The Complete Wizard Thaumaturge DPS Build – Neverwinter Mod 30 As Above, So Below
Welcome to our Wizard Thaumaturge Guide, updated for Mod 30: As Above So Below.
In this guide, we will teach you everything you need to know about being a Wizard Thaumaturge in Neverwinter. We will discuss how to deal damage like a pro, and provide tips and tricks that will help you survive in the harsh world of Neverwinter.
The purpose of our class guides is not just to show you a build that you can copy and use on your character, but to show you a base build and teach you the mechanics and stats of the game, so you can understand and play your class to its fullest capabilities.
Try different gear, feats, and powers, and learn to tailor your own build for your playstyle. See our guide to making your own build for more info.
Basic Wizard Thaumaturge Info
Below is all the basic information for the Thaumaturge, from race choices to stats.
Other Wizard Builds
Race
What race you play doesn’t play a huge role, but will give you a small boost. Generally, I would advise you to play a race that you enjoy.
- Human – 1% Bonus to all stats – +3 To any Ability Score
- Metallic Ancestry Dragonborn – Recieve 3% more healing and 3% more Max Hit Points – +2 to Any two Ability Score – 3% Critical Strike – 3% Power
- Dragonborn – Recieve 5% more healing – +2 to Any Ability Score – 3% Critical Strike – 3% Power
- Gith – 5% Combat Advantage – +2 Dex and +2 Str or Int – 5% Stamina Regen
- Wood Elf – 5% Critical Strike – +2 Dex and +2 Int or Wis – 20% Resistance to Slow
- Tiefling – 5% + Damage to targets below 50% health – +2 Cha and +2 Con or Int – 10% to reduce damage of target for 5 sec by 2.5%
- Half-Orc – 5% Crit Severity – +2 Dex and +2 Con or Str – 10% Movement Speed for 3 sec when entering combat
Ability Score Priority
Put all your available Ability Scores into Intelligence and Dexterity. Alternatively, put a few points into Charisma instead of Dexterity depending on what you need.
Stat / Rating Priority
Your cap for each stat is based on your item level. To cap a stat, the numbers of the stat need to be equal to or higher than your item level.
If your stat number is higher than your item level, you are wasting stats and should try to allocate stats differently.
For every 1000 points, a stat is lower than your item level you lose 1% in that stat.
Offensive Stats
- Power (90%)
- Combat Advantage (90%)
- Critical Strike (90%)
- Critical Severity (90%)
- Accuracy (90%)
Defensive Stats
- Defense (90%)
- Awareness (90%)
- Critical Avoidance (90%)
- Deflection (90%)
- Deflect Severity (90%)
Paragon Path Feats, Powers & Rotation
This part is all about optimizing the Thaumaturge with the best feats, powers, and boons.
Combat Powers
At-Will Powers
- Chilling Cloud
- Magic Missile
Encounter Powers
- Repel or Icy Terrain (AoE)
- Icy Rays (Spell Mastery) or Chill Strike (Spell Mastery) (AoE)
- Chill Strike or Conduit of Ice (AoE)
- Entangling Force or Fireball (AoE)
Daily Powers
- Ice Knife (ST) or Arcane Singularity (AoE)
- Furious Immolation (AoE)
Class Features
- Critical Conflagration
- Swath of Destruction
Feats
- Smoldering Recovery
- Glowing Flames
- Shatter Strike or Chilling Advantage (AoE)
- Critical Burn
- Rimfire Weaving or Directed Flames (AoE)
Rotation
Single Target Rotation
Artifact > Repel > Chilling Cloud > Chill Strike > Entangling Force > Icy Rays > Belt > Daily > Mount > Chilling Cloud > Repel
AoE Rotation
Icy Terrain > Conduit of Ice > Icy Rays > Fireball >Ray of Frost >Daily > Use Mount Power when available
Boons
You should always choose boons based on what stats you currently need. Therefore a selection of several viable boons is available to you for each tier.
Tier 1 Boons
- Recruit’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Critical Strike – 0.2% Critical Strike Per Rank
- Lingering Medicine – 1% Increase effectiveness of healing potions.
- Critical Avoidance – 0.2% Critical Avoidance Per Rank
- Cultist Bulwark – 0.2% HP Per Rank
- Cultist Power – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. Cultists.
Tier 2 Boons
- Squire’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Armor Penetration – 0.2% Critical Severity Per Rank
- Lingering Fortification – 1% Increase effectiveness of healing potions.
