PDA

View Full Version : Looking for Save or Lose Cleric Spells



VestigeArcanist
2012-05-24, 11:07 PM
In one of my current campaigns, I am running an Illumian Cleric of Wee Jas, level 7. My DM just passed down a nerf decree, restricting the use of dominate person to affecting one person at a time. This wouldn't hurt me, however, if my character was not built around casting powerful enchantment spell, with Dominate person being the strongest.

So I am now up the creek, but I still have The Naenhoon sigil, which allows me to boost spell DC's (in conjunction with heighten spell and extra turning). Therefore, I am looking for save-or-lose spells, or save-or-die spells that my 7th level cleric may boost, and what book they are found in.

The allowed books are Core, PH2, Completes (except Psionic), ToB and Dungeonscape. There is on SpC.

Unseenmal
2012-05-25, 08:50 AM
I spoilered these for length....I've posted them before in another thread but....

This is NOT a comprehensive list but should get you started

Offense Spells
Level 1
Cause Fear: Nice Will Save-or-Lose as long as the HD limit isn't a problem; unfortunately single-target. Close range.
Command: Nice Will Save-or-Suck. Again, though, single-target. Close range.

Level 2
Hold Person: Humanoid SoL. Handy. Medium range.
Shatter: Destroy weapons, armor, etc. Nice combination with Dispels and such. Close range.
Silence: Caster Will SoL, or no-save effect if you have some control effects to prevent opponent from leaving the covered area. Also, nice readied action to screw spellcasting. Long range (!!) multi-target.
Sound Burst: Meh damage, with Fort-or-Stun. If you have someone to CDG the stunned guy, it's alright. The damage isn't the reason to pick it. Close range multi-target.
Spiritual Weapon: It's a decent damage spell, especially since Cleric BAB is pretty good; it'll keep attacking for effectively the entire combat and it takes only a move action to redirect.

Level 3
Bestow Curse: Will SoS. Clerics have lots of these. Good for debuffing Planar Bound creatures or such. Touch range.
Blindness/Deafness: Blindness is an excellent debuff. Fort SoS basically. Medium range.
Dispel Magic: Magic is very powerful, so ability to stop magic is absolutely incredible. Disable Fighter's gear, remove buffbots buffs, save your allies from variety of SoLs, infinitely powerful. Medium range multi-target.
Invisibility Purge: Well, not really offense, but still. 5'/level range.
Searing Light: Deals crap damage to living or slightly less crap damage to undead. Yuck. Medium range ray.

Level 4
Dimensional Anchor: Well, only way you'll ever kill those outsiders. Medium range.
Dismissal: Basically amounts to a limited Will SoD. Close range. It's nice 'cause you can make it notably harder than normal spell of yours to resist by using stuff the target hates with the spell.
Poison: Fort Save-or-BeHurtBad. Meh. Touch range. Yuck.

Level 5
Greater Command: Multitarget Command that lasts until they make a save. Pretty useful, if high level. Close range, 30' between victims, mind-affecting.
Plane Shift: Everyone knows of the spells transportation capabilities, but as long as your target cannot Plane Shift, sending someone to say...Positive Energy Plane is a very good way of killing people. Basically a Will SoD with Touch Range.
Slay Living: Fort SoD with some consolation damage. Touch.
Symbol of Pain: Symbols are fun. Paint a bunch of them on some item, reveal it and watch opposition roll saves. Rubber balls are pretty nice, for example. Your armor is a good place too. This one is practically a SoS.
Symbol of Sleep: See above. Nice little slumber party here. Though Mind-Affecting begins to be a problem on these levels.

Level 6
Banishment: Like Dismissal, except stronger.
Blade Barrier: Meh, it's a solid battlefield morphing ability that's also Ref-or-Take-Some-Damage. Not bad. Medium range.
Greater Dispel Magic: See Dispel Magic.
Harm: Fort or Take Damage. Meh. Fine for e.g. channeling though. Touch.
Symbol of Fear: See Symbol of Pain. Basically SoL version. Annoyingly Mind-Affecting.
Symbol of Persuasion: See Symbol of Pain. Basically SoL version. Annoyingly Mind-Affecting.
Undeath to Death: Great for killing undead. Medium range 40' bunch.

