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<blockquote data-quote="Elder-Basilisk" data-source="post: 922360" data-attributes="member: 3146">Not really. There's a very narrow window of use for the new 3.5e stat buffs (if there's any at all--my calculations indicate that bless, mage armor, protection from evil, and shield of faith will typically be more effective at increasing or reducing damage which makes one wonder how to justify the 2nd level slot). They begin to be available at level 3 at which point they can't be extended. Level 5 is the earliest that they can be extended and, at that point, it's only useful in the rare group of dungeons that are longer than 5 minutes and shorter than 10. By level 6, characters will start to accumulate stat buffing items (at least in 3.5e where such items will be far more desirable) thus dramatically reducing the of extended stat buff spells in general; if characters don't have such items by level 8, something's wrong. So, the window of usefulness for stat buffs in general (if it exists at all; I don't think it does) is level 3-8. That makes the window of usefulness for extended stat buffs 5-8. At the low end of those levels, 3rd level slots are precious commodities as they will form the spellcaster's highest level spells. At the high end of those levels, stat buff items become common and 3rd level spell slots are still the bulk of a sor/wiz's offensive spells and a significant portion of a cleric's spells (at best, an 8th level cleric might have 4 4th level spells, some of which are probably committed to spells like Restoration or Greater Magic Weapon so 3rd level spells will still see regular combat use). That doesn't leave much of a window where PCs both have the ability to cast extended statbuffs and where their effect could possibly justify their opportunity cost.</blockquote>

[QUOTE="Elder-Basilisk, post: 922360, member: 3146"] Not really. There's a very narrow window of use for the new 3.5e stat buffs (if there's any at all--my calculations indicate that bless, mage armor, protection from evil, and shield of faith will typically be more effective at increasing or reducing damage which makes one wonder how to justify the 2nd level slot). They begin to be available at level 3 at which point they can't be extended. Level 5 is the earliest that they can be extended and, at that point, it's only useful in the rare group of dungeons that are longer than 5 minutes and shorter than 10. By level 6, characters will start to accumulate stat buffing items (at least in 3.5e where such items will be far more desirable) thus dramatically reducing the of extended stat buff spells in general; if characters don't have such items by level 8, something's wrong. So, the window of usefulness for stat buffs in general (if it exists at all; I don't think it does) is level 3-8. That makes the window of usefulness for extended stat buffs 5-8. At the low end of those levels, 3rd level slots are precious commodities as they will form the spellcaster's highest level spells. At the high end of those levels, stat buff items become common and 3rd level spell slots are still the bulk of a sor/wiz's offensive spells and a significant portion of a cleric's spells (at best, an 8th level cleric might have 4 4th level spells, some of which are probably committed to spells like Restoration or Greater Magic Weapon so 3rd level spells will still see regular combat use). That doesn't leave much of a window where PCs both have the ability to cast extended statbuffs and where their effect could possibly justify their opportunity cost. [/QUOTE]

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