- Defense – 0.2% Defense Per Rank
- Demonic Bulwark – 0.2% HP Per Rank
- Demonic Mastery – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. demons.
Tier 3 Boons
- Knight’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Combat Advantage – 0.2% Combat Advantage Per Rank
- Lingering Power – 1% Increase effectiveness of healing potions.
- Awareness – 0.2% Awareness Per Rank
- Dino Bulwark – 0.2 HP Per Rank
- Dino Power – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. dinos.
Tier 4 Boons
- Captain’s Training – 0.2% Power Per Rank
- Accuracy – 0.2% Accuracy Per Rank
- Deflect – 0.2% Deflect Per Rank
- Necrotic Bulwark – 0.2% HP Per Rank
- Necrotic Mastery – 1% Increased damage and damage resistance vs. undead.
Advanced Boons
- Masterclass – 1% Forte per rank
- Quick Turnaround – 1% Recharge Speed
- Call of Power – 1% Action Point Gain
Master Boons
- Blood Lust 3/3
- Life Lessons 3/3
- Blessed Advantage 3/3
- Deathly Rage 3/3
Guild Boons
- Offense – Power/Accuracy/Critical depending on what stat you need.
- Defense – Defence
- Utility – Mount Speed or Movement Speed
Weapons & Gear
If you are new to Neverwinter and need to know how to get better gear and increase your item level, check out our Gearing Up Guide.
Note that the best-in-slot for your build might vary depending on what stats you have.
The best way to gear up in Neverwinter is by making a lot of Astral Diamonds, check out our Astral Diamond Guide to learn all the secrets of AD farming.
Head
- Best-in-Slot Enchanted Depthweave Cap (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Prismatic Fractal Barbut
- Abyss Conqueror’s Healing Guard / Spellweaver’s Hood (Demonweb Pits)
- Serene Hood of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
- The Dark Maiden Assault Hood (Temple of the Spider / Menzoberranzan Campaign Store)
Armor
- Best-in-Slot Enchanted Depthweave Coat (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Abyss Conqueror’s Spellweaver Robe (Demonweb Pits)
- Mighty Cuirass / Tactful Leathers of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
Arms
- Best-in-Slot Abyss Conqueror’s Healing Mitts (Demonweb Pits)
- Prismatic Crystalflex Bracers
- Vinewoven Bracers
- Enchanted Depthweave Sleeves (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Mighty Vambraces / Tactful Gloves of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
Feet
- Best-in-Slot Enchanted Depthforged Poulaindes (Master Lair of the Mad Dragon) Only in Fire Themed-Maps or Sharp Longboots of the Dragon Hunter (Dragon Hunts)
- Radiant or Ultraviolet Elven Poulaines (The Imperial Citadel)
- Starweave Slippers
- Abyss Conqueror’s Mauler Greaves
- The Dark Maiden Resolution Greaves (Temple of the Spider)
Weapons
- Living Magma Set / Encased Magma (Master of Flame Campaign Store)
- Demonweb Empowerment / Perfect Set (Northdark Campaign)
- Dark Matter / Solarium & Starcore Set (Adventures in Wildspace Campaign Store)
- Scalebreaker’s Wrath / Duergar Set (Dragonbone Vale Campaign)
Main Hand Modification
- Chilling Cloud
Offhand Modifications
- Whatever stat you need
Rings
- Red Dwarf Ring of Xaryxis (The Imperial Citadel Master)
- Moondancer’s Binding of Precision (Wildspace)
- Dreadbreaker / Dreadwalker Loop
- Platinum Abyssal Loop (The Demonweb Pits)
- Sapphire Abyssal Loop (The Demonweb Pits)
- Emerald Abyssal Loop (The Demonweb Pits)
- Eilistraee’s Harmony + Elistraee’s Beauty (AOE) (Northdark Reaches)
- Soothsayer’s Ring of Absolution (Dragonbone Vale)
- Waywatchers Ring of Precision (Dragonbone Vale)
- Waywatchers Ring of Punishment (Dragonbone Vale)
- Mightbreaker’s Ring of Elegance (Dragonbone Vale)
Neck & Waist
- Masterwork of Menzoberranzan Set: Scintillant Sash & Amulet (Mastercrafted / From the Auction House)
- Unstable Drive Set (Detector’s Pendant & Detector’s Sash)
Shirt
- Ember Stiched Shirt (Lair of the Mad Dragon) Only in Fire-Themed Maps
- Ember Infused Shirt (Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Brilliant Starwoven Shirt (Wildspace Heroic Encounters)
- Shimmering Flarefiber Shirt
- Lolth’s Embrace (Narbondellyn Heroic Encounters)
Pants
- Ember Stiched Pants (Lair of the Mad Dragon)
- Cerebral Predator Ink / Ocean’s Predator Ink
- Luminous Flarefiber Pants
- Lolth’s Embrace (Narbondellyn Heroic Encounters)
- War-Worn Pants (From the Auction House)
Artifacts
Primary Artifact
- Bloodbrass Pistol
- Demogorgon’s Reach
- Mythallar Fragment
- Halaster’s Blast Scepter
- Wyvern-Venom Coated Knives
- Crystal of Soul’s Flight
Secondary Artifacts
Choose secondary artifacts based on the stats you are lacking.
