[Pathfinder] Uses for Obscuring Mist?

[quark12000]

Am playing a first level cleric in Pathfinder, and one of the best spells, according to all the guides, is Obscuring Mist. It seems kind of useless to me though. Create a mist that is centered on me and will blind my teammates? What am I missing?

[Psyren]

It's a 20ft. radius, your allies should be able to play around that to avoid being inconvenienced. Meanwhile, it has myriad uses for you - autofail for most mindless enemies trying to locate you by sight, 50% miss chance for enemy archers, immunity from being directly targeted by enemy casters, concealment on demand for your rogue etc. It's probably not something I'd prepare at 1st-level when those slots are precious, but later on it's more utility than most 1st-level slots will give you.

[stack]

Getting the ability to see through mist (usually via item) makes it very potent since it no longer hinders you, but things like truesight that pierce illusory protection won't pierce the mist.

[quark12000]

It's a 20ft. radius, your allies should be able to play around that to avoid being inconvenienced. Meanwhile, it has myriad uses for you - autofail for most mindless enemies trying to locate you by sight, 50% miss chance for enemy archers, immunity from being directly targeted by enemy casters, concealment on demand for your rogue etc. It's probably not something I'd prepare at 1st-level when those slots are precious, but later on it's more utility than most 1st-level slots will give you.
Sure, the party can't be seen while the spell lasts. They also can't see anything. So the bad guys just wait until the fog disappears and then kill us. Or, better yet, throw a fireball at the center of the moving cloud, where I am, and wipe all of us out. I'm not seeing an upside, other than being able to hide for a while.

[Psyren]

Sure, the party can't be seen while the spell lasts. They also can't see anything.

Why is your whole party hiding behind it? You can make any spell counterproductive if you abandon tactics.

[Kurald Galain]

Am playing a first level cleric in Pathfinder, and one of the best spells, according to all the guides, is Obscuring Mist. It seems kind of useless to me though. Create a mist that is centered on me and will blind my teammates? What am I missing?

It's an excellent counter to enemy archers (or other ranged attackers). If you're too low-level to spend a spell slot on this, this is one of the most useful scrolls to bring along.

[quark12000]

Why is your whole party hiding behind it? You can make any spell counterproductive if you abandon tactics.
I thought the whole idea from your previous post was to hide inside the mist?

It's a 20ft. radius, your allies should be able to play around that to avoid being inconvenienced. Meanwhile, it has myriad uses for you - autofail for most mindless enemies trying to locate you by sight, 50% miss chance for enemy archers, immunity from being directly targeted by enemy casters, concealment on demand for your rogue etc.


It's an excellent counter to enemy archers (or other ranged attackers). If you're too low-level to spend a spell slot on this, this is one of the most useful scrolls to bring along.
Again, don't they just have to wait out the spell? Or toss an area spell into the center, where they know the caster is.

[Bovine Colonel]

Again, don't they just have to wait out the spell? Or toss an area spell into the center, where they know the caster is.

There are all kinds of things you can do if you can make some of your enemies, but not others, wait out a spell duration. Say your front line is winning a big melee but the enemy has archers shooting uncontested, and you run up to the melee and cast Obscuring Mist. Suddenly the other guys have no ranged backup and when the spell goes down their archers are staring at your friend, the level 10 pouncing barbarian, surrounded by the corpses of their melee guys. Or maybe your casters just need some more time to finish laying down Haste and Enlarge Person and Summon Monster and Greater Invisibility and whatever else before the fight actually starts. Or maybe your barbarian took several unlucky crits and you need to grab his body to raise him.

Heck, even if the enemy has a caster with area-effect spells, Obscuring Mist is still an advantage since it means the casters are using Fireball instead of, say, Dominate Person or Mass Suggestion. And if you can get some enemies stuck inside the mist they can't even Fireball without friendly fire.

[Dimers]

Or, better yet, throw a fireball at the center of the moving cloud, where I am, and wipe all of us out.

You're often going to find an imbalance when comparing the effects of 3rd-level spells against 1st-level. That said, fireball is not as devastating to a team as some targeted spells of the same level (or other targeted effects, such as many monsters' SLAs), which obscuring mist prevents from even being attempted.

Stepping away from the AoE issue for a moment, there are situations where archers and ray-users can't see the outline of the cloud -- in dungeon corridors, for example, or an already misty region. That means they have to guess which square to target for their 50% miss chance.

