Uses of Extend Spell [3.5]

[hymer]

Extend Spell is a feat/rod worth considering for many spellcasters. Turning 24-hr spells into 48-hr spells has obvious potential, and many buffs of lesser duration can save a recast, which may well be good economy. The feat is also a prerequisite, of course. Nothing new there.

So, what are some of the more amusing/novel/useful/noteworthy/etc. ways you like to use Extend Spell? Or would like to?

[Andreaz]

Extended Time Hop to disable an enemy or bypass an obstacle or hide longer.
At large scale battles (sieges!), extending things like summons and clouds make sure the field is under your control.

[Cranthis]

Having the first level of Abjurant champion, then Arcane Thesis (cloud of knives) (totally a waste of a feat for most builds by the way), and finally, persisting and extending it. 4 days of cloud of knives.

[ahenobarbi]

I like extending spells feat. However meta magic rods of extend are so cheap I never actually get it.

[hymer]

@ ahenobarbi: Good point. I'll amend the OP.

[Talya]

If you can get the druid spell "Creeping Cold"...



Level: Druid 2
Duration: 3 rounds
Saving Throw: Fortitude half
The spell deals 1d6 cumulative points of cold damage per round it is in effect (that is, 1d6 on the 1st round, 2d6 on the second, and 3d6 on the third).

So now for a level 3 spell slot (or a level 2 spell slot and a daily charge of your metamagic rod), an extended creeping cold does 21d6 damage over 6 rounds. Even if they succeed on the save, it does 21d6/2. That's not bad at all for someone with a caster level between 3 and 5.

[panaikhan]

If you can get the druid spell "Creeping Cold"

Yoinked for my Arcane Hyrophant :smallbiggrin:
combined with the Lord of the Uttercold feat, this gets fun...

[ericgrau]

21d6 is awesome for a standard action... if it happens in a round. Spread out over 6 rounds and most of it later on it's not that hot. Most of the time the fight has been decided in those first 3 rounds and the extra 3 don't really do anything. What would work well might be to find spells with a duration of 1 round or maybe 2 rounds and extend those. I'm too lazy/busy to search at the moment though. I found a couple swift action gish spells after a brief look. I suppose having 2 of those buffs active per round instead of 1 isn't that bad. Like blades of fire and critical strike (IIRC). +1d8 damage, +1d6 sneak attack and something I don't remember that helps crits, confirming them or something.

[BowStreetRunner]

As you mentioned, turning 24 hour buffs into 48 hour buffs is great. Consider this. A Ranger usually has 3-4 spells per level (depending on WIS bonus), so at 20th level somewhere between 12-16 spells. There are some good 24 hour buffs (see the Primal spells from Dragon Magic in particular) for rangers. If the ranger has two 24 hour buffs at each of his first three levels, that takes up 6 spells per day to cast - as much as half his spells. But with a Metamagic rod (3 uses per day) he can cast half of these buffs each day, alternating between one set and the other. This leaves him 3 extra slots for other spells - as much as a full quarter of his spell load!

[GoodbyeSoberDay]

21d6 is awesome for a standard action... if it happens in a round. Spread out over 6 rounds and most of it later on it's not that hot. Most of the time the fight has been decided in those first 3 rounds and the extra 3 don't really do anything. What would work well might be to find spells with a duration of 1 round or maybe 2 rounds and extend those. I'm too lazy/busy to search at the moment though. I found a couple swift action gish spells after a brief look. I suppose having 2 of those buffs active per round instead of 1 isn't that bad. Like blades of fire and critical strike (IIRC). +1d8 damage, +1d6 sneak attack and something I don't remember that helps crits, confirming them or something.I consider Extended Creeping Cold to be a specialty spell slot that is very good for its particular use. If your party can pull off hit and run tactics, or the combatants have a high defense-to-offense ratio, then the combat is likely to last all those rounds, and Creeping Cold works out wonderfully. Again, not normal but it's definitely worth a spell slot with the right group.

As for low duration spells, any rounds/level spell cast at low CL (summon nature's ally comes to mind) counts. And TLN was the one to point out Halt (PHBII) + Extend for floor-stuck goodness.

[TaiLiu]

It's great for Rope Trick (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/ropeTrick.htm).

[Ryfte]

Perhaps a bit of thread necromancy but...

Following the guerilla strike type of encounters the Inevitable Defeat spell (3rd level) from the PHB2 is a round/lvl spell dealing 3d6 per round with a save to negate the damage for each round only could be quite effective. A small band of kobold sorcerers using that spell in an underdark / cave and tunnel setting could really decimate a group pretty handily with that. Granted it is a touch spell but there are ways around that of course. :smallwink:

[navar100]

Extend Heroes' Feast

I had my cleric do this in one particular campaign. The rogue called it the "Breakfast of Champions". It became a running joke in our group from then on about how everyone likes my cleric making breakfast.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Extend is mostly useful for buffs, obviously. Many that could be named.

But it is also a potent and cheap (300 gp rod for 3/day!) addition to the already awesome Pyrotechnics spell, which uses the duration line to describe the blinding duration. :smallbiggrin:

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Spells with a one-round duration (anything with Swift in the name, as well as Wraithstrike) are twice as good when you extend them.

Note that if a spell's normal casting time is not a standard action or longer, such as a swift action, then the rules on increased casting time for spontaneously casting it with metamagic don't apply.