What is funnest 5th level sorcerer spell that isn't arcane fusion?

[daremetoidareyo]

The title spells it all. I figured out a way to snag a single 5th level spell for an optimization contest here on the board. But my inspiration is lagging.

Metamagicked lower level spells don't count. The text of this exploit wont allow arcane fusion (otherwise it would be laeral's cutting hand + grim revenge).

Anyway, drop them wisdom bombs, yo.

[erok0809]

Draconic Polymorph from Draconomicon is 5th level, that could potentially be pretty good. It's polymorph, but with a higher HD cap (20), and +8 Str and +2 Con for the new form.

[nedz]

It depends upon what you are looking for ?

Mirage Arcana - Change the DM's description of the scene.

Kiss of the Vampire - lots of options.

[Grod_The_Giant]

Hard to argue with Lesser Planar Binding.

[Âmesang]

As foolish as it is I'm a very core kinda guy, so I like to have fun with telekinesis (no-save combat maneuvers against other casters) and fabricate (especially if you use the Book of Vile Darkness to stretch Craft [alchemy] to also include poisoncrafting; I was once partnered up with a ranger who aided from it). Rary's telepathic bond is useful (Rary's interplanar telepathic bond is better, though), baleful polymorph is a classic ("she turned me into a newt!"), and if you don't like cone of cold you can opt for the fiery version, Keraptis' flamecone.

[dascarletm]

I'd go teleport... Boring I know, but so damn useful.

[Cerefel]

It's really only useful for combat, but I'm a pretty big fan of Cloudkill.

[Psyren]

Streamers. Your move DM :smalltongue:

[Kelb_Panthera]

The blaster in me insists I mention the hilarity of blowing away great swathes of area with cone of cold +metamagic.

[ThinkMinty]

Wall of Force, Wall of Stone, or possibly Magic Jar. Polymorph's also up there.

[Darrin]

Necrotic skull bomb has the best name and the visuals are pure awesome sauce, but the mechanics may be a disappointment (20' enervation burst with a Fort negates because reasons).

Daltim's fiery tentacles is a personal favorite. All the tentacle jokes of Evard's, but now they're also on fire.

[ben-zayb]

Is this for the villain contest? If so, may I interest you in having this wicked spell?
The runaway winner for me is Fiendform, taking the form of White Abishai (FC2, Summon Monster 4). Outsider type, Baatezu traits including Telepathy, Fly speed, DR5/good, Regen1/good, SR15, 3/day CL5 Disguise Self (or Silent Image) and Blindness/Deafness (or Scare), 1/day Charm Person, and 4 Natural Attacks, all being in one spell, is a steal. You don't even have to be an outsider to gain these perks.

[paranoidbox]

So many good spells already mentioned. 5th level really is spoiled for choice. I would like to add to the pile: Major Creation, because who doesn't like creating things like the god that you are, and a personal favorite of mine, just because it provides an all day fly effect, Overland Flight.

[daremetoidareyo]

Thanks for all of the suggestions guys.

I am specifically looking for something to build a concept around, so the blasting spells are not all that great. And teleport, although nice, is also unexciting, and of little use for the villain I'm putting together.

Fabricate is a good suggestion...But it is also...nondynamic in it's own right. Lesser planar binding isn't the right flavor, but a great suggestion nonetheless. Polymorph is too flashy. Magic jar looses it's good stuff.

Mirage arcana is hitting me with the possibilities...

I'll kick some of these suggestions around to see what we can get.

[Seward]

As foolish as it is I'm a very core kinda guy, so I like to have fun with telekinesis (no-save combat maneuvers against other casters) and fabricate

I second both of these. Telekenesis works better with some helper spells (eg, my telekenetic sorceress had greater magic weapon, chain spell and servant horde, and could bust out 15 size large greatswords buffed to +4 enhancement when in a party with very little physical offense. More typical was just buffing some arrows, passing them out to party melees and using TK to toss 14 arrows and a melee character (delayed so they can full attack immediately) at an enemy. That's pretty much an instant kill on most opponents, although I'd have to toss in a feather fall if they weren't agile enough to land on their feet after being hurled across the battlefield). TK is also a long range spell, so you can do shenanigans like disarming the enemy sniper's bow, or messing with seige equipment, or just grappling that annoying flying sorcerer who is bombarding you with fireballs from 600' up in the air.

Believe me, you can build a whole concept on telekenesis (I did, from level 1-16. Floating disc, unseen servant, black tentacles, levitate, all kinds of things. She could only do spells that she could control, so swift fly and levitate, or TKing folks across the battlefield with violent thrust, but no "fly" spell to cast on the party fighter. Really, she built her entire spell mix on three spells - deconstructions of Greater Magic Weapon (eg mage armor and false life are "GMW on a person", with resilient sphere as a larger version of the same idea, and wall of force an advanced version of this concept), black tentacles (grease, levitate, floating disc and similar things) and telekenesis. )

Fabricate is an extremely flexible utility spell. My first wizard (a gnome who liked the god Vulcan - fire and crafting spells) got it as her first L5 spell. It's passwall, stone shape, wood shape, shatter and a bunch of other things all wrapped up into a multipurpose spell. Adamantine door getting you down? Turn some of it into adamantine platemail, making a door and your party dwarf warrior happy. Pretty much you can make a hole in anything for a fair amount of mass/volume and simultaneously turn it into whatever entertains you. Most wizards have so much intelligence they can get a "take 10 for masterwork item" with only a skill point or two spent in whatever makes them happy. What fabricate is not is a combat spell, but it's a pretty terrific option in your spellbook to fill an open L5 slot when the situation comes up, and it is amazing during downtime.

If you deconstruct what fabricate does, you can also come up with quite a few other spells to build a character around, many of which are solid combat spells. But then I'm of the opinion you can do a heck of a lot to theme a caster with nearly any spell if you're creative. Even something as simple as "I am a fire mage" opens up options around heat, light, smoke/fog and possibly even cold (as you suck the heat out of an area to turn it into flame you control). Maybe you can turn into flame and/or smoke (gaseous form, elemental form) or levitate by becoming lighter than air, etc.

[A_S]

My favorite spell of all time, of course, Lightning Leap (Complete Mage)!

Cast a 15d6 damage lightning bolt up to 60 feet long and reappear at the far end. Decent nuke and tactical teleportation in a single action, plus it doesn't have the [teleportation] descriptor, allowing it to bypass pesky things like Dimensional Anchor and Anticipate Teleportation.

[ThinkMinty]

I'mma second the suggestion for Kiss of the Vampire, that's some good magic, even with that steepish material cost.

[Erik the Green]

A couple of off-beat suggestions from the SPC:

1) Greater Blink. A serious boost to defense, with no self-nerfing like the lesser version, plus some potential aid to tactical mobility as well as sneaking into places.

2) Draconic Might. Boost your HP and spell save DC, and it's very thematic (if ur the right brand of sorcerer). Also, a very respectable boost for the melee in your group (note the immunity to sleep and paralysis while in effect).

EtG

[MaxiDuRaritry]

I was looking for 5th level spells that could be metamagicked out the wazoo (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?479422-Best-Effects-for-Metamagic), and I really didn't find that many of them. Sure, there are lots of good spells, but not many that benefit terribly much from metamagic (or metapsionics, as it were).

I ended up trading in my 5th level slot for the 2nd level close wounds.

[Gnorman]

Nothing screams "Do my bidding, foolish hero" like Insidious Suggestion!

Failing that, Wall of Limbs is villainously gruesome.

[Deox]

Flaying Tendrils [Complete Mage] - Eat all the brains.