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So, your PC is a Wizard with WAY more spells in his spellbook than he can cast in a day. Or your Sorcerer just doesn't have that many spells she knows, period.
What scrolls would you consider "essential" to keep on hand in case of emergencies?
By that I mean a spell that is the ONLY way to get out of a particular scrape, or the best way to counter a spell being used against you (like Gust of Wind to counter the Fog spells).
But, not situations that come up so often you'd always want to set aside a spell slot for it every day, or buy a wand for it.
Here's just a short list of suggestions to start things off :
Comprehend Languages
Gust of Wind
Glitterdust
Make Whole
Tongues
Water Breathing
Dimensional Anchor
Stone to Flesh
Low-level, high-level, Arcane, Divine - please let me know what you consider to be the most essential scroll spells you'd want to always have on hand.
Even if it's already been said, list every spell you think is important. When the dust settles, I'll summarize the results by popularity.
Thanks!
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I like to keep at least one raise dead. Its a bit expensive but I believe it is only a standard action as well. Stone shape is good to have as well, that large stone door blocking the path just became a lovely opening. Mostly its spells I like but won't use often, also I avoid those with saves because a scroll has minimum saves.
I like to keep at least one raise dead. Its a bit expensive but I believe it is only a standard action as well.
If the user meets all the requirements noted above, and her caster level is at least equal to the spell's caster level, she can automatically activate the spell without a check. If she meets all three requirements but her own caster level is lower than the scroll spell's caster level, then she has to make a caster level check (DC = scroll's caster level + 1) to cast the spell successfully. If she fails, she must make a DC 5 Wisdom check to avoid a scroll mishap. A natural roll of 1 always fails, whatever the modifiers. Activating a scroll is a standard action (or the spell's casting time, whichever is longer) and it provokes attacks of opportunity exactly as casting a spell does. If the caster level check fails but no mishap occurs, the scroll is not expended.
Your original list is pretty solid. Personally I always keep a scroll of spider climb communal on hand. It can trivialize some obstacles, and gives the entire party alternative access routes to fortresses and the like.
Also, personally I prefer to memorize glitterdust to keep the DC higher and I always find a use for it in an adventuring day.
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Tough call, it has been a long time since I played a serious caster. I'd probably keep a selection of situationally specific protection spells. I'll have to go over the spell list and get back to you.
Pretty much spells that are great based on the situation, rather than good almost always (glitterdust, for instance, is a good almost always), and/or can't be placed/are expensive in wands:
Align weapon
Arcane eye
Atonement
Break enchantment
Dimensional anchor
Dismissal
Fly (the short duration compared to air walk and overland flight makes it situational IMO)
Gentle repose
Ghostbane dirge
Gust of wind
Heal
Instant Armor
Knock
Legend lore
Major creation
Make whole
Minor creation
Nap stack
Neutralize poison
Passwall
Prying eyes
Raise dead (use the spell slot for breath of life)
Regenerate
Remove disease
Resist energy
Restoration (with lesser restoration in a wand)
Restore eidolon (for summoners; with lesser restore eidolon in a wand)
Rope trick
Secure shelter
Stone tell
Tiny hut
Tongues
Touch of the sea
Water breathing
Zone of truth
Also, any long-term buff (like heroism, mage armor, freedom of movement, etc.), where the benefit isn't based on CL, that may get dispelled.
Deathward is the one that really jumps out at me. You don't always need it, but when you do you need it right now.
Basically, every divination spell falls into the category of better off as a scroll.
Deathward is the one that really jumps out at me. You don't always need it, but when you do you need it right now.
Basically, every divination spell falls into the category of better off as a scroll.
This on Deathward.
I disagree on Divination though. When you divinate, it tends to be something you're doing on a free dayish. "Where do we go next?" sort of things is what I use it for.
Thanks everyone so far for the feedback.
If you're reading this and have an opinion, please post your 2 copper's worth! Dragonchess Player posted a long list (thanks!), but if you especially agree with him on some spells, I want to know that!
And if there's anything in his list you don't think is worth carrying around all the time as a scroll, I want to know that, too.
Or is there a spell that's not on his list that you think is particularly useful?
The more people "vote", the better this will work out! Thanks!
I disagree, I actually prefer True Strike on a wand--it's cheap enough to not really matter, and then I just need it once (since you go through charges very, very slowly).
But then, I usually get 1st level spells that aren't affected by CL on wands.
When I say divination I mean the information gathering ones. Most divination spells don't get used often enough to be worth memorizing, and you never know when you will want one. As such they make better scrolls. True strike is one I actually use spell slots to memorize.
It's been a while since I played a wizard, the only important one I remember as being a "make scrolls of this" spell was knock. My basic criteria for a good scroll spell, though, is one that's useful in limited scenarios - something I want on hand, but don't use frequently enough to justify memorising.
