III. Concerning Wizard Spells...
Shooting Star and Sword of the Arcane Order do not give you access to the sorcerer/wizard spell list. This is a very important problem, because it makes it a little more difficult to actually get to cast wizard spells. Further, you have to remember that you cannot substitute a primary arcane caster. You are a gish and as such need your spellcasting in combat mainly for yourself.
What a Dip in the Wizard Class means to you...- Access to the Wizard Spell List: First of all, you get access to the wizard spell list, which is mandatory to make your own spellbook. Otherwise you will need a spellbook from a foreign source, which means that you have to make a spellcraft check every time you try to memorize a spell. But of course, the spellcraft check is not that hard to make: You can take 10 and as a shooting star ranger you have spellcraft on your class list, and 8 ranks is the number you need to auto-succeed on up to level 5 spells, if your intelligence score is at least 15 (15+spell level).
- Improved Caster Level: Further, your ranger caster level gets a push, because of the wording of the shooting star improved casting ability (see Chapter II: Debatable), and if you do not use the mystic ranger variant your wizard caster level increases, too.
- At the DM's Mercy, anyway: In the end wether you dip into wizard or not, your DM has almost complete control over your selection of wizard spells: You have no way to learn new spells other than taking more levels in wizard (which would be a total waste), or finding and/or buying scrolls and/or spellbooks. And if you think about it, since you are of a Mystra-worshipping order, there should be someone who copies spells you find into a spellbook for you.
- A quick Fix for the SotAO Feat: [spoiler]
If you've got levels in wizard, every time you gain a level in the ranger class, you learn a wizard spell of up to the highest level you can cast (either with your wizard or ranger slots, whichever is higher).
While this addition would grant nothing new, it would actually take the DM fiat out of the picture (an advantage for players AND for DMs) and change SotAO into a real dual class feat.[/spoiler]
How to get a Spellbook...Borrow a spellbook -- As a shooting star ranger, your order should provide you a spellbook with fitting spells. This is surely the most usual way for a mystic ranger to get a spellbook. Unfortunately, you will have to make spellcraft checks to use it.
Buy a spellbook -- Read magic or spellcraft checks are necessary; highly unlikely too.
Leadership -- Leadership is totally broken, but it is probably the best way for you to get to the spells you want: Simply get a wizard cohort.
Loot a spellbook -- See buying, but a lot more realistic. Watch out for traps.
Make your own spellbook -- At least one level in a class with access to the sorcerer/wizard spell list is required. This allows you to copy scrolls and spells from other spellbooks into your own.
Share a spellbook -- Requires a friendly wizard willing to share his/her spellbook with you, which probably won't be the case regularly. Again, spellcraft checks are necessary.
Steal a spellbook -- See buying, but even more unlikely. Watch out for traps.
Wizard Spells of Note1st Level[spoiler]
Blood Wind -- Wild-shaping rangers will love this.
Grease -- This spell is a very nice option to control the battle field and makes hunter's eye (or sneak attack in general) that much easier to use, since balancing makes people lose their dexterity bonus to armor class. What's a bit of a problem though, is the fact that prone targets are harder to hit with ranged weapons.
Enlarge/Reduce Person -- For melee and ranged builds respectively.
Expeditious Retreat, Swift -- Nice if you absolutely need it.
True Strike -- This never hurts.
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2nd Level[spoiler]
Alter Self -- Need I say more?
Deflect -- This can save your butt.
Glitterdust -- One of the early superstars. Blinded creatures lose their dexterity bonus to armor class.
Heroics -- A floating fighter bonus feat for a 2nd level spell? Yes please!
Invisibility -- Self-explicatory.
Mirror Image -- Defense!
Wraithstrike -- Totally overpowered spell... Not quite that good for rangers, but still...
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3rd Level[spoiler]
Arcane Sight -- If you've selected the arcane hunter acf, this can be useful to detect casters.
Fly -- This spell changes combat like teleport changes everything else.
Haste -- You do get swift haste via the ranger spell list, but this is great nontheless.
Magic weapon, greater -- Saves a lot of gold...
[/spoiler]
4th Level[spoiler]
Black Tentacles -- Another spell which gives you the power to control the battle field and makes hunter's eye (or sneak attack in general) that much easier to use, since grapplers lose their dexterity bonus to armor class.
Celerity -- As an ass-saver... Sure, why not?
Dimension Door -- This spell solves a lot of out of combat problems and is a very nice "o shit!"-button in combat.
Minor Creation -- This spell's got
its own thread.Polymorph -- Broken beyond repair...
[/spoiler]
5th Level[spoiler]
Overland Flight -- See fly.
Teleport -- This spell changes the game like no other, but this is really more the party's prime arcane caster's domain.
[/spoiler]