Spell Choice for an Archivist? [3.5]

[Bulwer]

I've got a marvelous little Archivist which has popped suddenly to level 5 [HELLO MY DM; BUGGER OFF, EH?] and I was looking for a bit of input as to spell selection.

I've got nine level one Cleric spells, four level two Cleric spells, two level threes, and seven otherwise-acquired level one divine spells.

Well, I've got a list worked up, and I was looking for a bit of input. The spells are freely drawn from any Wizards-published source.

Cleric 1:
Blessed Aim
Lesser Vigor
Spider Hand
Nimbus of Light
Comprehend Languages
Doom
Updraft
Resurgence
Magic Stone

Cleric 2:
Cure Moderate Wounds
Inflict Moderate Wounds
Lesser Restoration
Make Whole

Cleric 3:
Dispel Magic
Wind Wall

Misc 1 (Domains, Misc classes):
Boneblast
Bestow Wound
Sleep
Burning Hands
Mage Armor
Warning Shout
Seething Eyebane

Now, I reckon it's a decent list, but I feel it's lacking. What would you add/subtract?

EDIT: Oh, right, I've got a spare feat for the gentleman, so any input on that would be much appreciated. Thanks.

[Stupendous_Man]

Magic Stone is useless.

[Bulwer]

Magic Stone is useless.

Obscuring Mist, do you reckon? Entropic Shield? Curse Water?

[Brauron]

Speak with Dead never hurts. In fact, my Archivist used it on Sunday.

Also, I strongly recommend Blindness/Deafness. We probably wouldn't have killed the baddie in Sunday's game if I hadn't blinded him.

[Bulwer]

Speak with Dead never hurts. In fact, my Archivist used it on Sunday.

Also, I strongly recommend Blindness/Deafness. We probably wouldn't have killed the baddie in Sunday's game if I hadn't blinded him.

We're rather thick with necromancy at the moment, I'm afraid. Oh, and I'm rather enamoured of Seething Eyebane. It blows up the eyes, causing acid damage to all within 5 feet. BoVD is chock full of fun things like that.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Go with Blinding Spittle. Ranged Touch at -4 to Blind, no save, until they wash their eyes out. Yeah. It's that good.

[ColonelFuster]

Don't forget the domain spell from the Force domain, level 1, MAGIC MISSLE. It really is a good spell for fighting ghosts and such. And once you get fifth level spells, pick up Valiant Fury from complete warrior.

[Fishy]

Entangle. Basically the best thing ever. I'd take it instead of Burning Hands, and let the rest of the party do the damage-dealing- if they can handle that end on their own?

[Brauron]

We're rather thick with necromancy at the moment, I'm afraid. Oh, and I'm rather enamoured of Seething Eyebane. It blows up the eyes, causing acid damage to all within 5 feet. BoVD is chock full of fun things like that.

None of the DMs I play under allow players to access stuff in either BoVD or BoED -- the ruling is, "these books say right in them that they should be restricted to DM-only use, so they're DM-only for the purposes of the campaign."

Makes me nervous, because I'm roommates with one of my DMs, and he spent today poring over BoVD to create a truly unpleasant cult for us to interact with.

[Bulwer]

None of the DMs I play under allow players to access stuff in either BoVD or BoED -- the ruling is, "these books say right in them that they should be restricted to DM-only use, so they're DM-only for the purposes of the campaign."

Makes me nervous, because I'm roommates with one of my DMs, and he spent today poring over BoVD to create a truly unpleasant cult for us to interact with.

Y'see, though, the trouble with that ruling is that it doesn't let me detach my own hand and have it become a small monstrous spider whose eyes I can see through. (It's handy for those hard-to-reach spots).

Okay, so: Nix the Stones and maybe Eyebane, grab Missile, Entangle, Spittle. I might ditch Vigor as well, to make things fit.

EDIT: Oh, no go on Entangle: no plants in these parts. EDIT2: No Missile, either: It's Force 2.

[Eldariel]

What manner of an Archivist do you intend on playing? Archer? Arcanist? Divinist? Melee? Some sort of a mix?

