Best 2nd level arcane spell

[hoverfrog]

So the wizard hits third level and gets to choose two new spells for her spell book. Would you choose something defensive like invisibility or shield or something offensive like scorching ray or acid arrow? Maybe opt for versatility and go for alter self or minor image?

Which spells would you choose and why?

[Lostbutseeking]

Alterself is probably the most powerful lvel 2 spell, especially if you are an outsider.

[Eldebryn]

...Would you choose something defensive like invisibility or shield or ...

Shield a level 1 spell.

[Morph Bark]

Alter self, Heroics and Glitterdust = <3

[hoverfrog]

Shield a level 1 spell.So it is. Duh. :smallredface:

[JeminiZero]

There ae several outstanding spells at 2nd level. But with just a CL of 3, many of them are not quite viable (e.g. Ropetrick). Similiarly Glitterdust lasts a mere 3 rounds so if I wanted battlefield control, I would probably take Web instead.

The exact spell I would pick also depends on what the rest of the party is made up of. E.g. If there is a Beguiler, Invis would probably be lower on the priority list.

[hoverfrog]

Alter self, Heroics and Glitterdust = <3I'm not familiar with "heroics". What source book is it in or can you provide a link?

[bungo_underhill]

Blinding color surge is one of my favourite 2nd level arcane spells!

It gives you the short term benifits of invisibilty but is also a great one round debuff.

[Gwendol]

Alter self, Heroics and Glitterdust = <3

Seconded! Web is also a very useful spell.

[Aeryr]

Alter self, Heroics and Glitterdust = <3

Thirded, heroics is from the spell compendium.

I also love mirror move from here (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20000901a).

Don't break it with the material component, though.

Edit: Swordsaged :smalltongue:

[mattie_p]

Thirded, heroics is from the spell compendium.

I also love mirror move from here (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20000901a).

Don't break it with the material component, though.


Material Component: Any reflective surface, including highly polished shields or armor and even surfaces of water, can be used for this spell. Many spellcasters carry small mirrors with them for material components.


Material (M)
A material component is one or more physical substances or objects that are annihilated by the spell energies in the casting process. Unless a cost is given for a material component, the cost is negligible. Don’t bother to keep track of material components with negligible cost. Assume you have all you need as long as you have your spell component pouch.

My material component is... the Atlantic Ocean. Ouch. If this came up in one of my games, I'd rule it as a focus, not a material component.

[Aeryr]

Yep, that's the power of mirror move.

[mattie_p]

But think of how much xp you'd earn for killing all that wildlife! You'd earn enough to get to level 18, at least, for sure!

[Pilo]

Touch of idiocy (PHB) in social context:
-Hello, how are you? (while giving a handshake)...
Well it have to be roleplayed but with my dm, it was fun^^.

Ray of stupidity (SpC) against animals, magical beasts and wizards.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Web and Glitterdust are standard fare for offensive options. Ray of Stupidity in Spell Compendium is extremely powerful against the right opponents. Alter Self and Heroics are pretty standard for versatility and utility, especially considering Heroics can get you Martial Study. Spells that can only deal damage typically aren't worth getting at this level.

[prufock]

As people have already said...

1) Alter self is my first go-to. Different humanoid forms give you a variety of things: wings, natural armor, natural attacks, swim speed, underwater breathing, skill bonuses. Quite tasty for a 2nd level spell.

2) Glitterdust. Save or be blinded, and outlines invisible creatures with no save at all!

3) I have a soft spot for Heroism. Long duration of 10 mins/level (so at least half an hour), +2 to pretty much all your d20 rolls. Cast it before you enter a dungeon.

4) Wings of Cover. Immediate action, blocks a single attack or targeted spell, or gives you a +4 to a reflex save on an area effect. And you can include adjacent creatures. Ring of Wizardry II when you can afford it lets you do this over and over and over.

[Answerer]

Alter Self, Glitterdust, Heroics, and Wings of Cover definitely seem most powerful to me. Rope Trick and Web are also excellent.

[deuxhero]

But think of how much xp you'd earn for killing all that wildlife! You'd earn enough to get to level 18, at least, for sure!

You can only earn enough for 2 level ups minus 1 XP in a single action.

[Slipperychicken]

You can only earn enough for 2 level ups minus 1 XP in a single action.

So you hit one sea at a time, taking a break between each to stomp a Kobold and earn 1xp, topping you off. There are a lot of seas, each (assuming dnd-ish setting) filled with horrifying monsters which are dependent on water to survive.

You're not just killing the ocean-critters, you're also crashing the whole planet's ecosystem and economy. Ships can't sail without water, and even the first sea would tank water levels, massacre commerce, and pull the water out of reach for many coastal communities. And once you earn all those levels, you'll have a bunch of angry Gods to kill for more levels and divine ranks!


Water rushing in to fill the "gap" left by the sea you destroyed would be some kind of mega-tsunami. Would you get xp for that, too?

