What do high-level wizards do with their low-level spell slots?

[Karnith]

I recently built/converted an old 20th-level wizard of mine, and I realized as I was preparing him that I was at a loss for what to do with his low-level spell slots. I don't play high-level wizards very much, and I've never played a high-level wizard at high op-levels, so I thought I'd ask the Playground.

First, what low-level (0-3, say) spells are generally useful for a high-level, high-op wizard in a core-only environment?

Second, what about in an environment where all of the (official) splatbooks are allowed? I know about some obvious things, like nerveskitter and scintillating scales, but what other low-level spells are good to prepare for a day?

[Crake]

Through my wizarding career I learned that there are a few invaluable spells to keep memorized at all times. Mage armor and shield are great vs incorporeal foes (fire off the mage armor at the start of the day) feather fall is sweet to have prepared, protection from xyz is also pretty bitchin at stopping some pretty nasty ****, and thats just 1st level spells.

Remember you dont need to fill in every spell slot, you can leave some open to prepare spells you need as you need them

[ksbsnowowl]

Generally, a caster's low level slots are used for buffing spells, as their save DC's will often be less than optimal against appropriately CRed creatures.

Good spells off the top of my head:
Mage armor, shield, mirror image, blur, displacement, true strike, wraith strike, resist energy.

[Eldariel]

Well, Core you still have some useful spells in those levels. You generally prepare utility, backup and extras.

Level 1 has:
Mage Armor
Shield
Grease
Feather Fall
Ray of Enfeeblement
Magic Missile
True Strike
Charm Person
Disguise Self

Generally you don't want to waste a standard action casting any of those spells in combat though occasional True Strike might make sense if you don't have Quickened one prepared or have a Lesser Metamagic Rod. Ray of Enfeeblement is never really superceded so it can be interesting. The only Save-or-X of interest here is Grease.

Mage Armor you prolly want cast and Shield is something you prolly want at least 1 of prepared in case you run into that stupid Metamagic Missile spammer.


Level 2 is already much better. Off the top of the level you have:
False Life (though if you're using a metamagicked version, don't bother of course)
Resist Energy

They're useful long duration buffs. Resist Energy might require multiple castings and extension for sufficient coverage but it's doable and level 2 slots, might as well.

Level 2 also has some ever-useful combat spells like Web and Glitterdust (just revealing invisibles for everyone can be nice and they both disable people as well as ever if saves are failed; and not everyone has +25 in all saves). See Invisibility is likewise occasionally convenient though generally surpassed by higher level alternatives.

Alter Self also has some niche uses to overlap with Polymorph effects gaining only the desired attributes of some creature and then turning into something else (Alter Self to humanoid form with Shapechange in effect allows you to get supernaturals and such of whatever you want while gaining humanoid features and such). Oh, and Rope Trick is level 2, as is Spectral Hand for touch attacks. Command Undead is also situationally useful.


Level 3 is already easy. It has a lot of useful long duration buffs (Magic Circle against X, Heroism, Greater Magic Weapon, Keen Edge, Flame Arrow, Phantom Steed, Explosive Runes) and a bunch of combat spells (Haste, Slow, Stinking Cloud, Sleet Storm, Major Image, etc.) and Protection from Energy, which looks good but is largely inferior to Resist Energy (it's amazing how much Energy Resistance 30 gets you). Then there's Arcane Sight.

Major Image is noteworthy in that it's the "complete" illusion; you don't need anything better than that far as believability goes, and it lasts for 3 rounds without Concentration which is often plenty for combat purposes. Obviously, few of those buffs are interesting to you but if you're in a party, there's plenty of solid combat buffs for party members and hell, there's no reason for you to not carry a GMWd weapon yourself (or you can GMW a ton of weapons and use them with Telekinesis; I've done something similar in an arena to a good success).

Level 4 has a ton of stuff as you'd expect; Solid Fog, Charm Monster, Black Tentacles, Enervation, Polymorph, Scrying, Greater Invisibility, Dimension Door, these spells are already ever-useful combat spells. So yeah.


Outside Core you get much better level 1 alternatives in Nerveskitter (though it's generally one of your weaker Immediate Actions higher up), Benign Transposition (a solid teleport-type effect), Net of Shadows (a sort of a targeted Obscuring Mist with a Will-save), etc. Your 1st level spells tend to be fairly useless higher up unless Quickened with a Rod, but they can be useful as very situational solutions to a problem; that's generally how I prefer to use them.

Level 2 out of core has Ray of Stupidity, Scintillating Scales (yeah, it's good), Chain of Eyes (let other things scout for you), Quick Potion, Scribe Magical Tattoo, there's a ton of them. Suffice to say, you won't have a trouble finding useful level 2 spells outside Core (well, probably not in Core either). It's just level 1 that can be occasionally challenging to make the most out of.

[Kazyan]

And for level 0, there's Light and Prestidigitation. Mostly Prestidigitation.

[Carth]

Any low level battlefield control spell (grease, web) combined with solid fog or acid fog makes 5' movement require a full round action. Get a lesser quicken rod and do both in one round. Throw in a stinking cloud and on a failed fortitude save they're reduced to 5' movement across 2 rounds because they need to combine their standard action in each round to provide the full round action necessary to move.

Grease is great on its own if you have a sneak attacker in the party and want to throw them a bone, too, because unless the thing you grease has 5 more more ranks in balance, it's flat footed while in the grease. If they fall that's just gravy. On that note, any time they take damage while in grease, they need to make another balance check or fall.

[Coidzor]

And for level 0, there's Light and Prestidigitation. Mostly Prestidigitation.

Gotta make sure the party's pet barbarian doesn't stink too badly, after all.

[ArcturusV]

Ghost sound and ventriloquism. I always find them useful. Though yes, that goes to utility use. Then again I tend to play illusionists quite a bit who are good at being a "Face" as well. Anything that can back up bluffs and such is always good. Long as your DM is okay with it.

[Story]

Outside of Core, you could also have stuff like Friendly Face (http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/iw/20041210b&page=2) up all the time, just for the heck of it.

[gorfnab]

Regal Procession (Spell Compendium) - Mount/CL, be creative.

Chain of Eyes, Heroics, Anticipate Teleportation, Snake's Swiftness Mass, Servant Horde

[AttilaTheGeek]

And for level 0, there's Light and Prestidigitation. Mostly Prestidigitation.

Yeah for Prestidigitation! *points to sig*