Optimized Order of Scribes Wizard Build: The Nerd of Prey 

I’m going to use this concept to make a really cathartic character for me: A grad student who worked themselves to death and cast their consciousness into their lab notebook.

Solid straight Wizard concept (since the Cleric dip isn't essential). I like the rare build that doesn't rely on funky multiclass combos, abuse certain rules interactions, or require DM fiat in any other way.

Not only is the Slow spell good for the reasons you mention, but it also doesn’t require seeing the creature. I’m running Drakkenheim for my table and the warlock cast Hunger of Hadar followed by the bard casting slow. I said he couldn’t see the targets in the HoH, and it was pointed out that “creature you can see” is not in the text for slow. A technicality maybe, but I went with it and man did HoH/slow win the day for them. It is the bard’s first campaign and he was beaming at the end of that session. Great video as always Chris, thank you.

Knowledge cleric is my FAV for wizard subclasses, and ESPECIALLY for scribes. You are OUT NERDING ANY NERD ❤️

When you mentioned artificer not working well because of needing an Artisan Tool as your spell focus, being proficient in calligraphy supplys, a quill would be an artisan tool you are proficient in. You could keep your quill in your spell book and as a free interaction hold it if/when you cast the occasional Artificer spells. I beleive. It might still be a little clunky, but would still say in the theme of the character.

Currently playing a Mountain Dwarf scribes wizard at level 4 The Medium Armor and boatload of swappable proficiencies feels really good

"If you wanna be a prick, you can use simulacrum and wreck it for everyone." Thank you, Chris, for not sugar coating munchkinism rearing its ugly head in the game instead of optimizing to play with a party. Awesome build sir. What a great subclass for making your super wizard!

There is a way to circumvent the casting focus problem with the Order of Scribes/Artificer. You could take the Replicate Magic Item infusion and get the Enduring Spellbook (which pretty much makes your spellbook invincible). Your spellbook is now an Artificer infusion, so you could use it as a focus.

It feels like it has been a long time since we've seen a build. It's tough to do builds when WotC isn't releasing new player options; but you flipped through those books (like a nerd) and brought us a good one.

Your consistent advice to respect Confusion as a decent option due to its reliability has helped me out. I had a moment where I cast Confusion on a pair of huge animated statues and the DM said "They're immune to that." I got to hit the DM with a "Are you sure?" and after checking the spell and their long list of immunities, they were surprised to find out that it worked.

Excellent breakdown as always. I have an upcoming game where the DM wants us to play ourselves thrust into a D&D setting. He suggested I become a wizard due to my extensive knowledge of spell mechanics (a lot of which I owe to you and your channel, so thanks!), and I’m kinda between playing Scribes or Divinity. I love the idea of being the meta character whose verbal components are just reading the spell description and somatic components are literally rolling a die across my spellbook or something.

To circumvent the material component for an artificer dip you can also optimize your spell selection for spells that aren't going to be cast in combat. With a 20 intelligence score and a one-level dip you can select six spells. The first five are easy choices: Disguise Self, False Life, Longstrider, Purify Food and Drink, and Snare. For the last I probably would grab Cure Wounds. It would not be ideal to cast in combat, but it would be pretty flavorful when the wizard drops their focus to pull out a defibrillator in an emergency.

Good morning Chris! Time to finally complete my quest! The final build video for now. Until your next one at least 😉 Thank you for the many hours of content you've given me to listen to while at work to keep me from going crazy 😂 Much love, keep up the great work! 💜

I’d like to suggest that glyph of warding can be set up ahead of time of an encounter ( depending on circumstances). I find that a lot of the time it is possible, as long as the place is accessible by your spellbook.

Thank you Chris, I’m certainly thankful for all of your knowledge and willingness to share it!

Man I had really been sleeping on this subclass, it seems so versatile and flavourful. One concept for it I'd love to play out, is a Kenku scribe names Scrawl who steals a tome from an ancient crypt or something, and finds that the linked consciousness they share with the book has granted it a myriad of ways to express original thought that they previoisly lacked. Once the Manifest Mind ability comes online, this process is expediated by the spirit of a wizard who met an untimely death at the verge of a breakthrough. He would start actually just using Scrawl as a microphone of sorts to form fully realized sentences. In turn it forms a symbiotic sort of partnership where Scrawl gets to fully express his thoughts via his mental link with the wizard in the tome, and the wizard now has a "vessel" of sorts to carry out the work he was ripped away from.

