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An ongoing listing of Wizard skills, as seen on the Blizzard site and transcribed from footage during Blizzcon 2008 demo gameplay.
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[[Image:Skill-tree-blizzcon09-wiz-muldric.jpg|thumb|right|400px|The skill tree, circa 2009. Skills no longer appear in anything like this format. Image by [http://forums.diii.net/showthread.php?t=739038 Muldric].]]
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This page lists all the [[Wizard]] skills. Follow the links to the individual skill pages for full discussion of every skill, including first hand reports and screenshots.
  
=Storm Tree=
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'''Useful skill links:'''
==Tier I Skills==
 
===Charged Bolt===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 1/1) Launch a volley of 3 electric bolts that deal 1-8 lightning damage each. Critical hits from lightning damage stun targets for 2 sec.
 
  
Mana cost: 8.
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* [[Skill]]s - General skill design and mechanics.
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** [[Skill rune]]s - The huge skill customization and improvement system.
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* [[Wizard]] - a [[ranged]] class who's a [[glass cannon]].
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** [[Arcane Power]] - The Wizard's energy [[resource]].
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** [[Wizard skills]] - A list of all the Wizard's active skills.
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*** [[Signature spell]]s - Wizard spells that are free to cast. Previously they were called Academic spells.
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*** [[Armor spell]]s - Provide defensive [[buffs]] to the Wizard.
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** [[Wizard passives]] - A list of all the Wizard's passive skills.
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* [[Wizard skill archive]] - Removed Wizard skills.
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* [[Wizard traits]] - Passive skills in Diablo III were called [[traits]] for a while before reverting back.
  
===Thunderstruck===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 2/15) Increases the critical hit chance of all lightning spells by 10%.  Critical hits from lightning damage stun targets for 2 sec.
 
  
===Empowered Magic===
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==Active Skills==
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases the effect of willpower on your spell damage by 20%.
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Click to the individual skill pages for more details about these skills including numbers, screenshots, skill rune information, blue quotes, and much more.
  
===Lightning Speed===
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===Primary===
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases casting speed by 3%
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{{Skill description header}}
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<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Magic Missile</skill>
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<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Shock Pulse</skill>
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<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Spectral Blade</skill>
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<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Electrocute</skill>
  
==Tier II Skills (5 points req.)==
 
===Storm Armor===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Surround yourself in electrical energy.  Electrical bolts are automatically fired at attackers for 1 to 8 damage. 
 
  
Mana cost: 15.
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===Secondary===
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{{Skill description header}}
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<skill class="Wizard">Ray of Frost</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Arcane Orb</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Arcane Torrent</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Disintegrate</skill>
  
===Frost Nova===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_frostnova.jpg|thumb|left|Chill out!]]
 
  
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) An explosion of ice pelts nearby enemies for 1-3 cold damage.  Has an additional 25% chance of a critical hit. Critical hits from cold damage freeze targets.
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===Defensive===
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{{Skill description header}}
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<skill class="Wizard">Frost Nova</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Diamond Skin</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Slow Time</skill>
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<skill subcat="Movement ability" class="Wizard">Teleport</skill>
  
Mana cost: 25. 
 
  
Cooldown: 12 sec.
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===Force===
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{{Skill description header}}
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<skill class="Wizard">Wave of Force</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Energy Twister</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Hydra</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Meteor</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Blizzard</skill>
  
A long cooldown on this skill may prevent it from being a staple of a Wizard's arsenal, and more of a panic button when things get a little too close for comfort, since cold damage will slow or freeze enemies in their tracks.  This skill has been borrowed from the DII Sorceress, but with some added features, including an increased chance of critical strikes.  Storm Power and Lethal Energy will both add to this skill's lethality by adding to its critical strike chance and damage.
 
  
===Deep Freeze===
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===Conjuration===
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases the critical hit chance of all cold spells by 5%.  Critical hits from cold damage freeze targets.
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{{Skill description header}}
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<skill subcat="Armor spell" class="Wizard">Ice Armor</skill>
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<skill subcat="Armor spell" class="Wizard">Storm Armor</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Magic Weapon</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Familiar</skill>
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<skill subcat="Armor spell" class="Wizard">Energy Armor</skill>
  
===Power Armor===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15): Increases the damage dealt by your storm armor charged bolts by 10%.
 
