Resurgence: Is it as good as it looks?

[Chronos]

Resurgence, a first-level cleric spell from the Spell Compendium. Basically, you cast it on someone who's currently under an ongoing spell effect, and they get to roll a new save against it. Is this as great as it looks? There are a whole bunch of save-or-suck spell effects that you'd normally need a higher-level spell to fix. Bestow Curse? Baleful polymorph? Dominate Person? They're ongoing spell effects, they're save negates, so it looks like you can fix them with this first-level spell.

Sure, if your target failed their save before, they can fail it again, but it's only a first level spell, you can afford to cast it repeatedly, or even put it in a wand. And if you're casting out of combat (when most fixing-upping takes place) you can take your time to prep the target with cheap save-boosters like Resistance and Guidance.

Is there something I'm missing here?

[Saph]

Yep, it's just as good as it looks. My long-running 3.5 loremaster wizard kept a wand of it for removing dominate, confusion, suggestion, and similar effects from party members, and I was still using it regularly by level 12. It's one of the few 1st-level spells that stands up just as well at high levels.

[Dimers]

Well, it *is* a touch-range spell. That causes some hassle in actual use. 3rd-level mass resurgence helps as far as that goes, but neither one of them lets you re-save the wizard who just dimension doored away thanks to a fear effect.

Outside combat, it's much better. Basically like healing -- sometimes you really want it RIGHT NOW, but usually it's best to wait until after combat.

[Feilith]

It's strong, but as you said its main use is for out of combat repairs.

In combat, unless you KNOW that they're going to make that second save (nat 1, or other misc awfulness) it could be a huge waste of a 5th lv slot (if quickened) or a standard action where you could have blown something up with a spell.

So I wouldn't prep lots of resurgence, but a wand (wizard/sorcerer Familiar to use maybe?) would be pretty useful for the party.

[Saph]

Well, it *is* a touch-range spell. That causes some hassle in actual use. 3rd-level mass resurgence helps as far as that goes, but neither one of them lets you re-save the wizard who just dimension doored away thanks to a fear effect.

It's not for every occasion, but it works great when the character next to you rolls a 1 on their save against a suggestion or confusion in the first round of the combat. Getting taken out of a critical combat is not fun, and countering that will make you VERY popular with whoever you do it to.

[Chronos]

OK, thanks, all. I realize it doesn't do everything, but it still sounds like it's a worthy use of my resources. Hey, it's a 15th-level cleric, first-level slots and wands are practically free.