The '''Wizard''' is a pure [[caster|spellcaster]], harnessing arcane and elemental magic to do his/her biddingvia a devastating array of offensive spells. Similar While the Wizard is thought to be quite similar to the [[Sorcerer]] and [[Sorceress]] of previously previous Diablo gamesin design, the play style is quite different. Diablo 3's [[end game]] Wizard play puts a much greater emphasis on defensive skills and crowd control spells, and has much less movement speed due to the cooldown limitations on [[teleport]].

==Background=={{Classbox|game= Diablo III|portrait= Wizards.jpg|portrait-width= 200px|name= Wizard|classtype= official|role= [The resource system, [Caster]]|attrib= [[Willpower]]<!-- Class Skills -->|skilltree1= Arcane Skill Tree|skilltree2= Conjuration Skill Tree|skilltree3= Storm Skill Tree<!-- Background -->|origin= [[XiansaiPower]]|affiliation= Nonediffers greatly as well. [[Vizjerei]] (former)AP refills very quickly, [[Zann Esu]] and Wizard skills use both AP cost and cooldown time as limiting factors. Both can be circumvented by other skills and item affixes. The "Arcane Power on Crit" (former)|friends= None Known|foes= [[Vizjerei]], [[Yshari Sanctum]], [[Valthek]]}}The word "wizardAPoC" ) affix is used derogatory a build-changer for rogue most [[Sorcerer]]s and magi that are dangerous to the world at large in the world of [[Sanctuaryend game]]wizards.

==Class Design== {|cellpadding="2" width="250px" align="right" style="border-collapse: collapse; float: right; border: none; background: #2D0606; clear:left; margin-top: 5px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 10px; line-height: 10px; font-size: 10px;"!colspan="2" style="text-align: center; line-height: 12px; font-size: 14px;"|'''[[Diablo III Class]]''' |-|colspan="2" style="text-align: center;"|[[File:Wizards.jpg|200px]]|-!colspan="2" style="text-align: center; line-height: 14px; font-size: 16px;"| The female Wizard character in |-| [[Skills]]:| [[Wizard Skills]]|-| [[Passives]]:| [[Wizard Passives]]|-| [[Resource]]:| [[Arcane Power]]|-! colspan="2" | Common [[builds]]:|-| colspan="2" | [[Caster]], [[Battle mage]].|-! colspan="2" |<center>Background</center>|-| Origin:| Xiansai|-| Affiliation:| None current.<br>[[Vizjerei]] (former),<br>[[Zann Esu]] (former)|-| Friends:| None known|-| Foes:| [[Vizjerei]], [[Yshari Sanctum]], [[Diablo IIIValthek]] |}  The Wizard is from the island a fast-action, fast-casting, primarily-ranged attacker. The class is not really a "glass cannon," despite having a Passive skill actuall called [[XiansaiGlass Cannon]]. In fact, an island to that is one of the main complaints about the far north with class; that they are more of a culture similar mage tank than anything else, who must rely on defensive skills or strong [[crowd control]] and enemy [[debuffs]] to survive.  This is in stark contrast to Asia the Sorcerer and Sorceress from previous games in our worldthe series, who could be a bit tanky with the right gear, but who mostly relied on speedy attacks and evasion (mostly via unlimited use of the Teleport skill). (The [[Abd alDemon Hunter]] actually plays much more like the glass cannon fast-Hazirmovement mage seen in previous Diablo titles.) See the [[Wizard skills]] writes about page for a full list of all Wizard skills and rune effects. As with all classes, the skills are sorted into six categories. Enabling [[Elective Mode]] in the Game Options allows players to choose any skills from any category, rather than being stuck with one from each in the default, noob-friendly design. * Refer to Diablo3Ladders.com for a listing of [http://www.diablo3ladders.com/skills/mostused/wizard#softcore all Wizard passive skills ranked by popularity].   {| |'''Primary''wizard' wreaking havoc in <br>• [[Magic Missile]] (1)<br>• [[Shock Pulse]] (3)<br>• [[Spectral Blade]] (11)<br>• [[CaldeumElectrocute]] in his (15)| '''Secondary'''<br>• [[Writings Ray of Abd alFrost]] (2)<br>• [[Arcane Orb]] (5)<br>• [[Arcane Torrent]] (12)<br>• [[Disintegrate]] (21)| '''Defensive'''<br>• [[Frost Nova]] (4)<br>• [[Diamond Skin]] (8)<br>• [[Slow Time]] (16)<br>• [[Teleport]] (22)|-Hazir| '''Force'''<br>• [[Wave of Force]] (9)<br>• [[Energy Twister]] (13)<br>• [[Hydra]] (21)<br>• [[Meteor]] (25)<br>• [[Blizzard]] (27)|'''Conjuration'''<br>• [[Ice Armor]] (14)<br>• [[Storm Armor]] (17)<br>• [[Magic Weapon]] (20)<br>• [[Familiar]] (22)<br>• [[Energy Armor]] (28) | '''Mastery'''<br>• [[Explosive Blast]] (19)<br>• [[Mirror Image]] (25)<br>• [[Archon]] (30)|} ==Wizard Passive Skills== [[Image: Entry noMale Wizard2. 0007jpg|thumb|300px|seventh entryMale Wizard using [[Wave of Force]].]]See the [[Wizard passive skills]] article for a full listing with descriptions and more details. These skills focus more on utility, variety, and defense than on boosts to the Wizard's offensive attacks or damage.   {| | * [[Blur]] (10)* [[Power Hungry]] (10)* [[Evocation]] (13)* [[Glass Cannon]] (16)* [[Prodigy]] (20)* [[Astral Presence]] (24)* [[Illusionist]] (27)* [[Cold Blooded]] (30)| * [[Conflagration]] (34)* [[Paralysis]] (37)* [[Galvanizing Ward]] (40)* [[Temporal Flux]] (45)* [[Critical Mass]] (50)* [[Arcane Dynamo]] (55)* [[Unstable Anomaly]] (60)<br>|}  By far the most used and most build-changing passive is [[Critical Mass]] which grants [[critical hits]] a chance to reduce the [[cooldown]] of Wizard skills by 1 second. Numerous Wizard builds rely entirely on "CM" in order to repeatedly use skills with 6, 8, 10 second, or even longer cooldowns. Blizzard has adjusted (lowered) the [[Writings proc coefficient]] values of Abd al-Hazirnumerous Wizard skills several times since launch, since some skills (especially [[Energy Twister]]) that caused many, many hit checks were [[proc]]ing so often that Critical Mass was triggering almost constantly and effectively reducing cooldowns to nothing. * Refer to Diablo3Ladders.com for a listing of [http://www.diablo3ladders.com/skills/mostused/wizard#softcore all Wizard passive skills ranked by popularity].

