best wizard blasting (and other) spells for high level?

[Unbeliever]

I tried searching, but was disappointed by what I could find.  I'm playing a reasonably high-powered game that has just reached 17th level.  My character is a Wizard/Zhent Skymage/Initiate of the Sevenfold Veil w/ lots of things that let him cast somewhat spontaneously.  My Caster Level is 19 due to gear, and I'm quite good at crushing SR. 

Of course, my damage is lagging way behind that of the Barbarian and the unarmed Swordsage I'm paired w/.  I'm fine w/ this, especially b/c this isn't really my role.  Right now I do a fair amount of BFC and a lot of debuffing.  Although my DM and I have a detente concerning the amount of BFC I use per encounter.  But I was looking to see if there were some good direct damage spells that I was missing.  Right now, things like Avasculate seem to be the best damage one can do. 

Here's the ones that I've currently got: 
Dalamar's Lightning Lance
Lightning Leap (w/ share spells that's 30d6 damage)
Kelgore's Grave Mist (which blows Lingering Flames right out)
Boreal Wind
Avasculate
Radiant Assault
Lightning Ring
Maw of Chaos

Anything good that I'm missing?  I considered Stored Lightning Bolt, which isn't bad but didn't seem great.  We are also contemplating a nerfed Shapechange that will just give me a monster's supernatural or extraordinary attack. 

My other spells are what you'd expect, though I tried to shy away from ones I've used too often.  I use things like Karmic Backlash/Retribution, Phantasmal Strangler, Freezing Glance, Amber Sarcophagus, and Final Rebuke. 

Thanks

[Endarire]

At this level, time stop + summon/gate/maw of chaos (Spell Compendium 140) is a wonderful way to kill things.

PS: Treantmonk

[carnivore]

try some of these:

ThunderlanceSOLIPSISM +Coup de Gras = Win..... the downside is Mind Affecting, but even really big things can be dropped in a single round with this
[spoiler]SOLIPSISM
Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 7
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Pangs of loneliness grip your heart as you
complete the spell. Upon choosing your
target, the feeling subsides even as a ghostly
pale yellow mist swirls around your target
for a moment.
You manipulate the senses of one
creature so that it perceives itself to be
the only real creature in all of existence
and everything around it to be merely
an illusion.
If the target fails its save, it is
convinced of the unreality of every
situation it might encounter. It takes
no actions, not even purely mental
actions, and instead watches the world
around it with bemusement. The subject
becomes effectively helpless and
takes no steps to defend itself from any
threat, since it considers any hostile
action merely another illusion.[/spoiler]

Vitriolic Sphere ..... long range,SR No, Instantaneous effect with extra continuous Damage
[spoiler]VITRIOLIC SPHERE
Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 5, wu jen 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Long (400 ft. + 40 ft./level)
Area: 10-ft.-radius burst
Duration: Instantaneous; see
text
Saving Throw: Refl ex
negates and Refl ex half;
see text
Spell Resistance:
No
You conjure a sizzling emerald sphere
that drenches all within the area with a
potent acid. Affected creatures take 1d4
points of acid damage per caster level
(maximum 15d4) and must succeed on
a Refl ex save or risk taking damage in
the following 2 rounds (6d4 points of
damage in the second round and 3d4
points of damage in the third round).
Both rounds of continuing damage are
subject to Refl ex saves for half damage;
if an affected creature succeeds on its
second Refl ex save, it takes no acid
damage in the third round.
Material Component: A tiny glass vial
fi lled with aqua regia.[/spoiler]

Horrid WiltingSPHERE OF ULTIMATE DESTRUCTION

[Unbeliever]

At this level, time stop + summon/gate/maw of chaos (Spell Compendium 140) is a wonderful way to kill things.

PS: Treantmonk

FYI:  I started w/ Treantmonk, usually my go to source for picking wizard spells.  But, those are kind of explicitly geared towards not blasting, or at least not exclusively blasting. 

@Carnivore
A lot of those are nice.  I've never really loved the Sphere of Ultimate Destruction.  Don't get me wrong, love the flavor and the idea, but the Fort save for 5d6 damage always rubs me the wrong way, since even w/ great save DCs, everyone I seem to meet is going to make the save against that one. 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Telekinesis.

