RPG Superstar 2012 Top 32
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1st-level
Liberating command — Damn near every casting class has access to it, it's an immediate action to cast, only uses verbal components, and gets folks out of grapples. Sucks at 1st level, but scales VERY well. Once you're about 5th level or so, you should consider preparing this every day.
Divine favor — This one's a bit narrow (and it's Core, so not necessarily 'little known', but I never seem to see anyone using it), but if you're a fighty-cleric, then from 6th level onward this is a really solid spell. You know that bull's strength you've been using to get +2 to attack and damage? Well (starting at 6th level) this gives you the same buff, except it stacks with a STR belt and only takes a 1st-level spell slot instead of 2nd.
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The comments about Vanish and Divine Favor remind me that there are certain spells that suck when you first have access to them, but become worthwhile later on. That might deserve its own conversation instead of being part of this list.
For example, Summon Monster 1. At 1st level, it only lasts 1 round, so why bother? My sorcerer took it at 3rd level, when it lasts 3 rounds, and it became his "go to" spell through levels 3 and 4. The summoned critters aren't great, but at that level, they can actually hit some of the time and do a little damage. Even at higher levels, crowding the battlefield can be useful, even if the SM1 mobs are too weak to actually hit any enemies and die in one shot. If there's a rogue in the party, just call it "Summon Flanker 1". Remember that eagles have an 80 ft fly speed, so they can get over the enemies and behind them for flanks easily.
2nd level: Sorc/Wiz, Witch
Lipstitch - Targeted "silence" on a Fort save, no verbal components. Yes, they can "undo" it with an action, but that action does damage and provokes. If you go the fast route on removing the stitches, you still get a 20% failure chance on spells with verbal components. It even stops the target from using wands while it's in effect.
Bonus: a sorceror with Still Spell can cast this with zero indication that it's happening.
And that any attack that is hitting them isn't aimed at your party members.
My favorite one is Magic Missile. It doesn't do much damage, but is literally a Fire & Forget Ranged Attack that can be useful for finishing enemies.
RPG Superstar Season 9 Top 16, RPG Superstar 2015 Top 32
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Sow Thought is very useful. The lower save DC means you won't be able to use it on BBEGs, but having it used on weaker foes means you do all sorts of fun stuff with it. For example, sowing the thought, "I should tell these people everything I know so they don't kill me," is one I have successfully used. It triggered a monolog!
What is this obscure “Magic Missile” spell you speak of?
The often useful defensive spells Stone Shield and Windy Escape are both immediate actions to cast, making them especially valuable in the window when a caster is high enough level that they don’t tend to use all their 1st-level spells, but don’t have enough resources to cast a Quickened spell every round. (levels 6-12)
I know it isn't so much Obscure as just not used... But it is still a good spell to at least have a wand of.
My Wizard/Sorcerer Player usually uses it to finish off the Mooks and such when they are low on HP so the Beat-Stick can focus on weakening some other enemies.
Erase - seriously, this one's a no-brainer later on. I mean, the roleplaying applications for this are fantastic, but the DC to remove runes is fixed and easy (DC 15 caster level check - piece of piss)
Sure, it can't remove Symbols, but everything up to that is perfectly fine.
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Ok, I have searched and searched and gone through the entire level 1-2 wizard spell list. Where is Snowball? I keep hearing about it but am apparently overlooking it.
I personally think Message, Mage Hand and even Acid Splash are all extremely useful at nearly any stage of the game. There are just too many situations where they could be useful (especially when captured).
Dot
I love me some:
Oracle/Cleric: Sanctuary
Cantrip: Presdigitation
Witch: Undine's Curse (with GM permission)
These aren't necessarily lesser known spells, but level 0/1 spells can be awesome for a rogue with a sorcerer dip.
a rogue who dips one level of sorcerer can take Acid Splash, Shocking Grasp, and Vanish. With the trait Magical Knack, Shocking Grasp does 3d6 damage and it's a touch attack (often with a +4 bonus) which makes landing sneak attacks a breeze. Vanish lets you hide long enough to get your sneak attack, and Acid Splash has the perfect range to land your ranged sneak attacks. (Plus he gets the ability to use scrolls without a UMD check.)
Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide open
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Ok, I have searched and searched and gone through the entire level 1-2 wizard spell list. Where is Snowball? I keep hearing about it but am apparently overlooking it.
I personally think Message, Mage Hand and even Acid Splash are all extremely useful at nearly any stage of the game. There are just too many situations where they could be useful (especially when captured).
I believe Snowball is in the new "People of the North" book.
Yeah Snowball certainly seems to be the new hotness or coldness I guess man I don't know
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I won't claim that these are not well known, but here are some of my favorite 1st level spells for higher level use.
