D&D 3E/3.5 Best Wizard Spells for a Paladin 3.5

[Dannyalcatraz]

BB?

Anyway...I understand the potions option, but IME, I'd rather depend upon having the spell in hand if at all possible. The reason is that supplies of potions are DM dependent, and can dry up at any time.

 

[Dandu]

Like an uncorked potion.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

BB is me being too lazy to spell out Battle Blessing. And if your DM is being stingy with 50 gp potions, you've probably got other problems with getting magic items you need to function, too. You don't even get 1st level Paladin spells till level 4+. You should be able to buy potions by then.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

And if your DM is being stingy with 50 gp potions, you've probably got other problems with getting magic items you need to function, too. You don't even get 1st level Paladin spells till level 4+. You should be able to buy potions by then.

The way I run thing- as do many of the other guys in our group who also run games- is that while magic items are for sale, just because you're in the market for something doesn't necessarily mean the market has it for sale. These are small stores, not Wal-Marts of magic.

To clarify, I don't just write magic items out of the game because they may or may not be giving me a problem. I run sellers of magic as close as I can to any other sellers: supplies of particular items can be depleted. If you go into an apothecary on the first of the month and find 12 potions of healing and buy 6, those 6 may not be there when you come back 2 weeks later. OTOH, there might be even more.

In addition, the price in the PHB is just an average. Just as in the RW, something that averages 50GP may cost more (or less) depending upon where and when you buy them.

While I can't run a whole planet's entire economy in a realistic fashion, I do simulate that with every gamer's favorite randomizers: dice rolls.

 

[Duke Arioch]

Enlarge Person is a 50 gp potion. Paladin spells are so few and precious, I wouldn't want to blow one on something like that. Even if it means a loss in the action economy. ...Actually, how does BB work with longer cast time spells? Enlarge has a 1 round cast time.

He carries a spellbook, so it is not much of a problem. All he needs to do is buy a scroll once, scribe it in his spellbook, and PRESTO! he knows the spell for good.

 

[Empirate]

Concerning the "few and precious slots" thing: Doesn't a Mystic Fire Knight get some awesome bonus spells to go with his caster level cheese?

 

[Empirate]

Just found an old post of mine again that adresses this:

There are very interesting substitution levels (Mystic Fire Knight) for a Paladin of Mystra in Champions of Valor. One nice thing you can do with these is head for Suel Arcanamach at 7th level, using only Paladin levels to qualify. This nets you great Charisma synergy, the ability to make dispelling strikes, and a quick spellcasting progression using Sor/Wiz spells of certain schools, taking you up to 5th level spells. Nice gish lite you can make that way.

Surreal had a build which could really abuse caster level shenanigans to get a Paladin caster level of 30 or so on top of full Suel Arcanamach casting. This is it:

Mystic Fire Knight Paladin 6/Suel 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Sacred Exorcist 4/Something 1

Where Sacred Exorcist and Something all go into paladin casting. The jist of it is that Abjurant Champion sets your Suel CL = BAB, which should be about 18. This then stacks onto your paladin casting, which puts it at around 28 (and you have 3rd level paladin spells).

You can also do this without the 4th Mystic Fire Knight sub level, so you get Turn Undead much earlier - which in turn fuels Divine Feats (Divine Might?) and Devotion Feats. If your game doesn't go all the way up to 16th level or so, you're probably better off going straight Paladin at 4th and get Divine Might and stuff ASAP.
In this case, I'd recommend Paladin 6 (MFK sublevels at 5th & 6th; Charging Smite variant)/Suel Arcanamach 4/Abjurant Champion 5/Spellsword 1/Dragon Disciple 4. Your abilities should go like this: Cha>Str>Con>Int>Wis>Dex. Cha fuels your saves, smiting, Suel spellcasting, turning attempts. Str and Con are obvious for a melee guy. You need a few skillpoints, especially if you're not Human, so Int 12 is a good way to go. Wis should be at least 11, maybe 12 for one or two 1st level Pally spells (i.e. Rhino's Rush). Dex can be dumped entirely, you'll be wearing heavy armor much of the time (Mithral Full Plate is no problem later on).