Fun Tricks with Useless Spells

[AuraSeer]

My character has been hoarding all the scrolls and wands from the NPCs we kill. I use up the combat ones pretty quickly, but there are some spells that I never seem to have use for, so they just end up collecting in my pack. I'm looking for interesting ways to use these uninteresting scrolls.

So tell me, what's the best use you've gotten out of a "useless" spell? Have you managed to kill a monster with erase or save the world with magic aura?

The best I've managed so far was inspired by the book Starship Troopers. I cast magic mouth on a rock so that when thrown to the ground it said: "I am a delayed blast fireball! Three! Two! One!" I thought that was a pretty neat one-time distraction (though it would've been better if all the enemies understood Common...)

 

[Jeff Wilder]

So tell me, what's the best use you've gotten out of a "useless" spell? Have you managed to kill a monster with erase or save the world with magic aura?

Erase is a great spell to use against bad guys who like to use scrolls. If your DM uses a form of tattoo magic, ask him if erase has any effect on tattoos. (You can lobby him gently; most DMs think of erase as a useless spell and might be tempted to inject it with some utility.)

My necrotheurge uses magic aura to hide the fact that his helm -- which is worth about 100,000 gp after all he's crafted into it -- is anything but a pretty bauble.

 

[Wild Gazebo]

One of my favorites is using mend as a basic aid for forgery.

Have a King's Writ?

Gently scratch out the [date, name, monetary value, property, legal term, or message]...

cast mend and watch the paper reform into a nice clean printable surface...

write in the more 'appropriate' variable...

present brand new official writ to the proper authorities.

 

[Whizbang Dustyboots]

Magic Mouth the buttons of your pouches. If anyone but you touches the pouches, they scream "THIEF! THIEF! THIEF!"

Really ruins pickpockets' fun.

 

[Sejs]

Dancing Lights as a form of long-range communication, tactical signalling, and tagging.

I love Dancing Lights.

 

[Aeson]

I use Grease I don't know how useless it is but I can't remember another player using in a game I played in.

I use it to slow things running at me or chasing to allow me to get away. I used it once to stop a theif that stole from a merchant. Grease at his feet he goes down merchant catches him. I go to jail for using magic in a place that doesn't like magic users.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My current game group is adventuring in RttToEE right now. The main mage (not my PC) actually delivered the coup de grace on a dragon we encountered...with Ray of Frost.

OK, it was so badly beaten up it was fleeing...but RAY of FREAKIN' FROST!

Imagine the conversation when "Frosty" reaches the draconic afterlife... "So, how'd you die?"

 

[CM]

I used acid splash to coup de gras the enemy ogre mage. Well, four of them actually. The first two failed against the SR, the third got through but he saved, and the fourth finally got him.

 

[Stormborn]

My Gunmage in Iron Kingdoms, who has very little spellcasting ability BTW at low levels, is obsessed with his boots and is constantly using Prestidigitation to clean them.

 

[Nifft]

I used acid splash to coup de gras the enemy ogre mage. Well, four of them actually. The first two failed against the SR, the third got through but he saved, and the fourth finally got him.

Acid Splash

Conjuration (Creation) [Acid]
Level: Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Effect: One missile of acid
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No

You fire a small orb of acid at the target. You must succeed on a ranged touch attack to hit your target. The orb deals 1d3 points of acid damage.

Hmmm... -- N