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What are your top 10 spells?
I'm not asking for the top 10 optimized spells. I'm not asking for the top 10 BEST spells. I'm asking for your favorites. They could be total crap as far as the mechanics are concerned, but if you have a good memory of it, put it on there, I'm interested.
Just one rule: The spells have to come from official pathfinder sources. No 3rd party and no 3.5 edition stuff.
Here's mine:
10. Bard's Escape: I really think this spell is horribly named, because I use it to enter combat - or rather I use it to place my Paladin on the opposite side of the enemy from my Rogue. (And yes, the party members are mine.) This powerful option is my biggest temptation to play a Samsaran when I play a Wizard.
9. Force Punch: This spell is full of awesome. It just oozes wizardly flavor, and it's especially hilarious if you have your familiar deliver the touch attack
8. Gallant Inspiration: What a great way to use up your second level slots at higher levels. Got a buddy who just missed an attack? Nope! Try again! Depending on which buddy you give this you'll be hard pressed to find a better way to deal damage to a single target with a second level slot (Note that I didn't say second level spell, I said slot.) This is especially true if you're a Bard and not a Samsaran Wizard. (Best part is that you don't even need to waste your standard action doing it.)
7. Prediction of Failure: It's a pain to raise your saving throw DCs, so this spell is lovely against creatures that are susceptible to both Sickened and Shaken (And mind-affecting spells). A quick and dirty -4 to their saving throws will have you smiling. Best part is if it affects them, they can't even resist it.
6. Shrink Item: Because I like fitting things into my pockets that I otherwise would not be able to.
5. Fire Sneeze: Probably not as good as Burning Gaze, but a definitely an entertaining way to make your familiar a team player.
4. Aqueous Orb: I love spells that let me move enemies around, and this tremendously funny Katamari ball is probably one of the most entertaining ways of doing it.
3. Mad Monkeys: This is a pretty good all around spell, but the flavor is just plain hilarious. I once used it as a simple distraction and after I lamented that they didn't do much besides distracting the enemy my DM commented that they certainly had enough time to make a poopy mess of the place.
2. Euphoric Tranquility: This is an amazing spell because there's basically nothing you can do about it if you're not immune to mind-affecting spells. But what makes it awesome is that its effect makes the target into a lovable drunk for its duration. Step aside irresistible dance, I've got a new favorite way of degrading my enemy.
1. Speak with Dead: Probably one of my favorite things about the Oracle I played was being able to shoot first and ask questions later. Very useful especially if you have a loose cannon in your party who disagrees with your "Take hostages plan" (Oh wait, that's usually me.)
If all spells were of the same level (like saying pound for pound for boxers), Magic Missile is king.
Auto-hit with range, no saves, felxibility on targets, no chance allies get hit, force damage. Can you imagine the 9th level version?
If all spells were of the same level (like saying pound for pound for boxers), Magic Missile is king.
Auto-hit with range, no saves, felxibility on targets, no chance allies get hit, force damage. Can you imagine the 9th level version?
Hmm...
*compares Magic Missile to Meteor Swarm*
I actually can't imagine it. Most of the level 9 damage spells kind of
suck so any 9th level iteration of Magic Missile I could come up with seem too powerful in comparison.
I think you'd really just be looking at an extreme increase of missiles though. Would 20 missiles be too little or too much?
Boring answer, but I can't think of a single spell as good for its level and always as useful as haste.
Yeah probably.
But it IS a boring answer. So boring in fact that I'm glad I'm currently playing with a Sorcerer so he gets to spend his action instead of me setting it up for every combat.
My best recommendation is to buy a wand and make the Familiar do it, but my current DM won't let familiars use wands (Some crazy guy wrote a guide that made him think it was too overpowered.)
It really is tough to find a better buff spell than haste though.
Magic Missile-no dice rolls
Haste-self explanatory
Disintegrate-the damage on a fail save...:)
Fireball-classic spell
Scorching Ray-I just like it.
