Pathfinder Wizard: First 4th-level Spells Advice?

[Amaril]

Hey all, just a quick question here. My transmuter wizard is just about to hit 7th level after our current battle, and I'm just looking at possibilities for my first 4th-level spells. I'm currently leaning heavily toward summon monster IV and beast shape II. How's that sound, effectiveness-wise?

[Spore]

- Improved Invisibility for your rogue (he will treat you as his god!)
- Summon Monster IV: yeah, always great
- Black Tentacles: this ends encounters in round 1
- Stone Shape: another great choice for your school spell slot (divide and conquer)
- Elemental Body: tbh I like this one more than beast shape, because of perfect flying speed, burrow speed, swim speed and ability to burn up your grease spells (ask if your DM allows spell casting as elemental, mine does)
- Greater False Life: 2d10+7 HP for you. If you're not sure you survive raw hit point damage.
- Solid Fog: Control and sight block. Gets overshadowed by Tentacles.
- Dimension Door: your save from grapples.

[Amaril]

- Improved Invisibility for your rogue (he will treat you as his god!)
- Summon Monster IV: yeah, always great
- Black Tentacles: this ends encounters in round 1
- Stone Shape: another great choice for your school spell slot (divide and conquer)
- Elemental Body: tbh I like this one more than beast shape, because of perfect flying speed, burrow speed, swim speed and ability to burn up your grease spells (ask if your DM allows spell casting as elemental, mine does)
- Greater False Life: 2d10+7 HP for you. If you're not sure you survive raw hit point damage.
- Solid Fog: Control and sight block. Gets overshadowed by Tentacles.
- Dimension Door: your save from grapples.

- Definitely appealing...might look into choosing that for 8th level.
- Perfect, on the list!
- Hmm, definitely effective, but seems a little destructive and black magic-y for my character's taste (he's very pacifistic).
- So you're thinking walls of stone to cut enemies off from each other? Interesting, but it seems like it has the potential to be as much a hindrance as a help...
- I was already planning on picking this as my school spell next level. Shapeshifting is my character's big thing, it's just that I thought it'd be more appropriate to get the improved version of the shapeshifting spell he already has first before picking up the one that sounds like it'd be more difficult to do.
- My group is pretty effective at protecting me--I almost never take direct damage.
- Yeah, I agree--if I was gonna go for something like this, tentacles would be my first pick.
- Oh man, I totally forgot about this until now! Well I think I know what I'm picking for next level :smallsmile:

[Spore]

So, I decuce your picks will be:
7th: Monster 4, Beast Shape II
8th: Dimension Door, Elemental Body I; Scroll: Greater Invis.

Good choices, although mechanically, Beast Shape I is enough since you won't get a lot usage out of grab, pounce and trip as a primary caster.

[Drachasor]

Yeah, I'm a bit confused on why you are picking Beast Shape II.

Seems like Monstrous Physique II would be better for Polymorphing.

Calcific Touch can be very powerful.

Mnemonic Enhancer is an option if the other 4th level spells aren't something you'd use much. If you have an Arcane Bond and don't use during a day, you can even cast this spell for extra spell slots that last through the next day.

[Amaril]

Yeah, I'm a bit confused on why you are picking Beast Shape II.

Seems like Monstrous Physique II would be better for Polymorphing.

Calcific Touch can be very powerful.

Mnemonic Enhancer is an option if the other 4th level spells aren't something you'd use much. If you have an Arcane Bond and don't use during a day, you can even cast this spell for extra spell slots that last through the next day.

This is core-only Pathfinder, so the first two are out of the picture. I did consider mnemonic enhancer, but I just didn't think I'd get as much benefit from it as the others. Also, I have a familiar, not an arcane bond.

[Drachasor]

This is core-only Pathfinder, so the first two are out of the picture. I did consider mnemonic enhancer, but I just didn't think I'd get as much benefit from it as the others. Also, I have a familiar, not an arcane bond.

Ahh, I'd consider Elemental Body then. Elementals can talk and you should be able to do somatic components as well. Drop your component pouch before casting. You get some nice utility out of it too (more than Beast Shape II, I think).

Lean pickings in core at this level.

[andreww]

Core only is a bit of a kicker or Emergency Force Sphere would be an automatic pick.

Confusion can be a complete battle ender. Just make sure your allies do not attack the creatures which get affected. If there are multiple opponents one is likely to get attack nearest target. If that target is also confused then they get stuck in an attack loop until one of them is dead.

Charm Monster is a great way of adding Hill Giants and Purple Worms to your party.

Resilient Sphere is an excellent Reflex based removal spell. Eliminate enemy Clerics from the battle until you have removed their allies then deal with them.

[Blisstake]

Ennervation, anyone?

[Raven777]

Ennervation, anyone?

Not as cool in Pathfinder. It is still very decent, and you can still kill people with level loss, which is often more efficient than targeting Hit Points, and it is useful for softening targets before a Save or Lose, but the coolest perk is gone : it doesn't make spellcasters lose spell slots / prepared spells anymore.

[Amaril]

Not as cool in Pathfinder. It is still very decent, and you can still kill people with level loss, which is often more efficient than targeting Hit Points, and it is useful for softening targets before a Save or Lose, but the coolest perk is gone : it doesn't make spellcasters lose spell slots / prepared spells anymore.

That, and it most certainly falls into the realm of the black magic that my character is committed to avoiding.

[andreww]

That, and it most certainly falls into the realm of the black magic that my character is committed to avoiding.
While it is a necromantic spell it doesn't have the evil tag and the negative levels it bestows are not permanent. It's less powerful in PF due to the lack of metamagic feats to apply to increase the number of negative levels you can impose.

[Blisstake]

Not as cool in Pathfinder. It is still very decent, and you can still kill people with level loss, which is often more efficient than targeting Hit Points, and it is useful for softening targets before a Save or Lose, but the coolest perk is gone : it doesn't make spellcasters lose spell slots / prepared spells anymore.

I know it's not as good, I wasn't comparing it to the 3.5 version. If you want to make spellcasters lose their spells with a ranged touch attack, just prepare an action to cast Scorching Ray to interrupt their casting :smalltongue:

Also, I don't believe there's anything inherently evil about the spell... it lacks the evil descriptor.

[Amaril]

Also, I don't believe there's anything inherently evil about the spell... it lacks the evil descriptor.

True enough, but from my personal perspective (and, more importantly, my character's), any spell designed to drain life energy from a creature is sketchy at best. He prefers to stick to more buffing and support, which can also serve the dual purpose of making him a better melee combatant than some of the party warriors, should the need arise.