- Bloodbrass Pistol
- Jewel of Caldera
- Searing Conduit of Magma
- Astral Seed Tendril
- Portable Spelljammer Detector
- Macro’s Mystic Marker
- Xeleth’s Blast Scepter
- Scintillating Symbol of Water
- Rod of Pain
- Wand of Domination
- Marilith Mask
- Mystic Bolt
- Eye of Odran
- Assassin’s Dice
Enchantments
When getting enchantments, always get the ones with the stats you are lacking in with your gear, boons, etc in mind.
Offense Enchantments
- Ruby Enchantment
- Garnet Enchantment
- Cobalt Enchantment
- Citrine Enchantment
- Amethyst Enchantment
- Jade Enchantment
Defense Enchantments
- Garnet Enchantment
Utility Enchantments
- Garnet Enchantment
Bonus Enchantments
- Recharge Bonus
Combat Enchantments
- Lightning Flash
Overload Enchantments
- Rage of Flames or Devil’s Precision
- Various Marks from Stronghold Vendor
- Corrupt Black Ice / Lethal / Piercing
- Black / Red Dragon Glyph
Armor Reinforcement Kits
Accuracy, Power, or Critical Strike Kit +1, Depending on what stat you need.
Jewelry Reinforcement Kits
- Combat Advantage Jewel
Consumables & Buffs
Consider getting VIP for the Power of VIP HP buff if you aren’t already. Also always stand in campfires to get the +1 ability campfire buff.
Pick one from each of the categories below depending on the stats you are lacking.
- Invocation Blessing: Grace of Battle / Gift of Awareness / Righteous Boon / Gamber’s Fortune
- Stronghold Food: Ratatouille / Seared Tuna
- Event Food: Watermelon Sorbet / Squash Soup
- Elixir: Wild Storm Elixir / Sunlord’s Gift Elixir
- Potion: Superior Flask of Potency +1
- Belt: Stone of Health / Dragonfire / Perfect Spider Totem or Forger’s Box
Companions
Summoned Companion
For your summoned companion you have the choice between using Augmented companions which will make it easier to cap stats or an active combat companion which will do damage.
Active Companion Choices
- Black Death Scorpion
- Etrien
- Tutor
- Blaspheme Assassin
- Wiggins the Undead Intern
- Mage Slayer
- Xuna
- Paranoid Delusion
- Tomb Spider
- Greenscale Bowman
- Regis (AoE)
- Wulfgar (AoE)
- Xaryxian Defector (AoE)
- Minotaur Mercenary(AoE)
- Rimefire Golem (AoE)
Enchantment Power
- Precision
- Potency
- Perfect Vision
- Acute Senses
- Potent Precision
Companion Powers
Below is a selection of viable companion powers.
Offense Powers
- Wulfgar (Wulfgar’s Wrecking) – 4.7% Combat Advantage & Accuracy
- Drizzt (Drizzt’s Devestation) – 4.7% Critical Change & Severity
- Neverwinter Knight (Neverwinter Knight’s Discipline) – 7.5% Outgoing Damage
- Wild Hunt Rider (Wild Hunt Discipline) – 2/3/5% chance to increase damage by 10% for 5 seconds.