Dimension Door-escape escape
Projected Image-That is not really me.
Gate-Brings in new friends
Black Tentacles-can own casters, even mid BAB casters at times
Grease-An annoying spell.
I don't think I can really rank them, so these are not in any order:
10. Silent Image - You can do anything with this spell that your GM lets you
9. Cacophanous Call - A long duration nausea is really fantastic for just a 2nd level spell
8. Stone Shape - So versatile
7. Shadow Evocation - Several dozen spells in one!
6. Shadow Conjuration - Several dozen more, and most are more useful!
5. Greater Command - Kneel before me!
4. Hero's Defiance - Paladins just cannot be
3. Wall of Thorns - I love walls, and this is my favorite
2. Stone to Flesh - Too many old school memories of turning walls into flesh so we could cut through them or get some food, etc.
1. Confusion - I love it when enemies hit each other and then get locked into a duel.
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This is pretty easy.
1. Paragon Surge - How do I accidentally all the spells?
2. Blood Money - What is Wealth by Level? Do you eat it?
3. Simulacrum - Who said creating life was for the gods?
4. Aroden's Spellbane - Whats better than power? Unchecked power.
5. Create Demiplane, Greater - Double the time, double the fun.
6. Mage's Disjunction - Only one person should get to have magic. You.
7. Gate - Crashing the party and bringing your own guests.
8. Astral Projection - If you can die when kill you... you're a chump.
9. Planar Binding (any) - I've got friends in high/low places.
10. Contact Other Plane - I got the gods on speed dial. All of 'em.
Hmm.. I wasn't familiar with Blood Money before you mentioned it (Or maybe I just forgot about it.)
As soon as I see it, just like everyone else, I have to ask "What strength do you need to cast a wish spell".
The answer is 50.
Maybe make a bunch of scrolls and befriend a benevolent Great Wyrm gold dragon? (Have to buff his strength just a little higher even still though.)
I mean, it doesn't say that someone else can't use the component and it makes it very clear that the component is separate from the individual (It actually creates an object.)
This would obviously never happen, but the thought is pretty humorous.
Spellbane is pretty awesome too.
I can't give you 10, but I can certainly give you my favorite spell. Blistering Invective. It's a useful spell and it has cool flavor. I yell at people so hard they light on fire.
I can't give you 10, but I can certainly give you my favorite spell. Blistering Invective. It's a useful spell and it has cool flavor. I yell at people so hard they light on fire.
I actually have a party member who based his build around that spell for a short amount of time. It was amusing while it lasted.
I can't give you 10, but I can certainly give you my favorite spell. Blistering Invective. It's a useful spell and it has cool flavor. I yell at people so hard they light on fire.I actually have a party member who based his build around that spell for a short amount of time. It was amusing while it lasted.
I had an inquisitor based around intimidation, so naturally that spell saw a lot of use. It was awesome.
My favorite spell is Alter Self, though the Pathfinder version is not quite as cool as the 3rd ed. Version. Still, I've gotten a lot of mileage out of that spell. A lot.
Also, while magic missile and fireball are both good and iconic, they are not my favorites. I now make a point to avoid those spells. I'm just bored/tired of them. Give me a chill touch or vampiric touch instead.
Of course, there is always teleport. I like to play hoarders, who squirrel away trophies and loot at some "home" location. This let's me do that without carring that stuff around.
Other than those 4, my mind is blank. Maybe ill think of a few more later.
Hmm, I think I'll give my top 10 Pathfinder only spells (read: not in 3.5)
10. Form of the Dragon
9. Telekinetic Charge
8. Aroden's Spellbane
7. Debilitating Portent
6. Overwhelming Presence
5. Ear-Piercing Scream
4. Create Pit (and variants; especially spiked pit)
3. Hyrdaulic Push/Rush
2. (Mass) Suffocation
1. Icy Prison
No particular order, probably missing lots of other spells I like.
