Good spells for a bard/sublime chord gish?

[H_H_F_F]

The campaign doesn't use spell compendium or complete mage, but does use core and 4 complete books (Adventurer, Arcane, Divine, Warrior). The build goes Bard 4/ Paladin 2/ Spellsword 1/ Bard +2/ Eldritch knight 1/ Sublime chord 2/ Eldritch knight X.

Right now we're level 5, I took inspirational boost, cure light wounds and grease as my 1st level spells, and Glitterdust+bladeweave as my seconds. I'm fighting with a greatsword now, will switch to falchion later.

What would be good spells for later levels, given the limited sources?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Eldritch Knight doesn't grant additional spells known. It's a bit absurd, but be sure to check with your DM on whether it's house ruled to be more consistent with other spellcasting-advancing prestige classes.

Wraithstrike is in CV, you've got UMD as a class skill. Per the Rules Compendium, every spell trigger (wand, staff) or spell completion (scroll) item takes the same action to activate as the casting time of the spell being used. So a Wand of Wraithstrike (in a wand chamber of your weapon) is still a swift action to use.

Whirling Blade in CA is pretty good, especially if you're using Arcane Strike and/or Power Attack + Wraithstrike.

Once you get Sublime Chord, Polymorph is a must-have, and CA has Freezing Fog as a 5th level spell (it got increased to 6th in SC).

[H_H_F_F]

Thank you! Would you recommend freezing fog?

I'll try and see if I can get a weapon like you describe and a wraithstrike wand, we're not playing with an active magic item market.

Whirlling blade was on my list, I didn't realize I could combine it with ayrcane strike. Very interesting, though I don't see huge lines of enemies coming up very often. Maybe I should get sculpt spell.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Thank you! Would you recommend freezing fog?

I'll try and see if I can get a weapon like you describe and a wraithstrike wand, we're not playing with an active magic item market.

Whirlling blade was on my list, I didn't realize I could combine it with ayrcane strike. Very interesting, though I don't see huge lines of enemies coming up very often. Maybe I should get sculpt spell.

Freezing Fog is one of the better crowd controls. It's extremely useful for splitting up an encounter, especially considering it reduces their movement speed to 5 ft., which also means they can't 5-ft. step while affected.

You can't sculpt Whirling Blade, it has an Effect: entry not an Area: entry, even though the effect is an area.

[H_H_F_F]

You can't sculpt Whirling Blade, it has an Effect: entry not an Area: entry, even though the effect is an area.

Didn't realize this. Thanks!

[Darrin]

What would be good spells for later levels, given the limited sources?

1st:

Inspirational boost, CLW, and grease are good picks. Sleep is a good shutdown spell, but doesn't scale all that well into higher levels. Silent image can be a good BFC spell if you get creative with it: creating walls, pits, etc. I'm also a huge fan of unseen servant (https://forums.giantitp.com/showsinglepost.php?p=8235936&postcount=8), but I try to pick that up via Collar of Perpetual Attendance (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c). For swift-action spells, swift expeditious retreat is nice for getting into good positions or out of bad ones. If you have access to Dungeonscape, it's a good spell to get in a wand for a wand chamber (100 GP).

2nd:

Glitterdust is a fantastic spell, a must-get at 2nd. Alter self is usually my second pick, so I'd add that one next. Gishes live-or-die by their swift-action spells, and bladeweave looks like a solid pick. Swift action to cast, and you've got at least four rounds of a touch attack for save vs. daze. After alter self, I'd consider picking up swift invisibility (good in combat, good utility), then maybe swift fly (good "GET ME OUT OF HERE NOW!" spell). If you find yourself with a round for buffing, or if you can get your hands on a Glyph Seal (1000 GP, MIC), then pick up sonic weapon, although you could maybe get that in a scroll or oil.

3rd:

The big "must get" spells here are usually haste and dispel magic. Glibness is another fantastic signature bard spell that can be a game-changer. This doesn't leave much room for swift-action spells, but given your sources available, probably not something you need to worry about right now.

Spells for scrolls/potions: remove curse, gaseous form.