Level 7
Blasphemy/Dictum/Holy Word/Word of Chaos: Boost your caster level and world will tremble. No-save death or at least be screwed depending on your CL. Only SR can save people here (and with your buffed CL, rarely).
Destruction: Fort SoD. Close range. Nice 10d6 consolation damage.
Dimensional Lock: Like Dimensional Anchor, except got to somehow restrict opponent's movement, but it offers no save.
Symbol of Stunning: See Symbol of Pain, SoL version.
Symbol of Weakness: See Symbol of Pain, SoS version (most characters can't carry their stuff after that Fort-damage).

Level 8
Earthquake: A rather versatile offense spell that can be used to lock down opponents or such depending on terrain. Damage isn't impressive but the conditions it can impose, often without save, are. Also nicely stops activity while it's going. If DM says the save stops the Pinned-condition too, it becomes much worse.
Fire Storm: Deals a bunch of damage. Meh.
Symbol of Death: See Symbol of Pain, SoD version.
Symbol of Insanity: See Symbol of Pain, Will SoD version. Meh at mind-affecting.

Level 9
Miracle: It does everything, most without XP cost. Just about the best level 9 spell in the game.
Gate: Solars are good.
Implosion: Boom Boom. Kind of expensive, but at least it can kill multiple folks.


Defense and Buffs
Level 1
Bless: Not amazing, but every bonus is a bonus. The more characters, the better.
Endure Elements: Eh, obvious utility.
Magic Stone: Handy buff for Sling-users. Note that sling is a solid ranged level 1 weapon for high Str types, being quite light, almost free and adding Str to damage.
Magic Weapon: Handy buff for anyone. If a bit small.
Protection from Alignment: Great buff stops all mind control in addition to solid Deflection/Resistance.
Sanctuary: Obvious utility, you aren't attacking anyways, so... Also can be used to protect another, who's about to go down.
Shield of Faith: Touch-spell that grants nice Deflection-bonus to AC.

Level 2
Aid: Mostly just Bless with few additional Temp HP. Pretty weak beyond the first levels.
Align Weapon: Occasionally absolutely crucial with early opponents packing some pesky DRs.
Bull's Strength & al.: Handy early on.
Resist Energy: Great vs. casters and energy-based creatures and just environment.

Level 3
Magic Circle against Alignment: Like Protection, except area-of-effect and stops summoned creatures and such. Handy. 10' area.
Magic Vestment: One of the best buffs in the game, allows you to, especially in conjunction with Animated Shields and such, give everyone decent AC. Use with caster level boosters for early +5s all day.
Meld into Stone: Fine "Invisibility"-substitute that's not trumped by most spells. It's hard to detect your presence without heavy magical scanning.
Prayer: Short-duration Bless (with Luck-bonus though) and a penalty to enemies. Meh.
Protection from Energy: Like Resist Energy except complete immunity to certain threshold. I prefer Resist Energy though sometimes, when taking huge blazing balls of fire, this is better.
Water Breathing: Too obvious.
Water Walk: Yeah.

Level 4
Air Walk: Obvious. Notably, you still walk so stuff depending on jumping and such should work normally. Nice duration, though not 1h/level. Touch.
Imbue with Spell Ability: Divine Favor is a nice one, for example. Personal spells in general.
Greater Magic Weapon: Like Magic Vestment, except for weapons. The nice part is that Clerics can buff their CL like crazy so you'll have +5s in the mid-teens. Close range.
Spell Immunity: Stuff such as Enervation and such is very solid to protect people from. Touch.

Level 5
Disrupting Weapon: Kills undead. Handy in Undead-heavy scenarios. With iteratives, it amounts to a whole ton of SoDs vs. Undead. Touch-range.
Spell Resistance: 12+CL is a nice amount, without cap, especially for a Cleric. It's Touch so it can be used to ward the entire party and it's nice 10 min/level (if it only were 1 hour/level...).
True Seeing: Too obvious.

