Melee Mage - low level spell options?

Ciaran

First Post
Hey there!

For an upcoming campaign, I'm planning to play an angry young noble with a penchant for duels and who dabbles in wizardry. In terms of game mechanics, I'm going for a fighter/rogue/wizard (wizard primary) who fights with two weapons and supplements his melee combat abilities with magic. Unfortunately, there aren't all that many combat enhancement magics, as wizards are generally expected to fight from afar rather than mixing it up with a sword in each hand. :D

What low-level spells would you advise looking at to supplement this kind of concept? I'm already planning to start off with Mage Armor and Shield, and I'll go for Blur, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace and Mirror Image when I get access to 2nd level spells. Feel free to suggest spells from sources other than the PHB, as I expect to be able to do a reasonable amount of "original" spell research in-game.

Thanks!

- Eric
 

log in or register to remove this ad


dkilgo said:
What books are we able to pull from? All of the source material?
Sure. WotC, third party, OGL or not, whatever. If it looks cool and I don't own it, I'll check it out. :)

- Eric
 

Vivid Discharge from either BoEM I or II. 2nd level, surrounds you in a crakling sheath of electricity that fries the first gammy sod to hit you in mellee.

Burning Hands for the up close and personal area attack. Better yet, get craft wand as a 5th level wizard and put it into a wand. No AoO for using a wand.

Mobility enhancing spells could be useful as well, such as exp. retreat and jump.
 

Ciaran said:
Hey there!

For an upcoming campaign, I'm planning to play an angry young noble with a penchant for duels and who dabbles in wizardry. In terms of game mechanics, I'm going for a fighter/rogue/wizard (wizard primary) who fights with two weapons and supplements his melee combat abilities with magic. Unfortunately, there aren't all that many combat enhancement magics, as wizards are generally expected to fight from afar rather than mixing it up with a sword in each hand. :D


You'll have other troubles as well. Casting a spell with somatic components requires a free hand--something you don't have if you have a sword in each hand. I'd think about modifying the concept to a sword and armor spikes, a double sword, or forget about two weapon fighting altogether.


What low-level spells would you advise looking at to supplement this kind of concept? I'm already planning to start off with Mage Armor and Shield, and I'll go for Blur, Bull's Strength, Cat's Grace and Mirror Image when I get access to 2nd level spells. Feel free to suggest spells from sources other than the PHB, as I expect to be able to do a reasonable amount of "original" spell research in-game.

Thanks!

- Eric

Mage Armor is only useful if you don't wear the real thing. I'd consider buying real armor and living with the spell failure. Mithril chain shirts and mithril breastplates are the best purchases in this regard.

Shield is the king of first level defensive spells though. Learn it, love it (and learn to deal with its limitations--it only protects against half the battlefield which is often interpreted as three contiguous squares so learn to keep enemies on the diagonal or talk your DM into letting it follow one opponent).

Also consider True Strike which is ideal for enabling you to successfully disarm anyone and Burning Hands. Since you'll be mixing it up close and personal, the short range isn't a limitation. Protection from evil is another must have 1st level spell.

At second level, forget about Blur and seriously consider losing Mirror Image. Bull's Strength and Cat's Grace are excellent spells. So is Glitterdust. Protection From Arrows can be a good defensive spell in the right circumstances too.

Blur, OTOH, would be weak even as a first level spell (if you're worried about sneak attacks, make a scroll of obscuring mist. . . .) I'd take protection from evil over Blur any day of the week. The basic problem is this. Even if your opponent could hit you on a two, blur would at best cause 19% of the enemies total attacks to miss. (It's almost as good as a 4 point increase in AC). In that same situation, Protection From Evil causes 10% of the attacks to miss. However, if your opponent needs to roll a 16 in order to hit you, blur is only equivalent to about one point of AC. The two points of AC from Protection from Evil for a first level spell look like a much better deal. The difference is even more marked if your opponent needs an 18 to hit you. Blur reduces your total damage taken by 20%. Protection From Evil reduces it by 67%.

Blur is especially bad for a fighter/wizard since fighter/wizards tend to have very high AC (due to Shield, Cat's Grace, etc).

Mirror image is also a bad idea for the fighter/wizard since you have an AC which probably requires the opponent to roll a 17+ in order to hit. The images, however, probably only require a 6 (or less) to hit--they've AC 10+dex bonus. So, most of the attacks which take out the images wouldn't have hit you anyway. . . .

At third level, look at Haste, Blink, Displacement, Fly, and Greater Magic Weapon.
 

1st: True Strike
2nd: Asassin's Senses (R&R, adds 1 to threat rane and crit multiplier)
3rd: Keen Edge, Haste
4th: Improved Invisibility, Stoneskin

Look into getting Gloves of Storing, which will let you fight with two weapons and still cast spells (free action to store a weapon, standard action to cast, free action to retrieve weapon). A Ring of Force Shield or a Mithral Buckler would also be useful.
 