  
===Static Charge===
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===Mastery===
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Convert 5% of all damage taken into mana.
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{{Skill description header}}
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<skill class="Wizard">Explosive Blast</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Mirror Image</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Archon</skill>
  
==Tier III Skills (10 point req.)==
 
===Electrocute===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_electrocute.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Electrocute]]
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Lightning arcs from the wizard’s fingertips towards enemies, electrocuting them for 4-5 damage.  Electrocute affects up to 2 targets. Critical hits from lightning damage stun targets for 2 sec.
 
  
Mana cost: 8.
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==Passive Skills==
  
This skill is reminiscent of the Sorceress's Chain Lightning from Diablo II. Most useful for taking down groups of closely packed enemies since the lightning will hop from one target to the next. During one of the videos at Blizzcon 2008, it was shown that Electrocute can be enhanced with a Multi-Strike Rune, upping the amount of targets that the Electrocute's Chain Lightning effect will hit.  A Lethality Rune was also shown in conjunction with Electrocute, which caused some enemies to explode in an AoE electric Nova upon death.
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Passive skills replaced [[Traits]] during late game development in 2011. A few Traits were simply changed to passive skills, but most are all new. See the [[Wizard traits]] page for a full list of those passives.
  
===Ray of Frost===
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{{Skill description header}}
[[Image:Skill_wizard_rayoffrost.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Ray of Frost]]
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<skill class="Wizard">Blur</skill>
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Project a beam of cold energy that deals 6 cold damage per sec.  Critical hits from cold damage freeze targets.  Requires 10 points in Storm tree.
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<skill class="Wizard">Power Hungry</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Evocation</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Prodigy</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Astral Presence</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Illusionist</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Cold Blooded</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Conflagration</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Paralysis</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Galvanizing Ward</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Temporal Flux</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Critical Mass</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill>
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<skill class="Wizard">Unstable Anomaly</skill>
  
Mana cost: 16 mana per sec.
 
  
This skill is similar to the fire-based Disintegrate spell; however, it does not pass through targets or increase damage over time.  This spell seems useful for freezing and keeping enemies at bay, adding to the Wizard's arsenal of offensive spells that double as insurance against melee creatures.
 
  
===Static Residue===
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==Skill Distribution==
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Enemies damaged by your lightning spells discharge an additional 1 to 3 lightning damage per sec to nearby enemies for 3 seconds.
 
  
===Lethal Energy===
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A useful player-made chart showing when the Wizard gains access to skills, passives, and rune effects.  
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases the chance to score critical hits with melee and spell attacks by 5%.
 
  
===Improved Charged Bolt===
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[[File:Char-prog-wiz.png|center|frame|Wizard skill progression. Stats as of May 5, 2012.]]
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increase the number of bolts released by your charged bolt spell by 1.
 
  
==Tier IV Skills (15 points req.)==
 
===Tornado===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_tornado.jpg|right|thumb|150px|We're not in Kansas anymore...]]
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Summon a large tornado that damages everything in its path.
 
  
Mana cost: 15.
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==Development==
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* See the [[Wizard skill archive]] for a full listing of skill changes over time.
  
Akin to the Druid's Twister skill from Diablo II, however these tornadoes are formed from pure energy.  In the released 5-1/2 minute gameplay trailer of the Wizard, multiple tornadoes are cast one after another, each lasting for close to 5 seconds.  Their path seems to take random lefts and rights as it moves away from the casting point, stopping only when its timer has expired.  Expect some interesting Rune uses with this spell, as by itself, it seems a little too sporadic and short-lived to be of much useful combative use. 
 
  
As in DII with the Druid, the best use of the tornadoes will likely be multiple, concentrated casts in a small area packed with enemies, to ensure the most damage in the shortest period of time.  Higher levels of the skill may increase their size or may simply increase raw damage.  Epic Storm will increase the number of simultaneous tornadoes you can cast, and Lethal Energy will increase the chance to score critical strikes.
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===July 2011 Press Event===
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The following skills were removed or renamed prior to the July 2011 Press Event:
  
===Blizzard===
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* [[Charged Bolt]] - Renamed to [[Shock Pulse]]
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Call down shards of ice to pelt an area dealing 6-10 cold damage per sec for 3 sec. Critical hits from cold damage freezes targets.
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* [[Energy Shield]] - Renamed to [[Energy Armor]]
  
Mana cost: 70.
 
