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What's your favorite PHB spell?
- Thread starter Napftor
- Start date
Herobizkit
Adventurer
I like a lot of different spells for different reasons, but I happen to enjoy Hideous Laughter the most.
I've used this spell to defeat a group of Hill Giants, although it was a one-on-us-at-a-time guerilla mission that lasted nearly a week. With their horrible Will save and my Enchanter at the helm, they were pretty much powerless against it. While each giant rolled around on the ground, laughing hideously, we beat them senseless. They pretty much laughed themselves to death.
I've used this spell to defeat a group of Hill Giants, although it was a one-on-us-at-a-time guerilla mission that lasted nearly a week. With their horrible Will save and my Enchanter at the helm, they were pretty much powerless against it. While each giant rolled around on the ground, laughing hideously, we beat them senseless. They pretty much laughed themselves to death.
Speak With Animals
Since my PC is a Ranger, I prefer the Speak With Animals spell, if the GM doesn't hate it (Piratecat does). It allows me to interrogate, and ask for aid from, creatures that would not otherwise be of any use to the party, better communicate with my Animal Companion, and gather information that might otherwise be inaccessible to the Druidless party... I can ask a bird to carry a message for me (even without the higher-level Animal Messenger spell, although I risk getting a "No"), I can ask the local birds and squirrels if they saw the (X) pass by here, I can ask the gutter-rats if they know who killed this person lying in their gutter, I can ask the local Bear if there are any Fey nearby, ask the shivering rabbit why it's scared, etc.
This is further helped by Wild Empathy, as the +Level bonus to Diplomacy attempts, to befriend or convince an Animal or Magical Beast (at a -4 penalty), can greatly aid such attempts. Speak With Animals, used in conjunction with Wild Empathy, should probably grant AT LEAST a +2 Circumstance Bonus, and that's in addition to the +4 when dealing with the Animal Companion.
Another use is in teaching an Animal Companion something complicated, which would ordinarily be beyond their intellectual capabilities. By carefully explaining it to them, you can enable them to perform complex tasks, such as going over to the hook on the wall, and bringing you that ring of metal keys, while being as quiet as possible, so as not to awaken the sleeping Ogre guarding the cell your party is stuck in, for example!
Since my PC is a Ranger, I prefer the Speak With Animals spell, if the GM doesn't hate it (Piratecat does). It allows me to interrogate, and ask for aid from, creatures that would not otherwise be of any use to the party, better communicate with my Animal Companion, and gather information that might otherwise be inaccessible to the Druidless party... I can ask a bird to carry a message for me (even without the higher-level Animal Messenger spell, although I risk getting a "No"), I can ask the local birds and squirrels if they saw the (X) pass by here, I can ask the gutter-rats if they know who killed this person lying in their gutter, I can ask the local Bear if there are any Fey nearby, ask the shivering rabbit why it's scared, etc.
This is further helped by Wild Empathy, as the +Level bonus to Diplomacy attempts, to befriend or convince an Animal or Magical Beast (at a -4 penalty), can greatly aid such attempts. Speak With Animals, used in conjunction with Wild Empathy, should probably grant AT LEAST a +2 Circumstance Bonus, and that's in addition to the +4 when dealing with the Animal Companion.
Another use is in teaching an Animal Companion something complicated, which would ordinarily be beyond their intellectual capabilities. By carefully explaining it to them, you can enable them to perform complex tasks, such as going over to the hook on the wall, and bringing you that ring of metal keys, while being as quiet as possible, so as not to awaken the sleeping Ogre guarding the cell your party is stuck in, for example!
Dracomeander
First Post
How about Mirror Image? It is a fun little spell that generates more than its share of rules connundrums.
I just like the idea that it is like the old basket trick (which one's he in) without the basket.
I just like the idea that it is like the old basket trick (which one's he in) without the basket.
Dark Psion
First Post
Well, it's both a Psionic Power and a Spell, but Minor Creation would be a favorite. Especially as a Psionic power since it only costs 1 power point per use.