Personally I find obscuring mist a bit overhyped too, but I recognize that it's because of my straightforward, unnuanced playstyle. Sneaky people make the best use of obscuring mist, particularly when their allies cast it instead of themselves. They can hide without HiPS, snag stuff with Sleight of Hand, set up quick traps and ambushes, create chaos or morale problems with auditory illusions ... all kinds of fun. And sneaky sorts are the most likely to have evasion to fend off AoE damage.

[Psyren]

I thought the whole idea from your previous post was to hide inside the mist?

Yes, YOU, or someone trying to stealth, for a specific tactical purpose. Not the whole party standing around in it with their thumbs up their posteriors for no reason :smallconfused:


Again, don't they just have to wait out the spell? Or toss an area spell into the center, where they know the caster is.

If you're up against 3rd-level spells, have you considered trying a 3rd-level spell?

[Bucky]

You don't need to hide in the mist; you can hide behind it instead. Cast it, then move out of it.

[Chaos Jackal]

Use it to cover an escape.

Use it to cover an advance.

Use it to set up an ambush. Bonus points if you hide pits, spikes and other hazards in it, magical or non-magical.

Use it to set up buffs or summons.

Use it to buy time to patch up or wait for allies.

Use it to effectively divide the battlefield in two, with ranged enemies on a different half than you.

Use it to prevent targeting spells, SLAs and other Su or Ex abilities that require sight of the target (and there are many of them).

Use it to turn an ally with blindsight or tremorsense into a killing machine.

Use it to turn a seemingly controlled situation into a chaotic one. If you throw it up in the middle of the fight it'll hinder everyone, and in a tough scenario with many opponents and little chance of escape this might end up being a net gain. Playing tag might not be the greatest strategy, but sometimes it just might work.

Obscuring Mist has an amazing number of uses for the creative player, and that number becomes even more amazing when you consider that it's a 1st-level spell, which allows no save, no SR, and bypasses darkvision and truesight. Yes, a Fireball will disperse it, but Fireball is a 3rd-level spell, and not every enemy carries Fireball. Outside of AoEs like this, you're basically shielded against anything with a range of 10ft or more.

Obscuring Mist just has huge versatility for its spell slot. When you're low level and don't have slots to spare or combo with it might be a better idea to carry a cheap scroll with you, but later on it's definitely worth preparing, or at least carrying a few scrolls or a wand with you (if you don't mind the reduced duration limiting some of the uses mentioned above).

[Kurald Galain]

Again, don't they just have to wait out the spell? Or toss an area spell into the center, where they know the caster is.

What, you planning on standing still and doing nothing, with the entire party, for at least a minute? :smallamused:

[quark12000]

You don't need to hide in the mist; you can hide behind it instead. Cast it, then move out of it. Unfortunately, the spell is centered on the caster.

Use it to cover an escape.
How do you escape when you're blind?


Use it to cover an advance.
How do you advance when you're blind?


Use it to set up an ambush. Bonus points if you hide pits, spikes and other hazards in it, magical or non-magical.
How do you dig pits and set up traps, never mind coordinate a whole ambush when you're blind?


Use it to set up buffs or summons.
How do you buff someone when you're blind? Yes, you can summon, but unless you're summoning something with blindsight or tremorsense, it's useless. So, since we're first level, the witch or summoner could call forth a bat, I think, and that's about it.


Use it to buy time to patch up or wait for allies.
How do you patch someone up when you're blind? Channel, sure, okay and hope the other eleven are near me and not running around like crazy people when the mist blinds them.


Use it to effectively divide the battlefield in two, with ranged enemies on a different half than you.
Aren't we inside the mist? Or does this assume I go off on my own towards a bunch of archers and stand still while stuff, I guess, is happening behind me?


Use it to prevent targeting spells, SLAs and other Su or Ex abilities that require sight of the target (and there are many of them).
I don't know enough about monsters to know about this.


Use it to turn an ally with blindsight or tremorsense into a killing machine.
Again, first level party here.


Use it to turn a seemingly controlled situation into a chaotic one. If you throw it up in the middle of the fight it'll hinder everyone, and in a tough scenario with many opponents and little chance of escape this might end up being a net gain. Playing tag might not be the greatest strategy, but sometimes it just might work.
"Playing tag"?