Dimension Door I would memorize instead of put on a scroll. Put Teleport on a scroll though. (In fact you should probably carry two Teleports, if you are not capable of scribing them yourself).
Pretty much, every spell I can.
Though, one DM I had stopped letting my character purchase or make scrolls after discovering every single scroll I had was protected by explosive runes... specifically, when my character pretended to betray the party, gave the BBEG the bag of scrolls, and the resulting fireworks from reading one nearly killed the BBEG...
Thats a shame, did that change from 3.5? Because I use that all the time with my Theurge.
Newp, always been that way. I can't blame you for that misconception, though, I thought the same for a long while.
Scroll of Dimension Door, used/carried by my familiar. It's the only way I've found to escape grapples consistently without using up my Contingency.
As a cleric, I try and have at least one scroll of every status-removal spelling can cast -- because you never know when something will show up and inflict a status....
Reach (close range) Breath of Life. Thankfully we've never had to use one yet, but it's a lot more reliable to have a 50' range on it than hoping your cleric buddy is right next to you when you go down.
Lower level wizard
Knock
See invisibility
Levitate or fly
Identify
Eagles splendor (for this party channeler)
Comp languages
A bit later stone shape and stone skin
Here's the results so far :
Multiple votes = "gotta have"
2 Breath of Life (+Reach to make it Close range)
2 Comprehend languages
2 Deathward
2 Dimension door (1 vote against, always good)
3 Dimensional Anchor
3 Fly
2 Gentle repose
2 Glitterdust (2 votes against, for DC and always good)
4 Gust of wind
3 Knock (if used often, depending on the DM, get a wand)
3 Limited Wish/Miracle (or two)
2 Make Whole
2 Passwall
3 Protection from... (1st) OR ,communal (2nd) OR Magic Circle of... (3rd) [as you can afford]
2 Raise dead (use the spell slot for breath of life)
2 See invisibility
2 Stone shape
2 Teleport (or two)
3 Tongues
3 Water Breathing
The following only received one vote so far, but that does not mean they wouldn't be very useful in some situations...
1 Align weapon
1 Arcane eye
1 Atonement
1 Break enchantment
1 Daylight
1 Disintegrate
1 Dismissal
1 Eagle's splendor (for the party channeler)
1 Freedom of movement
1 Gaseous Form
1 Gate
1 Ghostbane dirge
1 Heal
1 Heroism
1 Identify
1 Instant Armor
1 Invisibility purge
1 Legend lore
1 Levitate
1 Major creation
1 Make whole
1 Minor creation
1 Mnemonic Enhancer
1 Nap stack
1 Neutralize poison
1 Prying eyes
1 Reduce person (as a counterspell)
1 Regenerate
1 Remove disease
1 Resist Energy
1 Restoration (with lesser restoration in a wand)
1 Restore eidolon (for summoners; with lesser restore eidolon in a wand)
1 Spider climb, communal
1 Stone skin
1 Stone tell
1 Stone to Flesh
1 Touch of the sea
1 Zone of truth
These could easily be used daily (in which case, get a wand)
1 Mage armor
1 Rope trick
1 Secure shelter (ok, expensive as a wand, maybe a scroll for emergency use only)
1 Tiny hut
Removed because they depend heavily on caster level
1 Cone of cold
1 Magic missile
General "classes" of spells to have on scrolls
Divination spells (debatable)
Long-term buffs (some of which are in the above lists)
One of every spell for removing a prismatic wall
One scroll of every condition-removing spell
Pump UMD as any class get a scroll of simulacrum. Now make an efreeti and wish for 3 more efreeti. repeat until you have a sizeable army of wish granters you now have access to most spells.
Expensive but worth picking up as soon as possible at 7,275 it's available at low levels if you are allowed t use over 50% of your wealth on one item.
Just make sure your GM doesn't put much emphasis into that whole special abilities for a creature of that level or HD.
Scrolls:
-See Invisibility/Invisibility Purge
-Comprehend Languages
-Tongues
-Blood Biography
-Speak with Dead
-Water Breathing
Potions/Oils:
-Daylight (don't get it as a scroll, because you can't read it when you need it most)
-Touch of the Sea (in a potion sponge, for those times you end up in the water without time to prepare. And at low levels, you can usually just hold your breath long enough to do what you have to do if you have a swim speed)
"Oh crap, they cast a darkness spell - well, no problem, where's my scroll of Daylight...DOH!"
Hadn't EVER considered that, and it made me LOL, literally!
"Oh crap, they cast a darkness spell - well, no problem, where's my scroll of Daylight...DOH!"
Hadn't EVER considered that, and it made me LOL, literally!
That actually happened to my cleric during Jade Regent...
