Spells for wars and battles

[Stopper]

Hi all,

I'm currently playing H3 : Bloodstone wars, and I was wondering which sorcerer / wizard spells can be great for some battles, either to prepare the battle or run it. I already saw Move earth, Control weather and Meteor swarm.

Thanks.

[Dragonnety]

I would suggest to have a look in Heroes of Battle. It has some good spells for battles and generally for war motive campaigns.

[frankthedm]

Fireball. Long range, big area, auto damage should incapacitate most troops.

[Stopper]

Thanks !

I'll have a look in Heroes of battles and see which spells I can buy.

I'm playing (with 3.5 / Pathfinder rules) a 16th sorcerer with lots of Metamagic feats and I've already tried some tactics like Fireball, Vortex of force (SC) and Cloudkill transformed in lines (with Sculpt spell) to kill lots of low-lvl enemies ; a 120' line of moving Cloudkill (with the wind so it moves laterally) is great !

Also some Domination spells to try to force enemies transmitting their commander's orders with banners to transmit false orders like "retreat !".

Two spells I'm currently studying are Sunburst (8th ; like fireball but with a radius 4 times bigger) and Polymorph any object (which I think could help me create bridges over river, big watering holes below enemy cavalry or transform stone walls in straw).

[StreamOfTheSky]

No Druid? They get an amazing array of spells to neutralize scores of troops in an instant.

For Sorc/Wizard, I recommend Force Claw from Spell Compendium. It basically covers a 10 ft radius and gets unlimited AoO's against anyone passing through said area, dealing enough force damage to instantly kill or leave dying any level 1 soldier. Great for a bottleneck.

Stinking Cloud + a spell to move it along through the ranks, like gust of wind (maybe?) would be devastating.

The cantrip Caltrops (from Spell Compendium) is a nice dirt cheap option.

Fear would utterly destroy a unit's cohesion in an instant. Fear :: d20srd.org

Waves of Fatigue will drastically lower a unit's ability to fight, and prevent charging and running. It also allows no save at all. Waves of Fatigue :: d20srd.org


For a lot of the area spells, combining them with the Sculpt Spell feat or a metamagic rod is useful. You can actually use this to turn grease into a large area effect, for example.

[Starbuck_II]

Miniatures Hand Book is pretty good.

Curse of Impending Blade's Legion: multiple foes take -2 AC (no save).
Snake's Swifting, Legion: Multiple allies get immediate attack.

[StreamOfTheSky]

Originally Posted by Starbuck_II

Miniatures Hand Book is pretty good.

Curse of Impending Blade's Legion: multiple foes take -2 AC (no save).
Snake's Swifting, Legion: Multiple allies get immediate attack.

Spell Compendium has "mass" versions of these spells. I believe they are identical re-prints, if the OP doesn't have that book.

[Maldor]

Blistering Radiance 4th level (mass troop take out) also look at malevolent miasma 2nd level and hail of stone 1st level

Disintegrate (walls and seige weapon removal) might also look at passwall

Evard'd black tentacles ( very good holes in your line or if they try a battering ram or a caverly charge) might also us web.

wall of stone (shapable and permentant)

charm monster (oh look they have a cave troll...last hours or days i don't remimber)

illisions and dispel magic

[insanogeddon]

Cones are were its at. Greater Invis and flying above cones own fireball for area.
*Cone of cold basic is 60ft diameter.
*Shout 30ft.

*Chain Lightining is made of awesome.
*Rock to Mud.
*Wall of Fire (so people cannot escape from fogs)
*Shrink Item on boulders and trees and mass fly so the warriors can join in raining bouldery/tree death on the army from on high
*Major Creation (adamantium anvils are fun to drop on anything really.. i prefer farm houses but necessity .. something something something)
*Fabricate for war machines (need craft ranks... cleric can do this with miracle to fabricate and the complete adventurer spell divine insight or some such to get level to one skill check)
*Pyrotechnics (2nd level and 120 ft radius !!!!) blind a unit before a charge, bling archers as their unit lights their arrows etc
*Nightmare spell on their lesser generals/unit captains each night
*Permanent Image
*Polymorph Other (commoners fight better as war trolls)
*Wall of Iron (in the middle of ranks = either way it falls is a win)
*Planar Binding + Greater Invis (something with flight that has at will area attacks.. most demons do)
*Summon Monster as above.. choose things with range area spells or area fear effects
*Teleport Object (oil, greek fire, acid vats, caltrop sacks, BIG tanglefoot bags, your dms mom etc etc etc
*Unseen servant
*Telekinesis
*Reverse Gravity and Gust of Wind = use enemy as projectiles
*Etheral Jaunt
*Stone shape or crafts men making breakable globes with hinges or stuck together with wax... fire trap them all, put them in a sack, drop them... cluster bomb stylez

i'm spent

[Tyrrell]

In a third edition game when our characters knew that a battle was to take place the next day(we were attacking), my wizard rested early and in the several hours prior to the attack used (IIRC) all 50 charges of a wand of Rary's Mnemonic enhancer to prep an absurd quantity of third level spells.

[Dannyalcatraz]

Shrink Item: great for stockpiling equipment in a castle or saddlebag, reduced boulders fun to drop, easy way to have a bonfire as your "pocket lighter" and so forth. Incredibly useful spell.

Mending: things are going to break.

Grease: you can't climb over the battlements if you can't get a grip on them. Lighting it adds to the fun.

Web: anchor it between 2 siege ladders, then topple one....and/or light it.

Wall of _______: cast on the battlements over where someone is using a battering ram on your gate, then tip it over. Their shields may be fireproof, but they're not splatproof.

Charm Person: to get the now-friendly druid to use Call Lightning, Call Lightning Storm, Elemental Swarm and other spells in your favor. Long term- preparing for battle by having him Awaken a few of the trees in the area won't hurt either, especially if they're well tended.

[Rhun]

Don't forget Incediary Cloud. Burn those troops down! And don't overlook the value of spells like Summon Monster or Create Undead.