Obscuring Mist has an amazing number of uses for the creative player, and that number becomes even more amazing when you consider that it's a 1st-level spell, which allows no save, no SR, and bypasses darkvision and truesight. Yes, a Fireball will disperse it, but Fireball is a 3rd-level spell, and not every enemy carries Fireball. Outside of AoEs like this, you're basically shielded against anything with a range of 10ft or more.
How are you shielded and what do you mean "range of 10 ft or more"? Do you mean bows? And if we hit 5th level, our opponents will be having fireball all the time.


Obscuring Mist just has huge versatility for its spell slot. When you're low level and don't have slots to spare or combo with it might be a better idea to carry a cheap scroll with you, but later on it's definitely worth preparing, or at least carrying a few scrolls or a wand with you (if you don't mind the reduced duration limiting some of the uses mentioned above).
So, what I'm taking from this is that you need to have blindsight or tremorsense to be able to do anything inside the mist, or try to run out of it and hope you don't get turned around and run towards the archers.


What, you planning on standing still and doing nothing, with the entire party, for at least a minute? :smallamused:
Not seeing much more we could do without blindsight.


Yes, YOU, or someone trying to stealth, for a specific tactical purpose. Not the whole party standing around in it with their thumbs up their posteriors for no reason :smallconfused:



If you're up against 3rd-level spells, have you considered trying a 3rd-level spell?


Am playing a first level cleric in Pathfinder
Also, I'm just asking questions here. I've never played a cleric before and this spell is new to me. I don't need your ****ing snark.

[Psyren]

Also, I'm just asking questions here. I've never played a cleric before and this spell is new to me. I don't need your ****ing snark.

1) You were the one snarkily quoting my previous post to try and say something I never actually said, when I (and others) are only trying to help you. (And now getting sworn at for doing so, might I add.)

2) I already told you that at 1st-level, it's not that useful compared to other things you could be doing with those precious slots. Handbooks don't expect you to stay at 1st-level for your whole career, some of the onus for applying good judgement in which spells to prepare is still on you as the player. The ratings don't exist in a vacuum.

[Selion]

Unfortunately, the spell is centered on the caster.

How do you escape when you're blind?

How do you advance when you're blind?

How do you dig pits and set up traps, never mind coordinate a whole ambush when you're blind?

How do you buff someone when you're blind? Yes, you can summon, but unless you're summoning something with blindsight or tremorsense, it's useless. So, since we're first level, the witch or summoner could call forth a bat, I think, and that's about it.

How do you patch someone up when you're blind? Channel, sure, okay and hope the other eleven are near me and not running around like crazy people when the mist blinds them.

Aren't we inside the mist? Or does this assume I go off on my own towards a bunch of archers and stand still while stuff, I guess, is happening behind me?

I don't know enough about monsters to know about this.

Again, first level party here.

"Playing tag"?

How are you shielded and what do you mean "range of 10 ft or more"? Do you mean bows? And if we hit 5th level, our opponents will be having fireball all the time.

So, what I'm taking from this is that you need to have blindsight or tremorsense to be able to do anything inside the mist, or try to run out of it and hope you don't get turned around and run towards the archers.


Not seeing much more we could do without blindsight.




Also, I'm just asking questions here. I've never played a cleric before and this spell is new to me. I don't need your ****ing snark.

I think you misunderstood what it means that it's centered on you. It doesn't move with you, so you can just cast the spell and retreat 6 meters, yeah, blindly, but you know where you are going, it's not a serious issue. Your enemy conversely doesn't know where did you go if there were several routes, for example in a cave.
You can cover an advance, i just used it this way recently, we were ambushing a group of soldiers on a beach confining with a forest, i used obscuring mist just on the border of the wood to prevent our enemies to know our numbers.
You can set up traps, of course you should do it before you cast the spell, you place e few traps in front of you, letting your rear free. When the enemies come, you cast obscuring mist and retreat. If your enemies follow you they cannot see the traps, if they don't you have a minute to buff, summon or whatever tactic you like.
You can prevent archers and spells to target you, so that you can use some rounds for summons, than advance.
It's not an everyday spell, it's not a spell you'd use in a preconstructed routine, it requires creativity, but it has its uses.

