[3.5] Transmuter handbook?

[macdaddy]

There seems to be a handbook for most everything in 3.5, but I was unable to find a Transmuter handbook. The closest I found was the "Wizards guide to being God", which had a section on transmuter, but seemed to be more focused on conjuration.

Is a Transmuter a valid mage to play? or is a conjurer just that much better? I guess a Transmuter is more in the role of Buff/DeBuff with minor battlefield control.

Is there anything out there on it? or can anyone point out what are good spells to take? Something like



I'll give some examples of memorizations for a the Versitile Caster/Focused Specialist conjurer example above. I'll use a few different levels (5th, 10th, 15th) to give perspective.

5th level: Slots: 0: 6, 1: 7, 2: 5, 3: 4

0: Caltropsx3, Detect Magic, Light, Mage Hand
1: Mage Armor, Wall of Smoke, Grease x2, Expeditious Retreat (swift), Targeting Ray, Silent Image
2: Web, Glitterdust, Cloud of Bewilderment, Rope Trick, Invisibility
3: Stinking Cloud, Glitterdust (Sculpt spell meta), Bands of Steel, Haste

Recommended Strategy: You aren't high enough level to just blow all your spells yet. Start each battle with one of your 3rd level memorizations and then assess your situation. If it should be easy going from here on, then cast down some caltrops and make use of your cloudy conjuration feat for minor battlefield control. If things are tough - go into 2nd and 1st level spells in following rounds. Keep at least 1 Glitterdust or Cloud of Bewilderment in reserve in case there are more combats than you expected.

10th Level: Memorizations: 0: 6, 1: 8, 2: 8, 3: 7, 4: 6, 5: 5

0: As level 5 example
1: Mage Armor, Wall of Smoke, Grease, Expeditious Retreat (swift), Targeting Ray, Silent Image, Blockade x2
2: Web, Glitterdust x2 (sculpt meta for free on both), Cloud of Bewilderment, Rope Trick, Invisibility, Create Magic Tattoo, Fog Cloud
3: Bands of Steel, Haste x2, Corpse Candle, Stinking Cloud, Dimension step, Mage Armor (greater)
4: Dimension Door, Solid Fog, Bloodstar, Wall of Sand, Assay Spell Resistance, Celerity
5: Teleport, Cloudkill, Wall of Stone, Overland Flight (extend for free), Wall of Good

Recommended strategy: You now have a lot more spells. Use your rod of extend on your greater mage armor and your Create Magic Tattoo at the beginning of the day.

Cast blockades or swift expeditious whenever they're helpful and recover them with pearls of power. Start battles with a 4th or 5th level spell. Follow it up with 1st or 2nd level spells in following rounds. Use cloudy conjuration for defense (place in front of you). You stillcan't just waste spells or you will still run out - but you can nova at need without completely draining yourself.

You also have spellpool to swap out spells as required. Use it.

15th Level: Memorizations: 0: 6, 1: 8, 2: 8, 3: 8, 4: 8, 5: 8, 6: 6, 7: 5, 8: 4

0: As level 5 example
1: Wall of Smoke, Grease, Expeditious Retreat (swift)x2, Targeting Ray, Silent Image, Blockade x2
2: Web, Glitterdust x2 (sculpt meta on both for free), Cloud of Bewilderment, Rope Trick, Invisibility, Create Magic Tattoo, Fog Cloud
3: Haste x2, Corpse Candle, Stinking Cloud, Dimension step, Mage Armor (greater), Phantom Steed x2
4: Dimension Door, Solid Fog, Bloodstar, Wall of Sand, Assay Spell Resistance x2, Celerity x2
5: Teleport, Cloudkill, Wall of Stone, Wall of Good, Friend to Foe, Evacuation Rune, Shadow Evocation (sculpt for free), Transmute Rock to Mud
6: Freezing Fog x2, Tunnel Swallow, True Seeing, Antimagic Field, Dispel Magic (Greater)
7: Stun Ray (Extend for free), Choking Cobwebs (CS) (Sculpt Spell for free), Summon Monster VII, Brilliant Aura, Reverse Gravity
8: Maze, Plane Shift (Greater), Deadly Lahar (CS - huge cone slow effect), Chain Dispel


Recommended strategy: You are now flying at 240' on your phantom steed all day. The second is in case the first goes down. There are more spells on the list that simply enhance other spells (Celerity, Assay spell resistance) - since you can now afford more castings of these type of spells. There are lots of Battlefield controls, Buffs and Debuffs on the list. Use mid level spells for most battles - plus you can afford a high level spell for every battle with some left for reserve.

