What are the best low level clerical spells for use in warfare?

[Evilhalfling]

I am designing a culture that has been invading & conquring other nations, and doing so with the advantage of clerical might. I was figuring that they would just train many low level clerics, and mix them in with troops. Clerics of a war diety are just as good as warriors in a straight fight, spells are just a bonus.
I am thinking that a 3rd level priest expecting mass combat would have:

0th - create water, mending, the rest in detect magic (or converted to cure minor)
1st - magic weapon (d) Bless, Bane, Shield of Faith?? (or a 2nd Bless)
2nd - Spritual Weapon (d) and Silence, (good for neutralizing spell casters or screwing up Command and Control of enemies

for 3rd level - Create Food and Water wins. They might memorize dispel magic or wind wall on days they expect direct conflict, but the standard choice will be food creation.

Suggestions? Comments ?

 

[Saeviomagy]

Bless is by far the best spell for mass combat. Unlimited targets within 50' and a +1 to hit to all of them. Then save all the rest of your spells for healing later. Nothing else on the 1st and 2nd level charts beats those.

 

[MaxKaladin]

Sound Burst is a 2nd level cleric spell that does 1d8 damage to anyone within 10 feet and stuns those who fail a will save for one round. That keeps them from acting, costs them their dex bonus and gives +2 to hit them. Timed right, this seems like a good spell for breaking formations. You'll kill some 1st level characters outright and stun some of the rest for your warriors to wade in and crack the formation.

 

[Shallown]

Bless combined with Bane would be nasty to low level grunts.

Darkness is the only 2nd level spell I see worth using. Silence isn'tgreat since sounds in the middle of a fight are confusing enough for commands so many commands at that point would be visual except for horns or drums being used for giving commands. so it would depend on the enemy. each spell used in different places would induce a good deal of chaos.

Single target spells are a waste.

Cure minor wounds and CLW will save many lives a wand of each could turn the tides of battle the following day since you would be ready with at least twice as many troops who instead of having fell in the field and bled out are instead ready for a fight.

Would be scary to have a low level cleric/sorceror as well As a PC they might not be much but you could combo some nasty spells.

later

 

[Rackhir]

If you were doing a somewhat realistic campaign, it would be cure disease. Since that was the number one killer of troops until modern sanitation and antibiotics came into their own.

 

[MerricB]

From the Miniatures' Handbook:

1st level Cleric Spells:
Guiding Light: +1 on ranged attacks agaisnt creatures in illuminated area

2nd level Cleric Spells:
Quick March: Allies' (20'r burst) speed increase by 30 feet for 1 round

3rd Level Cleric Spells:
Conviction, Legions: Allies get +2 or higher save bonus

From Heroes of Battle:
2nd level Cleric Spells:
Resounding Voice: Your voice carries 100 ft/level

3rd level Cleric Spells:
Battlemagic Perception: Sense and counter spellcasting within 100 feet

Cheers!

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

I would say:

0- Cure Minor Wounds, Create Water (though it's not really got enough capacity to change the face of warfare, it would make an incremental difference in the need for supply)
1- Bless, Obscuring Mist (good for shielding troops from archers or, in mass quantities, covering an advance or retreat), bane, magic weapon (though it's primarily useful for enabling a sergeant or other unusually skilled warrior (maybe War 3 or Ftr 2) to damage a foe with DR x/magic), and protection from evil (mostly useful for standing in the path of large summoned creatures--depending upon the layout of the battlefield, a cleric might be able to block off some things like giant stag beetles which are otherwise devastating on the battlefield with their trample ability)

2. Wind Wall. Blessed Aim (CD or CW), silence, darkness

3. Deeper Darkness, Daylight, Dispel Magic, Magic Circle vs. Evil (like Prot evil but much more effective). Create Food and Water is good but won't remove the need for a supply chain and remove disease is good, but more in preventing plagues from starting than in ending them.

 

[fusangite]

Sound Burst is a 2nd level cleric spell that does 1d8 damage to anyone within 10 feet and stuns those who fail a will save for one round. That keeps them from acting, costs them their dex bonus and gives +2 to hit them. Timed right, this seems like a good spell for breaking formations. You'll kill some 1st level characters outright and stun some of the rest for your warriors to wade in and crack the formation.

Just chiming in in favour of Sound Burst -- it's so good it's positively unbalanced. 4.5 damage with no save -- this is basically the equivalent of 3D6 with a mediocre save DC. The stunning is just an added bonus.

 

[CGoat]

3rd level cleric spells
mass lesser vigor
spikes

 

[Orius]

Prayer would be a good choice for third level as well.