[Bovine Colonel]

I'm sorry for the snark, but a lot of these objections seem like you just wanted to have some objection, instead of actually raising concerns you're worried about.


Unfortunately, the spell is centered on the caster.
So cast it and walk out of the area. Nothing in the spell says it follows you.


How do you escape when you're blind?
By looking at your escape path ahead of time? Of course you might be a bit slower, but if you can turn the mist into a barrier between you and the enemy then you're free to go. At worst you've stopped their archers from shooting you for several rounds while you turn the corner.


How do you advance when you're blind?
Ditto. Cast it, then by the time your fighter leaves the mist the enemy is in his sword range.


How do you dig pits and set up traps, never mind coordinate a whole ambush when you're blind?
Are you serious? The whole point of an ambush is that you set it up ahead of time and attack in such a way that the enemy can't easily tell what you're doing. Do you really think he meant you should cast Obscuring Mist before you've finished the other preparations? Set up your traps, have party members where you want them, then cast Obscuring Mist before the enemy turns the corner. Now you know where all the traps are, the enemy doesn't, and they can't even tell what they're about to be fighting.


How do you buff someone when you're blind? Yes, you can summon, but unless you're summoning something with blindsight or tremorsense, it's useless. So, since we're first level, the witch or summoner could call forth a bat, I think, and that's about it.

How do you patch someone up when you're blind? Channel, sure, okay and hope the other eleven are near me and not running around like crazy people when the mist blinds them.
By...knowing where your teammates are and having a preexisting plan for what happens when the mist goes down? Obviously if your party has no idea how to work as a group the mist won't be as effective, but I don't think that's a problem with the spell.


Aren't we inside the mist? Or does this assume I go off on my own towards a bunch of archers and stand still while stuff, I guess, is happening behind me?
Yes, you are, and so are some of their melee guys. Their archers are now useless and their melee guys are dead. Your front line can leave the mist and mop up the archers whenever they want.


Also, I'm just asking questions here. I've never played a cleric before and this spell is new to me. I don't need your ****ing snark.
To be honest, I feel like if you were really "just asking questions" you'd ask questions with less obvious answers.

EDIT: just to be clear, the spell description starts with this:

A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary.

[quark12000]

I think you misunderstood what it means that it's centered on you. It doesn't move with you, so you can just cast the spell and retreat 6 meters, yeah, blindly, but you know where you are going, it's not a serious issue. Your enemy conversely doesn't know where did you go if there were several routes, for example in a cave.
You can cover an advance, i just used it this way recently, we were ambushing a group of soldiers on a beach confining with a forest, i used obscuring mist just on the border of the wood to prevent our enemies to know our numbers.
You can set up traps, of course you should do it before you cast the spell, you place e few traps in front of you, letting your rear free. When the enemies come, you cast obscuring mist and retreat. If your enemies follow you they cannot see the traps, if they don't you have a minute to buff, summon or whatever tactic you like.
You can prevent archers and spells to target you, so that you can use some rounds for summons, than advance.
It's not an everyday spell, it's not a spell you'd use in a preconstructed routine, it requires creativity, but it has its uses.
I'm pretty sure it stays centered on the caster, I think.

Anyway it sounds extremely situational. Maybe worth keeping a scroll or two for those rare situations when it might be useful. Once I get Scribe Scroll I'll rethink it. Perhaps.

[Bovine Colonel]

I'm pretty sure it stays centered on the caster, I think.

Anyway it sounds extremely situational. Maybe worth keeping a scroll or two for those rare situations when it might be useful. Once I get Scribe Scroll I'll rethink it. Perhaps.

Since this was posted before my edit, let me point this out in the spell description:


A misty vapor arises around you. It is stationary.

[quark12000]

Since this was posted before my edit, let me point this out in the spell description:

I thought that meant that it's stationary when it's cast, but if you move it moves with you.

[Bovine Colonel]

I thought that meant that it's stationary when it's cast, but if you move it moves with you.

If that were the case it wouldn't be ambiguous. For example, the spell description for Antimagic Field says:


An invisible barrier surrounds you and moves with you.

[Rynjin]

I thought that meant that it's stationary when it's cast, but if you move it moves with you.

Every spell that moves with you specifies it does so.

[quark12000]

If that were the case it wouldn't be ambiguous. For example, the spell description for Antimagic Field says:

Okay. Like I said, I've never played a cleric, rarely played any caster, and never encountered this spell before.

