Increase 20% +3%, Duration 30+1 Sec
The attack damage of your normal attack combo (NOT skills) is increased by a percentage for a limited time. NOTE, this CANNOT be active simultaneously with Concentrate, they will just replace each other
CHAIN LIGHTNING
Level 15, 175+16 SP
ATT: 280%+20%, Constant Damage +20%, Shock Rate 30%+3%, Slow -3, Duration 6 sec
A lightning bolt hits a single target within a decent range of a 60 degree forward cone, and might chain to other targets. It has a chance to inflict a DoT Shock effect to give a few lower damage additional hits
MENTAL BREAK
Level 25, 274+17 SP
ATT: 550%+50%, Slow Rate 50%+3%, Duration 6 Sec
A screen-wide nuke, a quick white flash hits everything on the screen if you are in the center of it for massive damage and a strong slowing effect.
MANA DRAIN
Level 25, 233+18 SP
ATT: 80%+5%, Constant DMG: +30%, Shock Rate 10%+3%, Duration 3 sec
A continuous lighting stream hits every enemy within a decent-range 60 degree forward cone for a rapid 10 hit strike and may leave a DoT Shock effect afterwards (PVP NERF: Only up to 4 hits work). Note, this is a Channeled ability. You are immune to damage during its animation, but if you move during the animation you will cancel the effect, reducing the damage output.
PSYCHIC SHIELD
Level 25, 117+10 SP
Mana Protection +40%, Duration 20+1 sec
A shield covers the user that absorbs all damage from all sources including DoT effects into SP instead of HP, until either the shown percentage of your max SP is consumed or the timer runs out, whichever is first. Given that a properly built Wizard can have a massive SP pool even larger than his still-respectable HP this can end up absorbing a LOT of damage.
PSYCHIC SPIN
Level 35, 350+20 SP
ATT: 200%+12%
The final multi-blast linear shockwave of the Wizard's standard attack combo is simultaneously fired in 6 different directions (NOT 8 as per the in-game description) at an enhanced damage value, frequently putting multiple hits into any enemies that were quite close when it was fired (PVP NERF: Only half the hits work). Against larger enemies, when fired at point blank range this is easily the most damaging skill in the entire game at equal levels, inflicting sum totals of 1400% damage per cast or better.
CONCENTRATE
Level 35, 311+13 SP
SP Consumption +1%, Normal Attack Increase +80%, Duration 20+2 sec
At the cost of 1% of your max SP per shot, the damage of your standard attack combo (NOT skills) is increased by a significant percentage for a certain amount of time. NOTE: This CANNOT be active simultaneously with Magic Arrow, they just replace each other
STARFALL
Level 35, 291+21 SP
ATT: 120%+10%, Slow Rate 20%+3%, Duration 4 sec
A blizzard of blue energy bombs rains from the sky around you within a moderate area. If launched from a somewhat-risky point blank range the number of hits this can put into a target is difficult to count, but it is at least 8 (PVP NERF: Only a third of the attacks work)
PSYCHIC STORM
Level 45, 311+23 SP
ATT: 65%+4%, Constant DMG: 40%, Shock Rate +15%, Duration 4 seconds
A continuous stream of lightning strikes down on an enemy close to the castor and will then slowly track it, putting in a Damage over Time effect over an extended period. Given the other skills available to the Wizard this has surprisingly weak damage output over a surprisingly tiny area and a massive cooldown period; do not worry about skipping it.
Passive Skills[]
POTION EFFECT INCREASE
Level 1. Potion Effect 10%+5% increase
HP/SP potion effect permanently increases. Useful, but one PvP note, remember that potions cannot be used in PvP. If you intend to PvP at some point do not spend more than 1 valuable skillpoint in this. Also remember that potions cannot be used in the Abyss.
GOLD PLUS
Level 1. Gold Acquired +5%
Acquired Gold permanently increases when hunting. Honestly not very useful at all; even with nothing invested in it, unless you have a broken build or are very clumsy and have to guzzle potions constantly you should still end up with more money than you can deal with, not very far into the game.
ATT INCREASE
Level 5. ATT 4% +2% increase
ATT permanently increases. DO NOT UNDERESTIMATE THIS SKILL!! It multiplies your baseline attack from all sources, both equipment and INT, and increases the damage of EVERYTHING you fire. Since it takes roughly 4 to 6 levels in any combat skill to increase its own damage output by a relative ratio of 32% (with a sizeable increase in SP cost as well), putting 15 levels into this passive to increase EVERYTHING by that same amount for zero increase in SP cost is quite efficient.
DEF INCREASE
Level 5. DEF 4% +2% increase
DEF permanently increases. Useful, but not too much. The Wizard's two SP shields and long range can handle most of your defensive needs. Only start putting points into this if you're finding you're still taking very heavy hits.
EVA INCREASE
Level 15. EVA 2 +2 increase
EVA permanently increases. Again, useful but not too much, for the same reasons as DEF increase. Only put points in if you're taking too much damage
CRI RATE INCREASE
Level 15. CRI rate 2 +2 increase
CRI Rate permanently increases. VERY USEFUL. The CRI rate shown is actually the direct percentage chance, i.e. a CRI of 50 means a 50% chance of any hit being a critical, from both the standard attack and skills. Since critical hits start at doing double damage and only go up from there (which the INT stat nicely helps), and CRI hits on opponents frequently stagger/knock them back, a number of points in this can help with both offense AND defense at a zero SP cost.
CON INCREASE
Level 25. CON 3 +3
CON permanently increases. Basically one character level's worth of stat points added into CON. It can definitely help but far less than many other skills, so leave this to very late game.
VIT INCREASE
Level 25. INT 3+3
INT permanently increased. Misnamed as of April 2020, there is no VIT stat. Basically one character level's worth of stat points added into INT. Like the CON one it can definitely help but far less than many other skills, so leave this to very late game.
PASSIVE MASTER
Level 35. Upgrade Passive 3%+3%
All passive skills effects increase for a certain amount. Note, this is a MULTIPLICATIVE effect, not a straight addon (i.e., if you had CON Increase at level 10 for +30 CON, level 10 in Passive Master for a 30% boost would give you an additional 9 CON). Definitely useful but only in very late-game, when you have several good passives maxed.
VIT per EVA
Level 35. CRI per INT 15%
"CRI Rate per VIT increases for a certain amount". Very badly named and described as of April 2020, this gives a multiplying boost to the amount that CRI is naturally increased with INT. This is not as powerful as the CRI Rate Increase passive, you should max that first, but it can still have a benefit.
DEVIL'S RECOVERY
Level 45. SP Recovery during Hit Rate 10%+1%/SP Recovery during Hit +5%
When fatally hit, n% of Max SP is recovered at a certain rate. Needs more testing, but it is possible that this triggers while Psychic Shield is active, leading to a possibly very dangerous self-fueling shield.
AREA ZERO
Level 45. Free CRI Skill Rate 3%+1%/Free CRI Skill, Duration 2 sec
There is a chance when you hit an enemy with a Critical hit that a fiery orange ring of power shows around you for a brief moment. During this time you can activate any skill completely free of SP cost. Tricky to react to, but with practice you should be able to unleash utterly devastating onslaughts of skill damage with it. Once you're used to the timing and have this at higher levels so it happens frequently (combined with a good CRI rate), this can save you a LOT of SP; it is a key stepping stone in maxing out your combat skills and using them liberally.