Abundant Ammunition - It mutiplies whatever kind of ammo you're using, including spell effects on that ammo. So, at higher levels you can have a quiver/pouch full of masterwork, special material ammunition, alligned, blessed, or Greater Magic Weaponed up for special orders.
Alarm - Lasting 2 hours/level, it's much better at 4th level than 1st, and better again at 12th level. Since there's no save and most enemies won't have a way to spot it, it never really goes out of style.
Comprehend Languages - It does the job no matter what level you are, but I find that strange languages come up more at higher levels.
Cure Light Wounds - "Negative and bleeding" is the same at any level, and this 1d8+5 worth of healing can be mixed very easily with Reach Spell and/or Quicken Spell to prevent deaths. Sure, a "better spell is better" but it's always good to have this in your back pocket. Also, as an after-combat or before-bed spell, it helps fill up HP resivoirs without costing a more potent spell slot.
Detect Evil - Better at recognizing powerful enemies than weak ones.
Detect Secret Doors - Never obselete!
Enlarge Person - aka "Multiply Melee Power". When your target (party member) is more powerful, you're simply multiplying a higher number.
Faerie Fire, Grace, Feather Step, Feather Fall, Liberating Command
- Does it's job at any level, but is more likely to be needed the higher (level) you are.
Obscure Object - I've never needed this spell until higher levels, when enemies have access to scrying. Also, since it lasts 8 hours, it's most useful when you can afford to cast it three times per day.
Lesser Restoration - Comes up more at higher levels, and wasn't worth knowing at very early levels anyway.
Shield - Bonus AC that likely stacks with whatever you've got, even at high levels.
True Strike - It's not usually worth casting when you're low level, but using to aim a high-level spell is great!
Vanish - Much better when quickened.
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I'll go for a few that I think would not end up on most people's list:
I would guess that just in terms of pure quantity of casting, "guidance" is the most commonly used spell for any spellcaster I have who can use it. It's a free +1 on just about anything you need to do. In combat it's not that great, but outside of combat it is a rare skill check that doesn't get "guidance" added to it.
For dungeon crawls I probably use "ghost sound" and "dancing lights" more than any other spells.
My druid always has "goodberries" on her. She has a special box that holds fifty of them and given any time to relax, she fills it up.
Protection from evil is a highly underestimated and underused spell.
Obscuring mist hides you from even relatively high level spells.
Expeditious retreat. Maneuverability wins encounters.
Ill Omen. No save man.
I'll go for a few that I think would not end up on most people's list:
I would guess that just in terms of pure quantity of casting, "guidance" is the most commonly used spell for any spellcaster I have who can use it. It's a free +1 on just about anything you need to do. In combat it's not that great, but outside of combat it is a rare skill check that doesn't get "guidance" added to it.
For dungeon crawls I probably use "ghost sound" and "dancing lights" more than any other spells.
My druid always has "goodberries" on her. She has a special box that holds fifty of them and given any time to relax, she fills it up.
Protection from evil is a highly underestimated and underused spell.
Obscuring mist hides you from even relatively high level spells.
Expeditious retreat. Maneuverability wins encounters.
Ill Omen. No save man.
+1 to Goodberry spell and Obscuring mist... Also Entangle is awesome also... Druids get awesome low level spells..
Do spells from the Pathfinder 1001 spells count? There is a 0-level Bard Spell that is immediate (you can cast when not your turn as long as you are not flat footed) called Pause that adds to an enemy's initiative (+4 I believe)... never used it but I think its one of the coolest Zero level spells because its immediate and its bardy
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RPG Superstar 2014 Top 16
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My favourite use for a Magic Missile is to disrupt enemy spellcasters. It always hits, no save, and the damage scales well enough that the concentration check you have to make if you take damage while casting is pretty formidable, even at high levels. Pretty much the only reason not to do this is if the opponent has a Shield up.
Guidance is a good spell most people undervalue. True it only gives a +1 but as a 0 level spell you can cast it as often as you like. Since can last up to 1 minute cast it on everyone before combat and use it for the save you really don't want to miss or that attack needs to hit. Since it can also be used on skills that pretty much means anyone with the spell has a +1 on all his skills. Since it is a competence bonus it stacks with almost everything
Create water - something is on fire - create water, roll in it!
There something inv in here? Water on the floor!
Need a quick bath? create water?
just hit something really big down into negative hit point - but it has regenration which you don't have the means to overcome? Dig a hole + create water (alot of create water) drown the bid baddy..
Angry mob - now a wet angry mob...
thirsty? - create water.
Shocking Grasp - A magus can make this thing his bread and butter for spellstrike and get the damage to 15D6 while using only a level 2 spellslot (Empowered spell arcana + Intensified spell) as well as getting it to crit on the range and multiplier of his weapon.