Been working on an Autognome Scribes Wizard that looks like a monkey, named SEVEN (Sentient Entity Versed in Enchanted Notation), and I'm so excited to play

I like seeing some new spell suggestions. I have rewatched those original wizard videos so many times. I never considered Passwall or Slow as top picks until now. Excellent video, Chris.

Catapult + Absorb Elements is a silly combo you can do. Bludgeoning being one of the most common damage types.

I’ve always ADORED your build videos, Chris. I love all of your content, but builds have a special place in my heart. I’ve been so looking forward to this build since your first Scribes wizard video!!! So fun! It’s so fun to see interesting interactions and not your typical variant human or custom lineage😂

I actually played a reborn Scribes wizard a while back. I picked the race for story reasons, but the racial abilities were nice. I didn't notice the non-sleep/scribe scroll interaction at the time, though. I flavored the Manifest Mind ability as untethering his soul from his body, and did something similar with Chill Touch as his go-to cantrip. For the background, I said that in his previous life, he had been a famous evil wizard that had unsuccessfully tried to become a lich, and this cursed half-life was the result. He joined an adventuring party in an attempt to right the wrongs that he must have committed, though his memories of that previous life were only vague, haunting dreams. This was my attempt at a tortured emo character without the usual "my parents were murdered and I must get revenge" trope.

What an amazing time for this to come out. I’m about to go from 3.5 and make my first ever 5e character and I wanted to do a scribe nerdy wizard! I’ve always loved your optimization guides and have used your 3.5 guide to help guide my longest lived character, a god style wizard. Thank you Chris!

I played a straight order of scribes wizard with telekinetic. 1) it was amazing. 2) I found I didn't need to move the manifest mind much after the battle got underway. I frequently found it more useful to shove an opponent into the web/off a ledge, and since the mind is usually in position after the first round, I have a freed bonus action to shove. Everything else has been spot on!

A Work-around for the Artificer dip spellcasting focus: level 2 artificer can use it's infusions as spellcasting focus. You can use your infusions to replicate the "enduring spellbook" and thus have your Wizard spellbook also be your Artificer focus.

I mean the nerdiest wizard should be optimized to the point of insanity and I think this build meets the criteria well. Good Job! Thanks!

With a 2-level artificer dip on the beginning of this build you can make your shield your arcane focus for artificer using the enhanced defense infusion, and an enhanced arcane focus as the second infusion for the wizard side to use

Thank you. I always enjoy your builds.

Most options for a flying race don't allow medium or heavy armor to worn and still fly... but I found a race that does allow medium, it only has a restriction against heavy armor. It's the tiefling variant that has wings... you choose them instead of a small handful of spells.

Congrats on 777 hundred subscribers! May you have a blessed 2024!

New campaign starting in a few weeks. Tbh this is a pretty tempting build. I love a bit of expertise on characters because it gives you something you always feel good at. My only criticism (and mental load struggle) with spellcasters is some of them can leave you feeling pretty limited in roleplay without using spell slots

I'm currently making a Scribes wizard for a campaign, I'll definitely be taking these spell choices into consideration!

Love that my cleric knowledge/wizard divination is a high elf version of this, thanks to you im feel like im better

A beautifully nerdy build, I wanna play this even more than your trick builds it looks so fun

Loved the order of scribes the first time I saw it, glad you're giving them love.

no. way. I HAVE DONE THIS BUILD, I've been playing it for some months as a 1 Knowledge/ X Scribes! it's great, only had problems with legendary resistance lol, otherwise I help the team with AoE dmg (used bludgening fire ball on a group of skeletons), made my fireball bludgening for my barb to resist it, have used web A LOT, saved allies with Vortex Warp, saved the healer with healing word. only thing is used a HB race that has wall climbing and web, this gave me one of my favorite hability: climb somewhere and be untoucheble! I've been upside down in ceilings, under a bridges, up trees and even walk on places I wasnt supposed to (I have a Dhampir in the party, we just love walking on walls) PS: I really recomend santuary, saved me a player and some NPCs so it's just better sometimes

Been waiting a long time for this video. A scribes wizard is my backup for dotmm (already lost two characters, so it's only a matter of time). Definitely some food for thought if I want to respec them.

“Nerd of Prey”! That is beautiful! Stolen in a heart beat!

