Persistent Spell: is it worth it?

[Herzog]

I've started various builds with the intention of including Persistent Spell somewhere along the way, most of the time to have (a) certain buff(s) like Gravestrike available 24 hours a day.

Most recently, I was trying to get both Hunter's Eye and Sniper's Shot Persisted, to have lots of Sneak Attack with unlimited range available.

However, the following occurred to me:

How powerful IS a persisted 1st or 2nd lvl spell, when compared to the 7th or 8th lvl spell (assuming no MetaMagic reduction or Divine Metamagic substitutions) it replaces?

Also, given the fact you'll have to wait to use the persisted version of a spell until you can cast spells of the required level, is it worth the wait?

 

[xigbar]

If you're using the right spell. Certain buffs become invaluable at all levels when put to a 24 hour time context. Of course, Permanency can do this for certain spells more effectively, but Persistent makes a nice use on a support character. (Righteous Might.)

 

[Herzog]

Maybe I should ask a different question:

WHICH spells are worth it?

And Righteous Might is a 5th level spell, so can ONLY be used in combination with Persistent Spell when using divine metamagic or something similar. (and since I'm mostly asking this for arcane spells, I asked for no divine metamagic substitutions)

 

[Dandu]

Persist Haste could be useful. Fly too.

 

[Empirate]

Fly? With Overland Flight available?

 

[Dandu]

Maneuverability.

 

[Empirate]

An ninth level slot instead of a fifth level one, for just an extra bit of maneuverability? I don't think so. I even doubt persistent Haste would be worth it, when Shapechange is available instead.

 

[StreamOfTheSky]

Persistent Wraithstrike?

 

[xigbar]

An ninth level slot instead of a fifth level one, for just an extra bit of maneuverability? I don't think so. I even doubt persistent Haste would be worth it, when Shapechange is available instead.

Or you could have both.

 

[Dandu]

An ninth level slot instead of a fifth level one, for just an extra bit of maneuverability? I don't think so.

It's not the best use of a 9th level spell slot, but it's one of the few third level spells I can think of that I'd consider if I were to persist something.

I even doubt persistent Haste would be worth it, when Shapechange is available instead.

Shapechange can't affect the entire party. Most of the time.

Spending a 9th level spell slot on making the entire party really twitchy might not be up there with Shapechange, but then again, many Epic spells aren't on par with Shapechange. It's definitely better than Meteor Swarm, Energy Drain, and Wierd.