Spells worth their cost on a wand.

[killem2]

I am a focused speciliast transmuter who jumped into Incantatrix. I banned Evocation, Enchantment, Necromancy, and Illusion. What spells would be worth the money to drop gold on, as I do have a use magic device check of +20 now. (trained)

From those banned schools?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Get an Elvencraft (Composite) Longbow, Elvencraft is in RotW and makes it function as both a quarterstaff and a bow. It counts as three weapons for weapon upgrades (Masterwork, magic, etc.), so you can put three Wand Chambers from Dungeonscape on it and always be holding three wands. Get a Mithral Buckler with another Wand Chamber, and that's four wands ready for use at any given time.

Also keep in mind that per Rules Compendium, spell trigger and spell completion items have an activation time identical to the spell's casting time. Swift and Immediate action spells on wands still take that same type of action to use.


Wings of Cover (RotD), normally a Sorcerer-only spell.
Command Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/commandUndead.htm), use it against the strongest mindless undead opponents you find.
Ray of Stupidity (SC), it automatically disables any animal you hit with it. With Metamagic Spell Trigger from Incantatrix you can use Split Ray (CA) with it and have a good chance of disabling most of the physically strong monsters you'll face.
Silence (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/silence.htm), cast it on a point in space and there's no saving throw. Ready an action to use it if an opponent casts a spell with a verbal component, it silences them during casting so their spell automatically fails, and still gets spent.
Nerveskitter (SC), get +5 initiative every encounter. It uses up the Swift Action you would get on your first round.
Benign Transposition (SC), amazing tactical teleportation, allows you to swap any two allies positions, including yourself.
Swift Invisibility (SC), 1st level on the Bard list, turn invisible for 1 round as a swift action. Every round you can cast a spell, activate this, and then move, and opponents will almost never attack you. Note you can Metamagic Effect: Persistent Spell on Greater Invisibility with Incantatrix, though.


Also note that you can use Eternal Wands (MIC) of any arcane spell in the game. Good choices include anything that you shouldn't need to use very often, such as Knock and Glibness.

Edit: Get a custom Runestaff (MIC p224) with spells from your prohibited schools, or from any spell list for that matter, and UMD it when you prepare spells to be able to convert prepared spells to spontaneously cast any spell it contains. This will give you access to Persistable buffs like Greater Invisibility, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Death Armor, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Fire Shield twice, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Thunderlance (with Greater Magic Weapon), etc. You can also put choice higher level spells form prohibited schools on there, such as Contingency, Wall of Force, Forcecage, Enervation, etc. Plus it can have situational spells just in case you need them, such as the above Knock and Glibness. This trick (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267805#4) guarantees that your Runestaff (which can be your Elvencraft Longbow) can have whatever spells you want on it, though it requires a good alignment.

[Fax Celestis]

Winged watcher, flame blade, rot of ages, benign transposition, knight's move, distract assailant (low levels only), armor lock (same here), stick, blockade, comprehend languages, identify.

[IronFist]

Seeker Ray, Primal Instinct, Rhino Rush, Waithstrike, Grease

[WesleyVos]

As a general rule, find spells that do not allow saves and are not subject to spell resistance - that way you can get the wand at the lowest possible CL and save yourself some gp. Low-level buffs make great wands, as they're something that you can use often for minimal cost. That said, a few that I would suggest (particularly from your banned schools):

1) Shivering Touch and Lesser Shivering Touch. Yes, I know it is subject to SR. Still, assuming you can overcome that, a lot of enemies, presuming a decent roll, will be one-shotted by this spell. Even those that aren't are going to find their Dex in the toilet. And this is with no save. The Lesser version isn't quite as good, but 1d6 Dex damage is nothing to sneer at for a first level spell.

2) Disguise Self. Lots of applications for this one. It allows a will save to disbelieve, but it also can be used in a number of situations where the enemy/opponent is not likely to save.

3) Silent Image. Probably the best spell in the game. It allows a save to disbelieve, but if you use it where the opponent is not likely to try a save, it can be awesomely broken. Remember, by RAW the opponent actually has to interact with the illusion to get the save.

