Best 1st/2nd Level Spell with Scaling

[Voadam]

Produce Flame. Gets max damage at caster level 5. A simple extend doubles the duration for minimum cost. An extended produce flame at caster level 5 as the same effectiveness as a produce flame at caster level 10 but cheaper to produce as an item.

yeah but that is what, d4+5 damage a round though? Not that significant a help IMO.

 

[ThirdWizard]

It gets expensive at those levels. At CL 11 for a scorching ray, you're at 330 gp per charge for 42 hp average damage if you hit with all 3 touch attacks, while Lesser Fire Orb costs 135 gp per charge for 22.5 average damage on a single touch attack. With Energy substitution Scorching Ray can be useful, but it might be too expensive. Twice the damage, but 2.5 times the cost. Produce Flame looks good on price for damage ratio.

It depends on what you're looking for. The wand will probably last quite a long time, depending on use, and you can do a nice amount of damage with it. The question really becomes how much more damage are you doing with the magical item than you would do in a round uisng a full attack action without sneak attack.

Personally, I'd probably go with chill touch, myself, though.

 

[Pinotage]

yeah but that is what, d4+5 damage a round though? Not that significant a help IMO.

d6+5, as many times as your BAB would allow. If twice, it's average 17, but it lasts longer than other spells as you can use it over two or three rounds. So per charge it averages at CL 6, 51 hp damage. Not bad, but maximum damage is a bit low per round.

Pinotage

 

[Pinotage]

It depends on what you're looking for. The wand will probably last quite a long time, depending on use, and you can do a nice amount of damage with it. The question really becomes how much more damage are you doing with the magical item than you would do in a round uisng a full attack action without sneak attack.

Personally, I'd probably go with chill touch, myself, though.

Good point. It does really depend on what your full attack would allow, particularly if you can get another spell to buff you damage capability, such as Bull's Strength or Divine Favor at CL 9. Why Chill Touch? For the Str Damage? The fortitude save for a wand in only 11, and the 1d6 damage per round is pitiful.

Pinotage

 

[Pielorinho]

Versus undead, chill touch has a Fear effect. Unfortunately, a wand's save DC is low enough that it's not going to work very often.

Daniel

 

[ThirdWizard]

Versus undead, chill touch has a Fear effect. Unfortunately, a wand's save DC is low enough that it's not going to work very often.

Ahh forgot that it was a Will save! Yeah, that's not going to work for long.

I guess command undead is out, then.

Divine Favor CL 9 sounds very good. A +3 attack and damage that stacks with most everything is awesome. Divine Power might be worth it at CL 11, to give you 3 iteratives. Come to think of it, I'm not sure how Divine Power works with wands since it says character level instead of caster level...

 

[beaver1024]

Huh? Extended Produce Flame is 2nd level.

2 x 5 = 1 x 10. No difference.

Whoops I was looking at the Fire domain.

 

[beaver1024]

d6+5, as many times as your BAB would allow. If twice, it's average 17, but it lasts longer than other spells as you can use it over two or three rounds. So per charge it averages at CL 6, 51 hp damage. Not bad, but maximum damage is a bit low per round.

Pinotage

Produce flame combines the best with sneak attacks. Scorching ray only allow sneak attack damage on the first ray. Magic missile doesn't allow sneak attacks at all because it doesn't have attack rolls. The lesser orbs are good but the it's limited to 1 sneak attack per charge and no multiple sneak attacks/round.

Produce flame on the other hand allows sneak attacks to be made with touch attacks (either ranged or melee) and multiple times/round. Hence at CL 5, Produce Flame allows 5 sneak attacks per charge in addition to it's damage. If you can attack twice and have +3d6 sneak attack, you would be doing 8d6+10 in 1 round. You can do this again in the next round without using another charge. Way better than scorching ray.