Author Topic: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?  (Read 8081 times)

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MalcolmSprye

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Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« on: September 10, 2010, 06:20:03 PM »
Hi there!
I posted recently about advice for a bard character I was making.  In the end, I decided to go Sublime Chord.  Now I am looking for advice, since this will be the first time I play a real spell caster.  I understand the need for casters(especially spontaneous ones) to maximize the flexibility of their spells, in order to try to have an answer for as many situations as possible.  Consequently, spells like Alter self, shadow evocation, and shadow conjuration(?) seem to be well regarded.

I searched around the stickies, and found the list of forms for Alter self.  Are there lists of particularly useful spells to duplicate with the Shadow spells?  Are there any other hugely versatile and/or powerful spells that no arcane caster should be without?

Cheers

snakeman830

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #1 on: September 10, 2010, 06:47:29 PM »
Shadow spells you need to wait for a situation to arise before they're helpful nine times out of ten.  Don't worry about having too many preconcieved ideas of what's useful, just use whatever seems most appropriate.

As for other hugely versatile spells, Telekinesis is almost always helpful in some form or another.
I am constantly amazed by how many DM's ban Tomb of Battle.  The book doesn't even exist!

Quotes:[spoiler]
By yes, she means no.
That explains so much about my life.
hiicantcomeupwithacharacterthatisntaghostwhyisthatamijustretardedorsomething
Why would you even do this? It hurts my eyes and looks like you ate your keyboard before suffering an attack of explosive diarrhea.
[/spoiler]

If using Genesis to hide your phylactry, set it at -300 degrees farenheit.  See how do-gooders fare with a liquid atmosphere.

PhaedrusXY

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #2 on: September 10, 2010, 07:03:57 PM »
Shrink Item can be amazing. From big stone cones that you wear as a hat to automatically "deploy" if you're ever caught in an AMF, to "cages" that you can unshrink to work as a poor man's Cube of Force, to just launching shrunken boulders (or pools of lava/acid/etc) with Launch Item, its uses are limited only by your imagination...

You can also use it to "create" or remove terrain obstacles. The nicest thing is the duration. You can shrink a bunch of stuff in your down time, and then whip it out as needed, and never use spell slots for it "in combat".
[spoiler]
A couple of water benders, a dike, a flaming arrow, and a few barrels of blasting jelly?

Sounds like the makings of a gay porn film.
...thanks
[/spoiler]

Black Knight

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #3 on: September 10, 2010, 07:13:26 PM »
Wings of Cover
Celerity
Polymorph
Greater Mirror Image
Wings of Flurry
Orb of Fire
Fleshshiver
If you are an ethical person, you do the right thing even when no one is watching...

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #4 on: September 10, 2010, 07:19:05 PM »
heres one ... will try to get more



carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #5 on: September 10, 2010, 07:20:35 PM »
ve flying creature with Wings(think Dragons... they usually dont have a great ref save)

WINGBIND
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 4
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Target: One creature
Duration: 1 round/level (D)
Saving Throw: Reflex negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
The flying creature lets out a surprised howl
and then plummets to the ground, its wings
flat against its body and struggling against
a green glowing net.
A web of force surrounds the target,
entangling it like a net. This spell functions
like earthbind (page 76), except that
an ensnared creature immediately falls
to the ground, taking falling damage

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #6 on: September 10, 2010, 07:21:38 PM »

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #7 on: September 10, 2010, 07:24:01 PM »

MalcolmSprye

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #8 on: September 10, 2010, 07:27:31 PM »
Shadow spells you need to wait for a situation to arise before they're helpful nine times out of ten.  Don't worry about having too many preconcieved ideas of what's useful, just use whatever seems most appropriate.

As for other hugely versatile spells, Telekinesis is almost always helpful in some form or another.

Yah, I figured there were hundreds of potential uses depending on the flavor of the situation.  My problem is, I'm not really familiar with a lot of spells, which is why I was looking for a list or lists similar to http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=343.0.  That way, at least I know what's available.  I've been reading spells for the past couple of days, but I haven't absorbed them by far, and I don't want to cause massive game delays by digging through spell books in the middle of a session.

P.S. Cool carnivore and others!   I'll look up those spells.  I'm only really looking for spells lvl 4  +.  My tentative build plan is Bard 7, Warblade 3, SC 10, so I'll be a little light on lvl 3 spells.