Level 6
Mass Bull's Strength & al.: When you have hordes of servants/underlings/whatever, these can be worthwhile. Party will just buy gear.
Heroes' Feast: Extend it for 24-hour Fear-immunity and Morale-bonus to Hit and Will-saves. One is enough to feed the entire party and then some. Should be staple once you get it given the DCs of the fear auras some creatures have.
Wind Walk: Kind of like your version of Teleport. Nice travel-spell if actual Teleportation is not available.
Word of Recall: Solid replication of one function of Teleportation. Nice overall.

Level 7
Ethereal Jaunt: Decent escape spell though only 1 round/level and Personal.
Refuge: Nice "Oh ****"-Contingency to give to e.g. party Rogue or someone else bound to get into trouble alone.

Level 8
Cloak of Chaos/Holy Aura/Shield of Law/Unholy Aura: Decent defensive alignment-buffs, though they unfortunately don't stack with common protective items. There's still the "successful attack requires will-save vs. Confusion" and multi-targeting going on for it though. Again, very solid if you have unequipped underlings.
Greater Spell Immunity: Good for the same reason Spell Immunity is good.

Level 9
Astral Projection: You pay some for effective immortality, especially combined with Plane Shift. Basically, you create a clone of yourself, for which dying doesn't make any difference. It's great how Plane Shift is a level 5 spell for Clerics. Multitarget.
Miracle: It does everything, most without XP cost. Just about the best level 9 spell in the game.
Etherealness: Handy for bypassing places and spying on things and killing ethereal issues and so on. And for staying out. I don't like spending level 9 slots on this though.

Field Alteration and Summoning
Level 1
Obscuring Mist: Nice way to stop annoying targeted spells, archery and such. Gives melee full miss chance though. Limits yourself too though. Personal range.
Summon Monster I: Find something good to summon

Level 2
Darkness: Older version of Darkness. Touch range, can toss the object or such.
Summon Monster II: Find something good to summon

Level 3
Animate Dead: Material components are kind of meh. Eternally usable and faithful underlings are pretty handy though, if you can afford them.
Daylight: Mostly when dealing with Underdark races, Undead and such. Touch like Darkness.
Deeper Darkness: Sort of like Darkness. Unfortunately, it's not as Dark as it should be. Fogs >>> Darkness. Touch like Darkness.
Stone Shape: I don't honestly need to state in how many ways morphing stone can be useful, do I? Touch.
Summon Monster III: Find something good to summon
Wind Wall: Pretty nice especially in larger conflicts where large squads of archers are a concern. There are pretty few ways archers can by RAW shoot through this, though you could argue that big enough bows and force projectiles would.

Level 4
Control Water: Very nice when water is available for drowning places, killing water breathing creatures in shallow waters and such. Just, useful. Long range.
Giant Vermin: You shouldn't really bother with anything less than Gargantuan, but with CL buffs those are available pretty quickly and particularly Colossal Scorpion is very efficient even against CR 20 challenges as long as the area is thus that they cannot just fly away (you can help with that); they have very high Attack-stats and the poisons are extremely potent.
Lesser Planar Ally: Solid allies, even if it's expensive to call. Try to call them when it falls under the "strongly ties to creature's ethos"; that's free and the XP cost isn't really that major. And Outsiders are pretty darn good allies.
Summon Monster IV: Find something good to summon

Level 5
Insect Plague: Swarms are hardy, but unfortunately not very damaging at this point anymore. The Distraction-function is handy, but beyond that it's not very good. Long range though.
Summon Monster V: Find something good to summon
Wall of Stone: One of Wizard's best battlefield control spells is no worse for Cleric. Isolate enemies, buy time, block entries, make death prisons, whatever. Reflex if used to encase people. Medium range.

