Please Reccomend Wizard Spells for Infiltration/Escape

[Biggles]

I'm playing a L5 Wizard (Conjurer, Enchantment and Illusion barred, 18 INT) in a non-optimsed game. He is going to try to infiltrate an evil cult to get information. I have the feats Silent Spell and Still Spell and (for RP reasons) Point Blank Shot.

Could you please reccomend spells that would be of use when infiltrating said cult? I have befriended one member and purchased a potion of glibness to ease my way in. I already have some ideas in case I am captured - Still Silent Unseen Servant to steal keys, Still Silent Animate Rope to undo bindings, Blink to get through doors that Knock won't open for me.

Core books only please! (PHB, DMG, MMI)

[Reynard]

Have you got a disguise already? If not, then look into the spell. Also, Magic Aura to hide it & any items that might ping to Detect Magic.

Otherwise, Glibness should see you though.

EDIT: Ah, banned schools. Yea, trouble is afoot. Magic Aura is still a good idea.

[Chilingsworth]

Alter Self to impersonate cult members, Without conjuration, no teleport effects, so that's out, no illusion, no disguse self or major image, no enchantment no charm or dominate person... Gee sounds like you're slightly gimped for an infultration mission.

[Biggles]

I don't actually plan to sneak in - with my contact and the potion I hope to get them to let me in of their own accord.

Alter Self - yes, very good, I'll take that as an escape spell.

I am a Conjuration specialist, but only L5 - so Teleport and Dimension Door are out. Blink may work if I'm lucky.

[Chilingsworth]

Oh, one thing you could do for escape: reduce person. I'm not sure if it would work for you to alter self into a halfling or gnome, then reduce person to tiny size, but it might.

Sadly, Nystyl's magic aura (which you would want to hide your magic items) is an illusion spell.

Presdigitation and Mage Hand (both 0-Level spells) can always come in handy.
Detect Magic and Read Magic (likewise 0-Level) might

As I said, Reduce Person (1st Level Transmutation) might aid escapes
You might find Detect Thoughts (2nd level Divination) useful.

Nondetection (3rd Level Abjuration) should help against the cultists discerning your alignment.

Arcane Sight, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Tongues (All 3rd Level Divination) might be useful in knowing what spells/magic items the cultists have, seeing what the cultists are up to before you get to their base, and understanding what they're disscussing, respectively, among other uses.

You already know about Blink, Knock and Animate Rope, and Unseen Servant.

[Chilingsworth]

I don't actually plan to sneak in - with my contact and the potion I hope to get them to let me in of their own accord.

Alter Self - yes, very good, I'll take that as an escape spell.

I am a Conjuration specialist, but only L5 - so Teleport and Dimension Door are out. Blink may work if I'm lucky.

Oh, I thought you were saying that Conjuration was not available to you. Also, the spells I was thinking of form Conjuration aren't Core, (they're from Spell Compendium) Sorry.

[Biggles]

At L5, I have 2+1 L3, 3+1 L2, 4+1 L1 and 4 L0 slots available.

L3 Will be taken up with Still Silent Animate Rope, Still Silent Unseen Servant and Blink/Nondetection (argh! want them both but need to first two to get out of being bound and gagged)

L2 Still Silent Mage Hand, Still Silent Prestidigitation, Detect Thoughts (great idea), Knock (what do I drop to get Alter Self)???

L1 Unseen Servant, Grease, Hold Portal (since I don't have enough L2 slots for Web and a barred door behind you is often a good thing, Feather Fall (for jumping off high buildings), Magic Missile ... or Reduce Person ...

L0 Detect Magic, Read Magic, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand

Looking good guys, many thanks

[Chilingsworth]

Spoiler

Show

At L5, I have 2+1 L3, 3+1 L2, 4+1 L1 and 4 L0 slots available.

L3 Will be taken up with Still Silent Animate Rope, Still Silent Unseen Servant and Blink/Nondetection (argh! want them both but need to first two to get out of being bound and gagged)

L2 Still Silent Mage Hand, Still Silent Prestidigitation, Detect Thoughts (great idea), Knock (what do I drop to get Alter Self)???

L1 Unseen Servant, Grease, Hold Portal (since I don't have enough L2 slots for Web and a barred door behind you is often a good thing, Feather Fall (for jumping off high buildings), Magic Missile ... or Reduce Person ...

L0 Detect Magic, Read Magic, Prestidigitation, Mage Hand

Looking good guys, many thanks

Reduce person would get you out of most rope bindings. One Still/Silenced reduce person would do the trick. How? Simple: When they tie you up, you're big. Then you shrink, the ropes aren't tied to hold a small character.

I wouldn't bother with the stilled/silenced prestidigitation, since almost all the uses I can think of for the spell wont come into play if you're already caught. (the other use, moving small objects, can be accomplished via Mage Hand.)

Also, if you can hide the fact that you're a spellcaster, silenced spells should become less needed: Why would they gag you, afterall?

EDIT: Another problem: If they see you as enough of a threat, they'll just beat you into unconsiousness and keep you there, or pin you and coup de gras you to death.

EDIT2: Also, I don't remember of the top of my head if any of these spells have material componenets. If they do, even with stilled/sileneced you'll have trouble. (The cultists will take your spell componenet pouch away if they aren't complete idiots.)

