WLD Survival Advice

[KindOfGoodGuy]

For the last month or so I have been running through the World's Largest Dungeon adventure. I have been playing as a human wizard who is a focused specialist (necromancy). So far I have saved the party 3 times from a TPK with the usage of Ray of Enfeeblement and Ghoul Touch, and we are almost level 4 now. While this helps for now, I am worried that I don't have the foresight to keep everyone alive at this rate. So I come here asking what spells would be good to learn down the road?

Also my banned schools are Illusion, Enchantment, and Evocation.

[Jack_Simth]

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World's Largest Dungeon is not intended to be the toughest nut to crack. What are the other players doing? If nothing else, it'll affect your spell selection and decisions on whether to buff your allies or zap your opponents.

[Darrin]

Other than the two you've mentioned, what spells do you have so far?

What sourcebooks do you have available? Are online sources OK? Dragon Magazine? Setting-specific OK?

Most importantly... has the DM made any rulings or houserules with regards to what spells are and are not allowed in WLD? For example, summoning spells may work differently (summoned creatures stick around and thus may be used for allies/mounts/food). Teleport spells aren't supposed to work, but some DMs allow line-of-sight teleport to work. I don't recall if rope trick is specifically banned in WLD... if not, then it can make resting ridiculously easy. The WLD also has an axe to grind against battlefield control, and druids in particular, but the designers were not particularly smart in how they tried to restrict these options.

[KindOfGoodGuy]

Other than the two you've mentioned, what spells do you have so far?

What sourcebooks do you have available? Are online sources OK? Dragon Magazine? Setting-specific OK?

Most importantly... has the DM made any rulings or houserules with regards to what spells are and are not allowed in WLD? For example, summoning spells may work differently (summoned creatures stick around and thus may be used for allies/mounts/food). Teleport spells aren't supposed to work, but some DMs allow line-of-sight teleport to work. I don't recall if rope trick is specifically banned in WLD... if not, then it can make resting ridiculously easy. The WLD also has an axe to grind against battlefield control, and druids in particular, but the designers were not particularly smart in how they tried to restrict these options.

So far, things within the complete series are allowed with the DMs approval. Other than that, we are using the SRD. We also don't have houserules other than any character being able to put ranks into disable device (justified as us activating so many of them that we forced ourselves to learn to deal with them).

My spell list is:

1st: Shield, Summon Monster 1, Identify, Cause Fear, Chill Touch, Ray of Enfeeblement, Enlarge Person, Magic Weapon, Comprehend Languages, and Expeditious Retreat.

2nd: Spectral Hand, Ghoul Touch, and Bull's Strength.

The reason I know more than other level 3 wizards is a combination of rolling so high on spellcraft checks that the DM allowed me to add the spells to the list, and finding a scroll or two.

[KindOfGoodGuy]

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World's Largest Dungeon is not intended to be the toughest nut to crack. What are the other players doing? If nothing else, it'll affect your spell selection and decisions on whether to buff your allies or zap your opponents.

I know that it is not that hard to understand, but preparation for a wizard is still key. The others in the party include an orc fighter that loves to charge into melee and a human cleric of Kord that has been forced to act as a healbot most of the time. We had a troglodyte rogue but he just seemed to vanish into thin air without returning. We hope to find a replacement soon.

Most of my spells have been a combination of buffs (enlarge person, bull's strength) and nerfs (ray of enfeeblement, ghoul touch).

[Darrin]

So far, things within the complete series are allowed with the DMs approval. Other than that, we are using the SRD.


The reason I asked is because WLD actually changes the rules for several different types of spells, and bans some types of spells altogether. It doesn't do you any good for me to recommend the rope trick if that spell is banned or explicitly doesn't work in the WLD. Battlefield control spells (BFC) are *supposed* to be banned in WLD (but the designers either don't understand what BFC is or were very inconsistent with the ban). Summoned creatures are supposed to stick around after the duration runs out (summons can get into the WLD, but nothing can get out), which presumably could make them dangerous (or extremely tasty). Teleport/gate/interdimensional spells aren't supposed to work at all, but many DMs allow line-of-sight teleports (such as dimension door across the room) to work.

So before I can recommend anything, it helps to know which rules the DM is using from WLD and which ones he's ignoring.



2nd: Spectral Hand, Ghoul Touch, and Bull's Strength.


Hmm. Well, I'd try and get alter self and glitterdust ASAP. Rope trick is the cornerstone of the "15 minute adventuring day" although it won't last an entire rest period right now unless you pick up Extend Spell/Sudden Extend.

