Help picking 4th level arcane spells

[Shard O'Glase]

defiently solid fog if you go with evards black tentacles. Evards doesn't attack till next round, with solid fog you can slow people in the area of effect enough that they will still be in the area of the evards spell next round so they can be attacked.

 

[Gaiden]

One thing that would help would be a list of spells you already have in your spell book(s). While a wizard can get any number of spells, the first selected ones (from level gain) should be the most useful to you at the time (an advantage a sorcerer cannot partake in).

For example, if you have slow, do not take solid fog, they overlap right now too much to make solid fog a better choice than perhaps charm monster if you have no other charm or hold spells.

Another example is improved invisibility. You are a conjurerer whom I imagine is making use of summon spells, melf's acid arrow, web, grease, etc. If you already have invisibility, wait on improved invisibility as you can remain invisibile while casting summon spells. Once you have cast all your summon spells you probably would have gone through the majority of the duration of improved invisibility anyway.

Assuming you have some of the above spells, I would suggest a few that are either simply too good to pass up, or would have synergy with other spells you already have.

Dimensional Door
Stoneskin
Polymorph Self

These three spells are simply some of the best 4th level spells out there. Moreover, you are a wizard, so doubling up on spells such as dimensional door and teleport does not matter. Polymorph used defensively can gain you around +10 NA which when stacked with shield, cat's grace, and mage armor makes you virtually unhittable. Of course, stoneskin makes the whole AC thing obsolete - at least for a while. On the other hand polymorph self is much more versatile. For example, if you don't have levitate, fly, spider climb, or jump, polymorph self may be the choice to go with as it can make up for all of these.

Scrying and Arcane Eye are very useful divination spells but are also somewhat trumped by earlier spells depending on your style of play. Again, if you have invisibility, they are less useful IF you play dungeon crawls, and stereotypical adventuring. If your group instead is doing regular reconnaissance and functions more on a know the enemy and his weaknesses first, that one of these spells are for you.

As a conjurer I am surprised no one has mentioned Summon Monster IV. Fourth level spells and up are where the summon spells become the Shizat. You have access to an incredibly wide variety of creatures (and as a wizard you do not need to worry about alignment restrictions) and if nothing else, you can summon a lantern archon - best use a of a spell to send a message in the game, get a free third level spell (magic circle against evil) for the casting, can cast aid, makes enemies make a ST or get -2 to all rolls, and can make 2 ranged touch attacks per round. If you have taken the augment summoning feat, you should definitely take summon monster IV.

Evard's Black Tentacles is a great stand alone spell, but as suggested, is even better when combined with another spell hampering movement. Slow and solid fog are very good spells to use in conjunction with it. However, if you already have summon swarm, evard's black tentacles may not be the best choice right now - especially if you also have web. I would suggest increasing your versatility and go for different sorts of spells - like polymorph self or dimensional door.

So without knowing your spells or feats, I would make this suggestion:

Summon Monster IV

and either Polymorph Self or Dimensional Door

 

[Naar]

Before I start, let me say that I usually play a sorcerer and so my spell picks are probably coloured by that.

Personally, I'd go for polymorph other (powerful attack/utility spell), bestow curse (touch range is less-than-optimal, but you can do many fun things with a curse, especially some of the ones from the BoVD), improved invisibility (excellent defence spell), phantasmal killer (great for physically tough, mentally weak critters), shadow conjuration (very versatile, though possibly redundant in your case) or confusion (excellent fun when your enemies get stuck in a hitting-each-other loop).

I'm not a big fan of stoneskin, despite its utility, because of that 250gp material component.

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I have yet to cast stoneskin as a wiz/sor or even learn it as a sor because of that cost. Until really high levels 250gp is a hit I' not willing to pay. And at high levels I have much beter options, heck at the stoneskin level I usually have better option, fly+windwall, fly +improed invis etc, or heck just improved or plain old invis.

 

[hammymchamham]

Correct me if I am wrong, but if your a Conjuration specialist, and you bar Evocation, do you need to bar another one? I thought Evocation alone was enough. So why do you have both Evocation and Necromancy barred? Unless you're staying away from necromancy spells for some Roleplaying reason...

 

[Shard O'Glase]

I thought the same but maybe evocation is mid-level and conjuration is high. I thought they both were high level but I don't know for sure since I neve specialize.

 

[Iron_Chef]

I got the Theologian character concept from Quintessential Wizard and that made me get an extra opposition school in exchange for access to one clerical domain (I picked Summoning domain, which doubles my summoning spell durations and teaches me one bonus summon monster spell per spell level, including the planar ally ones).

 

[andargor]

Another example is improved invisibility. You are a conjurerer whom I imagine is making use of summon spells, melf's acid arrow, web, grease, etc. If you already have invisibility, wait on improved invisibility as you can remain invisibile while casting summon spells.

You stay invisible with Invisibility when casting Summon Monster spells.

The SRD says:

The spell ends if the subject attacks any creature. For purposes of this spell, an "attack" includes any spell targeting a foe or whose area or effect includes a foe. (Exactly who is a foe depends on the invisible character’s perceptions.) Actions directed at unattended objects do not break the spell. Causing harm indirectly is not an attack.

The PHB is more specific:

Thus, an invisible being can open doors, talk, eat, climb stairs, summon monsters and have them attack, ...

Andargor

 

[Iron_Chef]

My spells to aid you in selecting optimal 4th level picks for me:

3rd level: Dispel Magic, Fly, Spell Haste (Villain Design HB, allows casting 2 spells/round), Summon Monster III

2nd level: Adrenaline Rush (MoTW, +4 strength to all my summoned monsters in 30 ft. radius), Cat's Grace, Dragonhide (RR2, +3 natural armor bonus), Eagle's Splendor, Endurance, Fox's Cunning, Glitterdust, Igedrazaar's Miasma (MoF), Invisibility, Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Rope Trick.

1st Level: All Conjuration spells, Charm Person, Feather Fall, Shield, etc. Basically, I know almost all 1st level spells due to background factors.

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

It looks like your spells are pretty much focussed on summoning creatures and buffing so Improved Invisibility is probably weaker than regular invisibility (b/c of the shorter duration) if you want to use it on yourself. If you put it on a rogue, OTOH, it's one of the top 4th level spells.

Stoneskin is good for the party's fighters--especially if they're the kind of 2-handed weapon wielding, damage maximizing destroyers who have no armor class to speak of. Talk to them about the spell components a lot of them will be willing to buy the components if you cast it on them. You could also talk to the party about taking the cost of the components out of party loot. (Both of those, of course, give party members some control over when and on whom you cast the spell....)

Wall of Ice is a good spell for controlling the battlefield. Solid fog is good in that role too.

Summon Monster IV is a standard for summoners....

My spells to aid you in selecting optimal 4th level picks for me:

3rd level: Dispel Magic, Fly, Spell Haste (Villain Design HB, allows casting 2 spells/round), Summon Monster III

2nd level: Adrenaline Rush (MoTW, +4 strength to all my summoned monsters in 30 ft. radius), Cat's Grace, Dragonhide (RR2, +3 natural armor bonus), Eagle's Splendor, Endurance, Fox's Cunning, Glitterdust, Igedrazaar's Miasma (MoF), Invisibility, Melf's Acid Arrow, Mirror Image, Rope Trick.

1st Level: All Conjuration spells, Charm Person, Feather Fall, Shield, etc. Basically, I know almost all 1st level spells due to background factors.