D&D 5E Magically Prepped for Combat

[Riley37]

If someone - let's call them Xar - knew that they were likely to get into a fight sometime within the next hour, and had the motivation and resources to prepare extensively, what might be their wish-list or shopping list or Standard Operating Procedure of magical effects? What if Xar knows to within a minute when the fight will start - how does that change the list?

I'm assuming that Xar doesn't have the opponent in view before combat starts, and is casting spells on themself, rather than preparing the arena location. Perhaps Xar is prepping just before a Teleport to a foe's lair.

Xar can only Concentrate on one spell, and any damage to Xar could cause loss of Concentration. Is there any limit on how many people can cast spells on Xar and then maintain concentration? (Xar's resources include well-paid and/or loyal spellcasters, who are willing to maintain concentration as long as they can stay out of the fight, plus a library of scrolls; they will stay behind when Xar teleports.)

Some of the more reasonable, lower-level options, and a few of the better higher-level options, include:

(Cast by self only, no concentration)
Armor of Agathys, 1 hour, temporary HP + damage to attacker
False Life, 1 hour, temporary HP
Mirror Image, 1 min
Spiritual Weapon, 1 min

(Cast by self only, requires concentration, therefore one at most)
Blur, 1 min
Crusader's Mantle, 1 min
Ensnaring Strike, 1 min
Expeditious Retreat, 10 min
Mislead, 1 hour
M.'s Sword, 1 min

(Cast by an ally, no concentration required - well worth paying an ally!)
Aid, 8 hours, raises max HP, not "temporary" HP?
Death Ward, 8 hours
Magical Armor, 8 hours
Regenerate, 1 hour
Sanctuary, 1 min

(Cast by an ally who must maintain concentration; shorter duration)
Bless, 1 min, +d4 to attacks and saves
Enlarge, 1 min
Fly, 10 min
Greater Invisibility, 1 min
Guidance, 1 min
Haste, 1 min
Heroism, 1 min, temporary HP
Protection from Evil/Good, 10 min
Resistance, 1 min
Shield of Faith, 10 min

(Cast by an ally who must maintain concentration; longer duration)
Conjure (animal, celestial, elemental, fey, woodland beings), 1 hour
(why is there Conjure Celestial and Fey, but not Fiend?)
Enhance Ability, 1 hour, DEX for init, STR for grapple/shove checks, or CON + temporary HP
Invisibility, 1 hour, ends when you cast or attack
Magical Weapon, 1 hour
Polymorph (into beast), 1 hour
Stoneskin, 1 hour
Warding Bond, 1 hour

What go-to combat preparations did I miss?

 

[Nebulous]

My first thought was, "Can your ally Concentrate on a spell when you teleport out of sight and over unknown distance?"

Also, having 10 people buff you at once for a one-shot fight with no spell limit sounds like helluva fun...

 

[PnPgamer]

Mirror image is a good self buff when compared to blur which is a same level spell. It is more limited in its use as it may be spent way before the duration, but it doesnt have concentration... Well compare those two spells and take your pick! Or better yet take both as they stack nicely xD

 

[Dausuul]

It depends on a number of things. First of all, how many spellcasters have you got available to buff you, and what level are they? Second, what class is Xar and what level is he? Third, what's the target? You'll obviously want a different array of buffs going in to face a dragon as opposed to a beholder or a lich. (If you don't know what the target is, that's a different set of buffs--lots of invisibility and perception boosters so you can scout and return, then prepare for the actual attack.)

 

[DaveDash]

You're missing Blink. Blink IMO is the best defensive spell in the game. Fire Shield is also good, especially if you're fighting a red or white Dragon.

All my NPC casters have Mage Armour and Foresight running all the time. If they get attacked the first thing they do is go Ethereal and buff with Blink and Mirror Image. I usually save my concentration slot for something like Hold Person, Wall of Force, or Bigbys Hand.

Some good divine buffs are holy aura (amazing spell), etherealness as well to buff up in peace, spirit guardians(?), the spell that has an aura of spirits which do radiant damage, shield of faith is good if you're a tank, silence shuts down casters completely. You've mentioned some of the other good ones (Bless, aid, etc).

 

[Riley37]

I was curious about the limits of Concentration, and the link between the caster and the target of the spell for the period of Concentration. Does that link continue even if one of them moves to another plane? If not, then would Blink break that link, immediately on the first plane-shift?

I missed Barkskin: ally, concentration 1 hour, min AC 16.

You're missing Blink.

Good catch! And I agree re Fire Shield.

All my NPC casters have Mage Armour and Foresight running all the time.

Foresight is level 9! All your NPC casters have two slots per day of level 9 spell?