Pump UMD as any class get a scroll of simulacrum. Now make an efreeti and wish for 3 more efreeti. repeat until you have a sizeable army of wish granters you now have access to most spells.
Expensive but worth picking up as soon as possible at 7,275 it's available at low levels if you are allowed t use over 50% of your wealth on one item.
Just make sure your GM doesn't put much emphasis into that whole special abilities for a creature of that level or HD.
Ugh.
RPG Superstar 2011 Top 32
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Can we vote against some spells? A lot of "must haves" in 3.5 now have caster level dependent effects and are terrible or have limited utility as scrolls:
Knock
Neutralize poison
Remove disease
These all require caster level checks now. They may be useful right when you first have access to them but casting them from memory is far more effective. Heck a 3rd level rogue with masterwork tools is comparable with a wand of knock: 3 ranks+3 class skill+3 Dex+2 tools+1 trapfinding = +12 Disable device vs CL3 knock at +13. After level 5 or so any character with Disable device is better than a wand or scroll of knock, unless you pay through the teeth to pump the caster level.
As for ones I think are good:
Restoration
Gust of wind
Fly
See invisible
the absolute first one that popped into my head was Comprehend Languages
after that, three that haven't been mentioned that have come in handy in my home game player groups and PFS groups:
Bed of Iron
Carry Companion
Serren's Swift Girding
Breath of Life
Limited Wish
Thanks all for the continued voting. Sure, votes against (especially with reasons) help too!
New readers please keep voting, I will collect the new votes and re-post the results in a few more days...
P.S. - Buri, it's for that reason (and many other abuses that I've read of) that Simulacrum simply does not exist in my world.
Restoration's a good one for a cleric but not for a wizard/sorcerer for the reason that it's not on their list.
Air Bubble is surprisingly useful IME and much cheaper than Water Breathing, which last I'll vote against.
Detection spells are often worth having but not worth preparing or knowing. Detect Secret Doors, See Alignment etc.
Finally having an escape spell which is additional to your daily spells is worth having. Which depends on level/budget; Vanish (CL at least 3), Invisibility, Dimension Door & Teleport are all good candidates.
It's been a while since anyone else has voted, so here's the final counts :
Multiple votes = "gotta have"
2 Air Bubble
3 Breath of Life + Reach (to make it Close range)
4 Comprehend Languages
3 Daylight (as an oil!)
2 Deathward
3 Dimension Door (1 vote against, always good)
3 Dimensional Anchor
4 Fly
2 Gentle Repose
3 Glitterdust (2 votes against, for DC and always good)
5 Gust of wind
3 Invisibility Purge
4 Knock (1 vote against, CL dependent; if used often, get a wand)
4 Limited Wish/Miracle (or two)
2 Make Whole
2 Neutralize poison (1 vote against, CL dependent)
2 Passwall
3 Protection from... (1st) OR ,communal (2nd) OR Magic Circle of... (3rd) [as you can afford]
2 Raise dead
2 Remove disease (1 vote against, CL dependent)
3 Restoration (with Lesser Restoration in a wand)
4 See Invisibility
2 Stone shape
3 Teleport (or two)
4 Tongues
2 Touch of the Sea (as a potion sponge)
5 Water Breathing (1 vote against)
The following only received one vote so far, but that does not mean they wouldn't be very useful in some situations...
1 Align weapon
1 Arcane eye
1 Atonement
1 Bed of Iron
1 Blood Biography
1 Break enchantment
1 Carry Companion
1 Detect Secret Doors
1 Disintegrate
1 Dismissal
1 Eagle's splendor (for the party channeler) [OR whatever helps the party's casters]
1 Freedom of Movement
1 Gaseous Form
1 Gate
1 Ghostbane dirge
1 Heal
1 Heroism
1 Identify
1 Instant Armor
1 Invisibility
1 Legend lore
1 Levitate
1 Major creation
1 Minor creation
1 Mnemonic Enhancer
1 Nap stack
1 Prying eyes
1 Reduce person (counterspell)
1 Regenerate
1 Resist energy
1 Restore eidolon (for summoners; with Lesser Restore Eidolon in a wand)
1 See Alignment
1 Silence
1 Speak with Dead
1 Spider climb, communal
1 Stone skin
1 Stone tell
1 Stone to Flesh
1 Swift Girding
1 Vanish
1 Zone of truth
Only for emergencies, but could easily be used daily (in which case, get a wand)
1 Mage Armor
1 Rope trick
1 Secure shelter
1 Tiny hut
Removed because they depend heavily on caster level
1 Cone of cold
1 Magic Missile
GENERAL "CATEGORIES" OF SPELLS
Detection spells (some of which are in the above lists)
Divination spells (debatable)
Long-term buffs (some of which are in the above lists)
One of every spell for removing a prismatic wall
One scroll of every condition-removing spell
Thanks everyone for your help!