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Get Secret Page as a 2nd level spell from a scroll thanks to the Rune domain. That can change any spell in your prayerbook into any spell that you can make the Spellcraft check to prove that your character is aware of, therefore you can learn any spell you want, as many as you want, and put whichever ones you want into your book for free (put a 9th level spell over a 1st level spell, it takes 1 page). Then check this list.

Edit: I would make him a Divine Batman.

[Tempest Fennac]

It's unfair about your DM using that ruling (my stance is that the DM shouldn't use anything which the players aren't allowed to use and vice versa). Isn't Glitterdust available from 1 Domain? Also, unless you can cast it from a distance, I'd recommend against using Inflict spells (unless you're healing undead allies with it) due to how Archivists aren't really designed to enter melee.

[JeminiZero]

EDIT: Oh, right, I've got a spare feat for the gentleman, so any input on that would be much appreciated. Thanks.

Maybe get a Reserve feat? If you are the primary healer, Touch of Healing can save you a whole lot of spells.

[Bulwer]

What manner of an Archivist do you intend on playing? Archer? Arcanist? Divinist? Melee? Some sort of a mix?

Edit: I would make him a Divine Batman.

Pretty much this here. We're solid on pretty much everything but varied, utility spellcasting. I'd want to tend more toward killing/utility than healing, because we have a primary healer. I could do with some more vaired and useful spells, like Alarm and See Invisibility.

Get Secret Page as a 2nd level spell from a scroll thanks to the Rune domain. That can change any spell in your prayerbook into any spell that you can make the Spellcraft check to prove that your character is aware of, therefore you can learn any spell you want, as many as you want, and put whichever ones you want into your book for free (put a 9th level spell over a 1st level spell, it takes 1 page). Then check this list.

My DM is very good about what books are kosher, and swapping rules and so on, but I think he might draw a line there. The list is something that I like rather a lot, though.

Isn't Glitterdust available from 1 Domain? Also, unless you can cast it from a distance, I'd recommend against using Inflict spells (unless you're healing undead allies with it) due to how Archivists aren't really designed to enter melee.

I'd need a scroll, but damn would that be handy to have. Re Inflict, you never know when you need to kill allies with a touch. Also, we're an evil party with a necromancer, (who I think has Tomb-Tainted Soul, and can be healed with negative energy) so undead are pals of ours.

[Tempest Fennac]

Looking at Crystal Keep, GD isn't included in any Domains, but Shugenjas can learn Glitterdust as a Divine spell. Thanks for explaining about the negative energy spells.

[Sstoopidtallkid]

Grab the SpC, and look for low-level Bard, Ranger, Paladin, and Adept spells. They're normally much better than the Cleric spells of the same level.

[Bulwer]

Grab the SpC, and look for low-level Bard, Ranger, Paladin, and Adept spells. They're normally much better than the Cleric spells of the same level.

Well, yeah, but I only gain cleric spells at level-up, so beyond my little stack of 7 that I otherwise obtained, I've got to dig up friendly spellcasters and scrolls for anything non-cleric, and it's not a setting deep in either.

[Biffoniacus_Furiou]

Well, yeah, but I only gain cleric spells at level-up, so beyond my little stack of 7 that I otherwise obtained, I've got to dig up friendly spellcasters and scrolls for anything non-cleric, and it's not a setting deep in either.

No, just buy a divine Scroll of Secret Page. When you cast it, you can turn any spell in your Prayerbook into any other spell you want, and then learn it from there. You can re-scribe the same 1st level spell multiple times, and turn each into a higher-level spell, thereby making every spell in your book take only one page each, rather than one page per spell level. That will give you any spell you want.

[The Deej]

I remember playing and Archivist in a game once. We also had an Artificer, so between us the party literally had access to any possible spell we could ever need. It was fun.

So as for suggestions, don't ditch vigor unless your healer will pick it up. The vigor line proved to be better than cures in the aforementioned game.

I personally like using this database, since it's easier to find something you're looking for there as opposed to reading through a long list, IMO. Just scroll down to "in any of these levels", select "arc1" (archivist 1), and it will find all spells available to an archivist as level 1 spells. If you want more specific results, just fill in some of the other options.

Also, unless you are able to swap out prepped spells or fill unfilled slots later in the day as needed, then DON'T get too large of a spell list. The book keeping can be a pain and several of the situationally useful spells you'd buy might end up never being used, thus only being a waste of cash.