Not to mention touch attacks stay relevant all the time :D
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Shocking Grasp - A magus can make this thing his bread and butter for spellstrike and get the damage to 15D6 while using only a level 2 spellslot (Empowered spell arcana + Intensified spell) as well as getting it to crit on the range and multiplier of his weapon.
Not to mention touch attacks stay relevant all the time :D
That's pretty much the exact opposite of lesser known. I'm actually tempted to make a magus without shocking grasp just to see if I can make an effective character while going against the stereotype.
Now if you had a suggestion that made shocking grasp useful for a wizard or sorcerer, most of whom prefer to avoid the front lines in combat, then I'd be all ears.
Actually, I thought about doing Magical Lineage trait with Reach Metamagic and Shocking Grasp on an electric themed sorcerer (maybe dragon or elemental bloodline), but it was too many feats and traits to make it worthwhile. There are better ways to go if you want to be a blaster caster.
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Disrupt Undead lvl 0, I've seen low level dungeon crawls that were won or lost based on whether or not the arcane caster chose this spell.
Murderous Command is probably not Obscure, but as 1st level divine spells go, I am a huge fan. "Oh look, they have an Ogre with a lousy will save"
At higher levels, I like Moment of Greatness. If you have a bard in the party, or some other means of frequently-available level scaling Morale bonuses... suddenly doubling them can be great fun.
Ant Haul is fun, especially when the strongest member of the party has flight, and this spell makes "the rest of the party and the cart they are riding in" less than his carrying capacity.
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Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide open
I use Silent Image all the time. It's one of the best spells in the game.
Just the other week, we had a troll burst though the doors, and I cast silent image to make the doors look like they calmly shut again (slamming it shut without any sound would have been really weird, but slowly closing doors is much more convincing). It made him waste a move action to determine the door wasn't real.
Other ways I've used it:
Going down a long hallway with an enemy at the other end? Cast silent image near the end of the hallway to make an image of an empty hallway. Now your party can silently (hopefully!) move down the hallway without being seen.
Losing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
Need to sneak across an empty field, but don't want to be seen? I've cast silent image above us to make it look like an open field, so we could walk under the illusion and get by the flying dragon without being seen.
I've snuck past guards on an open empty intersection getting from one street to the next. I've snuck into buildings creating an image just past the door so no one could see us opening and entering.
I've made our opponent look like a buffoon in the king's court by creating an image of him performing the wrong bow. This was a court that thought that the best etiquette meant you were a better person. Those who performed their etiquette the best got the ear of the king. That simple spell cost our enemy the king's favor. It didn't matter that our enemy knew it was a spell - it was the court's eyes that I cared about.
That spell is the most useful spell I've ever cast. Oh, and remember: as long as they don't interact with the image, they don't get a save.
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Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide openLosing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
I can't picture this.
If I'm looking in the sky and I see a bird flying, there's no way I'm going to think it may be huge when it gets to the ground.
Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide openLosing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
I can't picture this.
If I'm looking in the sky and I see a bird flying, there's no way I'm going to think it may be huge when it gets to the ground.
The problem is that its subjective and hard. Google 3d sidewalk art and find a picture from any angle other than straight on.
Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide openLosing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
I can't picture this.
If I'm looking in the sky and I see a bird flying, there's no way I'm going to think it may be huge when it gets to the ground.
That's because birds in our world don't have a 40 foot wing span with a body that is 100 feet long.
Take a look at this photo: Aeroplane
Do you see a tiny plane or do you see a large plane that is far away? The concept is the same with creating an image of a dragon..
The problem is that its subjective and hard. Google 3d sidewalk art and find a picture from any angle other than straight on.Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide openLosing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
I can't picture this.
If I'm looking in the sky and I see a bird flying, there's no way I'm going to think it may be huge when it gets to the ground.
3D perspective can be very challenging. A wizard who would be successful with these types of illusion spells would probably be maxed out in a craft, perform, or profession skill that has to do with artwork.
3D perspective can be very challenging. A wizard who would be successful with these types of illusion spells would probably be maxed out in a craft, perform, or profession skill that has to do with artwork.The problem is that its subjective and hard. Google 3d sidewalk art and find a picture from any angle other than straight on.Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide openLosing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
I can't picture this.
If I'm looking in the sky and I see a bird flying, there's no way I'm going to think it may be huge when it gets to the ground.
But did he?