  
===Storm Power===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increase damage of all lightning and ice spells.
 
  
===Epic Storms===
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==References==
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases size of Blizzard and number of twisters you can have for your energy twister.
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* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/blog/comments/full-wizard-skill-trees/ Full Wizard Skill Trees]
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* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=7960229#post7960229 Zediono's translation of JudgeHype's pre-beta report] -- IncGamers 1st Aug 2011
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* [http://diablo.incgamers.com/forums/showthread.php?p=8008951#post8008951 HardRock's Wizard Passive Skills] -- IncGamers 6th Sep 2011
  
=Arcane Tree=
 
==Tier I==
 
===Magic Missile===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_magicmissilecorpses.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Corpses left from Magic Missile]]
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 1/1) Fire 1 missile (s) of energy at your enemies causing 7-13 arcane damage to them. Critical hits from arcane damage silence targets for 4 secs.
 
  
In early levels, Magic Missile might be the Wizard's bread and butter.  In later levels, it might prove invaluable as a cheap and direct means of silencing a monster for 4 seconds -- plenty of time to dispatch of them before they can cast a nasty spell on you, or raise the fallen to fight again. 
 
  
Magic Missile's effectiveness is increased by a variety of spells, the most noteworthy of which is Improved Magic Missile, which increases both the damage and number of missiles released on a cast.  The range and spread of higher levels of Magic Missile is reminiscent of the DII Necromancer's Teeth.  When an enemy dies at the hands of an Arcane spell, a purple glow is left on the corpses.
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{{Skill_navbox_Diablo_III|Wizard}}
  
Mana cost: 8.
 
 
===Arcane Power===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 2/15) Increases all arcane damage dealt by 24% (next point 36%).
 
 
===Efficient Magics===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 2/15) Lowers the mana cost of spells by 6% (next point by 9%).
 
 
===Penetrating Spells===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Reduces the resistance of your targets to your spells by 8%.  Targets with negative resitance take additional damage from spells.
 
 
==Tier II (5 points req.)==
 
 
===Disintegrate===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_disintegrate.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Molten Trickery]]
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Eminate a beam of pure energy dealing 10 arcane damage per second.  Damage is modified by 80% each time the beam passes through the target. Critical hits from arcane damage silence targets for 4 secs.
 
 
A laser beam of molten pwnage, Disintegrate would be at its full effect when taking down line formations of enemies.  It'll cut through targets without mercy; however, each target will decrease the rest of the beam's damage by 80%, allowing the beam to reach through a total of five creatures before its damage is fully mitigated.
 
 
Damage ticks every second of use, and critical strikes (as with any Arcane Spell) will silence the target for 4 seconds.  In the screenshot to the left, you can see an example of Disintegrate being used to take down the structural bearings of a wall, crushing the unfortunate skeletons in its path.
 
 
Mana cosst: 12 per sec.
 
 
===Wave of Force===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_waveofforce.jpg|left|thumb|150px|Wave of Force]]
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Project a wave of force outwards, repelling enemies and projectiles and dealing 1-8 damage.
 
 
Mana cost: 25.
 
 
Wave of Force is seen two times in the Wizard Trailer released at the same time as Blizzcon 2008.  The first is used in a room of skeletons -- it does little damage to the skeletons, but blasts all the destructibles in the room to glorious pieces.  In the second example, the Wizard uses it while slowing down time, waiting for a group of skeletons' projectiles to come close, and then reflecting them back toward them.
 
 
It's hard to know how many scenarios in a fast-paced game like this where you could really benefit from using Slow Time and then Wave of Force to repel projectiles -- Out of the 8 projectiles in the above screenshot, only one or two actually came back to strike their targets.  It will be interesting to see what practical uses there are for this spell as more gameplay videos unfold.
 
 
===Arcane Armor===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) While your Storm Armor, Stone Armor, Stone Skin or Temporal Armor spells are active, your armor is increased by 20%.
 
 
===Arcane Weakness===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Enemies damaged by your arcane spells are affected with arcane weakness, increasing damage taken by 10% for 5 sec.
 
 
===Arcane Speed===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Reduces the cooldown of all arcane spells by 5%.
 