It is so versitile; need a rope, need a ladder, or maybe just a chair? Here you go.
Invisible thief? Create a linen sheet and toss it!
Wizard about to cast a fireball? Sheet of plywood 4 ft in front of him!
And as plant matter; how about stinky cabbage? Rose bush with thorns? Poison Ivy? Maybe even a cloud of pollen? That'll critical hit your allergies!
I already have both Magic Missle and Fireball, so I would have to choose door #3.
It is so versitile; need a rope, need a ladder, or maybe just a chair? Here you go.
Invisible thief? Create a linen sheet and toss it!
Wizard about to cast a fireball? Sheet of plywood 4 ft in front of him!
And as plant matter; how about stinky cabbage? Rose bush with thorns? Poison Ivy? Maybe even a cloud of pollen? That'll critical hit your allergies!
I already have both Magic Missle and Fireball, so I would have to choose door #3.
Shrink Item. I've loved it since it entered the game in 2Ed.
One of my PCs dropped a bunch of itemized boulders, fires and vials of oil onto a party of adventurers (long story) and spoke the command words as they fell. The party was effectively hit by an avalanche which was followed up by oil, ignited by the fires.
Its useful for increasing your carrying capacity and smuglling all kinds of contraband.
If you cast permanency on something you've itemized, you can shrink and grow the item as many times as you want...perfect for things you don't want anyone to find, but you always want on hand.
One of my PCs dropped a bunch of itemized boulders, fires and vials of oil onto a party of adventurers (long story) and spoke the command words as they fell. The party was effectively hit by an avalanche which was followed up by oil, ignited by the fires.
Its useful for increasing your carrying capacity and smuglling all kinds of contraband.
If you cast permanency on something you've itemized, you can shrink and grow the item as many times as you want...perfect for things you don't want anyone to find, but you always want on hand.
demiurge1138
Inventor of Super-Toast
Shield. As good an armor bonus as mage armor? Check. More difficult to fill the bonus with magic items? Check. Blocks the most common low-level attack spell? Check. Shield has saved my wizard and warlock PCs (and NPCs) more times than I can remember.
Demiurge out.
Demiurge out.
HeapThaumaturgist
First Post
Pyrotechnics.
It's a multi-purpose spell, for one, which makes it very useful. Flexibility in a spell slot is useful for both Wizards and Sorcs, so Pyro fits the bill.
The blindness effect is great for breaching rooms flash-bang SWAT style, tossing in a torch and letting the wizard pop it with pyro. He's always blinded, but the party can stay out of LOS and be fine.
And if you're in a fight with some big bad uglies you can often find a way to break the smoke out to try and nerf their damage output (STR) and AC (DEX). It's very effective for messing up archers and casters as well, letting you snuff a nearby torch to break their LOS as well as lower their dex and thus their ranged attack bonuses.
It's usually a must-have for any arcane character I build.
--fje
It's a multi-purpose spell, for one, which makes it very useful. Flexibility in a spell slot is useful for both Wizards and Sorcs, so Pyro fits the bill.
The blindness effect is great for breaching rooms flash-bang SWAT style, tossing in a torch and letting the wizard pop it with pyro. He's always blinded, but the party can stay out of LOS and be fine.
And if you're in a fight with some big bad uglies you can often find a way to break the smoke out to try and nerf their damage output (STR) and AC (DEX). It's very effective for messing up archers and casters as well, letting you snuff a nearby torch to break their LOS as well as lower their dex and thus their ranged attack bonuses.
It's usually a must-have for any arcane character I build.
--fje
coyote6
Adventurer
Steverooo said:
That's not quite true -- for example, no cure or inflict spell requires a Divine Focus. According to the SRD, neither do animate objects, blade barrier, blasphemy/dictum/holy word/word of chaos, blindness/deafness, command, contagion, destruction, holy aura (& variants), miracle, searing light, slay living, silence, storm of vengeance, word of recall, the various symbols, or several other cleric spells.
There's quite a variety of spells a cleric without a holy symbol can cast. Important for those evil clerics, they can still spontaneously cast inflict spells.
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