[candycorn]

So you hit one sea at a time, taking a break between each to stomp a Kobold and earn 1xp, topping you off. There are a lot of seas, each (assuming dnd-ish setting) filled with horrifying monsters which are dependent on water to survive.

You're not just killing the ocean-critters, you're also crashing the whole planet's ecosystem and economy. Ships can't sail without water, and even the first sea would tank water levels, massacre commerce, and pull the water out of reach for many coastal communities. And once you earn all those levels, you'll have a bunch of angry Gods to kill for more levels and divine ranks!


Water rushing in to fill the "gap" left by the sea you destroyed would be some kind of mega-tsunami. Would you get xp for that, too?

I would wager that you have your order of operations mixed up.

(2-18 weeks before event): God of the seas, and gods representing anyone killed by your catastrophe, become aware of your projected action.
(day of event): warnings to not do it, from deific sources.
(1 minute before 1st time you cast): God of the sea smites you verily, either directly, or through appropriate folio based encounter (clerics, monstrous sea creatures of doom, etc etc).

[Red_Dog]

Slipperychicken=>

Think bigger... think Elemental Plane of Water... = ]

An air bubble has a reflective surface. Specify that its the surface from the inside of the bubble. Bam! Apocalypse! ^^

It isn't a lvl3 maneuver, but as soon as you get enough levels to get plane shift from killing all those seas... ^^

[Flickerdart]

Similiarly Glitterdust lasts a mere 3 rounds so if I wanted battlefield control, I would probably take Web instead.
3 rounds is plenty - including the round you cast it in, this is a combat that's lasted 4 rounds, which is a good typical combat length.

[Tyndmyr]

So the wizard hits third level and gets to choose two new spells for her spell book. Would you choose something defensive like invisibility or shield or something offensive like scorching ray or acid arrow? Maybe opt for versatility and go for alter self or minor image?

Which spells would you choose and why?

My favs are Mirror image and fly. Alter self can replace fly, if you wish, and invisibility is a reasonable replacement for mirror image.

[Verte]

Er, fly is a 3rd level spell.

My favorites would be web, invisibility, blur, locate object, alter self, and mirror image.

If I were picking two of those for a 3rd level wizard, it would depend on the party composition, the campaign, and the availability of scrolls and wands in the setting. In a campaign with more emphasis on stealth, I might pick invisibility and alter self. In a campaign with a lot of combat, I might pick web and either blur or mirror image. I like locate object just because I've found it useful in the past, but I would probably wait to pick it up until 4th level or until I bought it as a scroll. If I didn't know what the main emphasis of the campaign would be, I would probably pick alter self and web.

[NM020110]

I rather like Icicle, myself. Sure, it's a blasting spell with rather poor damage (4d6, save for half), but it's rather like explosive runes if you have enough time.

A single casting is unlikely to do much, unless the level is low. Designating an area to deal 4d6 damage per five feet moved? That's a rather more serious threat, and may require weeks of dispelling if the area is large enough. Weeks during which whatever is trying to pass will be at a significant disadvantage if attacked...

[Morph Bark]

I would wager that you have your order of operations mixed up.

(2-18 weeks before event): God of the seas, and gods representing anyone killed by your catastrophe, become aware of your projected action.
(day of event): warnings to not do it, from deific sources.
(1 minute before 1st time you cast): God of the sea smites you verily, either directly, or through appropriate folio based encounter (clerics, monstrous sea creatures of doom, etc etc).

If it takes place in Dark Sun, Eberron or maybe Planescape the gods would be powerless by themselves to stop it though.

[Airanath]

If it takes place in Dark Sun, Eberron or maybe Planescape the gods would be powerless by themselves to stop it though.

What do you mean IF this happened in dark sub? Wizards magicked away all the water as a materi component for their spells? That sound pretty much canon for the scenario creation!
As for spells, the big winners are glitterdust and alter self for me.

[Dairuga]

Speaking of Mirror Move. Can anyone say instant-win against fighters or any other enemy that use polished, clean armor?

Your DM might start to play a grittier (literally) version of D&D once you start every encounter by asking "Is my enemy's armor clean?".

[Aeryr]

Well you would take the armor, it is not an instant-win but is powerful.

[mattie_p]

Attended items (held, worn, grasped, or the like) usually receive a saving throw against being targeted by a spell of either its own saving throw or that of its user/bearer/wearer, whichever is higher. Although in this case the object is not the target of the spell... hmm.

The SRD states that "A spell’s components are what you must do or possess to cast it." If you don't possess the armor or shield, or ocean, for that matter, you probably can't use it. If for some reason you convinved the DM you could, I wager the item(s) or object(s) in question would receive a saving throw (DC 10 + 2 [spell level] + modifier).

Along the same lines, could the ocean be considered an attended object? Could you convince the DM you, in fact, possess the ocean?

What are the saving throws for the Ocean?


Player - I have a deed right here that says I own the Ocean.

DM - Hmm, so you do. Sure, why not?

EDIT: Also, I wonder if the wizards in Tippyverse have consumed all their oceans in an exp frenzy yet. By all rights they should have.

