How to Optimize Spells per Day?

[Destro2119]

So this kind of grew out of another thread I had here, but I am now asking for tips to best optimize spells to defeat the largest amount of enemies with the least resources expended.

Basically I am trying to optimize spell usage in such a way that extreme amounts of spells are not needed to "win" daily encounters.

Basic Guidelines
-any level you want, divided into three areas (low level 1-5, mid level 6-13, high level 14+)
-sor/wiz focused, but basically any caster class from the PHB

Any tips/resources you can give are welcome.

[Anthrowhale]

So this kind of grew out of another thread I had here, but I am now asking for tips to best optimize spells to defeat the largest amount of enemies with the least resources expended.

Basically I am trying to optimize spell usage in such a way that extreme amounts of spells are not needed to "win" daily encounters.

Basic Guidelines
-any level you want, divided into three areas (low level 1-5, mid level 6-13, high level 14+)
-sor/wiz focused, but basically any caster class from the PHB

Any tips/resources you can give are welcome.

One strategy here is via use of Persistent Spell which makes a spell that lasts 1 round instead last all day. Over levels 1-5, this typically needs to be via a DMM persist cleric, although it could be a cleric with access to many key wizard spells. In the mid levels, Spelldancer/Incantatrix/Sacred Exorcist enables a sorcerer/wizard. This begins to rapidly break the game in the mid-to-high levels because you defense numbers just become to high for the game.

A more mid-level approach is via summon monster which can provide access to a large number of spell effects per spell.

A high level strategy is via Shapechange which enables you to access a wide variety of effects as supernatural or extraordinary abilities.

[Troacctid]

Look for spells that can be leveraged over the course of multiple turns. A really powerful example of this is flame sands (http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/wn/20021120a). If your DM allows the reading of it that lets you attack turn after turn, storm touch (MoE) is great too. Call lightning and produce flame are sort of the classic examples, although neither of them is really all that strong—in this category, you're typically looking for something that will outperform a reserve feat.

Speaking of reserve feats, reserve feats are great. They help you conserve spell slots, and they also give you a CL boost for when you actually spend those slots for real. Fiery Burst and Shock Bolt are the premier damage-dealing reserve feats: they have a short range, but they deal a decent amount of reliable damage round after round, with no concentration or components needed and no fear of spell resistance.

[ciopo]

Depends wildly on the capabilities of what the opponent is.

Can they fly? do they have spells? How friendly to your preparation is the terrain?

my current 3.5 character partecipated on an army vs army field battle abou 7ish sessions ago, Spike Stones absolutely shined there.

Generally speaking, filter your favourite searching tool for hour/level duration, and hope it has a good combination of area of effect and effect applied?

[Kelb_Panthera]

So this kind of grew out of another thread I had here, but I am now asking for tips to best optimize spells to defeat the largest amount of enemies with the least resources expended.

Basically I am trying to optimize spell usage in such a way that extreme amounts of spells are not needed to "win" daily encounters.

Basic Guidelines
-any level you want, divided into three areas (low level 1-5, mid level 6-13, high level 14+)
-sor/wiz focused, but basically any caster class from the PHB

Any tips/resources you can give are welcome.

The most efficient way to spend spell resources is by playing god: buff your allies, alter the terrain to your side's advantage, and debuff your enemies, in that order.

The first will basically -always- work unless something's gone horribly wrong and separated you from your allies. The second is almost as reliable but some creatures with special movement modes or qualities will be able to outright ignore things that would hamper most foes. The last is kind of hit-or-miss but it's still way more efficient than just trying to blow your problems away with various energies.

On the subject of blowing foes away, you're way better off picking up a reserve feat or just a wand/staff to cover that than trying to do it with your slots. When you're in a boss fight, and you're either armed with that staff or a spontaneous caster, sure, hammer away with full-tilt or even metamagicked blasting spells. Make 'em hurt fast and hard. Otherwise, let the guy(s) in your party that have dedicated to HP damage deal with it; the fighters, the rogues, the gishes, etc. If you don't have any of those, you need to coordinate with your party and figure out where you're getting you HP damage from. Disabled foes aren't disabled forever in the vast majority of cases. At least with a reserve feat, you can deal with that in the fights' cleanup phase as long as you can otherwise hamper the enemy sufficiently.

