Best 3.5 spell?

[Forsythe]

Okay....as we all know alot of the spells changed. Some minor revisions..some major ones.

My vote for the new haste (in my opinion the most valuable spell in 3.0) is......Enlarge.

Interested to hear other opinions.

Forsythe

p.s. it gives reach, increased weapon damage, increased strength, castable by clerics or mages, works at range, lasts 10 rounds at 1st lvl.

Enlarge Person
Transmutation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Strength 1
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One humanoid creature
Duration: 1 min./level (D)
Saving Throw: Fortitude negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell causes instant growth of a humanoid creature, doubling its height and multiplying its weight by 8. This increase changes the creature’s size category to the next larger one. The target gains a +2 size bonus to Strength, a –2 size penalty to Dexterity (to a minimum of 1), and a –1 penalty on attack rolls and AC due to its increased size.
A humanoid creature whose size increases to Large has a space of 10 feet and a natural reach of 10 feet. This spell does not change the target’s speed.
If insufficient room is available for the desired growth, the creature attains the maximum possible size and may make a Strength check (using its increased Strength) to burst any enclosures in the process. If it fails, it is constrained without harm by the materials enclosing it— the spell cannot be used to crush a creature by increasing its size.
All equipment worn or carried by a creature is similarly enlarged by the spell. Melee and projectile weapons affected by this spell deal more damage. Other magical properties are not affected by this spell. Any enlarged item that leaves an enlarged creature’s possession (including a projectile or thrown weapon) instantly returns to its normal size. This means that thrown weapons deal their normal damage, and projectiles deal damage based on the size of the weapon that fired them. Magical properties of enlarged items are not increased by this spell.
Multiple magical effects that increase size do not stack,.

 

[Rashak Mani]

It seems like a no-brainer to me.... for a low level spell its benefits are too good to be true. I vote Enlarge too. Thou I feel I am pretty adequate in the size issue.

 

[Beelzebub]

Hard to argue with the hard facts, Enlarge has my vote.

 

[Sagiro]

Regarding enlarge, I'm not sure I see what the big deal is. Once you take all the drawbacks into account, it gives you this:

10' reach
+2 damage on each melee hit (+1 from STR, and another +1 (on average) for your weapon getting bigger)
+1 on STR-based skill rolls

...but it also gives you:

-2 to AC (-1 for DEX, -1 for size)
-1 on ranged attack rolls (DEX again)
-1 to your reflex saves (DEX again)
-1 on DEX-based skill rolls.

The +1 to hit with melee weapons is canceled out by the -1 for the size increase.

It only affects one target, and lasts 1 minute/level... probably one combat. Not a bad spell for 1st level, and a better-than-average choice for a 1st-level wizard with a burly fighter buddy, but it doesn't scale with level like magic missile or burning hands.

In 3.0, haste and mass haste were far and away the most indispensable spells for their level. Now that they've been fixed or eliminated, my vote for the new most valuable spell is greater invisibility. Still a bargain at 4th level.

-Sagiro

 

[Darkness]

...but it also gives you:

*nods* And -1 Initiative (also from Dex).

 

[Technik4]

I dont know, Ive got a bunch that are getting tossed around:

Scorching Ray: 2nd level spell, potential 12d6 damage. Works well with metamagics too.

Alter Self: +6 Nat Armor (Trog)

Tasha's Hideous Laughter: Beats out Hold Person in nearly every way (including being 1 level lower).

Slow: Pretty Awesome multiple target spell (Will Negates, Sorry Fighters!). Haste is also still really good.

Harm: Anything else do 150 damage on a touch attack...at level 6?

Otiluke's Freezing Sphere: You can hold it for rounds = caster level, cast as a standard action on a later round.

Ray of Enfeeblement: No saving throw.



Those are my picks.

 

[Particle_Man]

This may be just my personal preference, but I like Shades. Now that it can duplicate any conjuration spell (including the calling and teleportation ones, making it more powerful than the weaker forms of shadow conjuration) at 80% efficiency, without material components or XP costs (no gem needed for Trap the Soul), it seems like a mighty fine "poor man's wish". Mind you, I don't know if the Shades version of Gretaer Planar Binding means that you bind a real creature within an 80% effective prison (risky!) or "bind" an 80%-as-tough shadow-duplicate of a real creature.

But I also like the druid's new Summon Nature's Ally spells, now that they are beefed up. Of course, they never have to choose those spells now.

And Waves of Exhaustion is a nice "no save" mass weakener.

 

[Liminal Syzygy]

What about the new Death Ward? The 3.5 version will be much more of a *must* buff spell and will help to ward off the save-or-die effect issues.

 

[Paragon249]

Enlarge also increases your chances of tripping or grappling by +4, disarm as well because your weapon is bigger, making it that much more useful and it can also be made permanent. And there is a mass version. Cast Enlarge on a monk and the damage will be very very noticable. Enlarge definitely is one of the 3.5 powerhouses.

 

[Plane Sailing]

Enlarge with a spiked chain is particularly nasty, most especially on a high level fighter who has whirlwind attack. One attack at full BAB against everyone within 20ft of you!

I think Moment of Prescience will become one of the must-have 8th level spells. For most of the day being ready to have a +25 bonus to a check in the one case when you really need it? Seems to knock foresight into a cocked hat in terms of bacon-saving.