All Buffed Up! [Major Help please?!]

[Morph Bark]

I am in process of trying to get together a list of all buff spells and psionic powers out there for a player who is trying to craft a build that focuses on party- and self-buffing. For as far as I know, there are practically no high-level buff spells - psionic powers maybe in the Egoist category? I've never played psionic characters myself, even though I like the way they work.

I figured I'd enlist the help of the Playground since on our own we'd likely miss a lot of things. Sources would be appreciated.


To make a clear definition: buff spells/powers are spells/powers that increases the target's stats or alters them in some way that makes them stronger. Varies from mage armour to form of doom or righteous might.

[Morph Bark]

Anyone? :smallfrown:

I don't suppose there's a list for these things somewhere?

[Iku Rex]

"All buff spells and psionic powers" is a bit too much. Maybe you could narrow it down based on what the character can actually do? For example, if he's aiming for war weaver (HoB) he'll be using arcane spells. And if so, sorcerer or wizard?

[Malbordeus]

hmm, high level buffs

Energy Immunity? (if theres a mass version then awsome!)
Superior Resistance? (mass)
Wish...
Transformation spells (planar and holy)
Dispell Evil? theres a higher power version somewhere i think.
Summons (flanking bonusses are awsome)
Planar Bindings (awsome with archony-type-things)
Sacred Haven
Recitation
Mass Shield of Faith

i cant think of any really high level buffs, having a lot of lower level ones might be better, then meta magiking them.
Archivist is the best buff class - access to all divine (and arguably arcane) spells, pluss Dark knowledge's (buffs in themselves) makes them excell at this.

[2xMachina]

Hmm, I think he meant the player hasn't fixed his build. Just knows he wants to buff.

For Psionics, I think most buffs are low lvl. You just augment them up.

And clerics gets lots of buff spells.

[JeminiZero]

Suggestion: Use an Inspiration Focused Bard? Easy to play, and highly effective.

[Morph Bark]

"All buff spells and psionic powers" is a bit too much. Maybe you could narrow it down based on what the character can actually do? For example, if he's aiming for war weaver (HoB) he'll be using arcane spells. And if so, sorcerer or wizard?

Hmm, I think he meant the player hasn't fixed his build. Just knows he wants to buff.

The player hasn't fixed his build yet, but he's trying to make a build that has access to as many of these as possible - likely involving high levels of cheese, but for this game that doesn't matter. For as far as I know he might even want to go for an Artificer focusing on crafting scrolls and wands (or dorjes and psionic stuff) that let characters with UMD buff themselves or one another. I am not involved in helping him with his build though, just getting together the buff stuff.


I realize asking for all of it may be a bit much, hence why I figured if I instead asked for a link to a list or guide or whatever with (all of) these, it'd be done much, much quicker.

[2xMachina]

Heh, Psionic Artificer. Access to Psionics and Spells.

I don't think there's a buff only list, but there are lists of good spells/powers.

Cleric handbook has a spell section (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=420.0)
God handbook has wizard spells. (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19873034/Treantmonks_guide_to_Wizards:_Being_a_God)
Best Psionic Powers (http://community.wizards.com/go/thread/view/75882/19537882/What_Is_the_Most_Powerful_Psionic_Power)

[Malbordeus]

wizard/Archivist/Mystic theurge? has got all buffs ever!

[Douglas]

High cheese? See if your DM will allow Persistent Spell to apply to touch range spells*. If he says that will work, see the Team Solars link in my sig for a list of just about every (non-evil) spell in 3.5 that either is already long duration or is eligible for Persist. Also, see the stat blocks in that thread for just how thoroughly overpowered stacking all of those on can be.

* If you view "touch" range as "range from caster's space = reach", reach varies with size and is therefore not fixed and not eligible for Persistent Spell. If you view it as "range = 0 from caster's touching appendage", that's fixed and therefore is eligible for Persistent Spell.

[Person_Man]

War Weaver from Heroes of Battle is a prestige class with 4/5 caster progression. It requires the ability to cast 3rd level arcane spells to get in. Their primary class ability is the Eldritch Tapestry. It allows them to connect a number of living creatures to the tapestry each day. Once part of the tapestry, you cast spells up to your class level (up to 5th level, because that's how far the War Weaver PrC goes) into the tapestry and treat all members of the tapestry as a single target.