On the subject of summoning and other minion options:

Summoning's effectiveness varies a bit by casting class. Summon nature's ally makes for decent beaters at low and early-mid levels but tends to taper off unless you get something like greenbound summoning or rashemi elemental summoning to buff some of your options.

Summon Monster doesn't get much in the way of offensive power, though giant vermin make a decent meat-wall. It's primarily useful for accessing a host of spell-likes in the mid to high levels. There are -classes- that can amp it pretty well and make it a viable primary strategy though.

Astral Construct (psionic power) gives you a level appropriate combatant at every level and has options for making your constructs real nightmares for your enemies but it will have to be manifest fully augmented to be worth the PP in all cases. It's better without the CPsi nerf but it's still viable either way.

Then there's the animation and controlling of undead: good for meat(less) walls and some solid debuff options but there is the issue of having pretty limited options based on what the GM actually puts in front of you. Please don't pull a skeleton army unless you're prepared to take mass turns very quickly. Control tends to be pretty reliable or absolute, so that's pretty nice. The reaction of common folk in most settings is much less nice, as is the attention of anti-undead organizations.

Enchanted minions come in limitless variety and you can turn a victory into excess power, at least for a time, when you use control enchantments during combat. Control is... dodgy. The number of things that can end your control over a target and turn a minion into an extra enemy is not a particularly small one. Since you can get minions stronger than yourself with some degree of reliability, the risk may well be worth it.

Called minions tend to be fairly reliable, depending on the calling effect, but it's basically not available at low-levels. It also tends to be one of very expensive or moderately dangerous. Planar ally and spells that mirror it give you a minion that will almost certainly act as you wish but it's essentially a high-tier hierling. It will use its own judgements and try to further its own goals in the process of aiding you. If those lineup with your own anyway, you can get a discount or even skip payment entirely. Planar binding and its ilk will get you a minion much more cheaply, often even free of direct charge, but the creature must still interpret any orders you give it and has every reason to try to frustrate your efforts if you're treating them like chattel. If you're particulalry egregious in your abuse of such minions, a GM may even respond with attempts at vengeance either by the creature itself or its allies if the creature itself doesn't survive its servitude.

Finally, constructed minions are absolutely loyal for the most part but tend to be -very- expensive unless you go out of your way with your build to make it less so.

Personally, I like to use theurge classes for both breadth of options and day-to-day longevity. Hurts top-end power a little though. Last one was a wu-jen list sorcerer/ wizard blend on ultimate magus. At level 5, he literally had more spell slots than HP.

I know it was pretty general but I hope that helps some.

[Kalkra]

If Dragon Mag is allowed, War Magic Study from Dragon #309 lets you learn/cast much more powerful versions of spells, designed for large-scale battles. A brief summary is:

The bad:
War Magic Study is a feat that you have to take, and it requires Great Fortitude and Iron Will and CL 3
Increase the spell level by 1
You must have been in the area for 1 minute in the last 24 hours before casting the spell
Casting time 1 minute, or 10 minutes for spells with a normal casting time of over 1 round
Material component of spell level * min CL * 100 gp

The good:
Long range for offensive spells, Medium range for beneficial spells
If the base spell produces a 20-foot burst or spread, the War version has a 60-foot burst or spread, or a 100-square-foot area
If the spell affects a certain number of targets, the War version affects 25 targets/CL
If the spell summons something, the War version summons 25/CL

Note that War versions of spells are different spells. This isn't metamagic. If you know a limited number of spells, these count towards that limit.

Anyway, the easiest way to get around pretty much every downside is to be a Shadowcraft Mage. By RAW, you shouldn't even need to take the feat to mimic a War spell, but even if you do, it's pretty good. Suppose you're a Wizard 7/ScM 3. You have a CL of 10. If you cast Silent Image heightened to level 3, you can mimic War Summon Monster I and summon 250 celestial dogs. 1 standard action to cast, no material components, decent even if they make their Will save. And that's without the CL boosts you're probably getting from Earth Spell and whatnot. Shadow Conjuration and Shadow Evocation also work, but hey, if you're going shadow, go all the way.

This is basically just a trick that makes Shadowcraft Mage much, much better. All the normal stuff for an ScM build still applies. But War spells were designed to demolish armies.