For me, acid splash, prestigitation, detect magic, and flaming sphere. Some much fun with these spells.
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For me, acid splash, prestigitation, detect magic, and flaming sphere. Some much fun with these spells.
Detect Magic is the ultimate staple. It should be against the rules of the game to create a caster without it.
I finally got a chance to use my Acid Splash trick last night with my rogue. I can't remember if I already mentioned that in this thread or not.
Basically, I have a (mostly, for now) rogue PC who took the Minor Magic rogue talent, which lets him pick a wizard cantrip and cast it three times per day as a spell like ability. Being a dex based rogue, Acid Splash is perfect for this. I have an insane initiative, so the idea is to catch enemies flat footed and cast Acid Splash at them from within 30 feet as a sneak attack. This gives me a sneak attack even if I'm too far away to get a melee attack while they're still flat footed, without having to spend an action drawing a ranged weapon. And yes, I know ninjas can already do the same thing with shurikens, but this is touch AC, and ignores both DR and SR.
I thought you could only sneak attack with a ray. Is that not true?
You can sneak attack with pretty much anything that has an attack roll and deals damage.
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Share Memory
Makes Sending, Teleport, Locate Creature/Object (if the GM agrees a memory is first hand), Discern Location (again GM might overrule) all more useful. Also great for when asked "So what exactly happened?"
I also like Silent Image as an overhead projector for presenting information.
if you fill the conditions for sneak attack, that is.
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if you fill the conditions for sneak attack, that is.
Obviously. That's why my rogue combines Acid Splash with high initiative, to catch enemies flat footed within 30 feet in the surprise round or first round of battle. It's his backup weapon for when he can't get within melee range while they're still flat footed. It also combines well with invisibility that way.
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** spoiler omitted **
I've actually had a wizard that spammed a homebrewed variation Floating Disks this way (back in early 2nd edition) except I used them to carry ballista. I ended up having three of these platforms following me around to carry my stuff and lay waste to my enemies.. which worked great until an enemy used disjunction against me while flying across lava.
** spoiler omitted **I've actually had a wizard that spammed a homebrewed variation Floating Disks this way (back in early 2nd edition) except I used them to carry ballista. I ended up having three of these platforms following me around to carry my stuff and lay waste to my enemies.. which worked great until an enemy used disjunction against me while flying across lava.
My DM suggested that I home brew a variant (larger, faster). I still may, but in two levels ill have phantom chariot, so I didn't want to use too many resources.
For me, acid splash, prestigitation, detect magic, and flaming sphere. Some much fun with these spells.Detect Magic is the ultimate staple. It should be against the rules of the game to create a caster without it.
In a game I GM only one of the casters has both detect magic and spellcraft. So only one can try to identify stuff.
When I first started to play this game I was in love with Fireball. Nothing could beat the pleasure of throwing buckets of dices at ennemies, especially once my GM allowed me to play a Wizard of Thay.
Now I know better and lastly I had lots of fun with Stone Shape with both my Wizard and my Druid, using it to protect my group by enclosing us into a cave during a night attack of critters, screwing up a cave ambush by digging through it BEHIND ennemy lines, or just creating doors or bridges for shortcuts.
Wood Shape/Warp Wood is nice for the same reasons, above all at low levels as it can really screw up the opposition (I used the latter to sink an ennemy boat...awesome)
Seeing that mix of hate and respect into the eyes of your GM when you use such a spell this way is just an awesome feeling.
Also Grease is just absurdingly useful in so many situations. This is basically my groups "Get out of grapple" almost free card.
Form of the Dragon gives you that incredible feeling of power, and nothing surpasses charging your ennemies with your Fighter/Barbarian on the back of a Fire Breathing Dragon
Also Mending became a party favourite because one of our players repeatedly mixed Mending and Message (we are playing with english rules but it's not our mother tongue), and our GM had lots of fun making him repair everything around him each time he was trying to scout.
Same goes for Shillelagh cause the first time I used it I raised my fist shouting it as if I was Prince Adam turning into He-Man. No one can ever cast it again without mimicking it.