This female 19 year old wizard was sent to the [[Zann Esu]] ===Wizard Traits===During early design passive skills were called "[[mage clantraits]], but later handed over to the powerful [[Vizjerei]] since she was a "rude and uncooperative student," that the smaller mage clan could not control. They hoped the harsh discipline at Vizjerei "would break her anarchic spirit." Yet even the Vizjerei instructors were unable set to allow 1-5 points to rein her be spent ineach. She This system was continually being caught seeking out dangerous scrapped and forbidden magics without care simplified shortly before the beta test began. See the [[Wizard traits]] page for herself or anyone around herfull info on what the traits system looked like.

[[Valthek]]Like all of the characters in Diablo 3, the Wizard has a great Vizjerei mage confronted her unique in-game backstory that gives insight into the character's personality and she attacked himmannerisms. She somehow relied on trickery and deceit to bring Valthek unconscious The male and then proceeded to flee the city immediately after the encounter. The extensive property damage was decided being the result female versions of Valthek's magical prowess, not the young wizardeach class are essentially interchangeable in these non-gendered fictions.

[[Image:Male_Wizard.jpg|thumb|right|150px|Male Wizard Artwork]]Abd al-Hazir is concerned about ]], the young, rebellious scholar and inexperienced wizard wandering historian responsible for most of the worldin-game lore released pre-game, using magics she does not understand. He mentioned that certain schools of magic were too dangerous and "those wiser than you or I determined long ago wrote about the wizard's time in a mage academy in [[to forbidCaldeum]] their practicein his [[Writings of Abd al-Hazir: Entry no." Primal forces including time warps include the secrets he suspects she gathered from the Ancient Repositories0007|seventh entry]].