[Chaos Jackal]

What Bovine Colonel said.

Obscuring Mist is a stationary cloud. It stays there while you stay in or move out, depending on your needs. It's the equivalent of a wall for ranged enemies, a place to hide and buff or wait for allies, or a way to prevent opponents from seeing your numbers, defenses or movements.

It's a spell that requires thinking to make the best of each situation. But there's plenty of situations where it's gonna be very useful. And its versatility and number of different applications makes it good at all levels. Definitely worth a few scrolls early on. Definitely worth a wand or a slot or two later, when the overwhelming majority of 1st-level spells are no longer relevant.

[Selion]

I thought that meant that it's stationary when it's cast, but if you move it moves with you.

To be honest there is not a clear line that states any of our interpretations.
BTW, i found a couple of sentences that would lean toward my idea:

Antimagic Field: An invisible barrier surrounds you and moves with you. [...]

For this spells it's stated explicitly

spell-effects-in-naval-combat (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/ship-combat/spell-effects-in-naval-combat/):
[...]
Blade Barrier, Cloudkill, Fog Cloud, Mind Fog, Obscuring Mist, Pyrotechnics, Stinking Cloud, Storm of Vengeance: The effects created by these spells do not move with a ship.
[...]

If you are on the ship, obscuring mist doesn't move with you

[quark12000]

What Bovine Colonel said.

Obscuring Mist is a stationary cloud. It stays there while you stay in or move out, depending on your needs. It's the equivalent of a wall for ranged enemies, a place to hide and buff or wait for allies, or a way to prevent opponents from seeing your numbers, defenses or movements.

It's a spell that requires thinking to make the best of each situation. But there's plenty of situations where it's gonna be very useful. And its versatility and number of different applications makes it good at all levels. Definitely worth a few scrolls early on. Definitely worth a wand or a slot or two later, when the overwhelming majority of 1st-level spells are no longer relevant.

Thanks for your thoughtful replies, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to move out of the fog. I've been in an extremely dense fog and you get turned around and disoriented and are never where you think you are. And if you stay in to try and buff teammates, how does that work? I mean, you'd still be completely disoriented. How do you find them? Call out to each other? Doesn't that defeat the concealment?

I get the part about hiding from archers, for as long as the spell lasts, it just seems very situational.

[quark12000]

To be honest there is not a clear line that states any of our interpretations.
BTW, i found a couple of sentences that would lean toward my idea:

Antimagic Field: An invisible barrier surrounds you and moves with you. [...]

For this spells it's stated explicitly

spell-effects-in-naval-combat (https://www.d20pfsrd.com/gamemastering/other-rules/ship-combat/spell-effects-in-naval-combat/):
[...]
Blade Barrier, Cloudkill, Fog Cloud, Mind Fog, Obscuring Mist, Pyrotechnics, Stinking Cloud, Storm of Vengeance: The effects created by these spells do not move with a ship.
[...]

If you are on the ship, obscuring mist doesn't move with you
Okay, that's pretty definitive.

[Rynjin]

Thanks for your thoughtful replies, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to move out of the fog. I've been in an extremely dense fog and you get turned around and disoriented and are never where you think you are. And if you stay in to try and buff teammates, how does that work? I mean, you'd still be completely disoriented. How do you find them? Call out to each other? Doesn't that defeat the concealment?

I get the part about hiding from archers, for as long as the spell lasts, it just seems very situational.

You aren't completely disoriented; you're essentially just inventing mechanical penalties that don't exist to make your point at this stage.

[Chaos Jackal]

Thanks for your thoughtful replies, but I'm having a hard time figuring out how to move out of the fog. I've been in an extremely dense fog and you get turned around and disoriented and are never where you think you are. And if you stay in to try and buff teammates, how does that work? I mean, you'd still be completely disoriented. How do you find them? Call out to each other? Doesn't that defeat the concealment?

I get the part about hiding from archers, for as long as the spell lasts, it just seems very situational.

And I've been in fields during even moonless, cloudy nights, and after a minute of adjustment I could see decently enough to at least trade punches with someone with no issue, yet in-game my human character is considered blind. Not every condition of the real world is simulated perfectly in a tabletop game.