Arcane Cannon is one of my favorites. Who doesn't like the idea of magically summoning a great big cannon to blow people up? Nobody, that's who.
I was going to say Vomit Swarm, because it's just so cool, but I see that quite a few people have already picked that one.
And last, but certainly not least, Acid Arrow. Ongoing damage, a heck of a good Range, and tons of history.
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Good ol' magic missile. I had a new player have her character close her eyes to try to avoid getting hit by that spell.
Modify Memory. I let a player treat it like psychic surgery to heal trauma victims.
My player's used Charm Person early in fights to talk down the big bad. Then there's a game of wits between GM and player, as the player tries to get the villain to the cops without granting the victim a second save. If you don't freak out about ruining your GM plans, it can lead to great role playing.
My absolute favorite though is from 3.5.: benign transposition and malign transposition. The chance to switch people on the battle field is all kinds of tactical awesome, both on offense and defense.
Another 3.5 goodie: Ring of Blades. 5' radius, 1d6+CL damage. But it's not dismissible and lasts for 10 min/level. And it is a cleric spell. You have to think long and hard about whether to cast it.
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Still love Enlarge Person. Nothing beats low level battlefield control than a large fighter with a reach weapon and combat reflexes.
I'm also partial to Glibness, as they let you tell almost any lie and be believed. It's great for recreating those "These are not the droids you're looking for" moments, and can be absolutely vital for escaping all kinds of trouble. Having only a Somatic component also makes it useful for talking your way into letting guards release you if you have been captured.
Glibness! I forgot how amazing that spell is!
I've also had alchemists and wizards take Blood Transcription. It's just so much fun to Mega-Man-style steal spells known from your dead enemies. Just make sure the Paladin hasn't put any ranks in Spellcraft.
Or, uh, make sure the Paladin doesn't notice you drinking the creature's blood. Agree %100 percent, though. Great spell.
Also agree with Remove Fear. Don't leave home without that one.
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I've also had alchemists and wizards take Blood Transcription. It's just so much fun to Mega-Man-style steal spells known from your dead enemies. Just make sure the Paladin hasn't put any ranks in Spellcraft.Or, uh, make sure the Paladin doesn't notice you drinking the creature's blood. Agree %100 percent, though. Great spell.
My last group was able to convince the Paladin that since we'd already slain the creature anyway, drinking its blood was a non-evil (if disgusting) means of "honoring the magic in a fallen enemy's bloodline" or something like that.
To this day, that Paladin believes that Blood Transcription is like an arcane version of Speak with Dead or something, and he has no reason to believe that it has the [evil] descriptor.
If your Paladin is the kind who pretty much leaves his Detect Evil on constantly, you may have a harder time of it.
Dot.
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Two alch fires just aren't enough against the type of swarms you see at tier 8-9.
The last swarm I encountered was army ants. The DM decided to withhold the the fact that ants were still clinging to the players after they left the swarm, since nobody made the knowledge check. He just started assigning damage each round without any explanation as to source.
Elemental Aura is my response. Continuing damage as an emanation.
Thats one of those things that you don't have to make any checks to know.
The DM was being a dick there and screwed up.
Thats like a DM not informing you that a rabid squirrel is in your pants, delighted to find a new supply of nuts.
Agreed. The GM is supposed to describe the scene to the players. He's the eyes and ears of the characters. Not letting them know that something obvious is walking on their skin is pretty clearly a dick move.
This sort of thing really bugs me. I once had a situation where the GM put some minis on a map, told us to roll initiative, and when I asked "What are those?", I was told to roll a knowledge check. Any non-blind PC with their eyes open should be given a basic description of what they see. We can't ask more specific questions, or even know why we're in a fight, without that information.
aboleth's lung can be a funny save or die, given the gm permission to use it outside of racial restrictions.
Lots of great stuff here. One I'm thinking about getting soon is Mad Monkeys. I'm not sure if a lot of people use it, but it seems like a hilarious, yet solid spell. Of course other spells may come first, but I will be picking it up after I get the ones I feel I need.
If a king has such a low AC that a caster with a weapon their non-proficient in can hit, and who remains flat footed when all hell is breaking out among his guests, has under 10 HPs and who personally and whose entire court cannot make the DC 15 or maybe 25 sense motive check to see 'bob' his guard is acting unusual is no king.