"It <blue>This wizard was sent here to spend her formative years under the tutelage of the best mages in the world. Well, it seems they neglected to teach our wizard manners on her native island of Xiansai, for she was a rude and uncooperative student from the very beginning. Originally under the guidance of the Zann Esu mage clan, she was eventually handed over to the Vizjerei in the hopes that their strict and unbending discipline would break her anarchic spirit. Yet even the esteemed Vizjerei instructors were unable to rein her in. She was continually being caught seeking out dangerous and forbidden magics, heedless of the consequences to herself or anyone around her.<br>Although there is my honest hope no truth to the tales that this self-styled she actually ventured into the infamous Bitter Depths below the Sanctum, she was caught in the Ancient Repositories, where the most dangerous incantations are housed for the safety of the public. When confronted by the great Vizjerei mage Valthek and demanded to account for herself, she brazenly attacked him rather than face the punishment merited by her acts. <br>Exaggerated stories of the battle are already being inflated to mythic proportions by the more rebellious of our city's youth, but suffice it to say that she did not actually best Yshari's most powerful mage in single, honorable combat. The details of the encounter remain unclear, as Valthek has yet to regain consciousness, but it has been verified by reliable sources that she relied on trickery and deceit to bring the great man low. I have also been assured that the extensive property damage was chiefly the result of Valthek's magical prowess, not the upstart wizard chooses never 's. As to return to Caldeumwhere she is now, no one rightly knows, for she fled the city immediately after the encounter."</blue>

===The Male Wizard===The above is mostly This story built fan expectations that the background of the female Wizardwould be quite unruly and reckless. Since it's very specifically a womanUnfortunately, those character traits do not really come through in the game, we don't know yet where and even when the male version comes fromgame action moves to Caldeum in Act Two, his background the Wizard does not show any concern or motivationsheightened attention in returning to that city.

[[File:Wiz-fem-02.jpg|thumb|250px|Female wizard: concept art to final in-game.]]The female wizard's appearance was widely-accepted and non-controversial. She looks quite a bit like her original concept art. ==Class Design=Male Wizard Controversy=== The Wizard is an aggressive archetypal magic wielder founding his powers male wizard, on the aggressive fierceness other hand, had a very controversial reveal. No one thought much of his concept art or paid much attention to his appearance when he debuted as a playable character in the storm[[BlizzCon 2009]] demo. However, some months later when Blizzard added his in-game model to their official wizard page, there was a curious eruption of fan rage. [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/male-wizard-in-game-animation-and-ss/]  The primary complaints were that he looked too effeminate, and while there was arguably a homophobic edge to the arcane complaints, the class design was more metrosexual and conjurationless masculine than some fans were expecting. People especially hated [[Gear_sets#Retractions_and_Changes|his "starfish" hat]]. Both the  * [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/male and female wizards are rebellious-wizard-gear-set-preview/ Male Wizard gear set], headstrongOctober 13, impulsive2010, set off the biggest debate of all, about his huge "starfish" hat. ** [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/more-on-the-male-wizard-gear-set/ Many fan complaints and brilliantrevisions] of his starfish hat.** [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/male-wizard-gear-set-remixes-keep-on-coming/ And yet more fan remakes].** [http://diablo.incgamers. Too smart and arrogant to fit into com/blog/comments/vote-the authority of -wizards-starfish-hat.-yes-or-no/ A vote found very mixed opinions] about the sorcerer schools of helm, in contrast to the overwhelmingly negative fan comments. [[mage clanFile:Wiz-male-comparison1.jpg|frame|thumb|200px|Male Wizard concept vs. in-game.]]Blizzard made no substantive comments over the fan reaction to the male wizard'sappearance and if the character changes any in appearance during the rest of the development cycle, no one noticed. Always A poll on Diablo.IncGamers.com found fan opinions widely split on the top character's look.[http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/male-wizards-look-your-opinion/] <blockquote>What do you think of their skills and even smarter than their teachersthe look of the Male Wizard?* 2) It's good, but could be improved. 243 votes, 28.79%* 4) Ugh. I'll be playing the female Wiz. 220 votes, 26.07%* 5) Hate it. J-pop boy-band reject. 140 votes, 16.59%* 1) I love the male Wizard look. 137 votes, 16.23%* 3) I'm indifferent. M'eh. 104 votes, cocky and self assured12.32%Total Votes: 844</blockquote>

Some fans have initially criticized the Wizard for just being the [[Sorceress]] with a new look. [[Jay Wilson]] commented on that [http://www.1up.com/do/previewPage?pager.offset=1&cId=3172030&p=1 in an interview with 1up.com] in December 2008.