Determine where each of you will be standing beforehand, or yeah, just call out to each other or something. Or just say "I turn on my heel and walk forward". Enemies still get the 50% miss chance, and they still can't use any effect that requires sight of the target.

You asked for uses, and you've been given plenty. You asked for mechanics, and they've been explained. If you want to bring up things completely unrelated to RAW and add mechanical implications that aren't there, that's on you, not on the spell. Can't help you with it. We're here to answer questions, not to play the game for you.

You don't have to use it just because it's on the guides. You don't like it, you don't pick it. I don't have anything else to say on the matter.

[Selion]

Okay, that's pretty definitive.

I read other spells, and that line is not always included, now i'm sure that Obscuring mist is stationary, but i'm unsure with every other emanation and spread spell :smalleek:

[Psyren]

You aren't completely disoriented; you're essentially just inventing mechanical penalties that don't exist to make your point at this stage.

This.


You asked for uses, and you've been given plenty. You asked for mechanics, and they've been explained. If you want to bring up things completely unrelated to RAW and add mechanical implications that aren't there, that's on you, not on the spell. Can't help you with it. We're here to answer questions, not to play the game for you.

You don't have to use it just because it's on the guides. You don't like it, you don't pick it. I don't have anything else to say on the matter.

Also this.


I read other spells, and that line is not always included, now i'm sure that Obscuring mist is stationary, but i'm unsure with every other emanation and spread spell :smalleek:

Which ones aren't you sure about? The description is generally clear.

[Mr Adventurer]

It also doesn't in fact blind anyone inside the mist.

You can see OK out to about five feet - plenty enough to move normally, but you do still have a 20% miss chance on attacks from concealment.

You can't see past that, sure, but it's not like you're in a sphere of impenetrable whiteness.

[quark12000]

You aren't completely disoriented; you're essentially just inventing mechanical penalties that don't exist to make your point at this stage.



You asked for uses, and you've been given plenty. You asked for mechanics, and they've been explained. If you want to bring up things completely unrelated to RAW and add mechanical implications that aren't there, that's on you, not on the spell. Can't help you with it. We're here to answer questions, not to play the game for you.

You don't have to use it just because it's on the guides. You don't like it, you don't pick it. I don't have anything else to say on the matter.
I'm not sure what mechanical penalties/implications you gentlemen think I'm adding/making up. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the game mechanics, especially now that I realize the cloud doesn't move around with me. I'm sorry if I upset or offended you. That certainly wasn't my intent.

It also doesn't in fact blind anyone inside the mist.

You can see OK out to about five feet - plenty enough to move normally, but you do still have a 20% miss chance on attacks from concealment.

You can't see past that, sure, but it's not like you're in a sphere of impenetrable whiteness.
Okay. I thought because you had a 20% miss chance in melee against folks right next to you, you had to be effectively blinded.

[Efrate]

5 ft. Vision inside gives you plenty of sight to buff. Assuming your party stays together. If you are right next to your your team you can see all of them.

YY
XY

If you are X you can see all the Y. All within 5 ft. And touch range. No rays or arrows can hit you, you cannot be sneak attacked, you cannot be charmed, dominated, etc. If you looked at the way ahead of you before it's a cover for an advance. Its also a great way to just nope an encounter and retreat.

You cab put up the mist and just walk out. You can even goad your foes to charge you through and have your team ready attacks for them.

It is also an auto win vs. Anything mindless without tremorsense or the like. See a golem? Cast obscuring mist and walk by. Also good for groups of zombies and skeletons. Easily slip by most of that necromancer's horde.

[Rynjin]

I'm not sure what mechanical penalties/implications you gentlemen think I'm adding/making up. I'm just trying to wrap my head around the game mechanics, especially now that I realize the cloud doesn't move around with me. I'm sorry if I upset or offended you. That certainly wasn't my intent.

Okay, so, here's a quick primer on the vision and concealment rules.

Baseline: Normal, everything's fine, you can see out to normal vision. This is a sunny day, or out to 60 feet in the dark if you have Darkvision, and so on.

Partially Obscured: Partial limitation on sight. This is Obscuring Mist's baseline, but it's also what happens if you're in the dark (but not SUPER dark; think outside at night with a clear sky and the stars shining). Typically this is the level of 20% concealment. You have a 1 in 5 chance of missing a target you would otherwise hit. Stops Sneak Attacks without Shadow Strike, but little else. Affects Line of Sight, but spells can still be cast. Ranged spells can always be delivered in touch range even when you can't see (this applies for below as well).