1. Destruction
2. Flame Strike
3. Fireball
4. Magic Missle
5. Blessing of Fervor / Haste
6. Death Ward
7. Heal
8. Antimagic Shell
9. Magnificent Mansion
10. Dimension Door
Sleep
Disintegrate
Dimension Door
Chord of Shards
Heroes' Feast
Breath of Life
Flame Strike
Spiked Pit
Acid Splash
Magic Missile
Maze
(Ours go to 11) ;)
1. Burning Rays: I just really like this spell, it has a cool feel to it.
2. Undead Anatomy: Another neat spell, I really like the idea of magically turning into an undead creature.
3. Acid Arrow: It's a buffed-up acid splash that deals damage over time, looks fun to use.
4. Gravity Bow: I like the idea of using magic to buff-up your bow
5. Fiery Shuriken: I really like the idea of firing out a bunch of magical, burning shuriken at the enemy.
6. Ear-Piercing Scream: it seems a little bit silly, but also seems like a neat spell concept.
7. Color Spray: Very useful, plus cool to visualize.
8. (Greater) Shadow Evocation: A cool and versatile spell, that has some cool flavour attached.
9. Pain Strike (Mass): An interesting spell.
10. Prismatic Spray: A bit random, but that's cool (though potentially annoying in-game)
(No special order)
1: wall of sound
2: wall of stone
3: create pit(and variants)
4: grease
5: hydraulic push
6: black tentacles
7: spike stones
8: aqueous orb
9: web
10: stinking cloud
I had some real fun with a wall of sound, a narrow corridor, and grease spells ....
BWOMBWOMBWOMBWOMBWOMBWOM!!!!!
No particular order:
1 - Keep Watch: I use it a lot.
2 - Silent Image: Has been really helpful and fun at the same time.
3 - Detect Thoughts: Can act as a sort of sonar for mildly intelligent enemies, not to mention mind reading bonus if they fail save.
4 - Create Pit(s): All of them are fun.
5 - Bestow Curse: Lots of uses and fun potential stuff to do.
6 - Unseen Servant: Lots of uses and good duration.
7 - Tiny Hut: Useful in and outside of battle.
8 - Shrink Item: Fun uses.
9 - Enervation: Turning big bads into lesser big bads can be fun.
10 - Lightning Bolt - Fireball is technically probably better, I just like the visual I get from shooting someone with lightning is all. :)
1. Limited Wish
2. Polymorph Any Object
3. Dimension Door
4. Magic Jar
5. Telekinesis
6. Heal
7. Wind Walk
8. Wall of Thorns
9. Mass Heal
10. Summoning Spells
My favorites are the signature spells that pull you right into the moment. They tell you right away what type of caster you are facing and evoke that brief moment of fear when you roll your saving throw.
1. Blade Barrier.
2. Maze.
3. Earthquake.
4. Disintegrate
5. Wall of Force
6. Silence
7. Stinking Cloud
Then there the ones that your own casters are hoarding, biding their time until the perfect moment to remind you that they got your back.
8. Heal
9. Freedom of Movement
10. Holy Word
In no particular order.
Maze
Wall of Force
Haste
Entangle
Grease
Wish
D-Door
Magic Jar
Prestidigitation
Black Tentacles
Bonus:
Create Pit (The whole line)
Summon Monster (The whole line)
No particular order
Magic Missile the good ol'
Dimension Door is always handy for quick get away
Mad Monkeys is just a barrel of fun
Breath of Life is useful and has nice flavor
Prestidigitation gets used for anything ;-)
I find the Create Pit line pretty funny and cool
Fireball the good ol'
Grease can be funny especially when combined with fire
Haste kind of have to be there
Wishes are also funny to see in play when used old school
Amazingly, no one has even mentioned my single favourite spell: Detect Magic. It'd be worth it were it a 2nd level spell, and it's a cantrip / orison. Colour Spray, Calm Emotions, Detect Thoughts and Glitterdust are in a fairly tight clump a little further down the pecking order, and I have gained a fresh appreciation for Touch of Fatigue of late, since my magus picked it up with Two World Magic. After that it's probably Clairvoyance and Dimension Door.
