Favored Soul / What's so great about Resurgence?

[Eliana Solange]

I'm building a Favored Soul (level 1) and picking first level spells. Flavor is buffer/healer/fixer -- Wis is low so avoiding spells with saves.

People around here seem very big on Resurgence. Is it worth it being one of my 3 first level spells known to start? How often does a situation calling for it really arise?

My preliminary selection is Bless, Faith Healing (entire party worships my god), and Resurgence

Other spells I am considering (either now or later) are:

Divine Favor
Magic Weapon
Blessed Aim (though there will only be one party member using ranged attacks most of the time)
Conviction
Lesser Vigor (11 hp at first level, versus 9 for Faith Healing, but slower, but this will likely be the next one I grab, depending on how squishy my party turns out to be in practice)
Summon Monster 1 (I don't really want to play a summoner, though summons can be really useful!)


p.s. don't bother telling me to be a Cleric instead ;-) I want to try something different.

[Falcon X]

It's probably because it's a spell that will never become useless as you grow in levels. Other level 1 spells are ones that you will stop using after a few levels.

I know you don't want to play Cleric, I'm the same, but have you considered Healer from Minatures Handbook? Or buffing prestige classes from BOED? Just thoughts...

[Jeff the Green]

I think it depends on your DM. If they like status effects resurgence is basically a must have. Fear and charm effects are particularly deadly at low levels.

If you are going to have easy access to wands, skip lesser vigor and trade out faith healing for something else at 4th level. It's much better to spend your spells known on things that are either too expensive to make into wands or that depend on caster level.

Conviction is nice. SMI has too short of a duration for low levels and it calls things that are too weak for high levels—it's basically only useful for springing traps. Magic weapon should be made irrelevant soon and then superseded by the greater version. Divine favor's utility depends on how martially-oriented you are.

Maybe look here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?37013-Optimal-favored-soul-spell-list) for more spell ideas.

[Eliana Solange]

It's probably because it's a spell that will never become useless as you grow in levels. Other level 1 spells are ones that you will stop using after a few levels.

I know you don't want to play Cleric, I'm the same, but have you considered Healer from Minatures Handbook? Or buffing prestige classes from BOED? Just thoughts...

We don't have either of those books available to us. Thanks for the feedback on Resurgence. It does seem like a spell that if you don't have when you need it, you'll regret it...

[Eliana Solange]

I think it depends on your DM. If they like status effects resurgence is basically a must have. Fear and charm effects are particularly deadly at low levels.

If you are going to have easy access to wands, skip lesser vigor and trade out faith healing for something else at 4th level. It's much better to spend your spells known on things that are either too expensive to make into wands or that depend on caster level.

Conviction is nice. SMI has too short of a duration for low levels and it calls things that are too weak for high levels—it's basically only useful for springing traps. Magic weapon should be made irrelevant soon and then superseded by the greater version. Divine favor's utility depends on how martially-oriented you are.

Maybe look here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?37013-Optimal-favored-soul-spell-list) for more spell ideas.

Thanks. Good feedback about dumping the healing spells once we can buy wands for that.

What do you mean about magic weapon being irrelevant soon?

Thanks for the pointer to the spells list too.

[Elkad]

What do you mean about magic weapon being irrelevant soon?

The party should have a selection of +1 weapons fairly soon.