Good all day buffs for a gish

[Hellwyrm]

So having looked around at gishes and having played one, I have found that I really like them. But unfortunately, the number of buffs I can have on me for a particular battle is limited by
a) the time I have before the battle (if I know its going to happen) to buff and/or
b) the number of turns I am willing to sacrifice in battle buffing myself/others
And so thusly is my question:
What are some all day buffs I can roll with for a gish style character? They don't necessarily have to last all day, but ones with hour/level duration or such are about the length needed.
Considering most gishes are arcane/warrior types, divine spells are out unless they can be obtained through that feat that gives you access to a clerical domain (can't remember the name).

[Kenneth]

mage armor/greater mage armor are 1hr/level so pretty much all day for me

I generally use the first round in combat to cast my 1 round/level buffs like teh various Bite spells

I cast my minute/level buffs before the fight starts like shield or blur

and my 10 minute/level i cast before i start getting serious like herosim

to give betetr examples

I cast Greater mage armor as soon as I wak eup POW +6 ac to me!
I know we gotta clear out a mine taken over by drow so righte before we ente teh mine I cast heroism and circle of protection form evil. we go into themine and have a skrimish with a couple o sentries I cast shield, blur and mirror image on myself now I am up to a +10 AC miss chance of 20% and a 1in X chance of ignoring the attackl anyways plow here comes a fight I cast Bite of the wearwolf on myself the first round of serious combat then enter melee asap.

[herrhauptmann]

(Greater) luminous armor is a good spell for a gish who prepares spells, and is Good.

Even nicer if the gish uses Abjurant Champion.

[Dusk Eclipse]

The Hear of XXXX spells last for hours/level and they are very good gishy spells which give you really solid defences like 100% fortification and a stoneskin effect without material costs... or freedom of movement,etc.

I also think some spells are better wanded, for example a wand of nerveskitter is dirt cheap (750 gp) and a wand of wraithstrike is incredibly useful and also very cheap (2250 GP), in general try to look for good spells which don't care about CL to wand them. (For bonus points keep these wands in a wand chamber in your weapon and if you can wing it also in a wand chamber for gauntlets)

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Two to four levels of Incantatrix will solve your buffing problems in a hurry with Cooperative Metamagic and Metamagic Effect for Persistent spells. If you're going Sorcadin, use Illumian Naenhoon with Sacred Exorcist to Persist two spells.

Heart of Water for sure, other hour/level buffs like Greater Magic Weapon, Greater Mighty Wallop, Greater Mage/Luminous Armor, etc. can mostly be used with a Lesser Rod of Extend. Snowsight via Arcane Disciple and Obscuring Snow is just downright unfair. There's also a few 24-hour buffs like Mind Blank, Greater/Superior Resistance, and Energy Immunity. For Persistent buffs, Ruin Delver's Fortune x3, Swift Expeditious Retreat, Swift Fly, Wraithstrike, Bladeweave, Displacement, (Fell Drain) Cloud of Knives, Greater Mirror Image, Greater Invisibility, Bite of the Werecreature, and Draconic Polymorph (into yourself even) are all superb candidates. For during combat, Shield (Swift via Abjurant Champion) followed by a quality crowd control like Web, Glitterdust, Black Tentacles, or Freezing Fog is usually your best choice. After that just spam Minor Shapeshift for temporary HP or use your Circlet of Rapid Casting or Lesser Rod of Quicken to throw around more Web/Glitterdust or to use Whirling Blade after you've activated Arcane Strike and made a Leap Attack. Fell Drain (Extended) Blades of Fire is also pretty good.

[Godskook]

Heart of X spells are just fantastic.

Greater Luminous Armor, but there are some hoops to get that. Nothing too sever for a Wizard, but Sorcerers need a feat.

Wraithstrike is awesome, but you need to persist it to make use of it.

Heroics and Mirror Move are likewise awesome, and are slightly easier to keep up without persist, but you kinda should be persisting some of these. Notably, you can get access to Shock Trooper this way, without even taking Power Attack, and without Heroics stacking.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Extending Heroics and Mirror move ought to do the tricks at mid to high levels (they are 10 min/level right?)

And I still think a wand of Wraithstrike is better than persiting it, for one you don't have to wait till level 15 (more likely 16 or 17) without some cheese, and your DM will probably be pissed if you can attack touch AC all day long... OTH having a wand and using it sparingly won't draw your DM's ire and you can afford one relatively soon, by level 7 it won't be too much of a drain on your WBL...

