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Tyger
2007-11-06, 10:59 AM
Just out of curiousity, as a wizard, what would you say are the top ten spells that you always have available to you, and routinely cast? For interests sake, say at level range 9-12, as that seems to be the top end for a lot of games.

And on that note, what 5 spells do you consider the most warped / broken or plain stupid in that same level range?

Mine would be:

1) Mage Armor
2) Displacement
3) Haste
4) Fireball (yeah, I know, but c'mon, who doesn't like blowing up bad guys!)
5) Overland Flight
6) Dispel Magic
7) Glitterdust
8) Evard's Black Tentacles
9) Magic Missile (its just too iconic not to use once in a while)
10) Defenestrating Sphere.

And the broken ones:
1) Polymorph
2) Teleport (not for what it does, but for the havoc it can wreak upon a DM's game)
3) Fabricate (instant mithril armor, that would take a dwarven craftsman a year to make??)
4) Shivering Touch (nuf said!)

Any other personal favorites or hated ones?

Saph
2007-11-06, 11:13 AM
For my level 12 wizard:

1) Lucent Lance (Spell Compendium. Awesome and incredibly underused.)
2) Greater Mage Armour (obvious)
3) Shield (also obvious)
4) Dragonskin (SpC, great spell from level 10 up)
5) Glitterdust (a bit low-level now, but still great)
6) Heart of Earth (Complete Mage, one of the best defensive spells out there)
7) Ray of Clumsiness (SpC, Ray of Enfeeblement for Dex. We like.)
8) Superior Resistance (SpC. Expensive? Yes. Worth it? Yes.)
9) Teleport (Bamf!)
10) Heroism (Underrated, very handy as a long-term buff.)

This is probably out of order. There are lots of others.

As for broken spells:

1) Anything in the Polymorph line.
2) Anything that does no-save ability damage.
3) Anything that gives you extra turns or actions.

That covers most of them.

- Saph

Telonius
2007-11-06, 11:19 AM
Always ready, as soon as they're available:
1. Fly.
2. Invisibility.
3. Dispel Magic.
4. Glitterdust.
5. Haste.
6. Teleport/Plane Shift.
7. Black Tentacles.
8. Resist Energy.
9. Feather Fall.
10. Fireball.

Most broken:
1. Polymorph family of spells.
2. Forcecage.
3. Contingency. (Not the spell itself, but the cheese it enables).
4. Time Stop.
5. Celerity.

EDIT: Forcecage and Time Stop are above the general level range, but they're bad enough that they make it to this sort of list every time for me.

Draz74
2007-11-06, 12:18 PM
Let's see, I pulled up the character sheet for my Core-Only Sorcerer build (Level 11 version), and it looks like these would be his favorite 10 spells:

10) Resist Energy
9) Mirror Image
8) Black Tentacles
7) Dispel Magic
6) Haste
5) Mage Armor
4) Grease
3) Glitterdust
2) Enervation
1) Stinking Cloud

With Ray of Enfeeblement, Phantom Steed, and Bestow Curse as honorable mentions.

Note that he has Heighten Spell, so he often casts Grease or Glittersdust as 4th- or 5th-level spells for harder saves. Also, his build is somewhat party-specific; he can neglect Fly and Teleport more than most arcane casters can, because his party cleric has the Travel domain and his party skill monkey is an Elocator.

Kurald Galain
2007-11-06, 12:56 PM
Fave spells?

1) Prestidigitation! So many uses!
2) Silent image / minor image / major image. Cover up doors! Create fake pits! Bait monsters with fake food or fake monsters! It's awesome!
3) Fly. It's just soooo stylish.
4) Defenestrating Sphere... it's just too funny.
5) Mage Hand. Practical in so many occasions it's not even funny. It's almost worth dipping a level in bard for, if you're not a spellcaster (note that I said almost).
6) Fireball, simply because it's one of the classics. Just because it's not all that combat effective in 3E doesn't mean you can't set things on fire.
7) There - Not There, a classic Wild Mage spell that creates very confusing situations!
8) Bigby's Insulting Hand. 'nuf said.
9) Invisibility. An old standby that should not be forgotten.
and 10) Baleful Polymorph, because some people just look better as toads.