Completely Obscured: This is the level of Blindness, Greater Darkness, or being in a cave with no light source without Darkvision, or similar effects. You can't see **** Cap'n. You have a 50% miss chance, and can NEVER deal precision damage or take Attacks of Opportunity without a specialized ability that says otherwise (like Blind-Fight for the latter). You lose your Dex to AC (without Blind-Fight), must move at half speed or risk falling over, and just all around are going to have a bad time.

In neither case are you "disoriented". Your characters have perfect memory of their surroundings of the time they were blinded or obscured, and can still navigate based on that memory; though changes in terrain or enemy placement can still trip you up.

[ericgrau]

There are all kinds of things you can do if you can make some of your enemies, but not others, wait out a spell duration. Say your front line is winning a big melee but the enemy has archers shooting uncontested, and you run up to the melee and cast Obscuring Mist. Suddenly the other guys have no ranged backup and when the spell goes down their archers are staring at your friend, the level 10 pouncing barbarian, surrounded by the corpses of their melee guys.
Yourself, any other casters and ranged in your party will be a bit stuck unless they want to leave the protection of the mist and thus negate all its benefit. You also didn't negate the enemy archers, you forced them into melee which is not their specialty but doable. And delayed the melee on both sides which is neutral but makes everything else mentioned take that much longer.


Or maybe your casters just need some more time to finish laying down Haste and Enlarge Person and Summon Monster and Greater Invisibility and whatever else before the fight actually starts. Or maybe your barbarian took several unlucky crits and you need to grab his body to raise him.
You are only giving the party a 50% miss chance, not invulnerability, 20% at melee. Plus some enemies don't use targeted attacks. That helps but I would only spend time on the stronger buffs and you better have 3 or more party members buffing or it's a net win to the enemy.


Heck, even if the enemy has a caster with area-effect spells, Obscuring Mist is still an advantage since it means the casters are using Fireball instead of, say, Dominate Person or Mass Suggestion. And if you can get some enemies stuck inside the mist they can't even Fireball without friendly fire.
Against a nicely clustered party inside of a small area, fireball and other AOEs are far more powerful than single target spells. Mass suggestion is pretty strong but it's also 6th level. Other mass/chainable spells tend to be pretty high level too, while area spells are more accessible. Fireball, flamestrike and similar also immediately destroy the obscuring mist.

In general guides tend to focus on the benefits while ignoring the drawbacks. Under the right circumstances it is a very nice spell, but you can't guarantee that you will be in one of the ideal scenarios. I wouldn't take it as one of your first spells but it is a so-so backup spell or better yet for only 25 gp it's a perfect spell to put onto a scroll. It's an amazing get-away button so the party can flee and simultaneously take standard actions like picking up bodies or healing. And it's nice under other rare special circumstances where concerns like the above can be addressed. The possible drawbacks get conveniently ignored for the sake of making a point online, so you need to recognize that and wait for that rare opportunity. I've used it to negate sneak attack when all enemies had it for example, leaving both sides with a 50% miss chance and the enemy assassins missing one of their main abilities. Pretty narrow and not a good argument for saying it's a great spell to prepare even as a secondary spell. But a perfect argument for putting it onto a scroll which I did.

As for which spell to take at level 1, I'd get bless. It's a good mass buff, and your weapon attack isn't that strong at level 1 so it's worth the action. Healing is likewise worth the action at level 1. Preferably channel energy to heal if you can, or otherwise cure light wounds. Inflict light wounds isn't bad either. As you get to higher level other good spells to scroll include summon monster I (at caster level 3+) and every remove X condition there is. Ant haul is often nice to prepare later. Divine favor is nice to quicken at high level. When you hit level 3 I'd likewise pick up augury, bull's strength and/or inflict moderate wounds (and drop ILW). And likewise there are other 2nd level spells that get better at higher level to prepare or scroll, such as fix-it spells. For a while you are going to be healer/fixer, buffer and secondary fighter, in roughly that order. As you level up and get more interesting spells that will change. Healing/fixing will drop down the list especially fast, though some builds do well with it and it never becomes obsolete. New capabilities will be added to the list too.