Best four first level illusion spells?

[Jay R]

What do you consider the most important four first level illusion spells for a Gnome illusionist with Illusion Mastery and the first level gnome illusionist level? After he reaches second level, he is required to have at least four of them (two from illusion mastery, and one each level).

If it matters, necromancy and evocation are his barred schools, and his effective level for conjuration spells is caster level minus one.

Obviously he will take minor image, and both silent image and ventriloquism are 0th level for them, so they aren’t in the running. Color spray is also important, especially since he can’t cast magic missile. But what other illusion spells are useful enough to take? All the rest available seem like they would only be useful in extremely rare situations.

What am I missing?

[ben-zayb]

Disguise Self and Swift Invisibility come to mind

[Jay R]

I'm not being argumentative. I'm questioning in order to find out what people know that I don't.

I assume that you know more about this version than I do. This is only my second 3.5e campaign, and only my first primary caster.


Disguise Self and Swift Invisibility come to mind

Unless you have a book I haven't seen, swift invisibility is only first level for bards, and is not available to wizards in any case.

And how valuable is disguise self to a gnome, when most folks around him are more than a foot taller than he is? He could look like a human child or teen, but not an adult. Also, the party has a rogue, who would do most of the sneaking around that a disguise is useful for.

[Darth Ultron]

After the basics, the only one I can think of is Dead End (Sc). It nicely allows a illusionist to ''hide tracks'' .

[Temotei]

Net of shadows isn't bad.

I'll second disguise self. You might not be able to look like a half-orc, but you could disguise as a goblin, kobold, or a child (as you mentioned). It's decently versatile. Biggest problem with it is that the hat of disguise is only 1,800 gp.

[Luccan]

disguise self[/I] to a gnome, when most folks around him are more than a foot taller than he is? He could look like a human child or teen, but not an adult. Also, the party has a rogue, who would do most of the sneaking around that a disguise is useful for.

Disguise self could be useful if you ever needed to look like someone other than yourself. You're an illusionist, so there may be times you'll need to be there to back up the rogue in person. Your best defense if you get spotted is to look like anyone else. Plus, you can't look like the big guys, but you can look like any humanoid who is about your height, so most races kids/teens, halflings, other gnomes, and other short humanoids (goblins, kobolds). If there are people looking for you specifically, pop on a different face. It's how you can think to use it that really matters with Illusions.

[Jay R]

OK, now we have disguise self, net of shadows, and dead end on the table. [All of which I've been considering, by the way.]

Anybody have opinions on their relative value? He's only likely to have four first level illusion spells that don't come from scrolls he finds.

None of them can replace the other, and all are spells that will only be useful if the right situation happens by. So I'm kind of lost.

We're about to go into a fairly large battle against many orcs in a fortified position, by the way. But I can't imagine using any first level illusions except the two I started with (minor image and color spray), so I don't see that the immediate situation has any bearing.

The long term situation is that at sixth level he will have an ancestral relic, on which there will probably be some sort of quest. He knows that the hooked hammer of his ancestor is important, but he knows nothing about it, and he will be as shocked as anyone when it starts developing arcane powers. He is currently searching out information about the hammer.

[Temotei]

OK, now we have disguise self, net of shadows, and dead end on the table. [All of which I've been considering, by the way.]

Anybody have opinions on their relative value? He's only likely to have four first level illusion spells that don't come from scrolls he finds.

None of them can replace the other, and all are spells that will only be useful if the right situation happens by. So I'm kind of lost.

We're about to go into a fairly large battle against many orcs in a fortified position, by the way. But I can't imagine using any first level illusions except the two I started with (minor image and color spray), so I don't see that the immediate situation has any bearing.

The long term situation is that at sixth level he will have an ancestral relic, on which there will probably be some sort of quest. He knows that the hooked hammer of his ancestor is important, but he knows nothing about it, and he will be as shocked as anyone when it starts developing arcane powers. He is currently searching out information about the hammer.

If the orcs are using ranged abilities/attacks, net of shadows will help. You need to get in close range, which is a limitation, though. Maybe if you're disguised with disguise self? Otherwise, if most of them are melee and there are more of them than you, it'll work on the party members just fine.

If the orcs have any children with them, you could pretend to be an orc child with disguise self, or if they have goblins with them, you can look like a goblin too.

Dead end could be useful if you're scouting with the rogue and you make a mistake (or if they have creatures with scent in their ranks). Probably won't be super useful in this situation, but it's good for Scribe Scroll later.

[Inevitability]

Fengut (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fw/20030706a) has a pretty potent effect for a level 1 spell.

[Darrin]

I'm fond of instant diversion (Races of the Dragon). My top four would be:

1) color spray
2) silent image
3) instant diversion
4) swift invisibility

However, I do like fengut, as it's a Fort save, and you don't see that very often in this school of magic.

[ben-zayb]

Whoops, I was looking at my Chameleon spell list. Swift Invisibility is indeed unavailable to wizards

[Akal Saris]

Huh, I'd never seen Fengut before. Nice spell (albeit disgusting).

[CharonsHelper]

If your campaign mixes in Pathfinder stuff - Vanish is pretty sweet.

[Jay R]

Thanks for all the help. I'm still confused, but I'm confused on a higher, more informed level than before.

[Inevitability]

Thanks for all the help. I'm still confused, but I'm confused on a higher, more informed level than before.

I kind of want to sig this.

[Jay R]

I kind of want to sig this.

Feel free. I can keep control over who can cite my words. Or I can put them on the internet. I'm not stupid enough to think I can do both.