You're specialized in necromancy, but what's your alignment? Do you have access to Book of Exalted Deeds/Vile Darkness? As a prepared caster, you automatically have access to Sanctified and Corrupted spells, but only if you have those books. Most of those spells aren't worth the cost (usually ability damage of some sort), but there are a few gems worth digging out.

[KindOfGoodGuy]

The reason I asked is because WLD actually changes the rules for several different types of spells, and bans some types of spells altogether. It doesn't do you any good for me to recommend the rope trick if that spell is banned or explicitly doesn't work in the WLD. Battlefield control spells (BFC) are *supposed* to be banned in WLD (but the designers either don't understand what BFC is or were very inconsistent with the ban). Summoned creatures are supposed to stick around after the duration runs out (summons can get into the WLD, but nothing can get out), which presumably could make them dangerous (or extremely tasty). Teleport/gate/interdimensional spells aren't supposed to work at all, but many DMs allow line-of-sight teleports (such as dimension door across the room) to work.

So before I can recommend anything, it helps to know which rules the DM is using from WLD and which ones he's ignoring.


Hmm. Well, I'd try and get alter self and glitterdust ASAP. Rope trick is the cornerstone of the "15 minute adventuring day" although it won't last an entire rest period right now unless you pick up Extend Spell/Sudden Extend.

You're specialized in necromancy, but what's your alignment? Do you have access to Book of Exalted Deeds/Vile Darkness? As a prepared caster, you automatically have access to Sanctified and Corrupted spells, but only if you have those books. Most of those spells aren't worth the cost (usually ability damage of some sort), but there are a few gems worth digging out.

I am True Neutral. It is the reason that any non-hostile folks we have come across thus far have liked me the most, because I interact with them the least and choose my words carefully, thus never do anything to annoy them. Also we exclusively banned the BOED/BOVD/TOB because of the game-breaking power they contain (also because we would most likely plow through anything in our way if we all used them).

I will be sure to take alter self at the first chance. I know it has good uses but what are some of the better forms that you would reccomend?

[Efrate]

For alter self movement modes. You won't get much out of burrow speed unless your DM is very lenient and it lets you bypass pretty much every door. Do it once and expect the ban hammer likely. Flight and Swim are amazing though, as is climb. Climbing onto the ceiling is great and in many areas invalidates a lot of encounters because no one can reach you. Darkvision (I forget if you get that with Alter self), is huge as well. Light sources allow pretty much everything to prepare and ambush you from forever away.

Look for onyx. Make a LOT of zombies. Command undead has a huge duration and non-intelligent undead get no save. Sadly that is level 7 and looking for onyx is a pain.

Any item or ability that is usable at will is huge, there are a few. You have cleric so water is never an issue, and food is available as of cleric 5 so that takes a huge chunk of stuff out of it.

Comprehend languages and tongues are going to serve you exceptionally well. Depending on how you do XP, you may wish to consider taking craft wonderous item, or levels in artificer if its allowed so you can turn a lot of the junk into something useful.

A level in warlock might be amazing for you, getting you some at will invocations and a ranged touch attack for a bit of dps. You lose a caster level but warlocks are amazing in WLD. Anything at will is great.

If you get silver pieces, have your cleric make a bunch of holy water. 50% to hit vs. incorporeal undead is very good because you won't have many way to hit them when you first start seeing them. Also command undead again. You get so much mileage out of that.

[Fizban]

Rope Trick is not a significant advantage in WLD unless you really try to make it one. It's designed for people not abusing Rope Trick, so there are plenty of rooms explicitly marked as perfectly safe to rest in (including some where the descriptive text is literally "you feel certain this place is safe to rest in"), and plenty more that you can simply barricade well enough that most inhabitants should just keep walking.

Alter Self for climb and fly speeds are of some use, but you have to remember that climb speeds != Spider Climb, and fly speeds with low maneuverability require room to circle for altitude. Spider Climb on the other hand would be huge, with Air Walk from the Cleric list being the next step up with 10 min/level duration and no maneuverability problems. Breathing underwater is only relevant in certain obvious sections, and is generally needed for the whole party at once in any applications. Clerics get Water Breathing (and Invis Purge, and a ton of other things) automatically, so you don't need to worry about it. In sum, Alter Self remains stupid broken for gaining natural armor, disguise, and a ton of movement modes, but its main use comes from being able to prepare one Alter Self and then spontaneously choose what trick you need later.