 
==Tier III (10 points req.)==
 
 
===Arcane Orb===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) An orb of pure energy explodes on contact dealing 12-16 arcane damage to all enemies in the blast area. Critical hits from arcane damage silence targets for 4 sec.
 
 
Mana cost: 18.
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_arcaneorbsequence.jpg|frame|center|Sequence of Arcane Orb]]
 
 
===Slow Time===
 
[[Image:Skill_wizard_slowtime.jpg|right|thumb|150px|Slow Time]]
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Warp space and time lowing nearby monsters and projectiles. Enemy attack cooldown increase: 1 sec.
 
 
Mana cost: 20.
 
 
===Arcane Distortion===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Enemies damaged by your arcane spells are slowed by 35% for 3 sec.
 
 
===Mana Recovery===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Enemies have a 7% chance to drop a mana globe that return 25% of maximum mana when picked up.
 
 
===Improved Magic Missile===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases the number of missiles launched by your magic missile spell by 1 and increases their damage by 8%.
 
 
==Tier IV (15 points req.)==
 
===Temporal Armor===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Surrounds the wizard in a protective shell that stops all damage from an attack every 6 sec.  The shell dissipates after absorbing 12 attacks.
 
 
===Teleport===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/1) Teleport to the selected location up to 40 feet away.
 
 
Mana cost: 23.
 
 
===Greater Mana===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases maximum mana by 12%.
 
 
===Mana Burst===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/15) Increases the damage of any spellcast from full mana by 25%.
 
 
===Runic Might===
 
Official Skill Description: (Rank 0/5) Increases the effects of all runes.
 
 
=Conjuration Tree=
 
 
[[Category:Wizard]]
 
[[Category:Wizard]]
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[[Category:Wizard skills]]
 
[[Category:Skills]]
 
[[Category:Skills]]
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[[Category:Featured articles]]

Latest revision as of 15:28, 2 December 2012

The skill tree, circa 2009. Skills no longer appear in anything like this format. Image by Muldric.

This page lists all the Wizard skills. Follow the links to the individual skill pages for full discussion of every skill, including first hand reports and screenshots.

Useful skill links:


Active Skills[edit | edit source]

Click to the individual skill pages for more details about these skills including numbers, screenshots, skill rune information, blue quotes, and much more.

Primary[edit | edit source]

Name Level Description

<skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Magic Missile</skill> <skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Shock Pulse</skill> <skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Spectral Blade</skill> <skill subcat="Signature spell" class="Wizard">Electrocute</skill>


Secondary[edit | edit source]

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Ray of Frost</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Arcane Orb</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Arcane Torrent</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Disintegrate</skill>


Defensive[edit | edit source]

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Frost Nova</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Diamond Skin</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Slow Time</skill> <skill subcat="Movement ability" class="Wizard">Teleport</skill>


Force[edit | edit source]

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Wave of Force</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Energy Twister</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Hydra</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Meteor</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Blizzard</skill>


Conjuration[edit | edit source]

Name Level Description

<skill subcat="Armor spell" class="Wizard">Ice Armor</skill> <skill subcat="Armor spell" class="Wizard">Storm Armor</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Magic Weapon</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Familiar</skill> <skill subcat="Armor spell" class="Wizard">Energy Armor</skill>


Mastery[edit | edit source]

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Explosive Blast</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Mirror Image</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Archon</skill>


Passive Skills[edit | edit source]

Passive skills replaced Traits during late game development in 2011. A few Traits were simply changed to passive skills, but most are all new. See the Wizard traits page for a full list of those passives.

Name Level Description

<skill class="Wizard">Blur</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Power Hungry</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Evocation</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Glass Cannon</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Prodigy</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Astral Presence</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Illusionist</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Cold Blooded</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Conflagration</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Paralysis</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Galvanizing Ward</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Temporal Flux</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Critical Mass</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Arcane Dynamo</skill> <skill class="Wizard">Unstable Anomaly</skill>


Skill Distribution[edit | edit source]

A useful player-made chart showing when the Wizard gains access to skills, passives, and rune effects.

Wizard skill progression. Stats as of May 5, 2012.


Development[edit | edit source]


July 2011 Press Event[edit | edit source]

The following skills were removed or renamed prior to the July 2011 Press Event:


References[edit | edit source]