I'm curious to see what combinations of spells and meta-magic people have come up with which most benefit from the Magical Lineage trait. For my current controller wizard (for a PbP game, so I know the advancement will be slow and therefore a low-level solution gives me the most immediate returns), I've chosen grease so I can make it Persistent for only a second level spell, but I know there have to be better options available.
Thoughts?
Magic missile has all kinds of fun tricks you can add to it, like toppling for example. Knock 5 baddieis over at a time.
My two cents:
The best kind of spell for Magical Lineage is (a) fairly low level, so that you can use it right away (as you note above), (b) still useful at higher levels, so that it isn't a waste of a trait for half your career, and (c) benefits from both weak and strong metamagic feats (see (a)).
For a cleric, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of Command; Extended Command is an excellent level 1 spell, and it's still useful at higher levels (adding Bouncing Spell or Persistent Spell or whatever).
For a wizard, Grease or Color Spray are pretty good choices, but I haven't found those spells to have a lot of staying power necessarily. Charm Person and (Reach) Touch of Gracelessness might be useful as well (but less "God"-like, maybe).
Web and Glitterdust are right handy. Persistent Spell on either is fantastic. Focus Spell is also beneficial on either.
Soundburst allows a 2 round fort save with Extend Spell. You also can apply Persistent Spell, Focus Spell, Heighten Spell, Sicken Spell, Lingering Spell, etc.
Spiritual Weapon allows a 6 round attack with Extend Spell at 3rd level. Dazing Spell, Heighten Spell, Sicken Spell also add nicely.
Cure Light Wounds makes a nice ranged healing spell with the Reach Spell feat. You don't have to ever get into combat to stop someone from bleeding.
Enlarge Person with Reach Spell is very nice to get that 1 round buff spell cast without having to get close to combat.
Reach spell doesn't work on Range: Touch.
I would go with magic missle. It is a solid damage spell that you can tag other save or suck effects on. The best part is that it lets you target multiple targets without having to worry about hitting allies.
I would go with magic missle. It is a solid damage spell that you can tag other save or suck effects on. The best part is that it lets you target multiple targets without having to worry about hitting allies.Also good for incorporeals and such.
It is also nice that you can use it immediately to be popping out toppling magic missles at level 1. 1d4+1 damage and a free trip attempt at caster level + int modifier.
It is also nice that you can use it immediately to be popping out toppling magic missles at level 1. 1d4+1 damage and a free trip attempt at caster level + int modifier.I would go with magic missle. It is a solid damage spell that you can tag other save or suck effects on. The best part is that it lets you target multiple targets without having to worry about hitting allies.Also good for incorporeals and such.
It goes from a pretty good spell to one of the best in the game.
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Read my builds either in the blaster wizards or the barbarian v caster discussions that show why
dazing + magical lineage is the way to go.
Also works with toppling and rime.And you want to apply vs magic missile or snapdragon fireworks.
I did! It's so good, it may be too good.
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Personally, I'm not the fondest of Grease. Its a neat spell, has good control applications, and it is generally better to have it than to not have it... but the area is just too tiny. A single 10-foot square? Meh. That's a max of 4 creatures if they just happen to be perfectly boxed together for you (i.e. never, unless you do something to force it). Otherwise it' only reasonable to catch 1 maybe 2 creatures, then watch the rest just walk around its tiny area. Unless everything is totally mindless, or if you're in a narrow passage... otherwise I'd never spend anything above a 1st level slot on it.
But anyways, I'd rather use the Toppling Magic Missile strategy so I can specifically target the things I want to fall over. It's not only useful right away (long range trip attempt that won't provoke), but its staying power is superb. The tactic only gets better as you progress in levels, since you can start tripping multiple targets per usage. They still need to be within 15ft of each other, as per Magic Missile rules, but that can still be a decent stretch of distance depending on how they're positioned. Overall its a pretty strong strategy for only a 1st level spell slot.
I find at higher levels, grease is more effective at targeting the object an opponent is holding, i.e. the flaming bow of an Erinyes, BBEG's vorpal blade, etc. A saving throw must be made in each round that the creature attempts to pick up or use the greased item - eventually they fail.
The grease-an-item or weapon trick works great if they fail their first save, but if they pass that first one, the whole spell is negated. Of course, that's one reason I want to be able to use Persistent Spell on it as cheaply as possible. Grease is also nice to prevent charges on your frontliners from things with gore, pounce, or lances.
Reach spell doesn't work on Range: Touch.Why doesn't it? Read it again.
That being said, Cure Light Wounds isn't worth spending a trait or a increased spell slot on. Far too weak of a spell, and its usefulness disappears rather quickly.Reach Spell (Metamagic)
Your spells go farther than normal.
Benefit: You can alter a spell with a range of touch, close, or medium to increase its range to a higher range category, using the following order: touch, close, medium, and long. A reach spell uses up a spell slot one level higher than the spell’s actual level for each increase in range category. For example, a spell with a range of touch increased to long range uses up a spell slot three levels higher. Spells modif ied by this feat that require melee touch attacks instead require ranged touch attacks.
Spells that do not have a range of touch, close, or medium do not benefit from this feat.
Right you are. DISREGARD!
Ideally, I'd like a spell that could benefit from multiple meta-magic feats. Grease doesn't really need to be Empowered or usually even Extended.
Can an acid arrow be Extended? Would foes have to make a Will save every round they took damage from a Dazing Acid Arrow?
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Ideally, I'd like a spell that could benefit from multiple meta-magic feats. Grease doesn't really need to be Empowered or usually even Extended.
Can an acid arrow be Extended? Would foes have to make a Will save every round they took damage from a Dazing Acid Arrow?
Yes. Muhuhuhuhahahaha. It's also why I enjoy Dazing Acid Fog.