[Dairuga]

Attended items (held, worn, grasped, or the like) usually receive a saving throw against being targeted by a spell of either its own saving throw or that of its user/bearer/wearer, whichever is higher. Although in this case the object is not the target of the spell... hmm.

The SRD states that "A spell’s components are what you must do or possess to cast it." If you don't possess the armor or shield, or ocean, for that matter, you probably can't use it. If for some reason you convinved the DM you could, I wager the item(s) or object(s) in question would receive a saving throw (DC 10 + 2 [spell level] + modifier).

Along the same lines, could the ocean be considered an attended object? Could you convince the DM you, in fact, possess the ocean?

What are the saving throws for the Ocean?



EDIT: Also, I wonder if the wizards in Tippyverse have consumed all their oceans in an exp frenzy yet. By all rights they should have.

If the SRD states that you must possess something to use it as a material compoment, imagine the amounts of people that would specialize in necromancy. First, you call up a ghost to possess the enemy's armor, before you make it vanish in a mirror move.

Or of course, their swords. Blank, shiny swords. :D

[Dictum Mortuum]

Not the best, but a personal favorite - rope trick, once you can hit CL 8+

[Aeryr]

"The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it."
Paul-Muad'Dib

You own the ocean.

[Slipperychicken]

Speaking of Mirror Move. Can anyone say instant-win against fighters or any other enemy that use polished, clean armor?

Your DM might start to play a grittier (literally) version of D&D once you start every encounter by asking "Is my enemy's armor clean?".

A great way to permanently and cheaply get rid of bodies, Macguffins, cursed items, blemishes, walls, doors, captured immortals, and other undesirable things:

1. Clean/Polish it (via Prestidigitation) until you can literally see your reflection in it.
2. Cast Mirror Move, use it as the material component, consuming it entirely in the process.
3. ???
4. Profit!

[Dairuga]

A great way to permanently and cheaply get rid of bodies, Macguffins, cursed items, blemishes, walls, doors, captured immortals, and other undesirable things:

1. Clean/Polish it (via Prestidigitation) until you can literally see your reflection in it.
2. Cast Mirror Move, use it as the material component, consuming it entirely in the process.
3. ???
4. Profit!

Dear lord, I think we're on to something!

[Malachei]

Alter Self, Glitterdust, Invisibility, Cloud of Knives.

Later, Rope Trick

[mattie_p]

"The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it."
Paul-Muad'Dib

You own the ocean.

I like the way you think, Aeryr.



If the SRD states that you must possess something to use it as a material compoment, imagine the amounts of people that would specialize in necromancy. First, you call up a ghost to possess the enemy's armor, before you make it vanish in a mirror move.

Or of course, their swords. Blank, shiny swords. :D

You, too, Dairuga. Incidentally, and totally deliberately, can you make a naga (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=243299) shiny? :smallbiggrin: (note - this thread will never die)


A great way to permanently and cheaply get rid of bodies, Macguffins, cursed items, blemishes, walls, doors, captured immortals, and other undesirable things:

1. Clean/Polish it (via Prestidigitation) until you can literally see your reflection in it.
2. Cast Mirror Move, use it as the material component, consuming it entirely in the process.
3. ???
4. Profit!

Soooo many ideas. Profit indeed. DM throws a book at your head? Is it shiny? Mirror move and profit!

[NM020110]

"The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it."
Paul-Muad'Dib

You own the ocean.

Hmmm...if you possess the ocean, then you may destroy it. If you don't, however, then you can not...interesting.

[Deophaun]

"The power to destroy a thing is the absolute control over it."
Paul-Muad'Dib

You own the ocean.

That's a bit of a Catch 22 there. You must own it in order to destroy it, and you must be able to destroy it to own it.

[Eldest]

But think of how much xp you'd earn for killing all that wildlife! You'd earn enough to get to level 18, at least, for sure!

That's where the Aboleths live, too. You're gonna be foiling some of their problems too. I'd say at least level 25.

[Aeryr]

I like the way you think, Aeryr.

Thanks!


Hmmm...if you possess the ocean, then you may destroy it. If you don't, however, then you can not...interesting.


That's a bit of a Catch 22 there. You must own it in order to destroy it, and you must be able to destroy it to own it.

Yep, it's circular logic at its prime but is fun.

[Venger]

Well, people have mentioned most of the best ones, so I won't repeat any.

One of my favorites is "entice gift." there are few things more satsifying than skipping the whole fight thing and just having your enemy give you their loot right away. it's like eating your desert first. it makes defeating them a lot easier and can absolutely destroy a melee based enemy without IUS (barbarians and the like, which are rather popular with DMs)

[ericgrau]

There's not much in core. Web, flaming sphere, glitterdust. There simply aren't that many level 2 spells that aren't meant for higher level characters. Defensive spells, utility and buffs come later assuming you have level 3+ offense prepared; otherwise offense is a better use of your slots.

Web & flaming sphere alone are good but combined they're even better. Until 3rd level spells replace flaming sphere that is, but it's a good way to go in the meantime. Even at level 5 it might be your secondary option.