[Psyren]

Reduce person would get you out of most rope bindings. One Still/Silenced reduce person would do the trick. How? Simple: When they tie you up, you're big. Then you shrink, the ropes aren't tied to hold a small character.

Wouldn't the ropes shrink with you? After all, your clothes would. I wouldn't personally rule that way of course, just curious if anyone else might.

[kme]

Well, what to prepare would be hard to decide but here are some spells that may be useful and aren't mentioned.
Lvl 1:
Alarm - if you are searching a room set this up
Mount - if you need to make confusion/for cover
Obscuring Mist - poor man's invisibility (like a ninja!)
Detect Secret Doors - if you need it
Floating Disc - I could see the use
Expeditious Retreat - You will need to run, probably.
Erase - maybe it can come up

lvl 2:
Arcane Lock - on a closet door (with you inside), they may think it is just locked.
Fog Cloud - see Obscuring Mist
Summon Swarm - see Mount
Web - to prevent chase
Locate Object - if you need to find something specific
Darkness - See Obscuring Mist. Maybe you can trick/bribe someone if you cast in on some pretty object.
Levitate - hide on the ceiling xD
Spider Climb - see levitate
Rope Trick - this can be your mini base within their base.
Pyrotechnics - For causing chaos
Whispering Wind - if you are doomed, at least you can tell your allies

Lvl 3:
Explosive Runes - prepare some ahead, the uses are many.
Sepia Snake Sigil - like explosive runes
Arcane Sight - depending on what you need
Clairaudience/Clairvoyance - You don't even have to go inside, probably not but still useful.
Fly - versatile and potentially crucial
Gaseous Form - maybe even more versatile
Shrink Item - some uses are obvious some are not but they are many.

Few notes about your current list.
Prestidigitation lats one hour, you can cast it before you go. Same with Unseen servant, its last 1 hour per level. Stilled silent animate rope can free you, but only under specific circumstances, better try to not get caught in a first place. Also you should get some scrolls/potions if you have time. Make scrolls yourself if there is no shop.

[Biggles]

Thanks for the advice guys, I'll let you know how it goes. The game is planned for tomorrow evening

[drakir_nosslin]

Summon Monster can also be useful, either as trap monkeys, or by simply blocking narrow hallways if you're trying to escape.

[Biggles]

I went with:

L0: Read magic, Mage Hand, Prestidigitation x2
L1: Reduce Person, Unseen Servant, Grease, Hold Person, Feather Fall
L2: Still Silent Mage Hand, Knock, Alter Self, Whispering Wind
L3: Still Silent Unseen Servant, Still Silent Animate Rope, Blink

I met up with my contact and, after some discussion of theology, he agreed to introduce me to his 'friends' if I could find him a Bard that would do what he's asked and ask no questions. He needs this to play a magic lyre, which my Knowledge(arcana) tells me is probably building or moving earth. I do this (annoyingly the party bard lives in a different city and can only play occasionally) and supply a Bard who will do whatever he's asked as long as the vodka keeps flowing. I'm told to bring him to a minor shrine in the City, three bells after nightfall, tomorrow night.

I've had clothes made with a double pocket and boght two identical hip flasks. One contains good vodka, the other the Glibness potion. I cast Prestidigitation (so it's active for one hour) and pick up the Bard. On the way over I share vodka with him: once we are almost there, I cast Still Silent Mage Hand and use it to swap the flasks in the double pocket. Then I take the Glibness potion, and use the active Prestidigitation to make it smell of vodka. This prompts the bard to exclaim, "Did you just drink all of that"? To which I can convincingly answer that I am nervous.

My contact shows up, and in the shrine slides the lid of the alter aside to reveal a shaft. I sned my Hawk familiar away, and tell him that she does not like being underground. Using secret familiar talk I tell her to fly to the rest of the party, who are one hour away. We climb down and find two armoured, very still, bad-smelling soldiers - probably zombie. A large rat has followed us down, now revealed to be my contact's familiar. They follow us as we move through poorly lit, but old and very sturdy, tunnels through the bedrock. Eventually we arrive at an underground temple with four more probably-zombies and half a dozen cultists in black robes.

The High Priestess steps forward, and my Knowledge (Arcana and Nature) tells me she's not human. My contact introduces the Bard and myself. The Priestess strips the Bard of his free will with a glance, passes him the lyre and commands him to wait for her command to play. The she asks me what I want.

"I would learn of your hidden god. How to propriate him and what powers he will bring, to restore glory to our country" I reply.

"Really," she responds.

"It is the curse of wizards. Always, we seek more knowledge and power. I can sense your power," I counter. (And make a bluff roll of 42).

"Can you"? she asks, and attempts to use her SLA on me (I'm guessing Dominate Person, as I barely made the save on a 15).

"Now, tell the truth. Why are you here"? she presses. I am able to repeat myself, but stiffly, which seems to satisfy her - "Perhaps you can be of use," she says.

And the DM leaves it there, as the rest of the party is on the way.

[JeminiZero]

The Lyre in question might be the Lyre of Building.

If you can, you might want to prepare Protection from X or Magic Circle Against X in the future, to hedge out domination.