The Scribe Wizard I made was Wood Elf with Elven Accuracy, Spell Sniper & Piercer. There are no more Wizard Piercing Spells after 5th level but that's okay. With Spell Points, we can spam (Scorching) Piercing Ray at 5th level when paired with Animate Objects. Six Rays at 2d6 or 5d6 on a Crit. (...& a once per turn, one reroll on a damage die.) When done with a Bugbear Assassin, swapping Elven Accuracy for Alert, each ray is 9d6 & you can select 6 targets. I'd always carry Ice Knife in case there's a Silence area, until you get Steel Wind Strike. Steel Wind Strike in this way is 13d10 on 5 targets. When teleporting this way making Spell Melee Attacks, your reach is indeed, 5-ft longer, getting a free Disengage OR teleporting above the target to Fall onto them, possibly splitting 1d6 Fall Damage and knocking them Prone (DX15 DEX Save.)

Thanks Treantmonk!

I had a bladesinger/fighter for action surge double casting. We played at level 12 and I rolled stats super high. Ultimately, my lowest possible roll for Arcana after taking Skill Expert and a magic item that added 1d4 to all intelligence rolls, I had a minimum Arcana of 15. 13+nat1+1 on d4. Was a really good time.

I have already wanted to play a disaffected PhD student in dnd and now I have the perfect build for it. "Pen-ultimate", huh? I see what you did there.

Haven’t even started the video, but I laughed out loud at the title alone so I already know this one deserves a like

I love scribes wizards and I think you'd definitely want to organise your spells into categories like "spells for use", "damage type switching" and "sacrificial fodder" if you were playing at higher levels

So I'm currently playing a plasmoid scribes wizard (just got to level 4), and this build gives me some ideas. I had forgotten about Transmute Rock, and was thinking Sickening Radiance before but will probably now do Wall of Fire for a 4th-level pick. Probably will go Summon Construct instead of Aberration for narrative reasons. Thanks for going over this one. It's lots of fun.

Thri-kreen would let you hold all the focuses you want for an artificer multiclass, doesn't need sleep at all, has darkvision, and comes with mage armor built in Only issue would be verbal components of spells like command depending on your dm's rulings

On the subject of multiclassing. Thri-keen could work if you really want that artificer dip. Since they have an extra set if arms that can hold a spell focus. But you’re giving up a LOT with dropping deathless nature.

To play devil's advocate for the Artificer dip: Artificer's can use their Infusions as Spell Focuses for their Artificer spells. So, if you take a second level, you could grab, say, Enhanced Spell Focus for your spellbook and then use the book as a Focus for your Artificer *and* your Wizard. Or grab Mind Sharpener, then you can skip Warcaster. Or you can do both and put the Sharpener on something else. Yeah, you slow down your preparation and slot progression another level, so it might not be the best choice. But it's not a bad one.

This is the true Mage. Devoid of specialties, But master of scrolls and massive spellbooks. A true swiss army knife for those who want a complete variety of spells other than those who want to specialize in particular a school of magic. A good option to consider.😊

Yessssss. I’ve been waiting for this.

As a flesh golem reborn I'd play as an escaped bunch of familiars whose brains were all transplanted into the humanoids cranium (with requisite stitches and scar around head). A little bit of rat, owl, spider and octopus should keep your 4 hours free at night nice and chatty and you could constantly quibble as to whom is the current 'master'. Story arc would be returning to the wizards tower that created you and defeating the vivisectionist master.

Penultimate means second highest. I’m not sure if that’s what you meant, but maybe it is.

You know what? Thri kreen. Sleepless, though without needing only 4 hours to complete a rest, so it's up to DM whether or not scribing is a strenuous activity. Permanent mage armor and extra hands to wield magic items.

as a note for the weird fire damage magic missile build, you'll want to take absorb elements as the fire damage spell-- eventually you''ll stop casting burning hands but you'll never stop casting absorb elements

I've been playing a gnome abjuration wizard with a dip in knowledge cleric for a couple years now in a campaign and it's been super fun, just got to level 17 and the bonus to arcana is off the charts