Broken? Ah, I guess we know those ones... shivering touch, alter self and the entire polymorph line, gate, celerity, probably time stop, and whatever else LogicNinja mentions as such.

Chronos
2007-11-06, 05:32 PM
1: Prestidigitation. You can do anything with that spell some restrictions may apply. Not valid in antimagic shells. It was already my second-favorite spell back in 2nd edition, and then they made it cheaper and let you produce effects for a whole hour.

2: Shrink Item. In combat? Throw some colossal-scale darts at the enemy. Big reinforced door in your way? Shrink it out of your way. Too much treasure to carry easily? Shrink the biggest pieces of it. And with a duration of days, you can shrink useful items before the adventure, and have magic available that doesn't cut into today's spell slots.

3: Minor Image. Reinforcements just came around the corner... Are those orcs going to stick around to find out they're not real? The ghost of the dead king visits his murdering usurper: Does he confess? An elder elemental suddenly appears on the battlefield... Are you sure I didn't summon it? And at the inn after the adventure, you can show all the bar-wenches exactly how brave and heroic you were. A lot of this can be done with Silent Image, too, but sound helps.

4: Haste. It's the do-everything buff. Everyone gets AC. Your warrior-types each get an extra attack (which can be a lot of damage, with Power or Sneak attack). And if goes badly, you're all good at running away.

5: Fabricate. Make whatever useful things you need, and they last forever. Plus, it can be handy for getting rid of the raw materials (that stone wall? It's now a bunch of stone chess pieces). Things like mithral armor aren't all that broken, though, because you still need to get a whole lot of mithral and have a decent investment into your Craft skills.

6: Web. If your enemies fail their save, they can't move, and they can't do almost anything to you (because of the cover it provides). If they make their save, they still probably can't move, and can't do almost anything to you.

7: Detect Magic. Check out the loot. Find out which soldier out of 100 is the one you need to concentrate on. Find out if there are any magical traps around. If there's magic present, you want to know about it.

8: Shadow Evocation. Three levels of a whole school worth of versatility, for one spell slot. Hororable mention to Shadow Conjuration, for much the same reasons.

9: Silence. Perfect Move Silently for your sneaky party-mates (and for the not-so-sneaky ones). Or use it offensively to all-but-completely shut down enemy spellcasters.

10: Dispel Magic. Sometimes, you want to have magic. And sometimes, you want someone or something else to not have magic.

deadseashoals
2007-11-06, 05:52 PM
Always memorized, as soon as they're available (core only, SpC adds too many delicious choices :smallbiggrin: ):

1) Haste
2) Glitterdust
3) Evard's Black Tentacles
4) Otiluke's Resilient Sphere
5) Ray of Enfeeblement
6) Wall of Force
7) Solid Fog
8) Fly
9) Leomund's Tiny Hut
10) Dimension Door*

* And its cousin, greater teleport. Teleport has the distinct disadvantage of potentially failing, and being a higher level spell than dimension door. You never know when you'll need to escape a grapple or run away from an encounter, and dimension door will do that for you better than teleport, which is more of a long distance travelling spell.

-----

Most Broken:

1) Ray of Stupidity, Lesser Shivering Touch, Shivering Touch, Moonbolt
2) Celerity, Greater Celerity, Time Stop
3) Alter Self, Polymorph, Polymorph Any Object, Shapechange
4) Gate
5) Assay Spell Resistance

Ability damage, extra actions, unbounded shapechanging, and unbounded summoning are all mega bad. Assay spell resistance is also mega bad, as it trivializes a defensive mechanism that is supposed to be in the game, for better or worse.