Once you get past the crown, most kings were just normal people.
I'm still pretty new to Pathfinder, but I've fallen for Murderous Command and Burning Disarm.
Using Burning Disarm to make my character's father (crazy evil cleric high priest) drop his holy symbol because it started burning him was such an epic moment!
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My last group was able to convince the Paladin that since we'd already slain the creature anyway, drinking its blood was a non-evil (if disgusting) means of "honoring the magic in a fallen enemy's bloodline" or something like that.
As an aside, sadly this is not true in the slightest per the rules.
I know, it disappoints me too.
Remember: Drinking blood just for the hell of it is okay, if disgusting.
Drinking blood to gain some sort of benefit is eeeeeevil. EEEEEEEEVILLL I tell you!!!
Still love Enlarge Person. Nothing beats low level battlefield control than a large fighter with a reach weapon and combat reflexes.
If he's got any dex bonus left after enlarge that's good.
But after a melee complained about loosing so much AC I don't memorize it anymore. Plus the only pc melee in the party now is an outsider.
Still love Enlarge Person. Nothing beats low level battlefield control than a large fighter with a reach weapon and combat reflexes.
If he's got any dex bonus left after enlarge that's good.
But after a melee complained about loosing so much AC I don't memorize it anymore. Plus the only pc melee in the party now is an outsider.
-2 AC is a cheap price for dominating the battlefield.
Also, a penalty to your Dexterity score causes you to take penalties on Dexterity-based skill checks, ranged attack rolls, initiative checks, and Reflex saving throws. The penalty also applies to your Armor Class, your Combat Maneuver Bonus (if you are Tiny or smaller), and to your Combat Maneuver Defense.
AND NOTHING ELSE! :D
Your fighter friend can make just as many attacks of opportunity as when he was medium.
Perceive Cues spell + Snake Style = kick ass AC!
Ill Omen - no save! and the higher the lvl, the more rolls it affects
Snowball - 1d6 dmg/lvl up to 5d6 PLUS chance to Stagger if they fail Fort - great spell to pelt arcane casters with
Sepia snake sigil. If anyone asks you what you are doing, tell them you have written permission... Ask if they would like to see your papers.
If you could prepare explosive runes on the same paper then it could be pretty awesome...
Produce Flame = low level, Light source, 1 minute per level duration or 1 attack per level. No saving throw. Range touch attack, for hitting hard armor targets.
Warp Wood = low level, very versatile, great duration, nice area of effect, and at high levels, can hit many targets. Other than swords/daggers, most weapon have wooden handles :)
Heat/chill metal = Got to beat Saving throw and spell resist :( , but if you can, beat that. Target PC armor, even with help, will take 5 rounds to get the armor off... so you will get at least 7d4 damge from a 2nd level spell. Without help, then 8d4 damage.
Transmute metal to wood = great range, and nice AOE. Has a chance to effect magic items. :) Now hit them with Warp Wood to boot :D
....................
Most disappointed spell : Rusting Grasp = Very short range, does not effect magic items at all, by the time you can cast this 4th level spell, you will most like not need it in any combat, and have many other option for getting past an iron locked door or gate. :-|
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Did I mention Shatter yet?
The area attack and blast vs. crystalline creatures are just gravy-- the real meat and potatoes are the ability to destroy any one object. Used that way, it's a ranged sunder attempt versus a Will save, and most folks who rely on an undestroyed weapon to be a threat don't have great Will saves. It's also your prison cell escape made simple, instant success on a Disable Device check, or a quick and easy to way to break your bridges behind you to avoid pursuers.
Yes there's a limit to the size of the object, but even so I've never prepared Shatter and not found a good time to cast it. The sheer versatility of it means any spontcaster who can learn it should.
I'm liking the look of Detect Thoughts. The only part they get a will save on is the 3rd part. Meaning it'd make a good radar most of the time if you feel you're entering rough territory. I say most of the time because there's always that chance there aren't intelligent enough creatures to be noticed. If the 3rd level goes through though, even better.