4) Invisibility. Used during the buff rounds, it's going to help you stay safe while making the BSF into, to quote Treantmonk, "a Colossal Stupid Fighter on Crack, and your glass cannon into an Adamantium Chain Gun." Greater Invisibility might be better, but it probably costs more than it's worth.

5) Ray of Stupidity. Subject to SR, but as a 2nd level spell, no save, 1d4+1 Int damage. Facing an animal? A giant dinosaur? Encounter over. Facing a wizard? Make him lose his highest level spells and a lot of his bonus spells.

6) Mirror Image. No save, no SR, and great protection from that charging barbarian who gets to attack one at the end of his charge. Then Benign Transposition out after his first attack.

Now, for those outside your banned schools:

1) Benign Transposition.
2) Nerveskitter.
3) Protection from X.
4) Mage Armor - for when yours gets dispelled and you need something quick.
5) Feather Fall - saves you from having to spend too much for a ring.
6) Enlarge Person.
7) Summon Monster I. Yes, I know getting this at CL 1 means you only get the thing for one round. But one round is all you need to send a creature running down a hallway in front of you to trigger traps. And for 750 gp, having 50 disposable trapfinders, or 50 disposable flankers, is pretty good.
8) True Strike and True Casting. One for the ranged touch attacks, and one for those nasty SR creatures. Not sure if True Casting can be used with a wand by RAW - if so, that helps alleviate the SR problem of some of the above spells.
9) Knock. Because you only have so many spell slots, and the rogue can solve most of your problems, but when he can't, it's good to have this handy. Might be better as a scroll, though.

Once you get past level 2, except perhaps for spells in your banned schools, it's really not worth the cost. Hope this helps.

[Story]

Winged watcher, flame blade, rot of ages, benign transposition, knight's move, distract assailant (low levels only), armor lock (same here), stick, blockade, comprehend languages, identify.

Identify isn't worth it. Just get an Artificer's Monocle.

[AttilaTheGeek]

I was going to suggest Silent Image, by far the best first-level spell. The above posters have made a bunch of great suggestions, which I won't reiterate. Another situational spell you might want on a wand is Sending, if your campaign needs it.

[Fax Celestis]

Identify isn't worth it. Just get an Artificer's Monocle.
Doesn't work for UMD: UMD only lets you pretend you have the feature, not actually successfully use it.


Putting on a monocle is a standard action. While wearing an artificer's monocle, whenever you successfully use your artificer knowledge class feature (ECS 31) to detect an item's magical aura or you cast detect magic and have at least 5 ranks of Knowledge (arcana), you can spend 1 additional minute studying the item. If you do, you can identify the abilities of that item as if you had cast identify upon it.

[Zombulian]

Glibness and Guidance of the Avatar/Divine Insight.

[killem2]

Get an Elvencraft (Composite) Longbow, Elvencraft is in RotW and makes it function as both a quarterstaff and a bow. It counts as three weapons for weapon upgrades (Masterwork, magic, etc.), so you can put three Wand Chambers from Dungeonscape on it and always be holding three wands. Get a Mithral Buckler with another Wand Chamber, and that's four wands ready for use at any given time.

Also keep in mind that per Rules Compendium, spell trigger and spell completion items have an activation time identical to the spell's casting time. Swift and Immediate action spells on wands still take that same type of action to use.


Wings of Cover (RotD), normally a Sorcerer-only spell.
Command Undead (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/commandUndead.htm), use it against the strongest mindless undead opponents you find.
Ray of Stupidity (SC), it automatically disables any animal you hit with it. With Metamagic Spell Trigger from Incantatrix you can use Split Ray (CA) with it and have a good chance of disabling most of the physically strong monsters you'll face.
Silence (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/silence.htm), cast it on a point in space and there's no saving throw. Ready an action to use it if an opponent casts a spell with a verbal component, it silences them during casting so their spell automatically fails, and still gets spent.
Nerveskitter (SC), get +5 initiative every encounter. It uses up the Swift Action you would get on your first round.
Benign Transposition (SC), amazing tactical teleportation, allows you to swap any two allies positions, including yourself.
Swift Invisibility (SC), 1st level on the Bard list, turn invisible for 1 round as a swift action. Every round you can cast a spell, activate this, and then move, and opponents will almost never attack you. Note you can Metamagic Effect: Persistent Spell on Greater Invisibility with Incantatrix, though.