These were my own custom spells for a sorcerer / fighter I played (with a water theme)

BLADESTREAM
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 1, Dru 1
Components: V, S, M/DF
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Touch
Effect: One weapon
Duration: 1 minute / level (D)
Saving Throw: Will negates (object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless)
The blade of weapon touched becomes sounded by a thin layer of water that moves and swirls at tremendous speeds across it's surface. This adds 1d6 slashing damage on a successful attack, though the strange gyroscopic forces at work on the blade causes a -1 circumstance penalty to attack rolls for the duration. This casn not be used on a flaming, icy, or shocking weapon as this simply extinguishes the fire, freezes the water and shorts out the current, respectively.
Arcane Material Component: A tiny leather dagger sheath, cut from a wineskin.

FROZEN SPEAR
Conjuration (creation) [cold]
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 0 ft.
Effect: One crystalline spear of magical ice
Duration: 1 hour / level or until used
Saving Throw: Reflex half (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
Frozen Spear creates a magical (+1 enhancement bonus, icy) shortspear of pure ice, one size category larger than the caster (a human, for instance, gets the standard large shortspear). The spear is physicaly a typical shortspear in every regard, except it is comprised of magical ice and has the same hardness (+1 point as a +1 weapon). After any successful melee attack the caster can opt, as a free action, to have the spear shatter in a blast of focused cold. This deals an additional 1d6 cold damage / 2 caster levels (maximum 5d6) to whatever the caster struck with the spear.
If the spear ever leaves the caster's hand it explodes with a similar blast of cold: any creature within 5' of the spear takes 3d6 cold damage, a reflex save halves this amount. If intentionally thrown the spear explodes in this manner after it strikes something, otherwise this happens instantly (typically catching the caster in the blast). If the spear is thrown and hits it's target, they are caught in the effect, likewise if it hits their touch AC but fails to penetrate their armor. If the throw is a clean miss the DM determines where the spear explodes. If the spear is disarmed with a weapon both the disarmed and the wielder are caught within the blast, the same effect results from the spear being sundered. If the spear is caught by or disarmed bare-handed by a foolish individual they get no reflex save against the damage from the explosion.
Check for spell resistance only against the blast of cold from an exploding spear, or from the willed shatter after a successful melee hit.
Material Component: A drop of water from a melted icicle.

WATERBLAST
Evocation
Level: Sor/Wiz 2
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close
Effect: See text
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: (see text)
Spell Resistance: Yes
This spell creates a sudden controlled blast of water under high pressure. There are three versions. All can be used to a varying extent to extinguish fires and such, and produce about 10 gallons per caster level if the water is properly collected.
Spray - This effect is a loose but powerful spray of water across a wide area. It creates a cone starting at the caster out to the maximum range of the spell. Any creature or object caught in this blast must make a reflex save or be knocked prone or over (in the case of unsecured objects). Creatures of huge or larger size are immune.
Stream - A more focused and high pressure application of the same amount of water into a stream about one foot in radius, effectively a ray. If you make a ranged touch attack against a creature it can be used to bull-rush, using an effective strength score of 14+ your caster level (maximum effective strength of 24). The waterstream is counted as a medium sized creature. It can not push a creature or object beyond it's maximum range. It can push an unsecured object across the ground as if it were a creature of the same strength and size as used when determining bull rush results. (See Table 9-1, PH 142)
Jet - Forcing the same amount of water into a jet only the slightest fraction of an inch across, no more than a few hairs wide, can produce a truly staggering force of pure destruction. A waterjet deals 1d4 slashing & piercing damage per two caster levels (maximum 5d4) on a successful touch attack (also a ray) as it shears effortlessly through flesh and along the bone underneath. However, the jet looses potency quickly as air resistance breaks it apart: this form of the spell only deals half damage if used beyond a range equal to your normal melee reach.
 

HOUSERULES ALERT :D

Well well... Ciaran: Take a look at the spellsinger class in the KoK Players Guide.

You'd have no problems with wearing armours and wielding weapons since your spells only have verbal components. Little problem: Silence screws you.

For spells: Colour Spray. Even if opponents counter it by closing their eyes, whack them to pieces.

If you prefer to go wizard... Spellsword Pr Class.
 

CHeck out the Book of ELdritch Might from Monte Cook. It has a series of spells that would be great for a melee mage - the marks. Each one is both a buff and attack. For instance, the Mark of Fire boosts your dex by a couple of points. But you can also 'spend it', losing the buff but doing damage to your enemy (IIRC - don't have the book right now)

You can get this book on his website, http://www.montecook.com in pdf format. There is also a print version available.
 

Mirror Move from the Wotc webite in their spell book feature. It is a 2nd lvl wizard spell that lets you have your Int mod in general feats drawn from those around you for 10 min/lvl.



Marcus
 

Remove ads

Top