So my PFS character just leveled and now I have to choose his first two bard 2nd level spells known.
To describe my character and the constraints I'm working within:
1. This is PFS so only PFS legal options. I have a large but not complete library of books so don't worry too much about the source.
2. He is a Nagaji paladin (4), arcane duelist bard (1), dragon disciple (4). He has magical knack (bard) so his bard CL is 6, for spells known it is 4 for all other bard abilities it is 1st.
3. His current spells known are
0-levels: detect magic, ghost sound, open/close, read magic, Mage hand, mending
1st levels: liberating command, tap inner beauty, timely inspiration, feather fall.
Except for tap inner beauty his 1st level spells all lack somatic components so he can cast them while wearing his +2 agile half-plate. My preference is for spells he can cast even while wearing heavy armor.
4. My current thoughts were Bladed Dash (he moves slowly so the 30' move as part of a standard is likely going to be exceptionally useful and the attack on the way is a bit of gravy. And then I was looking at Tongues but there are many other good options.
5. His CHA is currently 20 and likely to go higher so his DCs aren't horrible in the least. So spells like Blindness/Deafness are options though I'm debating their utility for a paladin.
I'll put in a vote for Bladed Dash.
Not many non-somatic spells and PFSRD can search by components, but seems unable to search by the absence of components. (Which is really stupid, I might add. If I'm worried about components it's not because I want to find a spell that requires them.)
Bladed Dash and Gallant Inspiration are the only spells of interest I see without somatic components, but it's a lot to check everything.
Blistering Invective
Mirror Image
Both have somatic components though, I believe.
Don't choose Tongues - that's a spell you want on a scroll, not something you want to be able to spontaneously cast on a whim over and over throughout the day.
Why blistering invective? This is a character that will hit really really hard. Tanking spells like mirror image or blur seem potentially of interest though arcane spell failure would be a drag.
Gallant inspiration is great but seems potentially redundant with timely inspiration.
Long duration buffs are another way I could go - spells I might cast before donning my armor (which reminds me there is a paladin spell I should have on scrolls for rapidly donning my armor)
Blindness/ deafness because it is dismissible now seems like the spell he will take - gives him a fantastic thing to do against enemies at range and he can dismiss it if they are captured or surrender.
Rogues love a blind BBEG but so to does most of the party. And deaf caster has trouble casting. (Blind casters have trouble targeting)
Heroism is your friend at 10min/lvl--more than enough time for you to get into your half-plate even without help.
Gallant Inspiration's 2d4 means you'll be using it more than the measly +1 of Timely Inspiration,
Should you ever get to the point where you can maintain your performance as a move action, Allegro is another option to consider.
Darkness lacks a somatic component and might be worth considering.
And finally, the minute/level suite of buffs might be worth nabbing depending on the length of your combats. Assuming you don't use a scroll and have help getting into your armor, you'll still get 20 rounds (-1 per each additional cast) of its effect.
Rycaut wrote: Why blistering invective? This is a character that will hit really really hard. Tanking spells like mirror image or blur seem potentially of interest though arcane spell failure would be a drag.
Gallant inspiration is great but seems potentially redundant with timely inspiration.
Long duration buffs are another way I could go - spells I might cast before donning my armor (which reminds me there is a paladin spell I should have on scrolls for rapidly donning my armor)
Blistering Invective is a pretty good spell since there's no save and the SR doesn't matter much. What you really want from it is area intimidate that doesn't use a full round. Unfortunately it has a somatic component.
You might want to run some math on mirror image with mithril breastplate, but otherwise it doesn't really have the duration to cast before donning armor. If you're donning your armor outside a room before knocking the door down you're staking your life on nobody coming out in the middle while making quite a bit of noise. .
well there is always a Paladin spell as a solution to that - Swift Girding (http://www.d20pfsrd.com/magic/all-spells/s/swift-girding) - instantaneous armor donning - but you do still need armor out and ready to be donned so kinda impractical in a dungeon (but probably what my Paladin will fall asleep clutching - a scroll of swift girding - if awoken by an attack - read scroll, wear armor, pick up sword and go defend people...
But I think I've settled on Bladed Dash and Blindness/Deafness - both lack Somatic components and offer arcane solutions to weaknesses of this character - movement speed in the case of Bladed Dash (with the single attack while moving as a great bonus and good action economy) and ranged attack options with Blindness/Deafness especially against flying creatures. A blinded creature is almost always less of a threat to everyone - and though he isn't going to have as high a DC as a specialized caster - a DC 17 save or suck spell isn't horrible (and it will likely soon be at least a DC 18 when he boosts his CHA to 22). And he'll be able to do that at 160' which is more range than you see in most PFS scenarios. So a great opener against many BBEGs (and since he can dismiss it he can do so if the enemy surrenders or is captured).
In later levels I'll look at other spells like Gallant Inspiration. A wand of Mirror Image or some scrolls may be pretty useful as the duration is high enough to justify using before a likely battle and the cost of the scrolls at least won't be too high.
Glitterdust, Allegro, and Mirror Image.
