Alright, so, I'm still a couple levels away from getting 4th level spells for my Wood Elementalist Wizard focused on battlefield control then hurting the enemy, but I like to plan ahead.
That being said I'm interested in what the more experienced arcane magic wielders prefer as their 4th level spell(s) of choice.
What I'm looking at thus far:
- Black Tentacles - I've read it's good, but I haven't searched for specific examples why. From what I can tell it's a solid battlefield control spell.
- Dimension Door - Could be extremely useful, or not as useful depending on the situations. It has a good range and could be used to get out of tight spots for sure though.
- Bestow Curse - I'm really liking this one as it can be versatile, however the save is always something that one has to take into consideration.
- Enervation - Another I'm really liking, hurting and weakening an enemy and maybe even kill it, plus if I recall correctly it stacks with itself and there's no save.
So what does everyone else think, like, prefer?
imp. invisability
I'm partial to ball lighting. Adds a bit of battlefield control and damage and gives you something to do with your move actions each round if you don't need to move.
I had forgotten about improved invisibility and ball lightning could be fairly useful. Good stuff.
Dragon's Breath, Resilient sphere, emergency force shelter, dimensional anchor, dimension door, detect scrying, enervation, calcific touch
Same thing, different names. Greater invisibility is the correct term though.
I never really looked much into Calcific Touch, I'm liking what I'm seeing. Got a lot to choose from and only 1 I can actually get when I reach that 7th level. Guess that's what scrolls and other spellbooks are for.
You cant Scrye and fry without Scrye!
4th level spells? My necromancer uses Enervation, and Black Tentacles, and Dimension Door. She also uses Fear, a lot. Yes, it grants a save, but there are lots of creatures with poor Will saves, and even if some targets do successfully resist, they are still shaken for a round. The various Wall spells can be nice too.
Well, I think I've narrowed it down to probably enervation or black tentacles, with enervation being my primary choice right now. Probably pick up the others along the way, either dimension door or black tentacles at the next level. Hopefully find a scroll or book with the others available though.
Only a level*5% chance of the message going through and you are assuming they know who is casting that scry spell (not something I want to assume).
Yeah it's not a horrible option, but I wanted to be sure it's drawbacks were noted.
|
My favorite 4th level spells? Detonate, fire shield, fire trap, firefall and wall of fire. 4th level is when damage starts getting really good, though fireball is of course no slouch either.
Detonate is an amazing spell to ready an action to use. It's not uncommon for a powerful creature to try and rush the weakest creature with its final moments after it's been dueling with the warrior all game. You can bait it in by letting it think you're just a scrawny human with no armor, and then BOOM! Essentially, detonate turns you into your own explosive runes.
Firefall is a nice tool to prepare in case your DM tries to be cute and throw a creature with the [fire] subtype at you to try and challenge you. It's also a nice combination with wall of fire, you form a barrier and then turn it into a mortar.
Fire shield is, sadly, personal only, though it can be cast on your eidolon if you're a summoner which is pretty great. You can always craft a wand of it and give it to the tank, he'll be glad you did.
Fire trap is like fire shield for your backpacks. It's great. Now you can trap the box you keep your spellbook in, and inscribe explosive runes on the cover! Unfortunately, fire trap is Reflex Half so evasion does get around it, but most damage spells are Save Half anyway so you'll want Elemental Focus and Greater Elemental Focus.
Displacer Form. (I really miss that spell...)
Dimension Door is super useful both outside of combat and in. I have never had a PC who could have known DDoor and chose not to, and it's often the first spell I pick. It's the easiest way of rescuing someone who can't escape a grapple. It's a great way to get your full-attacking maniac into full-attack position, preferably into flank. In a pinch, you can ready an action to ddoor away if the crab-octopus-of-grappling-death attacks you, if you have no other way of dealing with it.
Black Tentacles has its place -- it's great against mooks -- but anyone in your party who wants to be in melee will be sad. It can take a LONG time to kill stuff and sometimes makes battles less fun. I wouldn't pick it up as my first 4th level spell unless I were planning on preparing a lot of Intensified Fireballs instead. Fear is also useful against mooks, and still allows your barbarians to gleefully engage in the slaughter they love.
Dimensional Anchor is occasionally necessary; in my groups it usually ends up being the cleric's responsibility, if there is a cleric. As a wizard, though, it's probably something you'd want to put in your spellbook for when you need it.
Enervation is good. Bestow Curse is probably good, especially if you already use Spectral Hand.
It's an oddball, but I really like Obsidian Flow. It deals damage, entangles, and makes the area difficult terrain with damage for falling prone it in, making it ideal to set up for a tripping fighter or something.
Fear is fantastic though I've usually cast it as a 3rd level Bard spell instead. Enervation is nice if you roll a 4 and not so nice if you roll a 1. I think it is better for Sorcerers who can decide to use it when appropriate and spam it if needed.
I haven't used it yet, but I think Acid Pit seems like a fun spell. I've certainly gotten a lot of use out of its lower level cousin, Create Pit.
Of course Pits are kind of pointless against flying monsters except to create a little extra space in a tight dungeon, but altering the battlefield can be a lot of fun. Here are some potential uses:
- make low Reflex save melee goons disappear
- create a barrier (monsters on the other side probably can't hit you)
- discourage monsters from standing in the 8 squares around the pit
- get rid of potentially annoying inanimate object like a ballista, catapult, cauldron of flaming oil, boulder rolling in your direction, etc
- grant fascinated allies a new saving throw as they walk towards a harpy, compelling smelling plant, etc
- a place to hide from melee monsters and shoot Fireballs up at them (even better if you can Fly)
Well. You mentioned battlefield control, so I second the Obsidian Flow spell. I've locked down plenty of mooks with this spell. I prefer it over Black Tentacles, but they're both pretty good.