Also note that you can use Eternal Wands (MIC) of any arcane spell in the game. Good choices include anything that you shouldn't need to use very often, such as Knock and Glibness.

Edit: Get a custom Runestaff (MIC p224) with spells from your prohibited schools, or from any spell list for that matter, and UMD it when you prepare spells to be able to convert prepared spells to spontaneously cast any spell it contains. This will give you access to Persistable buffs like Greater Invisibility, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Death Armor, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Fire Shield twice, Fell Drain Fell Frighten Thunderlance (with Greater Magic Weapon), etc. You can also put choice higher level spells form prohibited schools on there, such as Contingency, Wall of Force, Forcecage, Enervation, etc. Plus it can have situational spells just in case you need them, such as the above Knock and Glibness. This trick (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=267805#4) guarantees that your Runestaff (which can be your Elvencraft Longbow) can have whatever spells you want on it, though it requires a good alignment.


Great idea, does it matter the size of the bow? I have a low strength (only 7). Lots of good stuff here, Ray of stupidity really stands out as a possible winner for some fighter based types. Other than dragons we have not encountered too much SR.

Benign is great, I always have those stacked for my first level and some 2nd level slots.

I will pass on the runestaff, my DM is pretty much against the custom items unless I make them myself :(. I argue the custom rules are not to create anything crazy, but they are there to give you access to create things with use of all spells, but he sees it almost on line with creating your own spells. I'm always pushing boundries with the class so I'll be ok :).




Winged watcher, flame blade, rot of ages, benign transposition, knight's move, distract assailant (low levels only), armor lock (same here), stick, blockade, comprehend languages, identify.


Identify via divine caster possibly, but we have a psion who has an intelligent item that gives her 3 per day, and she really loves that ability, so I think I may pass, just so I don't step on her toes, even though she flys :P (petal psion)


Seeker Ray, Primal Instinct, Rhino Rush, Waithstrike, Grease

Interesting choices, noted for future. Wraithstrike, is already learned by me, I will be persisting it :)


As a general rule, find spells that do not allow saves and are not subject to spell resistance - that way you can get the wand at the lowest possible CL and save yourself some gp. Low-level buffs make great wands, as they're something that you can use often for minimal cost. That said, a few that I would suggest (particularly from your banned schools):

1) Shivering Touch and Lesser Shivering Touch. Yes, I know it is subject to SR. Still, assuming you can overcome that, a lot of enemies, presuming a decent roll, will be one-shotted by this spell. Even those that aren't are going to find their Dex in the toilet. And this is with no save. The Lesser version isn't quite as good, but 1d6 Dex damage is nothing to sneer at for a first level spell.

2) Disguise Self. Lots of applications for this one. It allows a will save to disbelieve, but it also can be used in a number of situations where the enemy/opponent is not likely to save.

3) Silent Image. Probably the best spell in the game. It allows a save to disbelieve, but if you use it where the opponent is not likely to try a save, it can be awesomely broken. Remember, by RAW the opponent actually has to interact with the illusion to get the save.

4) Invisibility. Used during the buff rounds, it's going to help you stay safe while making the BSF into, to quote Treantmonk, "a Colossal Stupid Fighter on Crack, and your glass cannon into an Adamantium Chain Gun." Greater Invisibility might be better, but it probably costs more than it's worth.

5) Ray of Stupidity. Subject to SR, but as a 2nd level spell, no save, 1d4+1 Int damage. Facing an animal? A giant dinosaur? Encounter over. Facing a wizard? Make him lose his highest level spells and a lot of his bonus spells.

6) Mirror Image. No save, no SR, and great protection from that charging barbarian who gets to attack one at the end of his charge. Then Benign Transposition out after his first attack.