Level 6
Animate Object: Unfortunately Animated Objects have horrible BAB and such so they don't hit much. The special attacks are somewhat usable though. Generally best with Permanency. Medium range.
Antilife Shell: A very strong defensive buff, here because you can morph the battlefield with it. Living creatures simply can't approach the area around you. NO SAVE! 10' radius.
Create Undead: Some of the undead are very useful. This is an expensive spell, but as the undead can multiply, provided it's not against your alignment, this can be very handy.
Planar Ally: See Lesser Planar Ally.
Summon Monster VI: Find something good to summon

Level 7
Control Weather: Slow to cast, but great for demolishing armies, cities and such. Not quite as strong as the 5th level Druid-spell Control Winds, but much more versatile.
Repulsion: Like Antilife Shell vs. anything, but with Will-save to negate. I don't like it nearly as much.
Summon Monster VII: Find something good to summon

Level 8
Antimagic Field: Magic's good, all that jazz. Also, Initiate of Mystra makes this the most one-sided, unfair spell ever. 10' radius (suggest Widening; see Rules Compendium for relevant stuff regarding rules on this, it always confuses people).
Create Greater Undead: See Create Undead.
Summon Monster VIII: Find something good to summon

Level 9
Miracle: It does everything, most without XP cost. Just about the best level 9 spell in the game.
Gate: Solars are good.
Summon Monster IX: Find something good to summon

SAVE OR SUCK/DIE SPELLS (Some are from books you did not mention but you may be able to get them approved on a case by case basis so I included them.) You may see some overlap from the above lists but that's because I'm too lazy to edit out duplicates from my word doc versions of these
Level 1
Will
[PHB] Cause Fear: Frightened for 1d4 rounds on failed save. Shaken for 1 round on a successful save.
[PHB] Command: Obeys a command for 1 round. Good ones are Flee (provoques AoO) or Drop (make a Fighter drop his weapon)
[SpC] Inhibit: Forces the target creature to delay until the following round, acting immediatly before you
[BED] Vision of Heaven: Target is dazed for 1 round.

Level 2

Fortitude
[PHB][AoE] Sound Burst: Stunned for 1 round, plus damage.

Will
[PHB][AoE] Calm Emotions: 1 round/level, stops creatures from taking violent actions until attacked.
[PHB] Hold Person: Paralyzed for 1 round/level, may make a new save each round on its turn as a full round action.
[PHB][AoE] Silence: Death to casters at this level, not many will have Silent spells ready.

None

[BED] Lastai's Caress: Evil opponent is shaken, frightened, nauseated, or cowering.
[PHB][AoE] Silence: Death to casters at this level, not many will have Silent spells ready. No save if cast on an object.

Level 3

Fortitude
[PHB] Blindness/Deafness: Blinds or deafens target creature
[SpC] Clutch of Orcus: Paralyzes creature as long as you concentrate. The victim may attempt a new saving throw each round.
[SpC][AoE] Nauseating Breath: Nauseates enemies for 1d6 rounds

Will

[PHB] Bestow Curse: Choose from -6 to an ability score, -4 to attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks, or 50% chance to take no actions each round.
[SpC] Awaken Sin: Stuns for one round, and deals nonlethal damage
[SpC] Blade of Pain and Fear: Each creature you hit must save or become frightened for 1d4 rounds
[PH2] Crown of the Grave: Command as the spell 1/minute against undead. Can use a Turn/Rebuke to increase DC by 4.
[PH2] Hesitate: Subject can only take move actions on its turn, may use a Swift action to try to save again. Immediate action to cast.

Level 4

Fortitude
[SpC] Wrack: Renders target blind and helpless for 1 round/level, then shaken for 3d10 minutes
[BED][Dmn][AoE] Blinding Beauty: Gain the beauty of a nymph, people who look at you must save or be permanently blinded.

Will

[PHB] Dismissal: Return extraplanar creature to its homeplane. Save DC = spell’s save DC - creature’s HD + your caster level
[SpC] Moon Bolt: Deals Str damage to living creatures, renders undead helpless
[FrB] Freeze Armor: Freezes target's armor, locking it in place. Target also suffers -6 to attack, -8 to Dex, and must make concentration checks to cast spells.

Level 5

Fortitude
[PHB][SoD] Slay Living: If successful, target still takes damage.
[SnS] Choking Sands: You fill the target's lungs with sand. It must cough it by taking a full round action to gain another Fort save, or start making Constitution checks to avoid suffocation

Reflex
[BED] Dancing Web: Does nonlethal damage and entangles evil creatures.