4th:

There are three stand-out picks here: freedom of movement is not on the sor/wiz list, and an extremely useful spell. Speaking of the sor/wiz list, polymorph is a must-get (particularly for gishes looking for better combat forms), and greater invisibility (particulary if there's a rogue in the party that you can drop it on). For BFC, there are two very strong picks here: Evard's black tentacles and solid fog. However, if you wait until 6th, you can get freezing fog instead, which adds 1d6 cold damage and a Ref/Balance check to avoid falling prone. The "Orb" spells are also here, but as a Gish, blasty-spells aren't really your primary job. On the other hand, having at least one spell where you can blast away with direct damage is a really nice option to have when you just want to call in the artillery and walk away. It looks like your only swift-action option at this level is spectral weapon, which kinda stinks. Skip it.

Spells for scrolls: break enchantment, lesser globe of invulnerability, stoneskin. Note: you can use break enchantment to fix petrification/flesh to stone.

5th:

Greater dispel magic is here, one level before wizards get it. After that, I'd probably go with greater blink or freezing fog (mentioned earlier). You've also got two "flight" options available here: mass fly (fun for the whole party, if they can stay within 30' of each other) or overland flight (only works for you). Looks like mass fly is probably the better pick: fly 60' with good maneuverability, while overland flight sacrifices speed and maneuverability for duration (fly 40' with average maneuverability). Also, alter self has better flight speeds with similar duration. If you need to get the party somewhere quickly, teleport is probably the better option here. If you didn't pick up greater invisibility at 4th, you can take mislead here for the same effect + duplicate shenanigans.

Spells for scrolls: passwall, teleport (good to have an emergency copy).

6th:

Animate objects, because wizards can't get this for some reason? Also, beating your opponents to death with their own furniture *NEVER GETS OLD*. Second pick would be contingency, the poster-child for "don't ban evocation!". This allows you to pre-cast your best buff spell without spending your first round of combat on it. After that, acid fog, if you didn't get solid fog or freezing fog earlier. Actually, even if you got those, acid fog is still one of the best BFC shutdown-and-die spell. Otto's irresistible dance is here on the Bard's list, and wiz/sor doesn't get it until 8th, so it's really tempting to get it now (and it this level, much better odds that every creature you run into isn't immune to enchantment effects). However, there are a lot of other really good options. Fiendform was on my Gish list at 5th, as it got lowered a spell level in the Spell Compendium, but it's here at 6th and still a great pick for gishes: access to better combat forms *and* a menu of (Ex), (Su), and SLA abilities you can use like a swiss-army-knife. Disintegrate is always useful: save-or-die, direct damage, or getting rid of force effects. If you've got room for it, true seeing is a hard NOPE! for a bunch of DM-being-sneaky shenanigans.

Spells for scrolls: hindsight (when everybody is at a dead end and the DM has no idea how to get party back on track, this is a good "GIVE US A CLUE-BY-FOUR!" spell), and fiendform/disintegrate/true seeing if you didn't have room to pick those up.

7th:

Forcecage for shutting down anything that can ignore solid/freezing/acid fog. Limited wish is your fix-it for all those "I don't have that spell!" moments. You also have some travel option upgrades: plane shift and greater teleport. If you're looking for something to cast in combat, Mordenkainen's sword is a good fire-and-forget spell.

Spells for scrolls: plane shift, greater teleport for emergencies.

8th:

Polymorph any object FTW. Mind blank is a high-level NOPE! card for nearly everything that shuts you down with failed Will save.

Spells for scrolls: discern location for those "JUST TELL ME WHERE IS THE MACGUFFIN" moments, temporal stasis for PCs that screwed up so horribly that you can't fix them now, but might be able to fix them later.

9th:

Shapechange. Accept no substitutes. Time stop so you can FINALLY get all your buffs up before combat is over.

Spells for scrolls: Freedom for that idiot that was dumb enough to draw another card from the Deck of Many Things.

[H_H_F_F]

Thank you so much, Darrin. Sincerely. This is a great resource.