- Siege Master (Siege Master’s Discipline) – Combined Rating – Increases the power of your At-Will powers by 11% (Doubled on Stronghold Map)
- Black Dragon Ioun Stone (Black Dragon’s Insight) – 7.5% Critical Chance
- Staldorf (Staldorf’s Presence) – 7.5% Combat Advantage
- Razorwood (Twigblight’s Insight) – 3.8% Critical Severity & Accuracy
- Hawk (Hawk’s Insight’s) – 3.8% Critical Severity & Critical Chance
- Armored Orc Wolf (Orc Wolf’s Instincts) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Accuracy
- Batiri (Batiri’s Wisdom) – 11% Damage Versus Bosses
- Dancing Blade (Dancing Blade’s Insight) – 3.8% Critical Severity & Combat Advantage
- Flame Sprite (Flamesprite’s Insight) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Accuracy
- Golden Cat (Golden Cat’s Insight’s) – 7,5% Combat Advantage
Defense Powers
- Minsc (The Bigger They Are) – More damage against big mobs (bosses)
- Phasespider (Phasespider’s Presence) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Combat Advantage
- Fire Archon (Fire Archon’s Insight) – 10% on At-Will use to increase Combat Advantage for 10 seconds
Utility Powers
- Dark Dealer (Dark Dealings) – 3.8% Accuracy & 3.8% Combat Advantage
- Alchemist Experimenter (Alchemist’s Discipline) – 3.8% Critical Chance & Combat Advantage
- Golden Cat (Golden Cat’s Insight) – 7.5% Combat Advantage
- Book Imp (Bookimp’s Presence) – 3.8% Accuracy & 3.8% Combat Advantage
Mounts
Mount Insignia Bonuses
All classes and specs should consider using Wanderer’s Fortune and or Traveler’s Treasures before you have refined all your gear and enchantments, for extra refinement every day.
Insignia bonuses are mostly down to preference. Some boost damage a bit, and some boost survivability, while others add utility.
DPS
- Tactician’s Precision
- Enchanter’s Hex
- Warlord’s Inspiration
- Warlord’s Motivation
- Artificers Enticement
- Mender’s Covenant
- Executioner’s Covenant
- Artificers Persuasion
- Assassin’s Covenant
- Calvary’s Warning
- Gladiator’s Guile
Self Healing
- Barbarian’s Revelry
- Survivor’s Blessing
- Survivor’s Gift
- Knight’s Rebuke
- Oppressor’s Reprieve
Utility
- Wanderer’s Fortune
- Traveler’s Treasures
Insignia Type
- Insignia of Dominance
- Insignia of Brutality
- Insignia of Aggression
- Insignia of Skill
Mount Collars
- Sturdy Crescent Collar
- Wayfaring Barbed Collar
- Unified Crescent Collar
- Supportive Crescent Collar
Mount Powers
Mount Equip Power
- Dominant Force (Power)
- Ferocity (Extra Damage)
- Opportunistic ( Combat Advantage)
- Ferocious Predator (Power & Critical Severity)
- Rapid Accuracy (Accuracy)
- Armor Breaker (Critical Severity)
- Precision (Critical Strike & Severity)
- Ruthless Efficiency (Critical Strike
Mount Combat Power
- Bigby’s Hand
- Tunnel Vision (Several)
- Giant Toad
- Golden Warhorse
- Space Guppy School (For AoE)
- Pegasus (For AoE)
If you have any questions or suggestions about our Neverwinter Wizard Thaumaturge guide, please leave a comment below!
More info about the Wizard class can be found in the Wizards of Neverwinter Facebook group.
Updates
- 29.08.2024: The build has been updated for module 29: Mountain of Flame. Basic info including stat priority, skills, mounts, enchantments, artifacts, and gear has been updated. Unrelevant info and fluff have also been removed to make the guide easier to read.
- 11.02-2025: Updated with Mod 30 gear.
What are ebonized rings and how do you get them?
Why barkshield over negation. Mobs normal single hits will deplete the barkshields’s charges easily and fast leaving you very vulnerable. Especially in groups with less then stellar tanks.
ebonized rings can be found in Master Expeditions in Undermountain.
I hope this isn’t complete. If so you have no business writing guides. There are so many things wrong with this. Almost none of what you claim is ” Best in slot” is actually BiS. I’m not even going to waste my time correcting everything.
Writing a guide is an admirable thing to do. However, please do your research. Stop spreading misinformation.
The Bis is correct officer. Read up before you say something stupid.