If taking Alter Self, being limited to SRD monsters means you've got Troglodyte for +6 natural armor, and Sahaugin for swimming and breathing underwater. Unless you're allowing the variant race for Jungle Goblins there aren't any with climb speeds, nor any with fly or burrow speeds.

From what I've read (and I've read about 2/3 of it by now), Onyx gems aren't found anywhere early enough or in large enough quantity for Animate Dead to be worth taking at all. I expect there's some to be found a couple specific places, but if you've found the material component you've likely found a spellbook with the spell in it already.

We still don't know what rules if any your DM has regarding spell choice and summoning. If they don't know what we're talking about, check page 12 at the end of the sidebar under Spellbooks for the note about entangle and web, and page 14 for the one about summoning. Personally I think having summoned creatures stick around when the spell runs out is a terrible idea, but since you have the spell at all I would guess that's how you're running it.

Assuming you have no restrictions on BFC, then for maximum power you'll want to get Grease (mass fall over), Glitterdust (mass blind), Web (mass stop moving for a year), Stinking Cloud (mass stop doing anything), and Black Tentacles (mass tentacles), and get ready to roll a whole lot of dice for a whole lot of doing nothing while the fighter and cleric finish them off. If you do have restrictions on BFC, then banning Evocation, Enchantment, and Illusion is going to give you some serious problems, since you've cut out so much. You'll want to ask for the conjuration damage spells from Complete Arcane (Blast of Flame, Arc of Lighting, and Vitriolic Sphere, at 4th and 5th level) so you'll have something to cast against things immune to necromancy before Disintegrate.

Unless you're cool with just relying on Haste and Slow. Dispel Magic is also good to have on general principle, though knowing when to prepare and use it is more tricky, and if you haven't banned Polymorph then it will actually do all the things Alter Self can supposedly do. Gaseous Form is risky but can bypass some otherwise impossible barriers in a dungeon full of anti-teleport+indestructible walls. Heart of Earth (CM) is the standard for self-defense.

For necromancy, you just take the "obvious" spells. Blindness, Fear, Enervation, and Magic Jar pretty much fill out the list. High level necromancy doesn't have much without expensive material components in that bookset. Maybe Finger of Agony, Channeled Lifetheft, Touch of Vecna (CM), and Sword of Darkness (CA). Arrow of Bone (CA) is usable since you can make the material component out of any gems you find. Backbiter (CA) is a nice 1st level spell with potentially high damage, once you're a high enough level that's all you want from your 1st level spells. And the lowly Chill Touch is better than you might think, since Spectral Hand will let you chip away with it as long as you don't cast something else in between, and it's a save or lose vs any undead on every touch.

Actually there's a serious dearth of 3rd level necromancy spells without Spell Compendium in play. Vampiric Touch and Ray of Exhaustion are popular, but very sketchy until high levels: vamp touch has low dice and the ray requires a ranged touch while also allowing a save and SR, against a single target. I'd suggest loading those 3rd level necromancy slots with more 2nd level spells unless you really want to spam Ray of Exhaustion.

Those are all options, and since you don't have Collegiate Wizard you've only got two per level, and you probably don't want to spend those on lower level spells. Assuming you aren't allowed BFC, because it's a more limited set:
4th: Blindness and Spider Climb
5th: Haste and Slow
6th: Dispel Magic and Gaseous Form
7th+8th: Fear, Enervation, Polymorph, and Blast of Flame, in whatever order.
9th+10th: Magic Jar, Channeled Lifetheft, Arc of Lightning, and Mass Fly (CA), in whatever order.
11th+12th: Disintegrate, Arrow of Bone, Mage's Lucubration, and Brilliant Blade (CA) , in whatever order. Special mention to Imbue Familiar with Spell Ability if you want to crush the action economy.

Why yes, there is a significant lack of defensive spells on my list. That's what the fighter and cleric are for. If you want them then drop whatever you don't like. You should also get your Cleric to prepare Mass Resist Energy (CA) once you start running into things with energy damage, and generally make use of the fact that the entire cleric list is always available to clerics.


If you want to "break" WLD then Warlocks and Reserve feats are the way to go, except not. As I said before, it's not built assuming any sort of ridiculous endurance or constantly being surrounded by hostile forces. Taking an at-will ability and then trying to fight everything means you'll spend a ton of game time fighting everything. Better to just cut a path from A to B and rest whenever appropriate in a place that seems safe.