The be-all and end all of fifth level blasting, utility, buffing, and mobility.

[E-mail]

The coolest thing about Dalamars Lightning Lance, is how Reserves of Strength makes it absolutely bunkers. Sure, you are unlikely to get more than one extra bolt, but at caster level 20 you effectively double the damage done by the spell to a whooping 52d6 of damage. Add the War Mage PrC from Age of Mortals, and you get +3 damage/dice, and end up at 52d6+156 damage from a 4th level spell, and that is before metamagic shenanigans. If you use cast Elemental Body before you start blasting, you wont even have to deal with getting stunned, and you get away with a laughable 1d6 damage to yourself.

I have learned to love this spell. After all, death is the ultimate debuff.

[Mixster]

Telekinesis.

The be-all and end all of fifth level blasting, utility, buffing, and mobility.

I second this, if you carry around a few portable holes filled with Black Lotus (from Minor Creation, possibly psionic) and Collossal Sianghams (or Greatswords if you can't find all those Sianghams).
Then you can throw them all at the same enemy and watch him die horribly.

[AndyJames]

FYI:  I started w/ Treantmonk, usually my go to source for picking wizard spells.  But, those are kind of explicitly geared towards not blasting, or at least not exclusively blasting. 

@Carnivore
A lot of those are nice.  I've never really loved the Sphere of Ultimate Destruction.  Don't get me wrong, love the flavor and the idea, but the Fort save for 5d6 damage always rubs me the wrong way, since even w/ great save DCs, everyone I seem to meet is going to make the save against that one. 

You use it against things like undead, dungeon walls/doors, mages, rogues, etc. You don't use it against fightes or clerics. It is also fun to use it against an evil altar you were supposed to destroy. Cast it, move it at range and you might not even need to enter the room. The look on the BBEG's face (and the DM's) would be pretty priceless.

[Unbeliever]

Telekinesis.

The be-all and end all of fifth level blasting, utility, buffing, and mobility.

I second this, if you carry around a few portable holes filled with Black Lotus (from Minor Creation, possibly psionic) and Collossal Sianghams (or Greatswords if you can't find all those Sianghams).
Then you can throw them all at the same enemy and watch him die horribly.

Yeah, TK is quite good, and the damage is quite impressive, even if you take into account DR:  15(15d6 - 15 or so) is still quite good.  That's assuming there's a handy screed of boulders.  

I'm actually just worried about hitting w/ it at this level.  My casting stat is crazy high, like +13, but my BAB is predictably anemic, roughly +10.  I have to see what the base AC of our enemies are, though perhaps it will be fine b/c they won't be that high, or at least not all the time, or can I justify True Strike applying to all my thrown boulders as one "volley" ?

[carnivore]

no note about Sphere of Ultimate Destruction .... it is very effective against Anything with a Weak Fort save, and even against them .... you should be forcing a DC 29 minimum Fort save.

the best thing about it.... think of it as another member of your party who can destroy everything, and who intelligent enemies will try to get away from ... in addition, since it lasts for at least 19 rounds, it can do a lot of Utility things as well similar to Disintegrate ....you can have several of these cast at the same time for even greater effect, and they remain under your control the entire time(nobody can take control of them, they are not Concentration based)

 

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Telekinesis.

The be-all and end all of fifth level blasting, utility, buffing, and mobility.

I second this, if you carry around a few portable holes filled with Black Lotus (from Minor Creation, possibly psionic) and Collossal Sianghams (or Greatswords if you can't find all those Sianghams).
Then you can throw them all at the same enemy and watch him die horribly.

Yeah, TK is quite good, and the damage is quite impressive, even if you take into account DR:  15(15d6 - 15 or so) is still quite good.  That's assuming there's a handy screed of boulders.  

I'm actually just worried about hitting w/ it at this level.  My casting stat is crazy high, like +13, but my BAB is predictably anemic, roughly +10.  I have to see what the base AC of our enemies are, though perhaps it will be fine b/c they won't be that high, or at least not all the time, or can I justify True Strike applying to all my thrown boulders as one "volley" ?