JKalts wrote: Should you ever get to the point where you can maintain your performance as a move action, Allegro is another option to consider. Maintaining a bardic performance is always a free action. Did you mean start a performance? Even with a standard to start a performance and a standard to cast Allegro, it can still be a great spell, especially if you normally have a 20 move and need the boost. It lasts more rounds than Bladed Dash and you get the other effects of Haste to go with it. Though if all you are looking for is movement, Expeditious retreat is a lower level and isn't tied to the performance. Given the length of most fights, though, other 2nd level spells are probably better choices. I'd take Bladed Dash before Allegro, just because it's useful in the first or second round.
I also think it's worth having both Timely Inspiration and Gallant Inspiration. Keep in mind that both provide a Competence bonus, and so does Inspire Courage, so whenever you have your Bardic Performance going, Timely Inspiration won't help you. Or at least until your caster level is high enough to make it a +2 or +3 (not until CL10 for +2, 15 for +3). Gallant Inspiration is guaranteed to at least give you a +2, which is a minimum +1 over your Bardic Performance, since your effective level for the performance will likely not ever reach 5th. So Gallant Inspiration is still useful when you have Inspire Courage going, but Timely Inspiration is not (well, it can help on skill checks, just not attack rolls).
Glutton wrote: Glitterdust, Allegro, and Mirror Image. You do realize allegro only works when performing and he only has one bard level, right? That's not a lot of duration.
Glitterdust has somatic components (and material though that's less crucial) - so would have arcane spell failure chances.
And more importantly at next level (Level 5) Dragon Disciples gain blindsense 30' which will it doesn't negate the miss chance from concealment does pinpoint every creature within 30' (that he has line of effect to) so that's pretty strong against invisible foes already.
Plus while Glitterdust is a fantastic spell it really doesn't fit this character - largely because of the strong chance of spell failure - and the practical issue of targeting the right areas with the spell.
Glitterdust helps your team, the fact you have blindsense makes it even better, you can light up your opponent for your buddies.
Quick question, does this character have any dexterity bonus?
no DEX bonus and really glitterdust is not a good spell for him - he has a 40% arcane spell failure chance - and I'm not going to switch down to medium armor or something with lower spell failure chances just to cast Glitterdust.
Blindness/Deafness has a long range, is a verbal only spell, and unlike Glitterdust is a permanent effect. Of course it then has to beat spell resistance and it is a single save - without the ongoing effect of Glitterdust.
He is a tank first and a caster second (really a buffer second and a caster third or fourth perhaps after healing). As a Dragon Disciple he has a 24 STR and wields a big sword really really hard. He doesn't have a lot of smites per day - so I have to make them count - but he does have a LOT of lay on hands (11), each typically for 5d6+10hp for him (fey foundling + greater mercy + bracers of the merciful knight) so he has some 56d6+112hp of healing each day (hero's defiance if he ever goes below 0 adds another d6 to his lay on hands). Even at higher levels that's a LOT of healing and ability to tank.
Glitterdust really isn't a good fit for him. He'll put up with arcane spell failure on spells like Detect Magic (since he can just keep casting it until it works) but for a spell he only have a very limited number of castings of and would need to use in combat why risk it if he has other good options)
Ferious Thune wrote: JKalts wrote: Should you ever get to the point where you can maintain your performance as a move action, Allegro is another option to consider. Maintaining a bardic performance is always a free action. Did you mean start a performance? Even with a standard to start a performance and a standard to cast Allegro, it can still be a great spell, especially if you normally have a 20 move and need the boost. It lasts more rounds than Bladed Dash and you get the other effects of Haste to go with it. Though if all you are looking for is movement, Expeditious retreat is a lower level and isn't tied to the performance. Given the length of most fights, though, other 2nd level spells are probably better choices. I'd take Bladed Dash before Allegro, just because it's useful in the first or second round.
Defense of Gallant Inspiration. Thanks for catching that. I tend to trade in for Archaeologist so often that my BP knowledge must be getting rusty.
My only worry with Blind/Deaf is getting it to stick without trying to pump the DC up via feats, but it's a nice debuff all the same and if you're not worrying about it, I probably shouldn't either. Best of luck in your campaign.
this is for PFS play btw. My current thought is that Blindness/Deafness gives me a good opener or a good option against a ranged opponent - and yes it is a save or suck and I haven't invested feats into making it better - but I have invested a fair amount in boosting my CHA (since it helps me in so many ways as a paladin/bard/dragon disciple - so with a 22 CHA currently my DC would be 18 which is still decent even at higher levels. Sure the BBEGs with WILL as their strong save will likely shrug it off but it will certainly come into play more than once.
Allegro is nice for a pure Bard who always has bardic performance up - I only get 10 rounds of performance a day and since it is a standard for me to start it, I rarely do (as I usually can contribute more by getting into position to full attack & if I have a good target smite something)
Plus Haste is a pretty common spell at high levels in PFS.
Darkness is what the bad guys cast in PFS (and isn't really a good option for a Paladin who lacks darkvision - more times than not it would hurt my party more than it would help).
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