<blue>Jay Wilson::''"I would respond, "Yeah, you're right; the Wizard is basically a reskinned re-skinned Sorceress." What we couldn't do with the Sorceress very well was break into what I'd call the old-school pen-and-paper magic user. You know the old magic user who could do a variety of things, like conjure up animals out of midair or create clouds of fog and acid or control time or [[Disintegrate|disintegrate things]] or use death spells. They had this wide variety of magic that they could use compared to the more traditional elementalist -- which is what the Sorceress is, meaning fire, ice, and lightning -- who was just more limited. <br>What we really wanted to do is break into this area, while if we just did the Sorceress again, we'd be like, "OK, you have to do fire, ice, and lightning, but where does disintegrate Disintegrate fit? Where does slow time Slow Time fit in?" So we decided [that we'd] just take the same class mechanics, and [that we'd] change the basic concept and name and just have a throwback to that old-school magic user to give ourselves a broader range of magic skills. But there was never a huge desire to go away from the basic gameplay of the Sorceress; there's a lot of repeated skills, and that's intentional.''"</blue>

==Attributes One major change from Diablo 2, seen during the development cycle, was the addition of spell damage item affixes. Unlike the skill point system in Diablo 1 and Skills=====Attributes=======Starting Attributes====<!--*'''[[Strength]]:''' x*'''[[Dexterity]]:''' x*'''[[Vitality]]:''' x*'''[[Willpower]]:''' x-->*'''[[Life]]:''' 20*'''[[Mana]]:''' 80<!--Diablo 2, Diablo 3 had no skill points, and thus weapon damage became as important for mages as for combat classes. The developers made this change partially to even out the classes, after the Sorceress and Necromancer were extremely good at Magic Find in Diablo 2 since they did not need to worry about boosting damage with equipment. (Just boosting skill level.) This allowed those characters to stack up much more Magic Find and Resistance on their gear, while still retaining a rapid killing speed.

====Attribute Increase Per Level====*'''[[Strength]]:''' x*'''[[Dexterity]]:''' x*'''[[Vitality]]:''' x*'''[[Willpower]]The early effort in Diablo 3 to correct this imbalance used +%spell damage modifiers. As seen in Blizzcon 2008 and 2009 demos, caster weapons had bonuses to spell damage which modified the flat damage figures on spells, in much the same way that equipment and skills interacted for non-mage classes. A quote from a 2009 Blizzcon demo report details the system:''' x-->

===Wizard Skills===The [[wizard skill]]s are arranged into to three distinctive skill tree categories:* [[Storm_Skill_Tree|Storm]]* [[Arcane_Skill_Tree|Arcane]]* [[Conjuration_Skill_Tree|Conjuration]].All three trees have a combination :I found numerous wands, staves, and even pieces of active armor with values between +5-25% spell damage, and passive skills. Active skills are used that was just in combat, while the passive skills boost or change the behaviour early stages of the active skillsgame.

<!The female Wizard is voiced by Grey DeLisle, a veteran of voice acting. She's done many film and television roles, including Azula from Avatar: The Last Airbender, and roles in ''Afro Samurai'', ''The Spectacular Spider-Man'', ''Wolverine and the X-Men'', and many more. She's also had many roles in video games, including a lot of the ''Star Wars'' series, ''Mass Effect'', ''Metal Gear Solid'', ''Baldur's Gate'', ''Fallout'', ''Doom 3'', ''Batman: Arkham City'' (as Catwoman/Selina Kyle), and she also played Nova in [[StarCraft II]].==Trivia==-->The male Wizard is voiced by Crispin Freeman, also a veteran voice actor. He's done a gluttonous amount of English dubs for anime, and also many video games including the ''.hack'' series, ''BioShock 2'', ''God of War III'', ''Metal Gear Solid 4'', ''Xenosaga'', ''Saints Row: The Third'', and many more.

Image:Ss71 hires.jpg|Female Wizard.Image:Male_Wizard.jpg|Male Wizard.Image:Wizard vs King Leoric.jpg|Wizard vs [[King Leoric]].Image:Wizard disintegrate.jpg|Wizard casting [[Disintegrate]].Image:Wiz-disintegrate2.jpg|[[disintegrate]] used on [[Zombie]]s.Image:Skill_wizard_slowtime.jpg|[[Slow Time]] with [[Wave of Force]] to throw spells back at [[caster]]s.Image:Wiz-slow-time1.jpg|Casting [[Electrocute]] out of a [[Slow Time]] bubble.Image:Mana-orb1.jpg|[[Mana Globe]] in a [[Experience#Level_Up_Bonus|level-up]] explosion.Image:Male_Wizard2.jpg|The male Wizard in the game.Image:Mwiz_concept.jpg|Male Wizard concept by [[Glowei]].

{{Class navbox floorSkill_navbox_Diablo_III|Wizard}}