[3.5] Best Cleric Spells By Level?

[Black_Zawisza]

"Best" meaning it's excellent but not so good that most DMs will throw it out. Almost every official splatbook is allowed.

EDIT: Also, please list the source book for each spell.

[dextercorvia]

1. Resurgence(SpC), Lesser Vigor(SpC)
2. Shatter, Hold Person, Stay the Hand(PHBII), Cloud of Knives(PHBII)
3. Anyspell(SpC), Mass Lesser Vigor(SpC)
4. Greater Resistance(SpC), Divine Power,Recitation(SpC)

[Hammerhead]

It's not exactly a powerful spell in its own right, but Substitute Domain (2) from Complete Champion gives Clerics absolutely absurd versatility.

The Summon Monster line is incredibly versatile and very strong offensively, even from low levels. Monstrous Spider webs are just too fun at low levels and all the extra SLAs are a hoot later on.

Group buffs are winners. Mass Aid (3), Mass Conviction (3), Mass Shield of Faith (4), Recitation (4), Righteous Wrath of the Faithful (5), Brilliant Aura (8). I think all of those are from SpC.

Resurgence (1) is a healing-type spell, but a fantastic healing-type spell. You can overcome a lot of obnoxious ongoing effects with one level 1 slot. Also from SpC.

Self-buffs are always popular, though they can be wasteful unless you have some way of skirting their action cost. Divine Favor (1), Bull's Strength (2), Divine Power (4) and Righteous Might (5) are the big names. Then Miracled Giant Size or Bite of the Werebear (9) at higher levels. Giant Size is in Oriental Adventures. Bite of the Werebear is in Spell Compendium.

It probably goes without saying, but Dispels are strong offensive spells. Especially with Complete Divine's Inquisition domain (which can come from a relatively painless PrC dip). They also make strong defenses for a Cleric with the Divine Defiance feat from Fiendish Codex 2.

True Seeing (5), Heroes' Feast (6), Death Ward (4), Dimensional Anchor (4) and Freedom of Movement (4) negate enormous arrays of very scary/challenging effects and abilities.

Doomtide (5) is an absolutely terrifying control spell from SpC.

Then there are the powerhouses like Miracle (9), Astral Projection (9), Gate(9) and the Holy Word line (7), all in Core.

ETA:
Here's a pretty widely accepted list, level-by level.

[Endarire]

Cleric Handbook

[Combat Reflexes]

Make sure you have the Travel domain
1. Longstrider - +10 ft. speed all day for just a low-level spell slot!
2. Spiritual Weapon - because it's indestructible and ghost touch.
3. Fly - because there are no reasons NOT to take it.
4. Dimension door
5. Plane Shift
6. Heightened Plane Shift
7. Heightened Plane Shift
8. Heightened Plane Shift
9. Heightened Plane Shift / Gate

Plane shift is a utility spell as well as a Save-or-Lose. Few people know that the spell can be used offensively, and that you can send someone the the Plane of Fire, Negative energy or just Hell with just a touch.

[Eldariel]

Make sure you have the Travel domain
1. Longstrider - +10 ft. speed all day for just a low-level spell slot!
2. Spiritual Weapon - because it's indestructible and ghost touch.
3. Fly - because there are no reasons NOT to take it.
4. Dimension door
5. Plane Shift
6. Heightened Plane Shift
7. Heightened Plane Shift
8. Heightened Plane Shift
9. Heightened Plane Shift / Gate

Plane shift is a utility spell as well as a Save-or-Lose. Few people know that the spell can be used offensively, and that you can send someone the the Plane of Fire, Negative energy or just Hell with just a touch.

I'd disagree on just about every other spell (note that e.g. Fly & Dimension Door aren't a Cleric-spells; don't think he was asking for Domain-spells after all since you can't prepare them in normal slots and spontaneous casting is another ballpark; and there's Dispel Magic, Greater Dispel Magic, Miracle & Silence just out of Core that should definitely overtake some of those) but Plane Shift is definitely amazing. For location, Positive Energy Plane is often optimal; few things survive there for long (and those tend to be able to Plane Shift out themselves by and large). It's also a non-mind affecting Will-save which is always awesome and thus remains useful against mindless stuff that can often have epicly poor Will-saves and needs some SoDing (e.g. Colossal Vermins tend to be prime targets for an express ticket to the PEP).

Obviously naming an individual spell that's "best" for each level is silly since everything is so contextual but a quick list of possible options:
1. Protection from Evil
2. Silence (honorary mention to Darkbolt [Lords of Madness])
3. Magic Vestment
4. Air Walk
5. Plane Shift (honorary mention to Surge of Fortune [Complete Champion]
6. Heal
7. Holy Word-line (honorary mention to the obscenely broken Greater Consumptive Field [Spell Compendium])
8. Greater Spell Immunity
9. Miracle (honorary mention to Gate)

A hundred different lists could be made; I made it a point to pick a Core option on each level since Core really has a bunch of amazing Cleric-spells throughout the levels. None of the choices are unambiguous though.

[Combat Reflexes]

And a bonus because you are helping them ... PoP makes peoples feel happy. It's in the DMG

[TurtleKing]

I have a few spells that I want to recommend that are great for ranged healing.

Light of Venya from SC which has range of medium. It is a spell level 3 spell than can heal for a small amount much farther than most other healing spells. This spell also can just hover around you head like an Ioun stone for 10 minutes/ level. Bonus is the spell can also deal a substantial amount of damage as well.

Channeled Divine Health from PHB II at spell level 4. The range and amount of healing are dependent on casting time. A swift action would get you a range of touch cure light. A standard action is a close range cure for 1d8+ caster level (+10). The full round is a medium range cure moderate. Two full rounds nets you a long range cure critical.

Darts of Life from CChamp at spell level 5. Grants 10 darts that orbit your head like an Ioun stone for 1 min/ level. These darts have a range of close. Each dart may heal for a 1d8, but upto 3 darts can be unleashed at once.

The next spell is an interesting choice due to its source. I will also be presenting an almost similar spell from a more respectable source to compare the spells.

Healing Sphere from BoEF at spell level three and Healing Spirit from PHB II at spell level 4. Both spells function similar to Flaming Sphere from PHB but use positive energy. Both spells also have a range of close. The differences start of with the duration. Healing Sphere will last for 1 minute regardless of caster level. Healing Spirit lasts 1 round/ 2 levels. So Healing Sphere can already last for as long as Healing Spirit can at caster level 20 even though a level 5 cleric can cast the spell. Another difference is the amount the spells heal for. Healing Sphere heals for 2d8+1/caster level (+10). Healing Spirit heals for 1d8. So overall analysis is Healing Sphere is better because can get it sooner, last longer, and can heal for a lot more.

Note all but Light of Venya presented in this post can benefit from Augment Healing feat which adds 2 hp/ spell level to the amount healed. Amost all of the spells presented here also hit with a ranged touch attack.