No particular order
Magic Missile the good ol'
Dimension Door is always handy for quick get away
Mad Monkeys is just a barrel of fun
Breath of Life is useful and has nice flavor
Prestidigitation gets used for anything ;-)
I find the Create Pit line pretty funny and cool
Fireball the good ol'
Grease can be funny especially when combined with fire
Haste kind of have to be there
Wishes are also funny to see in play when used old school
Getaway? Found dimension door more useful PREVENTING getaways when you can't afford them, grab the barbarian and fighter and deposit them directly in the path of the fleeing individual. Take a step back.
Some of my favourites in no particular order:
- Shatter: oops, was that *your* hammer or the balcony *you* were standing on?
- Silence: Stops most casters dead cold.
- Grease: Just fun!
- Prestidigitation: Cool stuff and always useful
- Summon monster: Heed my call, minions! I need someone to fight, block, flank, heal, fly me, ...
- shield other: Just screams "heroic" and "honor" to support another character that way.
- Fireball: Never gets old. Flexible, low level...
- Imbue with spell ability: Suddenly all those nice personal-only spells can be used by anyone.
- Calm emotions: No, you don't rage. Period!
- Dispel/greater dispel magic: Oops, was that your fly spell? And that your contingency? and that your mage armor and shield? ;-P
There are tons of others I like, but these immediately came to mind :-)
My favorites, that i like having.
Produce Flame
Chill/Heat Metal
Warp Wood
Plant Growth
Control Water
Stone Shape
Wall of Stone
Repel Wood
Fire Storm
Transmute Metal to Wood
I tend to like spells with permanent effects, or effect the enemy armor/weapons and terrain.
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in no order
wall of...(life saver on more than 1 occasion)
magic missile( always effective)
grease(battlefield shaper)
create pits(battlefield shaper)
haste(is it really a boss battle without this?)
contingency(love love love it till my daddy takes the t-bird away)
dispel magic
meteor swarm(when you think blaster this is top of the food chain)
and my personal favorite...limited wish, being able to pull any spell 7th or lower level out of nowhere is a life saver.
honorable mention ice storm(sleet version)
In a jumbled mass of my love and adoration ...
Arcana Theft ... a more balanced 'yoink!' from the old Reaving Dispel days.
Thundering Drums ... awesome flavor, sonic, d8s, easy to intensify and start slamming 10d8 sonic aoe + prone condition around.
Primal Scream ... another massively cool flavor ability, and so unique/useful.
Ki Shout ... more sonic damage capping at 20d6 with the bonus of a stun.
Dance of 100/1000 Cuts ... SO COOL (why do bard's get such cool spells!?) ... I use 100 cuts on my Samsaran Magus (spell combat) and gave my familiar a wand of Moment of Greatness... hello double bonus!
Bard's Escape ... already mentioned above, but so great for entering AND leaving combat... like a Final Fantasy Flee!
Hostile Juxtaposition ... nothing to make a player laugh maniacally like swapping with the enemy just before a crit/fireball/enervate/whatever.
Liberating Command ... nobody that CAN have this should be without it! Grapple the wizard? I don't think so!
Fire Snake ... I don't see it used very often, but wow is it amazing. All of the effective of fireball with none of the friendly-fire pain.
Detonate ... So many uses... consider a magus with Spellstrike Gloves (Ultimate Equipment) channeling this bad boy through the gloves and choosing the element based on the fight...nasty!
Oh and I almost forgot....
Cold Ice Strike. Hi swift action cone of cold spell, shot in the dark but, you wanna do somethin' sometime?
Haste - Almost like having 8 party members. AKA Mass Polymorph Zerg. The highest morale boost the party will ever get that doesnt provide a +1 to morale.