Fax Celestis
2007-11-06, 06:14 PM
Favorites:

1. Prestidigitation
2. Cloud of Knives
3. Legion of Sentinels
4. Heart Ripper
5. Hunter's Eye
6. Lightning Leap
7. Overwhelm
8. Avasculate
9. Flame Blade
10. Panacea

Broken:

1. Celerity
2. Time Stop
3. Fabricate
4. Righteous Might
5. Shivering Touch
6. Polymorph
7. Alter Self
8. Gate
9. Wish
10. Miracle

Leon
2007-11-06, 06:26 PM
Top 10
1. Dispel Magic - Catch All Counter spell and De Buffer
2. Force Missles - "Big" Magic Missiles that can target objects and a AoE a bit
3. Animalistic Power - Half of the others but 3 at once
4. Baleful Polymorph - "Bufo Hex", your now a Toad
5. Suggestion - "stop and do this instead"
6. Slow - "not so fast"
7. Shield - Another layer of defenses is always good
8. Call Lightning/Storm - "you call down the thunder"
9. Bones of the Earth - many uses from combat to utility
10. Arcane Fusion - Two for one

Broken
1. Blinding Spittle
2. Polymorph
3. Shapechange
4. Shivering Touch
5. Gate

Guy_Whozevl
2007-11-06, 07:20 PM
Top ten:
1. Orb of Sonic
2. Celerity
3. Teleport
4. Dimention Door
5. Haste
6. Firebrand
7. Ray of Stupidity
8. Dominate Person
9. Heal
10. The Cure Tree

Most Broken:
1. Celerity (I still use it though)
2. Time Stop
3. Gate
4. Polymorph (Any Object)
5. Gate
6. Wish/Miracle
7. Prismatic Wall/Sphere

Temp
2007-11-06, 08:05 PM
Top ten, eh?

1-Telekinesis (Throwing stuff is cool)
2-Feather Fall (Give me this over Fly any day. Why? Damned if I know)
3-Grease (This spell is made of "win" and puppies)
4-Major Image (Its fun will never cease)
5-Haste (Stuff moves really really fast)
6-Slow (Stuff moves really really slow)
7-Prismatic Wall (It is just. so. neat.)
8-Fabricate (Make stuff from other stuff)
9-Explosive Runes (If the BBEG isn't rightfully paranoid, you aren't trying)
10-Magic Mouth (Ditto)

triforcel
2007-11-06, 10:43 PM
1. Prestidigitation ((The Ultimate Spell! Even if I'm not a caster I get an item to let me cast it, preferably at will))
2. Magic Missile ((To defend against the Darkness!))
3. Shatter ((To get rid of stuff you don't like))
4. Dimension Door ((To avoid stuff you don't like))
5. Invisibility ((To better avoid stuff you don't like))
6. Lightning Bolt ((Mostly for corridor based combat. If more combat takes place outside then fireball probably works better))
7. Spiritual Weapon ((So my cleric can still deal damage while keeping the party alive))
8. Disintegrate ((To get rid of stuff you REALLY don't like))
9. Silence ((Everyone needs quite sometimes))
10. Tenser's Floating Disk ((I don't care if Logic Ninja called it useless, I like it.))

So yeah, my favorite spells are mostly low level stuff. My favorite part of higher level casters is not the more powerful spells, but more of the lower level spells every day. Probably why I like Warlocks so much.

CASTLEMIKE
2007-11-07, 03:15 AM
Since the game is generally built around defeating or killing monsters and taking their treasure. Even my general utility sorcerer - 12 with low level access 1st - 3rd level spells from the spell pool has a combat bent:

Prestidigitation, Read Magic, Arcane Mark, Dancing Lights, Ray of Frost, Detect Magic, Mending, Ghost Sound and Mage Hand

Color Spray, Magic Missile, Prot from Evil, Shield (I prefer getting Mage Armor from the Spellpool or a cheap Runestaff), Silent Image.

Alter Self (Flying), False Life, Scorching Ray, Mirror Image, another Buff spell

Dispel Magic (Almost trade out time), Gaseous Form (mostly for utility adventuring circumventing things and escaping traps), Haste, Sonic Ball (Original spell research variant of Fireball using sonic energy instead of fire)

Charm Monster or Evards Black Tentacles, Invisibility Greater, Shadow Conjuration (Lot of versatility for a sorcerer duping Conjuration spells (Extended Mage Armor, Scupted Grease, SMs, Fog Cloud, Glitterdust, Web, Phantom Steed (Flying level 14+), Sepia Snake Sigils).

Teleport, Shadow Evocation (Unless the monsters are always rolling saves then SM5)

Original spell research arcane variant of Anyspell Greater.

