Hey all, I'm looking for some help rounding out my spells known for an upcoming campaign. We are beginning at 9th level and I want to choose spells that would be the most thematic for a professional tomb robber, er...I mean, raider.
Assume I'm operating in a vacuum as we are still recruiting and I have no idea what the other party members will be brining to the table.
My current spell choices are:
0-level: dancing lights, detect magic, mage hand, mending, open/close, read magic, sift
1st level: comprehend languages, detect secret doors, expeditious retreat, grease
2nd level: aram zey’s focus, heroism, invisibility, pilfering hand, tongues
3rd level: dispel magic, glibness, haste
I still have a number of spells left (thanks to the Human FCB) and I'm at a loss as to what to choose.
1st level: 4 remaining
2nd level: 2 remaining
3rd level: 1 remaining
Thank you in advance for your help.
For a graverobber:
1. Feather Fall, Forced Quiet, Unseen Servant, Windy Escape
2. Dust of Twilight or Glitterdust or Haunting Mists, Mirror Image
3. Gaseous Form or Trade Items
However, you could probably benefit from having at least one of the cure spells, or Delay Poison, or Remove Curse... tombs can be dangerous.
For Bards, I normally grab all the Finale and Inspiration spells... like Saving Finale and Timely Inspiration. I also grab all the spells related to removing [or delaying] conditions... like Remove Fear and Delay Poison... even Liberating Command and/or Freedom of Movement.
1st Level
Feather Fall
Silent Image
Unseen Servant
Disguise Self
Alarm
True Skill
2nd level
Misdirection
Locate Object
Air Step
3rd level
Gaseous Form
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance.
You already have a high perception roll so can easily ditch detect secret doors. Grease is also something that is not that good for an archeologist bard. Tongues is another spell I would not bother with. It is too similar to comprehend languages and there are a lot better 2nd level spells. I would also lose haste and take both of the third level spells I suggested.
I would grab at least Cure Light Wounds. If you don't know what everyone else is playing, then you don't know if anyone else has any healing powers. While it's very likely that at least one other person is playing a caster with healing spells on their list, it's best to make sure that at least you can do some emergency healing if needed.
I know Archaeologists are certainly amoungst the most selfish of Bards, but picking your spells based on what would benefit Indiana Jones may not actually be helpful to you or your party in the actual game... regardless of how thematic the spells may be for someone going solo into a tomb, you ARE going to be playing the same game as the rest of the party. I would use wands/scrolls, even possibly take Scribe Scroll, and wear Mnemonic Vestments for all the stupid Indiana Jones BS.
Pick spells that are actually useful in a Pathfinder game, not for Lara Croft or Dora the Explorer.
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I have to disagree with VoodistMonk. The Archeologist bard is not really bard they are a magic using thief. Would you tell a rogue to choose his talents based on what the party needs. Do fighters choose their bonus feats based on to boost the rest of the party? A character should spend his limited class resources boosting his chosen role in the party. If his chosen role is boosting or supporting the party, that would be a different story, but it is not. The best way for a party to succeed is if the characters are very good at their chosen role.
That is fair. But, to be honest, the Archaeologist already has a decent amount of support in that sense via archetype class features... could probably get away with nothing more than Mage Hand, Unseen Servant, and Trade Items... Accute Senses is probably just overkill, although Locate Item may be nice.
Again, I would just use wands/scrolls for most of the situational stuffs, and focus spells known on more useful magics. I am all for flavor and theme, but you could pretty much make your character the MacGyver of scrolls and wands to get all the flavor and theme you want or need. Having clutch spells in clutch situations is going to be much better than having thematic spells, though.
I've never played an Archaeologist Bard before, but I have played a Bard(s)... having even the most basic ability to heal or remove minor conditions has proven time and time again to be very useful. I know Saving Finale is useless for an Archaeologist, but Timely Inspiration is still an awesome spell to pick up over some random Dora the Explorer spell. There are spells that only Bards can get, and it is worth learning them over "rogue spells" that could be on a scroll in a spring-loaded wrist sheath.
Thank you all for the input, I've taken some of your ideas to heart and have revised my spells known accordingly. Here are the current choices.
0-level: dancing lights, detect magic, mage hand, mending, open/close, read magic, sift
1st level: comprehend languages, cure light wounds, expeditious retreat, heightened awareness, timely inspiration, true skill, unseen servant, windy escape
2nd level: aram zey’s focus, gallant inspiration, heroism, invisibility, locate object, mirror image, pilfering hand
3rd level: bit of luck, dispel magic, gaseous form, haste
Good Hope is too good to pass up, IMHO.
Flagbearer and the Banner of Ancient Kings does the same thing as Good Hope, but as a constant effect... Allies within 30 feet gain:
+2 morale bonus on attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, and saving throws against fear and charm effects.+2 resistance bonus on all saving throws against mind-affecting effects.
In addition, the carrier gains +4 circumstance bonus on Initiative checks.
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Scrolls and wands are great for an archeologist bard. It is just a matter of which spell you learn and which ones you rely on items for. To me the party boosting items are the ones that I would do with magic items. Also don’t forget Pages of Spell Knowledge especially for low level spells.
Since the whole party will benefit from the boosting and utility spells using items allows for the distribution of the cost. Why should the bard use his only 3rd level spell for haste, when the fighter is gaining as much if not more benefit from it? Asking the bard to use a renewable resource for the party's benefit is fine but asking them to give up a onetime resource is a little presumptuous.
In a typical party haste does more damage than a semi-optimized fireball that's why it's great, or I suppose you could just cast allegro.