Good lower level spells to bother a higher level party?

NewJeffCT · Jun 8, 2009

What are some good lower level spells (levels 1-3) to bother a higher level party? The party is level 14 and are faced off with a BBEG (half fiend blackguard) and his minions. If one of the minions was a minor caster (level 5-6), what are some good one shot spells the minion can cast to either slow down a few PCs, or maybe stun/daze/shake/fatigue/sicken one PC, or a few? I'm saying one shot spells because I'd suspect level 5-6 caster to get zapped pretty quickly as part of an area effect spell or something else...

the half-fiend blackguard can fly and has a reach weapon. His main minion is a gargantuan demon with 20 foot reach.

Thanks

Rhun · Jun 8, 2009

Grease, and Ray of Enfeeblement. Both of those are 1st level spells that can make even higher level adventurers pause a bit.

StreamOfTheSky · Jun 8, 2009

Grease and Ray of Enfeeblement are good. I also like Ray of Clumsiness, since it targets dex and thus is guaranteed to debuff pretty much anyone. Obscuring Mist or darkness spells can be useful if the BBEG has Blindfight or some other means ot be less hindered by it than the party. An invisible minion wating patiently in a corner, readying to magic missile a PC when he looks to be just about ot fall or has fallen but not dead is a very cruel but effective way to make a minion caster scary.

Spells that relentlessly follow a person around like Spiritual Weapon and...(the level 1 SpC spell that makes a thunder cloud appear over the person's head, striking 1/round for 1 lightning damage) can give a PC who tries to use invisibility himself a major headache.

There's a level 1 or 2 spell in Complete Scoundrel to create a 5 ft cube of wood. You could have someone ready to cast that to interrupt a charge. If the BBEG or someone else actually high level disarms a PC, a minion can use mage hand or greater mage hand to retrieve the item (and run off) before the PC gets a chance to act again. If he can't run off, use mage hand to give it to another minion who's turn is coming up, so he can run off.

Try to find threads on how to use Silent Image creatively, some of those ideas could help for your battle.

green slime · Jun 8, 2009

The best spells in this scenario are the simple ones that don't require saves:

From the Cleric Spell list
3rd
Deeper Darkness
Invisibility Purge
Prayer
Protection from Energy if the party is known to favour some kind of energy.
Wind Wall, if the party includes an archer.
2nd
Silence cast on a small object or melee character
Calm emotions vs a Barbarian
1st
Obscuring Mist: remember if the party are more than the NPC's, vision aids them. Their spellcasters can't target the BBEG if they can't see him.

StreamOfTheSky · Jun 8, 2009

green slime said:
Silence cast on a small object or melee character

Another option for darkness and silence spells is to have an unseen servant and cast them on it. Some peopel like the idea of casting it on a pebble, which seems kind of cheesy if it's too small to pick out, or too easy ot be used against you if it can be found. On an unseen servant, the PCs will likely have no idea how or why the silence/darkness is moving around.

udalrich · Jun 8, 2009

Depending on the geography, Web or Entangle might also be useful. The PC's will probably make the saves, but they can still hinder movement. OTOH, it's likely that the PC's would just fly around them unless the battle is in a fairly constricted area.

Flatus Maximus · Jun 8, 2009

Here's a few from the Spell Compendium (You'll probably want to Heighten these, or any other low level spells):

* slapping hand: make a DC 20 Concentration check or take an AoO from every creature threatening. Have the minions swarm the beef cake, followed by slapping hand.

* slide/greater slide vs. low Will save: move the target 5ft/20ft (prevent full attacks), even over a cliff!

* baleful transposition vs. low Will save: two targets swap places. Put the minions into a swarm, swap the central minion with one of the PCs, follow up with slapping hand.

Good times....

NewJeffCT · Jun 8, 2009

green slime said:
The best spells in this scenario are the simple ones that don't require saves:

From the Cleric Spell list
3rd
Deeper Darkness
Invisibility Purge
Prayer
Protection from Energy if the party is known to favour some kind of energy.
Wind Wall, if the party includes an archer.
2nd
Silence cast on a small object or melee character
Calm emotions vs a Barbarian
1st
Obscuring Mist: remember if the party are more than the NPC's, vision aids them. Their spellcasters can't target the BBEG if they can't see him.

Thanks - some good ideas. the BBEG has a small item from the Magic Item Compendium that gives him the obscuring mist effect around himself, but allows him to see through the mist, as he's evil.

NewJeffCT · Jun 8, 2009

StreamOfTheSky said:
Another option for darkness and silence spells is to have an unseen servant and cast them on it. Some peopel like the idea of casting it on a pebble, which seems kind of cheesy if it's too small to pick out, or too easy ot be used against you if it can be found. On an unseen servant, the PCs will likely have no idea how or why the silence/darkness is moving around.

That is devilishly clever - I like it.

azhrei_fje · Jun 9, 2009

Even more effective is casting it on a creature that has more movement that the PCs do and tell it to hover around the spellcasters. The creature can ready an action to move with the spellcaster and if the creature's movement is high enough, that might even cover a double-move for the PC. I'm thinking of a flying creature like an owl or other bird. Add invisibility to the bird and it's pretty tough to beat. Even someone with see invisible running still has to target a Diminutive or Tiny creature (although a targeted dispel would like take care of the problem).

Here's a question for you, though: if I cast silence on the water in a bucket, then dump the water on a spellcaster, does the silence work? Given that it would soak into their clothing, it would be pretty tough to remove!