[Mystify]

I put together a transmute sorcerer once. It had some cool tricks to pull. A big question is how much "transmuter" means "polymorph". Mine specifically avoided polymorph as a mainline, due to how powerful it could be. My gambit was "The world is putty in my hands", and then casting appropriate spells, preferably silently and stilled, to pick up and object and mold it into something else.

I guess I can pull together a list of key spells for it. I'll write up guide in a moment.

[macdaddy]

sweet dude! that would be awesomeness.

I was considering either a focused specialist transmuter or conjurer and was initially siding towards transmuter, but wasn't sure of how well things were from a buff/battlefield control point. basic buffs like bulls strength are not needed around level 4-5 when the fighters start grabbing gauntlets and I'm unsure of what other spells in that range are of use. Good part is you can still use open spell slots for Conj spells.... ;) but maybe its better to be a conjurer and use the open spell slots for trans spells... :(

[Mystify]

I'll cover all spells, and select spells fom the spell compendium

0:
Mage hand - This should be obvious. It is full of uses and very versatile.
Mending- can be situationally useful, but fits the transmuter theme well. Generally weak.
message - also very handy
Open/close- its kinda nifty, but not spectacular. Its mostly for show.
stick: glue objects together. great fun.

1:
animate rope - useful at low levels.
Enlarge person- popular buff
erase - good for jokes, but rare for practical purposes. It depends on how frequently the magical glyphs are encountered, and whether the rogue can handle them.
Expedious retreat: +30ft movement speed can be very useful
Feather fall: you always want a feather fall, just in case. Whether its a item or a spell doesn't matter too much.
Jump: can be useful at low levels. Maybe. If the circumstances are right.
magic weapon: useful if a creature has DR/magic and the party lacks magic weapons, but otherwise not worth the time or spell slot.
Reduce person: The counterpoint to enlarge person. Just as useful, if not as good a direct buff(though it depends on whom you are asking. )
babau slime: decent protection spell for the level, if your opponents aren't using real weapons
expeditious retreat, swift: For when you need to get out of there now.
horrible taste: good spell to have on hand if you havea swallow whole opponent. Or a bitey one.
greater mage hand: Lift somewhat heavy objects. very useful.
nerveskitter: Initative!
ray of clumsiness:dex penalties suck. for the target.



2:
alter self: The bottom of the polymoprh line, very powerful and flexible.
Bears endurance etc. : useful low-level buffs. Later on, anyone who casres about the stat will have items for it, rendering its uses moot.
Darkvision: Its like having a light when you need stealth. Usefulness depends on party.
knock: probably best on a wand, makes tough locks a joke, and helps pu the rogue out of a job.
levitate: This can be great. Enemy lacks range? Hey, look, you are 30ft above their head and out of reach. Other uses include levitating the portcullis.
pyrotechnics: blinding, concealment, str and dex penalties, can bypass spell resistance, this can be very useful.
Rope trick: Your basic "Lets rest in the dungeon" spell. Highly recommended
Spider climb: Very fun, highly useful. Flight generally renders it obsolete, but until them it can be very useful. Stand on the ceiling and out of reach, bypass those dangerous floor traps, send the rogue into inaccessible places, great fun.
whispering wind: sending messages can be useful, if you use it well.
Balor nimbus: good if enemies like to grapple
earthbind: good anti-flight spell
earthen grasp: can be agood lockdown/rogue helper
fly,swift: not as useful. Can be, but you generally want to have fly up for real.
snake's swiftness: A spell is probably better than an attack. Though, if your ally hits like a tank...
Sonic weapon: Sonic damage is nice.
Wings of air: flight maneuverability is a good thing.
wraithstrike: Amazing for gishes, not as useful for a straight caster.

3:
Blink: double edged sword. Good idea to use force effects and the like while under its effect, as they do not suffer its drawbacks. Being able to pass through walls is very useful.
Flame arrow: Useful for buffing the ranger, will result in a greater net damage output than a fireball in many cases. Depends on how much you want to do buffing.
fly: This is a great spell. I don't think I need to explain why.
gaseous form: can be useful for slipping through cracks, the limitations prevent wider combat applications . Can be useful for an escape.
haste: One of the best buffing spells. extra ttacks, more speed, bonuses to attack, AC, and reflex saves, and it effects the entire party.
keen edge: can be useful, depending on who you are giving it to.
Greater magic weapon: grab this, and charge the martial types for pearls of power. It lasts all day, and saves them a TON of money on their weapons.
Secret page: meh. occasionally useful, prepare if needed.
shrink item: has lots of fun uses
slow: just as haste is a great buff, slow is a great debuff. Losing full-rounds HURTS, and you can cast it on large group of opponents.
water breathing: highly circumstancal, better to get items to serve that purpose.
snake's swiftness, mass: Your allies all get an attack. Depends on your allies for how effective it is.
spell vulnerability: Get psat that pesky SR