Now, for those outside your banned schools:

1) Benign Transposition.
2) Nerveskitter.
3) Protection from X.
4) Mage Armor - for when yours gets dispelled and you need something quick.
5) Feather Fall - saves you from having to spend too much for a ring.
6) Enlarge Person.
7) Summon Monster I. Yes, I know getting this at CL 1 means you only get the thing for one round. But one round is all you need to send a creature running down a hallway in front of you to trigger traps. And for 750 gp, having 50 disposable trapfinders, or 50 disposable flankers, is pretty good.
8) True Strike and True Casting. One for the ranged touch attacks, and one for those nasty SR creatures. Not sure if True Casting can be used with a wand by RAW - if so, that helps alleviate the SR problem of some of the above spells.
9) Knock. Because you only have so many spell slots, and the rogue can solve most of your problems, but when he can't, it's good to have this handy. Might be better as a scroll, though.

Once you get past level 2, except perhaps for spells in your banned schools, it's really not worth the cost. Hope this helps.

Knock is something I am seriously considering because our rogue, is no longer able to play. Enlarge person would have been cool but got no one who can be targeted with it, but my dm will allow the psionic abilities to be used with incantarix (special formula created for it)

Invisibility is something that would rock. I will have to get that one soon. Gonna be pricey though.


Identify isn't worth it. Just get an Artificer's Monocle.




I was going to suggest Silent Image, by far the best first-level spell. The above posters have made a bunch of great suggestions, which I won't reiterate. Another situational spell you might want on a wand is Sending, if your campaign needs it.

Can you clarify on sending for me. It says for ranged see text but it never gives the range in the text :(


Glibness and Guidance of the Avatar/Divine Insight.

Glibness will be stepping on the psions roles as the party face, and party bluffer. she is an uber diplmat, I will pass on that. The insight however, is something I'm liking quite a bit.

[ZeroSpace9000]

I was going to suggest Silent Image, by far the best first-level spell. The above posters have made a bunch of great suggestions, which I won't reiterate. Another situational spell you might want on a wand is Sending, if your campaign needs it.

Um, Attila, how are you getting Sending into a wand? Sending is a 5th level spell, and wands cap out at lvl 4.

[Thurbane]

Doesn't work for UMD: UMD only lets you pretend you have the feature, not actually successfully use it.
Artificers Monocle was updated in the MIC so that it also works with a simple Detect Magic as well as the Artificer class feature.

Putting on a monocle is a standard action.
While wearing an artificer’s monocle, whenever you successfully use your artificer knowledge class feature (ECS 31) to detect an item’s magical aura or you cast detect magic and have at least 5 ranks of Knowledge (arcana), you can spend 1 additional minute studying the item. If you do, you can identify the abilities of that item as if you had cast identify upon it.

[nedz]

If you are wanding via UMD then you are not limited to Arcane spells.

So what is it you want to do with the wandage, your options are very open ?

[TuggyNE]

Um, Attila, how are you getting Sending into a wand? Sending is a 5th level spell, and wands cap out at lvl 4.

Sanctum Spell, maybe?

[elonin]

I've been wondering if it is possible to use an item that requires turn attempts can be used with a nightstick providing the attempt and a umd check to replicate the feature.

[Fax Celestis]

Sanctum Spell, maybe?

Or a scepter (LEoF).

[Captnq]

Find an artificer.

Get him to make a wand and UMD to imitate a Wu Jen casting Hail of stone. They cast as a SL 0. Then add Metamagic Feats Rapid Spell and Sculpt Spell. Have him make this wand at caster level 5. So it will be a SL 2 Wand at CL 5 or a 7,750 gp wand.

You will have 50 charges of a spell that does 5d4 damage of untyped damage out to 150 ft and it can be in a 120' line, a 20' radius ball, a 40' cone or a 10'x30' cylinder. No Saving Throw. No Spell Resistance. No To Hit Roll. No Dodging. Unless the target is standing in an AMF it always hits. It always does damage.

If you wish, you can have the artificer add Empower making it 21,250 gp. Not really worth it, however.

