|
Hey everyone,
After having been forced into a number of extremely close fights in PFS play over the last few months (18th level wizard enemies, buffed flying Harpies with bows in an ambush, underwater dragons with super high dps output, multiple vampires who dispel death ward etc), I decided it was time to switch stategy from saving for permanent upgrades to expanding a toolbox to better account for extreme situations like these. For reference, the character is an 11th level 2h melee vengeance paladin with a UMD skill of +25. The cheapest way to do this seems to be buying scrolls containing which can account for a variety of really dangerous situations.
Since the DC for casting from scrolls seems to be 15 + caster level + spell level, this should allow me to cast up to fourth level scrolls with no problem, fifth level scrolls from other classes on a roll of 4 or more and sixth level scrolls on a d20 roll of 7 or more. Also, at this number I supposedly automatically succeed at emulating the required casting stat, with the difference between my ability score and the required ability score to cast that level of spell having to be less than (UMD result - 15). With my lowest score (wisdom of 7), I'd automcatically succeed on emulating wisdom 18 for 8th level cleric scrolls for example since 26 (UMD roll of 1) - 15 = 11 (the difference between wisdom 18 and wisdom 7).
Currently his list of scrolls is: Displacement (2 charges), lesser restoration (5), breath of life (2), dimension door (1), obscuring mist (5), death ward (1), heroism (1), remove fear (2), supress charms and compulsions (1). He also has wands for most of the common level 1 buffs such as shield and longarm, can fly with winged boots and has darkvision and see invisibility as spells, glitterdust as a wand. Potions include water breathing and oil of daylight.
Suppose you have a further budget of roughly 5.5k to spend on other scrolls to use in what you believe to be the most high impact spells for what you consider to be the most dangerous situations. Things that come to my mind are Heal, restoration, stoneshape and more scrolls of displacement. But what would you recommend and why?
-Kind regards,
Trevor
Tongues springs to mind, as a good way to avoid hostilities with civilized creatures.
|
|
Daylight. some enemies like slapping down Deeper Darkness at the start of a fight.
Glitter Dust/Purge Invisibility.
The problem with daylight is that I have to be able to read the scroll, if I'm stuck in magical darkness and I were to somehow lose my darkvision spell or not have it on when I'm hit by it or darkvision does not allow me to see through this particular darkness, I'm hosed. That's why I have one oil of daylight with me. I have a wand with 2 charges of glitterdust.
I like the suggestions of dimensional anchor, break enchantment, tongues , purge invisibility and stone to flesh.
Wall of Stone (for utility), since you can make it any shape. Save it for the situations where feather token trees and boats don't do the job.
Magic Circle Against Evil (or Chaos) can shut down some summon-oriented opponents.
Life Bubble
Wind Wall
Unseen Servant
Mount
Erase
"Unlike a wall of iron, you can create a wall of stone in almost any shape you desire." You are correct in that existing rock must be present, so you can't make anything mobile with it. How much is needed is left unspecified.
Vanish protects you during the enemy's action. If you hold-action to go after an ally and cast it on them, they are so protected and will also gain their first attack next round while invisible. The spell then winks out on your turn. It's about the best kind of "aid another" you could possible do.
The single most valuable scroll - if you're willing to put the work in - is Summon .
Because besides combat abilities, it opens a whole world of monster special abilities - from commune to wish.
I would usually recommend a wand of mount - not a scroll.
Consider
Page Bound Epiphany.
Speak with Dead.
Tiny Hut. (Grants Concealment).
Resist Energy
Lesser Restoration
Wand of Liberating Command / Grease
Calm Emotion
Overland Flight
Teleport - when it really really really has to be there overnight.
Polymorph. Note that a highlevel polymorph can serve as flesh to stone
Dispell Magic.
Blink/Astral/Ethereal
Raise Dead
Heros Feast.
And Breath of Life on a scroll is fairly useless, unless you have some kind of spectral hand to allow you deliver at range.
Speaking of:
Spectral hand
Prestidigitation
Cure Poison.
Since the DC for casting from scrolls seems to be 15 + caster level + spell level
Uh, no, it is plainly stated as 20 + caster level in the description of the skill and you also need to have 10 + spell level in the relevant ability score (which is a separate UMD - 15 if you don't).