Will
[PHB][AoE] Command, Greater: As command, but 1 target/level and lasts for 1 round/level. Creatures get another save at the start of their turns after the first one.
[PHB] Plane Shift: Send creature to the Positive Energy Plane for Death by Awesome(TM)
[FrB] Hibernate: Puts target into a state of suspended animation
[PH2] Condemnation: Save or target outsider is stunned and SR reduced by 10, both for 1 round
[SpC][Dmn][AoE] Darkbolt: Save or be stunned, plus damage. Up to 7 targets

Level 6

Fortitude
[SnS][SoD] Mummify: Instantly kills the target and preserves it in an instantaneous mummification process
[BED] Crown of Brilliance: Creatures you melee must make a Fort save or are blinded for 1d4 rounds. Sunlight affected creatures (Light sensitivity, damage, helplessness) must make a Will save or have to move over 20 feet away.

Reflex
[SpC] Sarcophagus of Stone: Traps creature in sarcophagus. Has one hour worth of air or suffocates.

Will
[PHB][AoE] Banishment: As Dismissal, but can affect up to 2 HD of creatures per level.
[PHB][EMC][AoE][SoD] Undeath to Death: Kills 1d4 HD of undead/level. 500 gp diamond.
[BED] Crown of Brilliance: Creatures you melee must make a Fort save or are blinded for 1d4 rounds. Sunlight affected creatures (Light sensitivity, damage, helplessness) must make a Will save or have to move over 20 feet away.

Level 7

Fortitude
[PHB][SoD] Destruction: If successful, target takes 10d6 damage.
[BED] Heaven's Trumpet: Save or be stunned for 1d4 rounds.
[BED] Tomb of Light: In a failed save, target is helpless. Concentration, but you take 1d6 nonlethal damage every turn you concentrate. Each round it is held (besides the first) it takes 1d6 permanent con drain.

Will
[PHB][AoE] Blasphemy/Dictum/Holy Word/Word of Chaos: Besides killing with no save if high enough CL, also works as a Banishment spell with a -4 penalty to the save.
[SpC] Bestow Curse, Greater: Choose from -8 to two ability scores, drop an ability score to 1, -8 to attack rolls, saves, ability checks, and skill checks, or 75% chance to take no actions each round.
[SpC] Evil Glare: For 1 round/level you may try to paralyze an enemy for 1d8 rounds as a Std action
[BED][AoE] Righteous Smite: Deals 1d6 damage/level (1d8 damage/level to evil outsiders) in 20-ft. radius and blinds evil foes for 1d4 rounds.

None
[PHB][AoE] Blasphemy/Dictum/Holy Word/Word of Chaos: Besides killing with no save if high enough CL, also works as a Banishment spell with a -4 penalty to the save.
[PHB][Dmn] Power Word Blind: Blinds target with 200 hp or less.

Level 8

Fortitude
[SpC][SoD] Bodak's Glare: Unless it's resurrected, the creature transforms into a Bodak 24 hours after dying.

Reflex
[PHB][AoE][SoD] Earthquake: Depending on the area can kill or drown targets.

Will
[BED][SoD] Last Judgment: Save or die and be instantly transported to the lower plane you deserve to be in. If you save, take 3d6 wis damage from guilt.

None
[BED][AoE] Spread of Contentment: Hostile and unfriendly creatures become indifferent, indifferent become friendly, and friendly become helpful.
[BED][AoE][Dmn][SoD] Unearthly Beauty: As Blinding Beauty, but any creature that looks at you must save or die.
[PHB][Dmn] Power Word Stun: Stuns target with 150 hp or less.

Level 9

Fortitude
[PHB][SoD] Implossion: You may target 1 creature per round, up to 4 rounds.

None
[PHB][SoD][Dmn] Power Word Kill: Kills target with 100 hp or less.


Happy Gaming! :smallbiggrin:

hymer
2012-05-25, 10:06 AM
Excellent Unseenmal, thanks a lot! I'm gonna bookmark this page. You never know when you're going to play cleric. :)

Unseenmal
2012-05-25, 10:21 AM
Excellent Unseenmal, thanks a lot! I'm gonna bookmark this page. You never know when you're going to play cleric. :)

Thanks! This stems from my group's utter need for a cleric and utter lack of want to play one. So I usually end up playing the cleric. Same thing happens with my group and rogues too.