Well, keep in mind that if you poison your weapons that every hit is a save-or-die.  Even if you only make one in every five shots, that's still a pretty decent deal.

If you invest in alchemical stuff like torch bug paste, you can do things like drop a faerie fire and tanglefoot bag as your first two attacks (negating concealment/invis/displacement and making them flatfooted).  Decent as debuffs when you have twelve other attacks coming right afterwards.

If you can get fine spell-storing magic arrows, you can also buff up in ridiculously short amounts of time.

[Unbeliever]

Telekinesis.

The be-all and end all of fifth level blasting, utility, buffing, and mobility.

I second this, if you carry around a few portable holes filled with Black Lotus (from Minor Creation, possibly psionic) and Collossal Sianghams (or Greatswords if you can't find all those Sianghams).
Then you can throw them all at the same enemy and watch him die horribly.

Yeah, TK is quite good, and the damage is quite impressive, even if you take into account DR:  15(15d6 - 15 or so) is still quite good.  That's assuming there's a handy screed of boulders.  

I'm actually just worried about hitting w/ it at this level.  My casting stat is crazy high, like +13, but my BAB is predictably anemic, roughly +10.  I have to see what the base AC of our enemies are, though perhaps it will be fine b/c they won't be that high, or at least not all the time, or can I justify True Strike applying to all my thrown boulders as one "volley" ?

Well, keep in mind that if you poison your weapons that every hit is a save-or-die.  Even if you only make one in every five shots, that's still a pretty decent deal.

If you invest in alchemical stuff like torch bug paste, you can do things like drop a faerie fire and tanglefoot bag as your first two attacks (negating concealment/invis/displacement and making them flatfooted).  Decent as debuffs when you have twelve other attacks coming right afterwards.

If you can get fine spell-storing magic arrows, you can also buff up in ridiculously short amounts of time.

Not bad ideas.  I like the tanglefoot bag a lot for its sheer simplicity.  Are there any other easy ways to buff the TK attacks?  I was looking for, and found, a couple of competence bonuses to all ranged attack rolls.

I think spell-storing magic arrows and scads of poison might violate the Gentleman's Agreement I have w/ my DM.  And, in the latter case, most demons shrug off poison anyway, and that's our modal opponent at this point. 

[PhaedrusXY]

If you have access to reach and/or chain spell, Greater Mighty Wallop and Greater Magic Weapon can turn even small rocks into terrible weapons. The psionic power Dissolving Weapon, applied to 50 (colossal) arrows can also be crazy. It is instantaneous, so you can use it as an out-of-combat buff long before you actually need it, even if it means finding and paying a manifester to use it for you.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Demons you say?  Colossal arrows with Flametouched iron (ECS127: +1000 gp for a weapon, so presumably +20 per arrow) heads seem like the optimal choice, then.  It'll work on anything short of a marilith.  You don't even have to make them masterwork.

Hunter's eye works on all attacks in a round, IIRC.  If you can pick up unseen seer, adding sneak attack damage is cool.

[Mixster]

Well if you could find some small poisonous creatures (possibly toads or Hornets of some sort). You could get your druid to cast venomfire at the buggers and then throw them at your enemies with telekinesis. That would be fun.

[The_Mad_Linguist]

Well if you could find some small poisonous creatures (possibly toads or Hornets of some sort). You could get your druid to cast venomfire at the buggers and then throw them at your enemies with telekinesis. That would be fun.

Oh god I'm covered in flaming bees why won't the agony stop!

[veekie]

If you have access to reach and/or chain spell, Greater Mighty Wallop and Greater Magic Weapon can turn even small rocks into terrible weapons.

Bringing new meaning to Rocks Fall, My Enemies Die.

[Unbeliever]

If you have access to reach and/or chain spell, Greater Mighty Wallop and Greater Magic Weapon can turn even small rocks into terrible weapons.

Bringing new meaning to Rocks Fall, My Enemies Die.

Ouch!  Yeah, now I really want to make that work.  The only thing is the attack roll.  The GWM will help a whole lot ... +5 to hit rocks me up to something like +29, which I guess should be pretty good for government work ...

I was also tempted to find some way to optimize Steeldance, but I think for the effort involved I might as well just cast Sphere of Ultimate Destruction.