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #9 on: September 10, 2010, 07:31:12 PM »
heres a fun spell that is like having your own bodyguards

STEELDANCE
Transmutation
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Targets: Two swords or daggers
Duration: 1 round/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
You place the two daggers in your outstretched
palm and cast the spell. They rise
from your hands, glowing with a dim blue
radiance.
The two daggers hover about you,
attacking foes that come near. On your
turn, each blade can make an attack at
an adjacent opponent, with an attack
bonus equal to your caster level + your
relevant ability modifier. The damage
they deal is equal to the normal weapon
damage (1d4 for daggers) + your ability
modifier (Intelligence for wizards and
Charisma for sorcerers). The weapons
are treated as magic for the purpose of
overcoming damage reduction.
Your blades can be attacked with
sunder or disarm attempts as if you
were wielding them, and they use the
above attack bonus to resolve such
situations. Disarming a weapon under
the effect of steeldance ends the spell for
that weapon.
Focus: Two bladed weapons, such as
daggers or longswords.

i realize it is a 3rd lvl spell ... but it was so nice
 :D

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #10 on: September 10, 2010, 07:32:35 PM »

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #11 on: September 10, 2010, 07:35:30 PM »

jameswilliamogle

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #12 on: September 10, 2010, 07:36:33 PM »
Fabricate is amazing in any campaign.  Got rocks?  Now you've got a castle.  Need protection for a night?  No worries; earthworks here we come.  Need to arm an army in a hurry?  That grove just became a bunch of spears and wooden shields.

Mindblank is awesome defense.  Takes away a HUGE class of really nasty powers.

Greater Mirror Image is good mid-level defense.

Control Winds (Rod of Maximize spell) + Control Weather will do a flat 300 damage in an area (ok, ok, so its over 10 rounds... so what?)

+1 on Sirine's Grace.

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #13 on: September 10, 2010, 07:38:43 PM »
SHADOW FORM
Illusion (Shadow)
Level: Assassin 4, sorcerer/wizard 5
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level (D)
Shadows rise from the ground to envelop
you. The shadows easily move with you,
guiding your steps and how to hold your
body.
While this spell is in effect, you gain
a number of benefits. The shadows
wrapping your form grant you a +4
competence bonus on Escape Artist,
Hide, and Move Silently checks. Your
shadowy form also provides you with
concealment. This shadowy concealment
is not negated by a see invisibility
spell, but a true seeing spell counteracts
the effect. Standing within the radius
of a daylight spell or in bright natural
sunlight temporarily suppresses the
concealment effect.
In addition, if you have 5 ranks in
Escape Artist, you can attempt to slip
through a solid object or barrier up to
5 feet thick with a DC 20 Escape Artist
check,
though doing this ends the spell
as soon as the attempt is completed
(regardless of success). If you have 10
ranks in Escape Artist, you can attempt
to pass through an object or barrier up
to 10 feet thick. If you have 15 ranks in
Escape Artist, you can attempt to pass
through a barrier composed of magical
force (or similar magical obstacles).
Material Component:
A small piece
of black cloth taken from a funeral
shroud.

 :D

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #14 on: September 10, 2010, 07:40:57 PM »
« Last Edit: September 10, 2010, 07:45:02 PM by carnivore »

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #15 on: September 10, 2010, 07:45:13 PM »
RAY DEFLECTION
Abjuration
Level: Bard 4, sorcerer/wizard 4
Components: V, S, F
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Personal
Target: You
Duration: 1 minute/level
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No
As the spell is cast, a brief shimmering field
appears around you. Small motes of silver
float within the field.
For the duration of the spell, you
are protected against ranged touch
attacks, including ray spells and ray
attacks made by creatures. Any ray
attack directed at you is automatically
reflected harmlessly away.
Focus: A glass prism.

 :D

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #16 on: September 10, 2010, 07:48:32 PM »

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #17 on: September 10, 2010, 07:50:20 PM »

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #18 on: September 10, 2010, 07:53:10 PM »
heres a nice Multi-targeting spell

MANYJAWS
Evocation [Force]
Level: Sorcerer/wizard 3
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level)
Effect: One pair of disembodied,
flying jaws per caster level
(maximum ten pairs)
Duration: Concentration, up to
3 rounds
Saving Throw: See text
Spell Resistance: Yes
You clamp your teeth together with the
last gesture, and several disembodied jaws
of blue force appear and float toward your
foes, gnashing their teeth.
When you cast this spell, you summon
several pairs of mystical, disembodied
jaws that fly about and attack your foes.
These pairs of jaws can be commanded
to attack separate targets, or multiple
pairs can be sent to attack a single foe.
The jaws originate at your location and
fly out to attack their targets, moving
at a fly speed of 40 feet with perfect
maneuverability. You can redirect as
many of the jaws as you desire as a
standard action.
Each round on your action, each pair
of jaws automatically hits its target and
deals 1d6 points of damage, or half that
amount with a successful Reflex save.
A creature targeted by multiple pairs of
jaws in a single round makes only one
saving throw, with success halving the
total damage.
Material Component: A pair of teeth.

 :D

carnivore

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Re: Lists of Uses for flexible spells?
« Reply #19 on: September 10, 2010, 07:55:10 PM »
damage or Ranged Healing

LIGHT OF VENYA
Evocation [Good, Light]
Level: Cleric 3, sorcerer/wizard 3
This spell functions like light of Lunia,
except that a softy pearly radiance is
created. Your light rays deal 3d6 points
of damage, or 6d6 points of damage
against undead and evil outsiders.
Alternatively, you can choose for the
ray to heal 1d6 points of damage + your
divine spellcaster level (maximum
1d6+10) to a living, non-evil creature.

 :D