Greater teleport - Denver to Hokkaido... Eta... 6 seconds or less ^_^
Create demiplane greater - I have a somei yoshino orchard and shrine in my pocket.
Vanish - Ubiquitous retreat helper
Create treasure map - The #1 tool for the 'ok what now' crowd
Prestidigitation - Countless tricks to amuse the neighborhood children
Detect magic - Not a day goes by without it
Dancing lights - I'm a human. I have no low light vision. Why are we ALWAYS in poorly lit caves?
Wish/Limited/Miracle - Even if its just to have an emergency cure spell from a wizard
True Resurrection - I dont even need a PIECE of you.
Cold Ice Strike. Hi swift action cone of cold spell, shot in the dark but, you wanna do somethin' sometime?
(Small point of order, and not to rain on the adoration of swift action spells cause it still rocks for that, but I think it was changed to a line of cold, no longer a cone.)
Circle of death. When you get it at level 11, you can take out most multicreature encounters in one go.
Aqueous orb: Dick Cheney, eat your heart out. Oh wait.
Polymorph any object: still broken as all hell.
Screen: NOBODY understands just how powerful this spell can be. They just think "oh, another anti-scrying spell."
Tar pool: All that acid fog failed to be, at the same spell level.
Horrid wilting: Best blasting spell in the game.
Cloudkill: The spell description clearly brings to mind an Orkin man commercial.
Exploding runes: The concept of a book that explodes in your face for reading it is hilarious to me, as was its former role as best blasting spell in the game.
Prismatic sphere: Ain't nobody gettin through this.
Energy drain: Spam this for victory.
(Small point of order, and not to rain on the adoration of swift action spells cause it still rocks for that, but I think it was changed to a line of cold, no longer a cone.)
Cold Ice Strike. Hi swift action cone of cold spell, shot in the dark but, you wanna do somethin' sometime?
As you say, but I was mostly referring to the damage dice scaling.
=)
Horrid wilting: Best blasting spell in the game.
Why?
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Favorite spells? Oh god yes. Fun time. In no particular order, just as I remember them:
Produce flame: for a 1st level spell, this is amazingly versatile. It's a torch! its a touch attack! its a sniper shot that sets things on FIRE. Best of all, since the number of shots is directly dependent on duration, extend spell doubles your ammo! Made a 3.5 halfling druid who had an absolute BLAST throwing these everywhere (yes it counts as thrown.) Just fun.
Call lightning storm: PFFFT to optimizers. Have you noticed the RANGE on this thing? Get yourself a spyglass and you can be zapping a BBEG from across the PLAINS with this spell. Throw in some natural (or not) inclement weather for extra shocking power and toss enlarge on to snipe people from the next province over.
Entangle: This spell. The laughs. Once cast it on a buddy who was about 10 feet away from being surrounded by orcs on all sides. They all made the save. He didn't. Henceforth, "Darth Tangler" was my nickname with that group. Good times.
Ice storm: I love cold weather, snow and ice. It's kind of my thing. A spell that just drops icy death on everyone just conjures all sorts of awesome images of shattering ice shards everywhere.
Prestidigitation: The ultimate parlor trick. With this alone, any class could seem like a magician. Mess with colors, dirt, play with coins and pins, and use your imagination for all sorts of jollies.
Snapdragon fireworks: dragon stuff is awesome. Direct damage that misses allies is awesome. Spells you can keep doing damage with, without using your standard action each round? Awesome. Target a massive range in any direction, generates brief light, dazzles targets, and gets more shots as you level up? Extend spell for double the awesome. Spell that you can use for fighting OR for putting on a show? Well that's just peanut butter in my book.
Goodberry: (Lots of druid spells I'm noticing. Odd, since I'm more of a sorcerer fan.) Rations? Please. Bushel of berries and we're good for the week. Bear ate everything in your backpack? find a bush, wave your hand, and enjoy the bite sized feast!