Part of my intent was for this scenario: the PCs enter the lair of the Major Villain; alarms or guards alert the Major Villain that PCs are on the way; if MV decides better to fight them in her lair, rather than escape, what buffs would MV have running when the PCs arrive at the throne room? In that scenario, there's also quite a few spells which are specific to preparing the *location* of the fight, such as Guardian of Faith, M.'s Hound, Wall of Damage, and various illusions.

If low-level NPC magic is easily available, I kinda figure that any PC party *ought* to get Aid (8 hours, Cleric 2, no concentration) cast on all party members before they go into any zone of likely combat, eg at the outset of any of the "Defiance in Phlan" missions. It's got to be available from the Kelemvor clerics at the Vilhingen temple/graveyard. It could be cheaper than a potion of healing.

 

[DaveDash]

I was curious about the limits of Concentration, and the link between the caster and the target of the spell for the period of Concentration. Does that link continue even if one of them moves to another plane? If not, then would Blink break that link, immediately on the first plane-shift?

Nothing really in the rules that state this. However you could ask for a concentration check every time they plane shift, since its "distracting". You can house rule as well that spells cast in one plane don't come across on another, as this can prevent some cheese with the etherealness spell.

Foresight is level 9! All your NPC casters have two slots per day of level 9 spell?

Part of my intent was for this scenario: the PCs enter the lair of the Major Villain; alarms or guards alert the Major Villain that PCs are on the way; if MV decides better to fight them in her lair, rather than escape, what buffs would MV have running when the PCs arrive at the throne room? In that scenario, there's also quite a few spells which are specific to preparing the *location* of the fight, such as Guardian of Faith, M.'s Hound, Wall of Damage, and various illusions.

I've been running an Underdark campaign, so lots of Drow casters. The party is currently level 13. So a few things to note:

1. An 18th level spellcaster is only CR12 (look at the Archmage in the back of the monsters manual). Foresight allows them to survive round 1 of combat usually without getting focus fired to death.
2. Sorry I didn't mean for 16 hours, I basically meant they have foresight when the PCs encounter them, unless they specifically try to time their attack when its not running.
3. I've taken to building solo bad guys, such as your Major Villain, more like monsters. Concentration is very limiting to NPC spell casters, and if you build them like a PC (80-120 hitpoints) they drop like a ton of bricks. I have used the specialist class abilities on them however, Abjurer is basically the only one that lets them survive round 1 of combat.
Otherwise I build them with less spells, less spell levels, but way more hitpoints. I made a NPC CR16 Wizard with 250 hitpoints for example (using the DMG guidelines).
Be careful with your major NPC villain, if he loses initiative he can be dead before he acts. Definitely at least make him an abjurer.

If low-level NPC magic is easily available, I kinda figure that any PC party *ought* to get Aid (8 hours, Cleric 2, no concentration) cast on all party members before they go into any zone of likely combat, eg at the outset of any of the "Defiance in Phlan" missions. It's got to be available from the Kelemvor clerics at the Vilhingen temple/graveyard. It could be cheaper than a potion of healing.

Yeah my low level War Cleric uses aid all the time.

 

[Riley37]

Nothing really in the rules that state this. However you could ask for a concentration check every time they plane shift, since its "distracting". You can house rule as well that spells cast in one plane don't come across on another, as this can prevent some cheese with the etherealness spell.

Were there rules regarding cross-planar spells/magic in other editions?
Shadowrun 5E had rules to prevent a mage on the Astral from "carpet bombing" onto the mundane.
Would Blink require a concentration check every round, since it plane-shifts every round? Or would a spell which causes a plane-shift have an exception to the check-when-shifting rule?

Yeah my low level War Cleric uses aid all the time.

It's a good use of their spell slots, but it's an even better use of some NPC's spell slots, when available.

 

[Mephistopheles]

My first thought was, "Can your ally Concentrate on a spell when you teleport out of sight and over unknown distance?"

Also, having 10 people buff you at once for a one-shot fight with no spell limit sounds like helluva fun...

5E brings a new angle to groups of casters - circles, colleges, covens, et cetera - if you consider that the ability of an individual to maintain concentration on a spell can be thought of as a resource.

I've been thinking about whether this kind of thing will become (if it hasn't already) a consideration in how players go about selecting which classes and builds people are going to play. I can't say from experience as my 5E group hasn't yet started play.

 

[Riley37]

...the ability of an individual to maintain concentration on a spell can be thought of as a resource

It could be an argument for a level in a caster class, or for Eldritch Knight and for Arcane Trickster. A Monk 5 / Cleric 1 who provides Guidance on noncombat tasks, and maintains Bless on the party in combat, might contribute more than a Monk 6.

It's also an argument for minions (such as apprentices or hirelings) with a caster level, for buff backup.

Arguments for "nonzero magic ability" are not new to 5E. This is just one more.