For non-battlefield control... Dragons breath is the most versatile blasting spell out there, and I use it with Preferred spell so that when the situation calls for it, I can bust out blasts whenever I feel like it.
Other options I like are Ball Lightning. Damage as a move action is always fun.
But, really, all the options in this thread are great in the right scenario's. You can't go wrong with any of them.
Scrying and arcane eye are both great information gathering spells.
Greater invisibility is a really handy buff spell for melee types.
Confusion and charm monster are both really good at getting your enemies to get rid of themselves for you.
I don't need magic to use that first power tonyz.
One of the major benefits of Wood elemental Wizard is that they get Sirocco as a 4th level spell instead of a 6th level spell. And Sirocco is good even as a 6th level, so it would be my pick.
Lay down some other control spell beforehand to make it impossible for enemies to get out in 1 round and they're basically instant-exhausted with no save. If the respectable damage doesn't kill them first.
Sirocco is definitely going to be my school spell at 7th level and it should definitely be fun. I'm just looking which spell to get with the second allowed spell.
I suppose if keeping them in one spot is what I want, then black tentacles could be potentially useful there.
I hadn't really looked over dimension door thoroughly until recently. I didn't notice you could just send someone else instead of yourself and that it doesn't have a somantic component.
The possibility of Envervation rolling a 1 (and possibly more than once in a row with my luck) is a good point to consider here. However, I also feel like it'd be an amazing feeling when you hit a 4 as well.
Bestow Curse can wait. While I love the spell, generally I'd like to stay away from enemies unless they're already under control. Although, I have been looking for some good touch ranged spells in case stragglers get past the other members of the party. However in that case, shocking grasp or calcific touch may be better.
Scrying is definitely tempting, I sort of feel like I want something either offensive or defensive first, but with the role my wizard plays in the party in our campaign, scrying would be very fitting.
Shadow Projection is interesting. Is it any good if its just the wizard casting it? I ask because I went the arcane bond route.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
|
Black tentacles can be a big pain for your melees, so you have to be careful with it. Combine it with freedom of movement or a melee with a super high CMD vs grapple(human fighter can work well for this) and you have a spell that locks down enemies while letting your melee hack them to pieces.
Shadow conjuration is awesome for a sorcerer, but be prepared to get into discussions with your GM about whether you can believe your own spells. Can you ride your own shadow phantom steed, for example? Hammer out any oddball cases with your GM ahead of time so you aren't suprised during play.
Black tentacles can be a big pain for your melees, so you have to be careful with it. Combine it with freedom of movement or a melee with a super high CMD vs grapple(human fighter can work well for this) and you have a spell that locks down enemies while letting your melee hack them to pieces.
Go with Obsidian Flow instead. You get initial fireball damage to soften them up and your enemy's are now stuck to the ground on the initial cast. Afterward, the area is considered hindering terrain which means your Melee guys can walk up strategically and take them on 1 on 1. With the hindering terrain it also sets up an anti-charge barrier for if they finally do break the entanglement.
I like the black tentacles and stinking cloud combo. Stinking cloud to make them nauseous (only allowed move actions) and black tentacles to put the squeeze on them (it's a standard action to attempt to break a grapple)!
I'll have to check out ball lightning, telekinetic charge, and obsidian flow.
Summon Monster 4 This is the level when it becomes viable as far duration and choices with the caveat that you are not playing a summoner
I like fire shield alot as much for nostalgia as well as use
*LoL* Just beaten to addng SM: IV [the only of my 'great' picks not on here yesterday]
3 solid celes/fiend animals that can fight [lion and rhino in partic.]Hound Archons can take orders/coordinate, or multip. lanterns from III
Mephits and all their spell goodies
It's a cherry spell, even useful at higher levels thanks to the Mephits and lanterns
|
|
I second Telekinetic Charge. Fighters are the best projectiles ever, and using a standard action to essentially give them a free move and attack with a bonus AND set them up for a full attack will make you their BFF. Especially when that move can get them up to a space they can't normally reach. Granted, it gets better as time goes on, so taking it ASAP is probably unnecessary; but keep it in mind, for sure.
Oh yeah, and Confusion is a hilariously awesome spell, especially if the enemy hasn't noticed you yet. If any two enemies get confused and one of them attacks the other, they'll just keep swinging at each other until one dies or the spell duration runs out. Either way, a multi-target spell that reduces you to a 1/4 chance to act normally is pretty darn good in my book.
I second Telekinetic Charge. Fighters are the best projectiles ever, and using a standard action to essentially give them a free move and attack with a bonus AND set them up for a full attack will make you their BFF.
I forgot about Telekinetic Charge. An awesome (and hilarious) spell. Combine it with Reach Spell metamagic and proceed to launch your ally at break neck speeds :)
I used a Reach Telekinetic Charge to send our grappling monk after an enemy spell-caster across the battle mat. I didn't tell them I was going to do it which made it even more amusing. Hehe.
I know that summon spells are supposed to be amazing and I'm not contesting that at all. However, I do not have augment summons and will be taking Summon Monster 3 at next level. Would summon monster level 4 still be worth it?
Telekinetic charge is a definite possibility, although right now, we only have one melee character. A ranger duel wielding who has a hippogriff as their companion. We have an archer fighter, so I guess getting him a better shot would work well also.
Confusion does seem like it could be good fun if / when it gets through.
Thanks for all the insight everyone.
Telekinetic Charge is flippin' sweet!!!! My barbarian/magus is definitely taking that at 18th level or whenever magi get to choose spells from other classes.
Definitely going to try to get a wand of it ASAP! Only 5th level, so it will probably be a while....