Winds of Vengeance: No projectiles. Melee punished. Flight, underwater or in space, in a movable sphere of tornado force winds? 9th-level druid slot, standard action. Being able to tear down a CASTLE by walking through it? Priceless.
Stone/wood/snow/whatever shape: multiple spells, same reason. Shaping stuff at will is empowering, and allows you to do simple stuff (i need to sit. poof, the cavern wall now has a protruding chair.) to completely changing the situation (Pile of logs? Or...POOF. Instant cabin! with a few casts, anyway.)
Form of the dragon:I don't have to explain this one. I really shouldn't. YOU TURN INTO A F&$#ING DRAGON! WHAT DO YOU WANT!
Hmmm...Need to make a toon who can cast all these...empyreal sorcerer/druid multiclass, GO!
Hydraulic Push Very versatile first-level spell, at low level useful for pushing around enemies, at higher level it's a useful ability to have for out of combat purposes.
Gust of Wind Moving enemies, dispersing the oh so common fog spells, it's a fantastic spell. Oh, and it works FANTASTICALLY with a rod of lesser extend spell, really wonderfully to have it for two rounds.
Silent Image As people have said before, can do a lot of different things and is very powerful for it's level.
Warp Wood Flavorful and cool spell which can be used for a lot.
Unseen Servant Just all-around useful spell with long duration.
magic missile( always effective)
I always feel that there is an exaggerated love for magic missile out there. It never misses except when it does.
The wizard in my campaign uses it a lot (and even maximizes or empowers it sometimes). He has been a bit disappointed lately.
Whenever he faces a wizard/sorcerer/summoner or similar he knows that he/she will have Shield up. That is another common 1 level spell that makes you inmune to magic missile while adding a great boost to your AC. Count me in. It is even a great candidate to have in a wand if you don't have in your list.
Hell, they faced a troll cleric which had time for self buffs before combat. After the obvious Protection from Elements (fire), she used spell inmunity for the two more obvious low level spells that are commonly used vs troll casters (Acid Arrow, for continuous spell disrupting and regeneration disrupting damage, and Magic Missile, the poor's man counterspell). I don't know in your games but in mine they usually try to hit spellcasters with readied magic missiles (enough damage to disrupt and "never fails").
well of course if you single out magic missile to always take action against it will become underpowered. If all casters always have shield when they encounter them (while it's a great spell, it's quite short duration and mage armor does the same thing for wizards/sorcerers but with less restriction) of course magic missile will start to feel sucky.
Like anything you specifically counter constantly.
Like anything you specifically counter constantly.
Even if you don't take special action (which will be rare taking into a account the generalized love about it). It will remain true that any spellcaster that can afford the time it will try to cast it.
Yes, mage armor has longer duration, but nothing stops you casting both. Usually spellcasters have mage armor all day up (except in low level, but magic missile is not very impressive in low level) and shield is a typical combat buff. Also, very usually made into a Wand.
Anyway, I don't think that is a bad spell. There are a lot of situations in which the principle "it always works" is true (fighters, barbarians, paladins, druids, low level clerics, critters in general,...). But I have seen too may cases in which it is not that useful (even in one pathfinder scenario that I didn't modify: last boss was a sorcerer).
At high levels of course a 1st level spell will be neglible. The fact that it's even considerable as a combat spell at higher levels than 5 means it's very good for a 1st level combat spell.
But shield will only be common if the opponent can pre-buff and knows exactly when combat will be. For a caster with say 5 levels of wizard, it lasts for 5 minutes if cast yourself so you can't prebuff like half a day earlier like with mage armor (and you don't have enough slots to realistically keep mage armor up all the time), and if made into a wand it only lasts 1 minute unless you want to pay a lot for it.
In-combat buffs in my experience, both from DMing monsters and from what my players tend to do, tend to focus on battlefield control as that usually helps everyone on your side rather than just you, and because the lower duration isn't as much of a hindrance.