Spells eligible for the tapestry must meet the following criteria:

1) Must target willing creatures or have a "harmless" saving throw.
2) Must target a creature that can be in the tapestry and not just their equipment like a magic weapon spell would.
3) Must not be a personal range spell. No counting all allies as "you."
4) Cannot affect illegal targets.

There was a list of all the core spells that qualified on Gleemax somewhere, but now it's gone. But the end effect is that you can cast Enlarge Person or Cure Moderate Wounds (assuming you're a Bard) and most other buff and healing spells on yourself, and it effects everyone in your party. Very fun stuff.

[Fouredged Sword]

Combined with archivest and geomancer with some cheeze to qualify as casting for 2nd level arcane spells allows you to cast all archivest spells and benifit from warweaver with all of them. I think there is a PrC that lets you spread around personal spells as well.

Also works for a DMM cleric if you are willing to buy lots of nightsticks.

Mass heal anyone? Mass persisted spells?

[Iku Rex]

...you can cast Enlarge Person... (Enlarge person has a "Fortitude negates" saving throw, so it won't work in the tapetestry.)

[Curmudgeon]

Combined with archivest and geomancer with some cheeze to qualify as casting for 2nd level arcane spells allows you to cast all archivest spells and benifit from warweaver with all of them.
There is no Archivist spell list. There are only the individual spells recorded in each Archivist's prayerbook. That's more than some "cheeze".

[Endarire]

War Weaver Handbook, Black Tactica Edition (http://brilliantgameologists.com/boards/index.php?topic=5881.0)

[ShneekeyTheLost]

The divine version of the War Weaver (which, if you go that route, can be stupidly pumped with Legacy Champion to put 9th level spells in the Weave), would be my alternative Clericzilla. Use Divine Metamagic: Chain Spell. Reach Spell (or later, Divine Reach from Heirophant dip) to extend the reach beyond touch so you can chain it.

The typical loadout I use is as follows:

Greater Magic Weapon
Magic Vestments
Freedom of Movement (also persisted)
Death Ward (Also persisted)
Shield of Faith (also persisted)
Barkskin (from Plant domain)
Mind Blank (from Protection domain)

This nets you immunity to the following:

Movement-hampering (including Solid Fog and Grappling)
Death spells
negative energy effects
energy drain
mind-affecting
The Divination school

And grants +5 bonus to the following:

Enhancement bonus to attack and damage on weapon(s)
Enhancement bonus for Armor (and possibly shield) bonus to AC
Deflection bonus to AC
Natural Armor bonus to AC

So you just pumped everyone's AC by about 14, and gave them a whole host of immunities, and a +4 to attack/damage (since weapons and armor are assumed to have +1 enhancement already, so it can have equivalent enhancements out the ying/yang).

This loadout would save the party some half a billion in GP in magic items they don't have to purchase (rings of freedom of movement are particularly expensive, not to mention the cost of weapons and armor which already have +6 or more in equivalents would suddenly go Epic cost rate)

[arguskos]

You want to talk buffcheese? You want TEAM SOLAR (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=81794)!

[Zhalath]

(Enlarge person has a "Fortitude negates" saving throw, so it won't work in the tapetestry.)

Since when is being very large a bad thing? It seems like it should be (harmless). But, Rule Zero Fallacy.

Because I've thought of that build too, could you do War Weaver with Rainbow Warmage? I mean, you should be able to do it, but would it be worth it?

[Curmudgeon]

Since when is being very large a bad thing? It seems like it should be (harmless).
Suddenly being 8x heavier when you're crossing a flimsy bridge? No, I don't think that spell merits the (harmless) tag. Or you could bump someone up to 10'x10' size in a room which only has 5' corridors leading away from it. :smallfrown:

[Dubious Pie]

Because I've thought of that build too, could you do War Weaver with Rainbow Warmage? I mean, you should be able to do it, but would it be worth it?

I have played this build with some Legacy Champ as icing, Necropolitan Warmage 1/Rainbow Servant 10/War Weaver 5/Legacy Champion 4//Paladin 1/Bard 19. It was to game balance what sledgehammers are to expensive pottery.