But the same wand with Fell Drain would mean you automatically do 5d4 damage and automatically drain 1 level in an area effect. THAT would be worth 21,250 gp.

Two other choices would be wounding, and explosive, but not really worth it.

Although, if you planned on fighting undead, you could add energize, it would do x1.5 damage to undead and only add +1 to the SL. Would would be 16,000 gp. Expensive, but if I was going up against a Lich with every defense under the sun, that is 16,000 gp that could do an average of 19 points of damage to that lich every round, while everyone else if trying to hit it's 68 touch AC or punch through an SR of 44.

19 Hp is better then nothing. Trust me. I ruined a Player's day with this spell. Add Silent, Still, Deceptive, and Reach and you have a good 300' radius you need to search to find the guy who's attacking you and hitting you. Every. Single. Round. Relentlessly. It. Never. Stops.

Sometimes you just need to deliver the mail.

[Captnq]

Get an Elvencraft (Composite) Longbow, Elvencraft is in RotW and makes it function as both a quarterstaff and a bow. It counts as three weapons for weapon upgrades (Masterwork, magic, etc.), so you can put three Wand Chambers from Dungeonscape on it and always be holding three wands. Get a Mithral Buckler with another Wand Chamber, and that's four wands ready for use at any given time.


Humph.

Heavy Double Crossbow
Add Sword Crossbow Bayonet

Take deathwand crossbow. Extrapolate out the WSA of two wands mounted on a crossbow. 2,000 gp. Add to upper and lower heavy crossbow on the double crossbow.

NOW add wand chambers to upper heavy crossbow, lower heavy crossbow and to the sword crossbow bayonet.

You now have one weapon with 7 wands at the ready.

Take The sorcerer's hand. Extrapolate out the WSA. for a +1 bonus you can fire your ray spells through one of the two heavy crossbows. The ray spells gain the Enhancement Bonus and WSAs of that particular Heavy Crossbow.

I recommend the WSAs Splitting (+3 Bonus) and Exit wound (+3 Bonus).

So if you load up your 7 wands with Ray spells, your rays can be fired through the heavy crossbow with Sorcerer's Hand WSA and become splitting (fire twice) and go through the target to hit the target behind it at only a -4 to hit.

If you want details, check out my sig for my weapon handbook.

[Story]

Unless the target is standing in an AMF it always hits. It always does damage.

Actually it works even in an AMF. Hail of Stone is the ultimate mailman spell, let down only by the low damage cap.

I like it call it "Rocks Fall, Everyone Gets Injured".

[killem2]

I'm probably getting greedy now, but are there any spells that can transmute rock to metal?

[TuggyNE]

I'm probably getting greedy now, but are there any spells that can transmute rock to metal?

Fabricate targeted on ore?

Still, nothing with that level of power is at all likely to be wandable, and it's hard to beat wall of iron if all you want is metal.

[killem2]

Nah, I was just looking for a clever way to burrow, by persisting into a rust monster lol

[nedz]

Transmute Rock to Mud and then Control Water.

Now Control Water is level 6 Sorc/Wiz, but only level 4 Cleric or Druid so is wandable as the latter.

[ericgrau]

From banned schools meaning you can't prepare them normally? Practically everything without a save, or those that are still good even on a passed save. It's way too many to list; go look up what are good spells in general for those schools, filter out the save negates ones, and make a decision on the save partial ones and so on. For example illusions say "if interacted with". Subtle illusions aren't usually interacted with, but overt ones usually are.

[Ravens_cry]

That's one of the eternal DM questions. What counts as 'interacted with'?
You really need to know individual DM's answers to that question to give advice on such.

[PraxisVetli]

Find an artificer.

Get him to make a wand and UMD to imitate a Wu Jen casting Hail of stone. They cast as a SL 0. Then add Metamagic Feats Rapid Spell and Sculpt Spell. Have him make this wand at caster level 5. So it will be a SL 2 Wand at CL 5 or a 7,750 gp wand.