"A diminutive and rather dirty gnome who's aroma evokes equal parts forest floor and inked vellum stands before you with a dim old brass lantern hanging from the end of their walking stick. Their nose is buried in a massive and well worn tome and their lips are unmoving as you hear a voice addressing you inside of your own head." The amazing utilitarian power of an Order of Scribes Wizard with access to out of class ritual spells, sixteen total cantrips and a dozen other spells always available beyond the daily selections. Personal library and scroll lab travels in a Genie's Vessel where they can also practice their other skills. Mark of Scribing Gnome Mage of High Sorcery(Solinari) 3 Warlock/Genie/Dao/Pact of the Tome (Book of Ancient Secrets, Eyes of the Rune Keeper) 17 Wizard/Order of Scribes Feats - Initiate of High Sorcery - Telepathic - Telekinetic - Arcanist - Artificer Initiate - Spell Sniper Extra Training Suggestions - Warcaster - Skilled (Deception, Intimidation, Insight for an interrogator) - Keen Mind (better Encode Thoughts usage and information gathering) Spell Selections - Racial (Message, Comprehend Languages) - 4 Warlock (Sanctuary, Detect Evil and Good, Spike Growth, Enthrall) - 2 Warlock Cantrips (Eldritch Blast, Greenflame Blade) - Initiate of High Sorcery (Encode Thoughts, Protection from Good and Evil, Shield) - Pact of the Tome (Druidcraft, Thaumaturgy, Guidance) - Book of Ancient Secrets(Speak with Animals, Ceremony *all 1st and 2nd level non wizard rituals eventually) - 5 Wizard Cantrips (Mending, Minor Illusion, Mold Earth, Dancing Lights, Control Flames) - Artificer Initiate (Thief's Tools, Spare the Dying, Shield of Faith) - Telekinetic (Magehand) - Telepathic (Detect Thoughts) - Arcanist (Prestidigitation, Detect Magic) - Spell Sniper (Chill Touch) Still has 17 +Int Mod Wizard spells selections daily. Awakened Spellbook and Arcanist make for nearly infallible Arcana checks. Gnome Cunning and Warcaster provide strong concentration potential. Telepathy, Detect Thoughts and Encode Thoughts are the start of a great interrogator. Picking up Modify Memory creates a powerful agent of misinformation. Messenger and Telepathy create a solid communication hub for the party. This is accented by Eyes of the Rune Keeper and Comprehend Languages for communications from outside the party. Will hunt endlessly for unknown spells. Seeks a way to stabilize Thought Strands for archival storage. Standard wizardly magical items would be the most likely of attunables, like robes, a magical spellbook and a staff. Will keep an old oil lantern for the purposes being their Genie's Vessel and for disguising the Manifested Mind when wanting to gather information or obfuscate the source of a spell. The out of class ritual spells, Druidcraft and Spike Growth provide some wilderness prowess not typically available to a Wizard, a great gnomish flavor. Selecting Sylvan and Auran as the additional starting languages would drive this home. A Wizard knows that preparation is the key to success and as such they will absolutely engage in precombat psychological warfare. Certain rituals and cantrips along with the gnomish proclivity for illusions can be creatively used to terrorize and distract known enemies long before a battle starts.

Love the Simulacrum rant. The wizard in one of the groups I run just got it, and the bard took it with Magical Secrets. Luckily my players aren't diqs, so the Wizard has his dupe guarding his tower and doing research, and the bard has opted to have his dupe run his businesses.

Excellent choice with the Reborn lineage. It doesn’t get enough play because of the Damphir, but the trance and skill boosts fit perfectly. You did mention the summon abberation, which I do like as a pick. Your wizard builds usually follow along the control line, which I tend to agree is something excel at. I’m a bit curious about your thoughts about using summons through the manifest mind feature. Not specifically the Tasha’s or the phb conjure versions, but as a general ranged nuke play style. Summon Greater Demon, Minor Demons, Conjure Elemental, etc…

I think that it is worth a mention that a level 2 wizard/1 cleric *can* add level 2 spells to their spellbook using spell scrolls or another spellbook per the wizard spellbook rules. Adding spells: When you find a wizard spell of 1st level or higher, you can add it to your spellbook *if it is of a spell level you can prepare* and if you can spare the time to decipher and copy it. Preparing spells: You prepare the list of wizard spells that are available for you to cast. To do so, choose a number of wizard spells from your spellbook equal to your Intelligence modifier + your wizard level (minimum of one spell). The spells must be of a *level for which you have spell slots.* Having second level spell slots means you can technically prepare second level spells. Being able to prepare second level spells means that you can technically add them to your spellbook. And we all know that being technically correct is the best kind of correct.

You know, aarracokra would retain their flight speed as a reborn!

I really want to play this subclass

I often pick a knowledge cleric dip for wizards because I love having skills. Reborn is also one of my favorite races for the same reason.

Concerning your issue with Artificer spells vs Wizard spells: As long as they're spells that both can learn, couldn't you simply scribe down Artificer spells onto scrolls, and then learn them as Wizard spells from those scrolls? It seems easy enough to work through the issue by doing so.

