To use "buff spells" or not to use "buff spells"? That is the question.

[Methos]

Actually, it is not just Demons and Devils.

A low level Orc Shaman can do some serious damage with a single Dispel Magic (I've wondered why Adepts cannot cast Dispel Magic, seems like a natural spell for them).

I ran a Dwarven Illusionist who loved to buff up and duke it out, just like the Fighters in the group.

He did real well until we had a long range encounter (800+ feet) where he ran up (Expeditious Retreat) to a half dozen Orcs and an Orc Shaman. Since the rest of the PCs were in armor and shooting missiles at the Orcs, he was way out in front of them.

The Orcs dropped their bows and surrounded him. Normally, this is not a problem for him. However, the Shaman cast a Dispel Magic on him and he suddenly lost his Expeditious Retreat, Mage Armor, and Mirror Image (he hadn't had time to cast Endurance or Cat's Grace yet). All 3 spells disappeared and he suddenly had a much lower AC, no images to bleed off attacks, and he could no longer run away quickly enough. Even though he had the Tumble skill and could get out, they could quickly surround him again without the Expeditious Retreat.

Opps.

In one round, he was lying unconscious on the ground.

Nice. Sounds like something my DM would do. I play a "battle wizard" currently with a level of cleric and a level of fighter, but have now taken 7 levels of wizard. I have learned that no matter how buff I can make myself, or my fellow PC's, there is a major problem when any of us get separated.

A good DM will continue to challenge players and find interesting encounters that can't just simply be overcome by "buffing", lots of magic items, higher skills, etc. Especially, if the DM has been careful to balance out the amount of treasure, and magic items doled out to the players in the first place.

There is an old adage: "There is always something bigger"

 

[James McMurray]

They have no flare. All they do is increase stuff on the character sheet and make the numbers bigger. Not that exciting for me.

Buffing spells only lack flare if played that way. If the cleric's player tells the fighter's player add 3 to your strength from Bull's Strength" then it lacks flare. If instead he tells him, "your veins bulge from your biceps and the song of the gods courses through them. Every now and then a small puff of fire that does not burn drips from your tear ducts and you feel the might of Heironious driving your sword arm. (by the way, add 3 to your strength)" then you have some flare.

Every single spell in the game can be done with or without flare (except of course for the spell flare itself ). "I fireball for 36 damage" vs. "Scorching flames engulf my foes, leaving them blistered and burnt (for 36 damage).

 

[Taloras]

We generally have bulls strength and endurance cast on the fighter, and endurance on the rogue (cats grace wont stack w/ his gloves of dex +4, which combined w/ his 18 dex, gives him a 22). thats generally all the buffing we need.

 

[HEL Pit Fiend]

If instead he tells him, "your veins bulge from your biceps and the song of the gods courses through them. Every now and then a small puff of fire that does not burn drips from your tear ducts and you feel the might of Heironious driving your sword arm. (by the way, add 3 to your strength)" then you have some flare.

My group could use more players like you.

 

[James McMurray]

Every group could use more players like me.

 

[Mr.Binx]

Every group could use more players like me.

Even your own? ... That'd be kind of spooky actually...

 

[Crothian]

Buffing spells only lack flare if played that way. If the cleric's player tells the fighter's player add 3 to your strength from Bull's Strength" then it lacks flare. If instead he tells him, "your veins bulge from your biceps and the song of the gods courses through them. Every now and then a small puff of fire that does not burn drips from your tear ducts and you feel the might of Heironious driving your sword arm. (by the way, add 3 to your strength)" then you have some flare.

Every single spell in the game can be done with or without flare (except of course for the spell flare itself ). "I fireball for 36 damage" vs. "Scorching flames engulf my foes, leaving them blistered and burnt (for 36 damage).

Well, sure, but I think it'd have been nicve if they had included the flare with the spell. Sometimes I'm flared out for describing spells like that.

 

[Crothian]

Even your own? ... That'd be kind of spooky actually...

Or he just wants to replace all the other people with clones of himself.....

 

[0-hr]

As a cleric, I keep a list of what I call "Day Spells". These are the long duration spells that I cast at the start of the adventuring day, pretty much every day. It makes it easier to just tell the DM that we're going to take a couple of minutes to run through the Day Spells Ritual, rather than having to go down the list every time. It also lets the other players get used to having the same buffs each day, so they are ready with their 4 siders and know what stats are going to be adjusted. Honestly, though, the great majority of the spells get cast on myself

At level 15, my current list of Day Spells, for myself, is as follows:

Undetectable Alignment
Slow Poison
Magic Vestment (armor)
Magic Vestment (shield)
Spikes (club)
Blindsight
Greater Magic Weapon +5 (club)
Endurance (empoweredx2)
Fortunate Fate

Fortunate Fate only lasts 150 minutes but the rest all last 15 hours. In addition, I cast Energy Immunity every night at about midnight; and Deeper Darkness on a coin and Dimensional Lock on my bedroom every couple of weeks. There's also a weekly blessing spell that I forget the name of ("Touch of ..."). And there's a week long party-endurance spell that I keep meaning to use but never seem to get around too.

Anyway, I definitely notice the +10 AC and 75 extra hitpoints I have during the day. And having my normal old walking stick be a +5 weapon that does an extra +15 damage is fairly noticeable as well.

 

[gamecat]

so everyone in that campaign is in a battle to "out-describe" the other... Rheo tries that all the time, IT BUGS!!!