Need some help with spell selection for a Blaster I've made for our Serpent's Skull game. I've got the Djinni Bloodline, and if it's relevant I have Intensify and Empower as my metamagic spells.
So currently I know:
Shocking Grasp (Bloodline)
Magic Missile
Burning hands
Mage Armor
Feather Fall
Invisibility (Bloodline)
Scorching Ray
Burning Arc (currently my most used spell)
Knock (Page of Spell Knowledge)
Fireball
Fly (Bloodline)
Battering Blast (Page of Spell Knowledge)
Explosive Runes (No real chance for use currently, I'm making 1-2 every morning and stowing them in my pocket for a rainy day. Hopefully "Mage Hand + Boom Note" will be effective on occasion)
I need help picking another 3rd level spell, preferably one that either deals a decent amount of damage or incapacitates a few targets at once, or is just one of those "Don't pass this up, you dolt" spells. In the running right now are Aqueous Orb (sounds nice, and kinda evil TBH), Mad Monkeys, and Dispel Magic, but I'd like some more ideas before I commit to one.
I thought about Summon Monster III but it seems like those spells don't get good until at least IV/V so I think I'll hold off on that for a while. Our party already has a Cleric and a Bard (whose opening move is "Inspire Courage and then Haste EVERYTHING!"), so we're usually buffed out the wazoo, and we've got a Paladin, Barbarian, Monk (also me, he's coming back next session since it took us until the end of this one to level), and Archer Ranger so we're good on the melee front, but I'm the only offensive caster we've got currently so I don't really want to mess up on spell choice.
I am not an expert, but here are some of my thoughts. I am partial to Dispel Magic because it can quite easily solve some problems that are extremely difficult otherwise. And having it in a Sorcerer (where it is always available, not only on days where it was planned for) can be very useful.
Others with more experience may guide you differently, but this is what I would probably do.
Yeah. That option sounded good because I'm a smidge light on utility spells, and I think I'd be the only one who had it (is Dispel Magic on the Cleric spell list?), but I wanted a second opinion.
Thanks for your input. =)
Aqueous Orb still sounds good too though, if only for the lol factor.
Stinking Cloud is a pretty good one.
Spiked pit is good, especially if you happen to have someone in your party who is good at Bull Rush, or if you have access to Hydraulic Push.
Deeper Slumber, Sheet Lightning, Diamond Spray, Hostile Levitation just a couple from a minute look at 3rd spells on pathfindersrd.
I'm trying to stay away from spells that don't seem to scale well, so Deeper Slumber looks like it's out.
I didn't see the point of Diamond Spray really, it's just an "XdY cone" spell, of which there are plenty and it doesn't do anything BUT damage.
Hostile Levitation looked okay I guess but it seems like Slow is far superior in every way.
Sheet Lightning looks pretty good, but it's short duration, and I'm not sure if I would use it much.
Seems like they'd be good spells if I didn't get so few.
Stinking Cloud on the other hand looks great, Spiked Pit has seen use before and it was very underwhelming. Maybe I'll take Acid Pit or Hungry Pit later though.
So, now I'm thinking Slow or Stinking Cloud might be wery gut.
Either is a good spell, but I'm thinking that Dispel Magic, for all the reasons given above, would be more useful than either. It solves a different set of problems than "disable/harm enemies"' which is what most of your spells already do. Frankly you're overstocked on offensive spells.
Of the two, I'd go with Stinking Cloud first, because it partly disable enemies but also blocks line of sight, and sometimes that sort of defensive block can be extremely helpful (e.g., hiding from long-range arrow fire)
I'd take Dispel Magic. If not, then I'd take Slow.
Haste
I'll mull it over some more. Dispel Magic seems like it may be the best choice, mostly because nobody else has it (odd, for all the spellcasters we have).
And yeah, I'm overstocked on offensive spells, mostly because that's the only niche (magically) that wasn't filled at all. We've got a Magus (Hexcrafter) focused on debuffing, a Bard dedicated to Buffing/Utility, and a Cleric who's a Healbot/Buffer, but our party wanted me to make "That guy who can burninate the countryside because nobody else in this party can". So I did.
I'm a sucker for haste, personally. However, looking at your party, you might not get the best value out of this. Really depends how the others are built. Taking Summon Monster III and swapping it out later may be a good idea.
You are indeed overstocked with offensive spells, even for someone who specializes in them. Not a deal-breaker, but probably worth phasing some out over the long run. A bigger concern is that the blast spells you do have predominantly allow for a reflex save. Thankfully your bloodline saves you from being a bit fire heavy, but I'd look into finding ways to diversify which saving throws you're hitting. If you encounter a bunch of Rogues with good reflex saves and touch AC's, you're basically stuck with magic missile.
True. It seems like the vast majority of them allow Reflex saves, which is disappointing. This'll be the first straight caster I've played actually, now I think about it. Never realized that before.
Anyway, if you've got ideas for damaging/greatly incapacitating spells that target Will or Fort, or have no save I could get soon-ish I'm all ears. I know Finger of Death and Disintegrate go for Fort at the very least, but that's about it I can think of.
I think I'll get Summon Monster IV when I can though, it looks like a good one, just not III.