I have to admit: Reborn is my genuinely favorite race/lineage. More than once, I've wanted to play one and just be a skeleton full of skelepuns. Yes, TECHNICALLY I'm not a "Skeleton" but as folks far wiser than I have said, "Flavor is Free." Now just to figure out what class, because I've done casters for every one-shot I've been in in the past few years, so maybe a martial

I always wanted to have an Order of Scribes that used to clerk for a devil, writing contracts for other poor souls.

Honestly, I love to see someone recommending spells that are just fun and avoiding spells like Simliracrum or spells that just end an encounter like Hypnotic Pattern. I don't find it fun to take away others ability to feel powerful.

Nerd of Prey, beautiful.

For the Magic Missile build you can also add goblin to the mix

The validation watching this video, having played a cleric/scribes wizard for a yr & half now ( althought I went Arcana Cleric, because i'm a geek not a nerd :P )

Owlin is actually optimal for reborn since you get a flight speed = to walk AND you get a proficiency. If you want 2 proficiencies instead, you can use lizardfolk or locathah who both get a swim speed

Thank you for this build, I have a Goliath, Scribes Wizard. But DM let me use the wizard Quill as my spell focus, so you have this 7 foot skinny, awkward, robe wearing Goliath waving around a feather Quill and boom magic... I found you thru D4.

Hope one day I get to play my Scribe PC idea so I can put some of your hard work to use

9:47 Trance is specially useful in a Warlock with goodberries, 4 hrs = 4 short rests = 80 GB for the day, or cast Aid if 3 War./ x Sorc.

FINALLY!!!! LET'S GOOO!

"Wall of Fire is really solid." I see what you did there.

I have an Archmage build that uses either Life/Knowledge Cleric and Abjuration/Scribe/Bladesinger Wizard dips on a Divine Soul Sorcerer build, or does the opposite, and pairs Scribe Wizard with Knowledge Cleric and a Sorc dip for metamagic. Probably draconic sorc, but could easily be divine soul instead. Toyed with the idea of a Lore Bard to crank the Int skill monkey up to 11, but its a very flexible concept.

I'm not sure if it has been mentioned, but slow doesn't give disadvantage on dex saves, just a static -2 bonus. It's a huge deal

remember: reborn retains movement speeds from your original race! 50 foot flight, anyone? EDIT: you retain the speed, not the trait that gives you the speed. Owlin's Flight: "Thanks to your wings, you have a flying speed equal to your walking speed. You can't use this flying speed if you're wearing medium or heavy armor." as a Reborn, you don't retain this trait, meaning you can fly in heavy armor and wildshape, because reborn's ancestral legacy doesn't specify biology

@Treantmonk's You are right to dismiss the scribe magic missile nuke build idea, but there is an even stronger reason to dismiss it than fire immunity: A build like that would at best be able to cast a level 4 magic missiles with fire damage. This is because of this rule: "When you cast a wizard spell with a spell slot, you can temporarily replace its damage type with a type that appears in another spell in your spellbook, which magically alters the spell's formula for this casting only. The latter spell must be of the same level as the spell slot you expend." To cast a 9th level magic missile, the wizard would need to have a 9th level wizard spell in their spellbook that deals fire damage. This is impossible because wizards are only allowed to copy spells which they would be able to prepare into their spellbook, and this character will be at most a level 8 wizard since they had to dip heavily 6 levels each into 2 other classes to stack the fire damage modifiers. Therefore the highest level spells in their spellbook will be level 4. So you may have a level 9th spellslot, and you could cast regular magic missile with it, but if you want to cast fire damage magic missiles you are limited to level 4 spellslots.

I think artificer is still worth it, just take spells that don't have a material component and you don't have to worry about using a tool for a focus. You can get spare the dying, guidance, faerie fire, and cure wounds, none of which have material components, and they aren't on the wizard spell list. Further, since this cure wounds is an intelligence rather than wisdom spell, it uses your high intelligence for the bonus. And it's a bigger die than healing word. Only problem is that it's a touch spell, but that's why you get find familiar as a wizard ASAP. I guess if the DM wants to be strict about the rules, you can't cast cure wounds or spare the dying through manifest mind, because it says "wizard spell." But your familiar has no such restriction, it just takes some action economy. But cure wounds at range is nothing to sneeze at. Cleric does get a bit more at level 1 with a third cantrip and the domain bonuses, but not needing to invest in wisdom seems like a huge help. And you still get some great spells not on the wizard spell list that synergize well with a wizard.

Another one of your videos that actually makes me interested in playing some 5e. Good work!