4:
mass enlarge person: nomrally not useful in a party, but it depends. If you have 3 or 4 melee monsters in the group, go for it. Otherwise its not worth the effort.
Mnemonic enhancer: skip it. You are trading a 4th level spell for a 3rd level spell.
polymorph: Extremely powerful, adn worth of guides in its own right
reduce person mass: More applicable than mass enlarge person, as it can get the party into tight spaces and help you be stealthy.
stone shape: very useful if you use it right, poor choice if you lack imagination.
attune form: useful if you are plane hopping.
backlash: anti-caster spell
Perinarch: useful if you are in limbo


5:
Animal growth: useful if there are attack animals in the party. Generally best left to the druid.
Baleful polymorph: It is a save or die, but a fun and flavorful one.
Fabricate: It costs `/3 as much to use as just buying he item, but you don't need to have purchased it, just find the materials. If there is any mundane gear that has a relevant price at this level, fabricate is the fast and cheap way to do it.
overland flight: slap it on and fly all day. Good to grab.
passwall: Opening passages through stone is always useful.
telekenisis: Versatile and fun. Can be used for damage or battlefeild control, and achieving feats you normally require a lot of muscle for.
Transmute mud to rock/ rock to mud. A devastating combo, turning the battlefield to mud then trapping swathes of enemies in it. Mud to rock also has a great use with the stone body spell; it becomes a full heal(!)
greater blink: blink, without the drawbacks.
draconic polymorph:its a polymorph spell.
enlarge person, greater: For that ally that really likes being large.
mass fly: get the entire party into the air
spell matrix, lesser: essentially a quicken spell. Useful if done right
xorn movement: depending on circumstance, can be better than flight.

6:
mass bears endurance, etc: again, by this point, anyone who cares about the stat will have items for it by this point. Generally not useful in a typical party
control water: use depends on campaign. If you expect to encounter water, it is useful.
disintegrate: a classic. If your save DCs are good enough, this can deal massive damage. Disintegrating a 10ft cube of living matter often has uses, and it destroys force effects. A good additon to any arsenal.
flash to stone: Another save or "die".
Mages lucubration: again, you are trading spell down. Skip.
Move earth: rarely somthing you will need on the spot, it is useful if you have prep time. true battlefield control.
stone to flesh: unless your teammates have a habit of getting tunred to stone, better to carry some scrolls.
transformations: Are you a gish? No? Then skip it. Yes? Really want to give up your casting for a BaB boost?
brilliant blade: Get that sweet +4 enchantment on an allies weapon, when its needed and where it is useful.
stone body:highlight of this spell is that mud to stone acts like a full heal while under its effects.



7:
control weather: Highly underrated. a strong wind can be seriously problematic for certain things. Many things.
ethereal jaunt: Turning ethereal has all sorts of uses
reverse gravity: if the enemies don't have flight, you can pull all sorts of tricks with this one. Like putting a random pattern of it across the battlefield, so enemies fall up and down and they try to maneuver. Suspend them in midair and watch the m flail around.
statue: useful if you are planning an ambush, I guess? Not that great
brilliant aura: al the goodness of brilliant weapons, for the party.
elemental body: This sell lasts all day, gives you a pile of immunities, including crits, and special abilities based on your element.
Energy transformation field: Abusable. Lets leave it at that.
spell matrix: more spells as quickened actions, possible as the same action. Great if used well.


8:
iron body: Are you a gish? If yes, this is ok. Otherwise, 50% spell failure. Yeah...
polymorph any object: All sorts of shenanigans are possible.
Temporal statis: In combat, it is a 5000gp touch range save or die. Bleh. Out of combat, there are uses. Circumstantial at best.
excavate: useful, if you need to make tunnels.



9:
etherealness: Pretty good, but nothing compared to the other two.
shapechange: Amazingly powerful.
Time stop: Its time stop, duh.
awaken construct: can be fun
perinarch, planar: gain control over a section of a divinely morphic plane. If you are on a divinely morphic plane...
spell matrix, greater: This is just too high a level spell at this point. You need a really special use to make it worthwhile.
transmute rock to lava: Lava is mean.
undermaster: gain a lot of lower level spells to cast.


In summary:
most transmutation spells are great. Its one of the strongest schools(the strongest?). It even has some of the most powerful 9th levels spells.