@Officer, lmao..your no expert
This guide was written just as mod 16 dropped, it will be updated now 🙂
@Xaibriel – Because Barkshield actually works better overall than Negation most of the time. For trash mobs, you’ll kill them fast so depletion doesn’t matter and in m16, you won’t die from trash even if they do get you to 30% usually, just kill them fast and you’re fine. For bosses, you won’t get hit as often but they will be hard hits, so barkshield will help a lot. Negation requires that you get hit often before it fully “charges up” so it’s almost useless in boss fights, and in trash clearance, by the time it’s fully charged, usually you’ll have already killed off the mobs. It only really shines when you’re in a large trash clear with harder mobs that take a while to beat (like, say, going up the hill in FBI or something), but those situations are fairly limited. Overall, as of m16 anyway (and there doesn’t appear to be any changes in m17 either), you will get much more benefit out of a Barkshield than you will a Negation.
Ranged powers don’t stack on ebonized rings and hags rags together. It’s better to run different items to suit your NW needs.
He is right with his BiS all the gear listed works in synergy with each other for best output damage.
I am sure for u nit pickers statement rings was meant as ring.
Only 1 thing you want healing in ur utility now to at least incomeing healing of 30% for tower of mage or healers will hate u on big damage hits
if you look at this build it is very similar Gear, Companion, Mount, Enchants etc to the dps build for a Barbarian. thin makes sense because it is all focused on Damage increase% that stack and set bonus dps.
oops thin = this
Side Note: Ebony Stained Robes are going to BIS in Mod 17. Hags Rags will no longer be BIS in Mod 17.
Why do you say that?
I rescind my previous comment because new stuff is coming soon for MOD 17 such as new expeditions, dungeon, rings, gear, companion gear, a main screen for dyes, etc.
re vamp for nerf mod 17
Can we get an updatex Mod 17 build please
Patch Notes: Version: NW.120.20200106a.10
Wizard: Thaumaturge
Critical Conflagration should now affect AoE powers.
Directed Flames can now only proc damage from Smolder or Rimefire once every 12 seconds.
To compensate, Rimefire Weaving now reduces damage resistance of the target by 5% when affected by Smolder or Chill, and by 10% when affected by Rimefire.
Known issue: Players can get two procs in a row; one from Smolder, and one from Rimefire. This is not intended, but we don’t consider use of this bug to be an exploit.
Frigid Winds now deals 1.25% (up from 1%) extra damage per Chill stack on the target.
Smolder effects applied from Critical Conflagration now roll their own crit chance, rather than inheriting crits from the initial cast.
The following power, class feature, and feat magnitudes have been changed.
Icy Rays: 300 – 450 (up from 275 – 400)
Chill Strike: 450 (up from 400)
Shatter Strike (against control-immune targets): +150 (up from +100)
Wouldn’t the Seer of the Star’s robes be better than Ebony Stained? Same equip bonus, but higher stats?
Nevermind, missed the stack amount
In every single one of these guides you all show the build, good and well and thank you, BUT, none of you cares to explain the rotation, if I build this build exactly right but dont know the rotation my dps is going to suck badly, and I am going to get frustrated as to why my dps is bad with an uber build… Please someone have the foresight to explain rotations for Arcane as well as Thaum.
For Bulette comp you said only offensive items but can you tell me the name of them? I use 1 item att def for cap defence
I personally love your builds been using them sience I started playing in mod 14 and your builds always help me get my charchters perfect so thank you and keep it up I’m not the only one my friends use them to
@Dragoneyes73, glad I came across this page cause I’m definitely new and want to learn more since I done get help in game . I do have a question for companions. Is mystagogue good for this class
I know making these must be super difficult but is there any chance to upgrade it with the new equip i.e. celestial et. al.?
Why dexterity instead of charisma (or wisdom) for this build?
A useful guide!
Why INT and DEX instead of INT and CHA though? Forte increases three stats at the same time and lower recharge times do sound promising.
Personally, I’m enjoying the following AoE rotation: Icy Terrain (mastery for the ranged option) -> Conduit of Ice -> Icy Rays -> Fireball (AoE damage for maximum rimefire) -> Ray of Frost.
I’m sorry but I didn’t understand the best mount ?
@Piews²,
Whatever you can get your hands on! This game is notorious for its bad RNG and you can’t really farm for your favorite mount.
You can buy several mounts in the astral bazaar, in the trade bar menu or get them by opening Juma bags.
I’m new. Why is Ray of Ice used in rotation instead of chilling cloud? Cloud seems to have better base dps. What am I missing?
Please update for Mod 22 as they have removed some enchantments
This is not a good Thaum build for mod 24. Please do more research, as a lot of people see this.