But did he?3D perspective can be very challenging. A wizard who would be successful with these types of illusion spells would probably be maxed out in a craft, perform, or profession skill that has to do with artwork.The problem is that its subjective and hard. Google 3d sidewalk art and find a picture from any angle other than straight on.Silent Image: level 1 spell with no save (sometimes) and the applications are wide openLosing a battle? Round 1: Cast the zero level spell Ghost Sound to make the sound of a roaring dragon off in the distance (it has to be distant, because a close up dragon roar requires you to be level 8). Round 2: Cast silent image to make a dragon appear up in the sky. Your enemies, if they have any sense in them, will break combat to get out of sight from the dragon. Now you too can run away and live to fight another day. You don't actually have to make a giant dragon way up in the sky - that would be beyond the range of the spell. However, by using perspective, you can create the image about 10-20 feet off the ground and make a tiny dragon that just looks like it's way up there. This also allows you to move the dragon seemingly across the sky.
I can't picture this.
If I'm looking in the sky and I see a bird flying, there's no way I'm going to think it may be huge when it gets to the ground.
My characters always have one or more of those skills in something or another. To me, it helps flesh out their background and non-adventuring interests. That wizard was also an art connoisseur and a painter.
Re bookrat:
That could work. Of I were dm I'd allow it with some sort of artistry roll.
Re bookrat:
That could work. Of I were dm I'd allow it with some sort of artistry roll.
Would you still require such a roll or skill if the wizard was specialized in the illusion school? Not that mine was - I've never actually played an illusionist.
Would you still require such a roll or skill if the wizard was specialized in the illusion school? Not that mine was - I've never actually played an illusionist.Re bookrat:
That could work. Of I were dm I'd allow it with some sort of artistry roll.
The problem here isn't really how good the wizard is at crafting something that looks close or far away, it's depth perception. Your brain, because you have two eyes, is pretty good at figuring out how far away things are from you by virtue of how your eyes have to move to focus in on it. Only in very unique circumstances, like the optical illusion of the moon looking bigger on the horizon because of its proximity to other landmarks, does something like this work.
So, sure, you could make the dragon look like it's moving in a way that's far off, and you could make it small. The image would still be perceived by the person's brain, even if they failed their save, in a way that would make it look like a very small dragon that was nearby. In the same way you don't look at a jet flying on a cloudless day and think it's tiny and really close or a slow-moving nearby fly and think it was really big and far away, you wouldn't think the tiny nearby image of a dragon was actually far away and very large, unless you also had some sort of compulsion on the creature itself. (Or no depth perception.)
Now, a creature with no depth perception, like a cyclops? Sure!
Now we're getting all science-y. :)
The brain also automatically fills in voids of senses in order to make a complete picture. This is why optical illusions work. It's also why eye-witness testimony is so unreliable. Another important aspect is that of psychology - people tend to believe what they want to be true or what they fear to be true, regardless of what they actually see in front of them.
So in this instance, one could say that the opponents are actually "interacting" with the image by looking at it, so they would get a saving throw. Those that pass see it as an illusion; those that don't would react as if it were real (or at least until their friends said, "get back here, it's just an illusion!")
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I won't claim that these are not well known, but here are some of my favorite 1st level spells for higher level use.
Abundant Ammunition - It mutiplies whatever kind of ammo you're using, including spell effects on that ammo. So, at higher levels you can have a quiver/pouch full of masterwork, special material ammunition, alligned, blessed, or Greater Magic Weaponed up for special orders.
*blink blink*
um... I know this shouldn't work... but um... Abundant Ammunition and then named bullet a couple of times...
X-O
Inheritor's Smite is an obscure one that's nonetheless a favorite among the battle oracles in my area.
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I love the spells that are decent at low level but are actually better at high level when you can throw them around as a swift action using a rod of quicken spell.
Examples:
Divine Favor - Love being able to buff and then use that buff immediately.
Ill Omen - Much better when quickened. Now you can quicken ill omen and then follow that with a misfortune and a cackle to make it stick indefinitely. It's like being able to persistent spell your misfortune hex.
True Strike - A decent spell at low lvls but much better when you can quicken it to guarantee that hit in the same round.
Some other favorites are:
Silent image - 1st lvl spell that can mimick a lot of spells and more. They only get a save when they interact.
Grease - Yes it's obvious but it is a great great spell with lots of uses. I have used it to prevent grapples, interrupt grapples, disarm enemies, trip enemies, give rogues sneak attacks, and allow my 458 pound bloatmage to make his escape artist check to squeeze through the small entrance to a cave. I have also had a bard chef who used it when cooking and so never worried about sticking food.
Glitterdust.
The 15th level Summoner in our game still makes regular, effective use of this spell.
Agreed. It says a lot about a spell when it gets nerfed and is still one of the best 2nd lvl spells. Glitterdust is so BA that I have characters with wands of it. When in doubt glitterbomb the whole dang room. Blindness is just a side benefit.