Spell tricks and gimmicks.

[Idea Man]

Yes, I know foresight/celerity/timestop. How about some other stuff? Powerful combos, fun mixes, rule failings.

As an example of the third, I offer slow/hold person. Slow reduces you to one action a round. Hold person requires a full round action to escape. It's just not right. :smallamused:

Unofficially, I allow a two-round action to escape. It's not like the held victim is doing anything else, after all...

[Jasdoif]

Yes, I know foresight/celerity/timestop. How about some other stuff? Powerful combos, fun mixes, rule failings.

As an example of the third, I offer slow/hold person. Slow reduces you to one action a round. Hold person requires a full round action to escape. It's just not right. :smallamused:

Unofficially, I allow a two-round action to escape. It's not like the held victim is doing anything else, after all...You can start a full-round action in one turn, and finish it in the next.
The "start full-round action" standard action lets you start undertaking a full-round action, which you can complete in the following round by using another standard action. You can’t use this action to start or complete a full attack, charge, run, or withdraw.

[Shishnarfne]

I'm partial to using Solid Fog as a lower level way of getting people stuck in the Cloudkill region...
It's a much lower-level trick (back when the Con damage is nastier).
I suppose dropping a Grease/Slow to reduce move speed might work for that too. Stinking Cloud is a nasty control spell that works wonders against low-fort types.
I suspect Lullaby+Sleep may be the lowest level spell combo, even if the Lullaby just enforces a -2 on saves against sleep.
I suppose a Invisibility+Ventriloquism might be a nice little trick for a caster who likes to stay out of the front lines.
These are a couple low level tricks that I think are alright.

[nobodylovesyou4]

well, there is the trick to use metamagic feats and locate city to kill everything in a 200 mile radius...

[Chronos]

I suspect Lullaby+Sleep may be the lowest level spell combo, even if the Lullaby just enforces a -2 on saves against sleep.Kind of silly, though, since Lullaby also allows a save. Sleep+Sleep is a far better combo.

In general, a good combination to use is something which reduces enemy mobility + something that sticks around and keeps affecting them as long as they're in the area. At low levels, Web is great for the former (if they fail the save, they can't move at all, and if they make the save, they can take a full-round action to attempt (and most likely fail) to move 5 or 10 feet), plus it grants cover or total cover, so they can't do much to you without moving, either. And Stinking Cloud is a good low-level persistant effect to stick on them while they're stuck: If they get nauseated by the cloud, they can't do anything but move, but they probably can't do that either, thanks to Web. If you like, you can then also summon monsters immune to the Cloud (like elementals (Summon Monster III or higher) or lemures (SM II)) into the area, too.

This basic idea of "restrict mobility, then unpleasant long-duration effect" applies all the way up to 20th level, where it becomes things like the infamous Forcecage plus Acid Fog or Cloudkill.

[bugsysservant]

I always like halfling+greater mage hand. Essentially, you cast it on yourself and gain concentration duration flight at first level. Its a very far cry from game breaking, or even strong, but it is still fun.

[Prometheus]

I always like halfling+greater mage hand. Essentially, you cast it on yourself and gain concentration duration flight at first level. Its a very far cry from game breaking, or even strong, but it is still fun.
Tenser's Floating Disk + Halfling