D&D 3E/3.5 Suggestions for Wizard party buff spells (level 6 or less)

[SteveC]

I am playing in a Shackled City campaign and we just had two PC deaths (we are at the temple of Wee Jas and it's a pretty rough encounter). We picked up a druid with a dinosaur and a ranger with a dog and an ape animal companions so we have a larger group than we've had for a while.

I have the option to pick up some spells with the funds from magic items we're selling from our defeated foes. I'm wondering which spells you recommend to buff the party and our menagerie. I am already going to pick up Mass Energy Resist and I've used Haste from the very moment I hit 5th level. Any other thoughts or suggestions?

 

[Alzrius]

Quick question: Are you sticking to the Core Rules only, or are resources such as the Spell Compendium on the table?

 

[SteveC]

Quick question: Are you sticking to the Core Rules only, or are resources such as the Spell Compendium on the table?

Oh it's everything from WotC. While I don't want to be completely over the top, we have a party that is perhaps not the best at high level play (that's me making a diplomacy check), so I have already had to step up to keep us from TPKs a few times. Other spell casters are a cleric and druid, so suggestions along those lines are also welcomed, but those players are also pretty solid and so know the standard line.

I have forgotten a ton of 3.5 lore so anything is appreciated.

 

[Alzrius]

Well, here's a selection off the top of my head (all from the Spell Compendium):

Battle Hymn: Sor/wiz 4, lets all allies within 30 feet re-roll one Will save during the duration of the spell (1 round/level).

Benign Transposition: Sor/wiz 1, lets you swap the current positions of two willing creatures within the spell's range (which is medium, i.e. 100 feet + 10 feet/level).

Blood Wind: Sor/wiz 1, lets a single creature make all of its melee attacks at a range of 20 feet for 1 round.

Create Magic Tattoo: Sor/wiz 2, allows you to inscribe up to three magic tattoos on a creature, each of which lasts for 24 hours. Various effects include +2 resistance bonus to one type of saving throw, +1 deflection bonus to AC, +1 luck bonus to attack rolls, etc. Requires 100 gp per tattoo inscribed and you must have at least 1 rank in Craft (drawing) or some other visual Craft skill.

Dimension Door, Greater: Sor/wiz 5, functions as per normal dimension door but lasts for 1 round per 2 levels, and you can transfer touched targets (objects of willing creatures only) up to 25 feet + 5 feet per 2 levels.

Ebon Eyes: Sor/wiz 1, grants a touched creature the ability to see in normal or magical darkness for up to 10 minutes/level.

Girallon's Blessing: Sor/wiz 3, changes one creature's hands into claws, and has them grow a second set of clawed arms. Can make up to four claw attacks each round for 1d4 + Strength mod. damage, and if at least two claws hit can rend for an additional 2d4 + (Str. Mod. x 1.5) damage. Lasts for 10 minutes/level, but creature cannot use weapons and claw attacks in the same round.

Heroics: Sor/wiz 1, grants the subject a single fighter bonus feat for 10 minutes/level. The subject must meet all prerequisites. Material component is a bit of a weapon or armor used in battle by a fighter of level 15+.

Mage Armor, Greater: Sor/wiz 3, as per mage armor but gain a +6 bonus.

Mountain Stance: Sor/wiz 2, for 1 minute/level, a touched subject can voluntarily root themselves in place, gaining a bonus equal to your caster level against being grappled, lifted, pushed, bull rushed, overrun, thrown, tripped, or otherwise made to move. A successful attempt to move them ends the spell. They can voluntarily move and "reroot" themselves in a different spot during the spell's duration without penalty.

Nerveskitter: Sor/wiz 1, cast as an immediate action this spell grants a creature a +5 bonus to its initiative check.

Snake's Swiftness, Mass: Sor/wiz 3, allows all allied creatures in a 20 foot radius (the range is 100 feet + 10 feet per level) to immediately make an extra melee or ranged attack. This doesn't change initiative order, and they can't do it if they've already made an extra attack some other way (such as via haste).

Hopefully there's something there you can use!

 

[tricktroller]

There is always Bulls strength/cats grace/etc mass(6th) which will hit a lot of folks if they don't have magic items that already give a +4 bonus to a stat. Greater Heroism(6th) isn't bad. Planar binding(6th) can allow you to get some really useful utility spell like abilities etc from planar creatures. Lots of them have buffs or permanent effects, especially angels.
Animal growth(5th) is awesome for the critters running around. As is Enlarge Person, Mass(4th). Fire Shield, mass(5th) can deal damage back if your party gets hit.
Also, never discount the power of a Wall of Dispel Magic(5th) to help bring buffed enemies down a notch, which is always a buff for the party!

As someone else stated Resist Energy Mass is wonderful at a 11th caster level it does even more work than usual.
Sakkratar's Triple Strike (5th) from Lost Empries of Faerun allows everyone to take 2 extra attcks and makes all their weapons keen and flaming burst. Lasts for one round but an extended one could last for 2!

 

[Grogg of the North]

I've DM'd and played in Shackled City (loved it!). Was this the fight with

Spoiler

Ike Iverson

?

One thing to consider is that a lot of the enemy mages you are going to be fighting going forward are going to have a lot of buff spells. Dispelling them or using Reciprocal Gyre (Wizard 5) to damage them will be very helpful.

How much do you know about what's happening in Cauldron? I'm hesitant to say more because of spoilers.

 

[SteveC]

?

That is the exact fight. And Reciprocal Gyre is the exact spell I am going to need to use. I wish I had it for an earlier fight where we were jumped by a party with many, many buff spells. I nearly gave the GM an aneurism by dispelling one of them and making him recalculate all the stats.

So I know all about what's going on (I actually ran this adventure years ago, and this is where it died for me) but our group knows very little of the truth. The best thing the bad guys could do would be to just leave us alone, actually. We're so clueless it is not even funny.

 

[SteveC]

Just an update from out last session. The spell that our Druid found that is exceptionally useful for things like a Dread Wraith encounter is called Sheltered Vitality. This spell protects from fatigue, exhaustion, and ability damage or ability drain (regardless of the source). I think our cleric is going to prepare a ton of these.

 

[Grogg of the North]

Maybe point out Anger of the Noonday Sun to your druid? I don't know if it would destroy the dread wraith outright. Wraiths are powerless in sunlight though.

 

[SteveC]

Maybe point out Anger of the Noonday Sun to your druid? I don't know if it would destroy the dread wraith outright. Wraiths are powerless in sunlight though.

That is a really good point. The Dread Wraith says it has to be actual sunlight rather than something like a Daylight spell, so I'm not sure. Must ask the DM.