Love the build! One thing I have to say though is you mentioned to use slow instead of Web on flying enemies I have to disagree I love shooting flying enemies out of the air with Web lol.

I think there are tables where Shadowtouched at level 9 makes sense. I know you aren’t RAW auto hidden if invisible, but precasting free invisibility, taking cover out of sight, and letting your spellbook fire off the spells has some appeal. Not a lot of options for illusion or necromancy spells though. Free silent image once a day? Hide the party behind a fake wall and snipe the guards on watch from the book? Not very fun for the party. But I’m sure there’s creative uses.

49:00 Wall of Ice does not say it is opaque. The imperfections in ice that you are personally used to cause it to be opaque. Drinking glass ice has microcracks. Icicles from roofs will have dirt and grime. Roads will have snow covering and imbedded into the ice. Ice without these imperfections, like black ice on roads, the first freeze on a lake before it snows, and natural icicles in places without excess dirt will all be perfectly clear. Considering that the spell isn't called Wall of Ice With Cracks And Dirt In It, I think it's reasonable to assume that at the very least, the opacity of the wall is a DM ruling.

I know it doesn’t offer any significant combat output, but I think when it comes to half feats, Skill Expert is one I’d never overlook. I’m surprised it never really gets considered as an option, but I’d be very tempted to throw it on this build. To REALLY make it as an intelligence skill monkey, you could also dip 1 in rogue if that was pivotal to a character concept, and then you’d have expertise in all 5 INT skills, but I’d be hesitant to lose a level of spell progression for that.

I'm making a House Sivis dragonmarked Order Of Scribes wizard for an Eberron campaign. I'm thankful for some guidance. Been struggling through spell selection.

I think there's more to be said about thunder step over dimension door and any non wis save spells over confusion/slow

Nerd of prey. I don’t know, I just love that.

I play an autognome scribe wiz with prof in caligraphy and navigators tools. Essentially a magic copy/fax machine with gps

"go ahead and pick peace cleric you dirty min maxer" that made me burst out laughing.

I like passwall. I ussually homebrew it as a direct counter to force walls as well because ots so niche. So Force Cage can be prepped against.

Just a quick correction, at 19:54 you say that the Wizardly Quill is a floating quill. It is not. I too assumed it was a quill that the wizard could control with some sort of natural connection / telekinesis, but the class does not mention it being a floating pen like that in any way. I wish it did, because I was planning on making a Warforge Scribe wizard who intakes spell components into their engine and creates spell scrolls while "sleeping", since the are only motionless, not unconscious.

You could craft 2 first level scrolls in 4 hours with your build. Scrolls are consumable so they are already 1/2 craft time.

I miss the Sage of Ages epic destiny from 4th edition, which allowed you to make a daily Arcana check for a series of powerful buffs depending on how high you rolled. It really incentivized finding every possible boost to your Arcana check. Fun idea.

I laughed out loud at "nerd of prey"

i feel like changing dmg type of spells is so obviously something sorcerers would do.

I know it's an odd feature but Cardomancer seems like a no brainer after int is maxed. Wizards get some amazing spells but the second best list is cleric as far as I can tell and cardomancer gives you access to any one of those spells. It also fits scribes wizard because not only do they know so much about their own spells but they know all the spells from another class too. Like you thought I only knew Star wars lore but now whipping out of of Picard's greatest monologues or a trekky telling the story of Darth Plagus the wise because you knew the situation calls for it lol

I have a player with a similar build right now. He went grave cleric to help with healing. Easily one of the more powerful and versatile characters in my game

I take Simulacrum for utility, not combat or other gamebreaking things. For example, it can be used to copy an enemy leader, ambassador, or someone else.

Not being able to change cantrips damage type sucks, but I had a ton of fun playing one.

Some spells any Scribes Wizard should be picking up are the likes of Heat Metal or Illusory Dragon. Spells that do damage over time and that cannot be easily escaped (or killed). Casting such spells through Manifest Mind, gives the Scribes Wizard the ability to solo difficult encounters on occasion, without ever moving in range of the danger. The other thing worth mentioning is the Mark of Hospitality Halfling race. If you aren't using Ravnica or Strixhaven backgrounds, it is the only way to have Aid added to the Wizard's spell list, which is pretty huge once you get Spell Mastery and it becomes spammable. Of course that is end game stuff that most games won't even get to, and doesn't even apply to the Scribes Wizard specifically (just a general Wizard choice), so I would say the 4 hour rest is more useful in this case, but it is a powerful option for high level one-shots or something.