[Godskook]

Extending Heroics and Mirror move ought to do the tricks at mid to high levels (they are 10 min/level right?)

Mirror Move is minute/level, while Heroics is 10 minutes/level. If you can only persist one, Mirror Move is the better pick, especially since the options are all core feats, while Heroics can get you any fighter feat out there.


And I still think a wand of Wraithstrike is better than persiting it, for one you don't have to wait till level 15 (more likely 16 or 17) without some cheese, and your DM will probably be pissed if you can attack touch AC all day long... OTH having a wand and using it sparingly won't draw your DM's ire and you can afford one relatively soon, by level 7 it won't be too much of a drain on your WBL...

Actually, considering that most combats last 3-4 rounds before they're 'decided', and there's approximately 13 encounters per level, you'd use no more than approximately 1 wand per level. At level 7, you're probably spending too much money on it, but by level 10 or so, that'd be quite reasonable for the amount of power it gives.

[Hellwyrm]

If you're going Sorcadin, use Illumian Naenhoon with Sacred Exorcist to Persist two spells.
Wait, how are are getting 12 turn/rebuke attempts per day? Excluding Nightstick cheese. For a second I forgot that Sorcerers are Charisma based...... :smallredface:


Heart of Water for sure, other hour/level buffs like Greater Magic Weapon, Greater Mighty Wallop, Greater Mage/Luminous Armor, etc. can mostly be used with a Lesser Rod of Extend..........
There's also a few 24-hour buffs like Mind Blank, Greater/Superior Resistance, and Energy Immunity.
Duly noted. These will be nice to stack up.


Snowsight via Arcane Disciple and Obscuring Snow is just downright unfair.
:smallbiggrin: This'll be verrrrrrrrrrrrrrry nice.


For Persistent buffs, Ruin Delver's Fortune x3, Swift Expeditious Retreat, Swift Fly, Wraithstrike, Bladeweave, Displacement, (Fell Drain) Cloud of Knives, Greater Mirror Image, Greater Invisibility, Bite of the Werecreature, and Draconic Polymorph (into yourself even) are all superb candidates.
I can definitely see all these being used.


For during combat, Shield (Swift via Abjurant Champion) followed by a quality crowd control like Web, Glitterdust, Black Tentacles, or Freezing Fog is usually your best choice. After that just spam Minor Shapeshift for temporary HP or use your Circlet of Rapid Casting or Lesser Rod of Quicken to throw around more Web/Glitterdust or to use Whirling Blade after you've activated Arcane Strike and made a Leap Attack. Fell Drain (Extended) Blades of Fire is also pretty good.
Got it!

A wand of nerveskitter is almost free improved initiative. That will see some use. And the wand of wraithstrike..... eventually.
A must if you have any levels in paladin and are going melee is the wand of rhino's rush. Just. So. Delicious.

That's mostly cleared up what I'll be doing with my spells known and stuff, and has mostly cleared up the question. If anyone has any other goodies to add that would be brilliant. Thanks guys.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Mirror Move is minute/level, while Heroics is 10 minutes/level. If you can only persist one, Mirror Move is the better pick, especially since the options are all core feats, while Heroics can get you any fighter feat out there.



Actually, considering that most combats last 3-4 rounds before they're 'decided', and there's approximately 13 encounters per level, you'd use no more than approximately 1 wand per level. At level 7, you're probably spending too much money on it, but by level 10 or so, that'd be quite reasonable for the amount of power it gives.

I admit that I didn't check the WBL; but my main point was that constant Wraithstrike is too powerful for some groups; but having the opion and using it sparingly is better.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

You can get a weapon with a Wand Chamber detailed in Dungeonscape and use a Wand of Wraithstrike. If you're casting it normally you can use a Lesser Rod of Extend with it, even if you cast spontaneously the casting time only increases for metamagic if the spell's original casting time is a standard action or more.

Also, a Cha-based gish should get an Eternal Wand (MIC) of Hound of Doom (CW), any arcane caster can use one regardless of it being from another class' spell list.

[Godskook]

I admit that I didn't check the WBL; but my main point was that constant Wraithstrike is too powerful for some groups; but having the opion and using it sparingly is better.

Was not disagreeing with you, merely supplementing.

[Dusk Eclipse]

Ok, I missunderstood.