The Arcane Discipline feat does a lot for a sorcerer taking the Spell Domain. It opens up things like an occassional Lesser Restoration, Divination, LPA, Panancea, Restoration, Call Faithful Guardians (Super spell for planar minions and guards), Commune, Hallow for a stronghold or tower, Heal (Adept version is level 5), Raise Dead via Any Spell Greater plus the other daily bonus Mage Armor, Silence, Any Spell, Rary's and Break Enchantment daily bonus spell and hitting level 14 that bonus Limited Wish not taking up that single spell slot.

The MotAO gives a sorcerer a lot for a single level dip and GWoW does the same for a two level dip. More level dips are really nice with a 20,000 GP Ring of Theurgy from Complete Arcane and expanding known spells for an adventure.

Alter Self depending on how it is used in game particularly with outsider templates. Celerity. Baleful Polymorph despite double saves and Polymorph are broken for their level.

In high level games Gate, Miracle (because it is so cheap to cast and does so much), Shapechange and Timestop.

Dhavaer
2007-11-07, 04:00 AM
1: Prestidigitation. Because it's so awesome. Everything that magic should be.

I can't think of any others right now. I like a lot of them, but none of the other rise that far above the pack.

The Mormegil
2007-11-07, 08:37 AM
1)Grease
2)Freezing Fog
3)Enervation
4)Freedom of Movements (never without it)
5)Programmed Image (heh,heh,heh, this saved my life once...)
6)Greater Mirror Image
7)Dimension Door (and also Greater one)
8)Swift Etherealness (I like this one)
9)Channeled Pyroburst (just for the fireball flavour, but it's even useful sometimes)
10)And at last the AWESOME Wraithstrike (gish best friend!!!)
BROKEN
1)Contingency - heck, I hate you!
2)Celerity - I'm repeating myself here...
3)Shivering touch - dragon's bane (I actually won an ECL 23 match against a wartroll frienzed berserker using celerity + maximized shivering touch on an unexprienced DM who thought that a big bad thing would smash me down in no-time...)
4)Ray of Stupidity
5)Alter Self

deadseashoals
2007-11-07, 08:47 AM
Broken
1. Blinding Spittle


Horribly, horribly broken for its level. Just wanted to second it because I don't think anyone else has mentioned it.

Tyrael
2007-11-07, 12:01 PM
Fave spells?

6) Fireball, simply because it's one of the classics. Just because it's not all that combat effective in 3E doesn't mean you can't set things on fire.

Actually, it DOES mean you can't set things on fire. Fireball, if you look at it literally, doesn't actually burn anything. It just deals fire damage. No flames, just heat.:smallsigh:

AKA_Bait
2007-11-07, 12:56 PM
Too many broken ones to worry about... my faves at level 12

1) Prestidigitation - This just makes life so much more worth living.
2) Overwhelm - The Wizard's haymaker.
3) Fly. Because who doesn't want to fly?
4) Alter Fate- It's almost like being a fate spinner without all the hassle.
5) Incite Riot- The name says it all.
6) Fireball - Because nothing says 'I want to see other people' like a firey explosion to the face.
7) Seeking Ray - Cover? What's cover?
8) Enervation - MMMMM tasty life force
9) Improved Invisibility - best served with a side of fly.
10) Slashing Dispel - For your friendly neighborhood buff monsters.

Awetugiw
2007-11-08, 07:40 AM
Actually, it DOES mean you can't set things on fire. Fireball, if you look at it literally, doesn't actually burn anything. It just deals fire damage. No flames, just heat.:smallsigh:

Actually, you can set things on fire.

From SRD:

The fireball sets fire to combustibles and damages objects in the area. It can melt metals with low melting points, such as lead, gold, copper, silver, and bronze. If the damage caused to an interposing barrier shatters or breaks through it, the fireball may continue beyond the barrier if the area permits; otherwise it stops at the barrier just as any other spell effect does.

Saph
2007-11-08, 08:10 AM
4) Alter Fate- It's almost like being a fate spinner without all the hassle.

Don't remember seeing this one before - where's it from?

- Saph

CASTLEMIKE
2007-11-08, 08:19 AM
Don't remember seeing this one before - where's it from?

- Saph

I was wondering if he meant Alter Fortune from PHBII myself.