You will have 50 charges of a spell that does 5d4 damage of untyped damage out to 150 ft and it can be in a 120' line, a 20' radius ball, a 40' cone or a 10'x30' cylinder. No Saving Throw. No Spell Resistance. No To Hit Roll. No Dodging. Unless the target is standing in an AMF it always hits. It always does damage.

If you wish, you can have the artificer add Empower making it 21,250 gp. Not really worth it, however.

But the same wand with Fell Drain would mean you automatically do 5d4 damage and automatically drain 1 level in an area effect. THAT would be worth 21,250 gp.

Two other choices would be wounding, and explosive, but not really worth it.

Although, if you planned on fighting undead, you could add energize, it would do x1.5 damage to undead and only add +1 to the SL. Would would be 16,000 gp. Expensive, but if I was going up against a Lich with every defense under the sun, that is 16,000 gp that could do an average of 19 points of damage to that lich every round, while everyone else if trying to hit it's 68 touch AC or punch through an SR of 44.

19 Hp is better then nothing. Trust me. I ruined a Player's day with this spell. Add Silent, Still, Deceptive, and Reach and you have a good 300' radius you need to search to find the guy who's attacking you and hitting you. Every. Single. Round. Relentlessly. It. Never. Stops.

Sometimes you just need to deliver the mail.


Humph.

Heavy Double Crossbow
Add Sword Crossbow Bayonet

Take deathwand crossbow. Extrapolate out the WSA of two wands mounted on a crossbow. 2,000 gp. Add to upper and lower heavy crossbow on the double crossbow.

NOW add wand chambers to upper heavy crossbow, lower heavy crossbow and to the sword crossbow bayonet.

You now have one weapon with 7 wands at the ready.

Take The sorcerer's hand. Extrapolate out the WSA. for a +1 bonus you can fire your ray spells through one of the two heavy crossbows. The ray spells gain the Enhancement Bonus and WSAs of that particular Heavy Crossbow.

I recommend the WSAs Splitting (+3 Bonus) and Exit wound (+3 Bonus).

So if you load up your 7 wands with Ray spells, your rays can be fired through the heavy crossbow with Sorcerer's Hand WSA and become splitting (fire twice) and go through the target to hit the target behind it at only a -4 to hit.
If you want details, check out my sig for my weapon handbook.

LOLWUT.
I..I...I don't even. I just don't even.


what's WSA?

[Ravens_cry]

LOLWUT.
I..I...I don't even. I just don't even.


what's WSA?
Weapon Special Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm), like Flaming, Keen, or Holy.

[PraxisVetli]

Weapon Special Abilities (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/magicItems/magicWeapons.htm), like Flaming, Keen, or Holy.

Gotcha, thanks

what uh...
whats "the sorcerers hand?",

[Ravens_cry]

Gotcha, thanks
You are welcome.:smallsmile:

[Siosilvar]

I see UMD in the first post, so...

Lesser Vigor. 550 points of healing for 750 gp is as cheap as it comes in consumables.

[Ravens_cry]

I see UMD in the first post, so...

Lesser Vigor. 550 points of healing for 750 gp is as cheap as it comes in consumables.
One trouble is time. Unless the DM is the type to not care if you spend however long you like to heal up between fights (and they might care after this) 10 hp back a minute verses an average of 45 (and always at least 10) will make a difference. Yes, it's more expensive, but if the monsters start doing things while you are healing up, you know you are taking too long.

[PraxisVetli]

Capnq, is there a way to discharge the spells from your crossbow wand collection of death SIMULTANEOUSLY?
Or at least in extreme rapid succession?

[ericgrau]

That's one of the eternal DM questions. What counts as 'interacted with'?
You really need to know individual DM's answers to that question to give advice on such.
Oh that's where you bust out the illusion school rules (in the magic chapter) before the DM says everything the enemy does including casually glancing at it is interaction. Which would make the rule utterly meaningless. It basically means to examine it specifically. Touching, prodding and so on is also interaction, but usually causes an auto-pass on a save so it's moot. So illusions used to hide something before the enemy comes are usually no save unless you give the enemy a reason to search in a particular location. Like Elan hiding the whole OotS. Most illusions cast in the middle of combat have a save because they almost always get the foe's attention.