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dextercorvia
2010-06-22, 10:36 PM
So, among other things, I've been playing with a Wizard5/Wild Mage1 with Practiced Spellcaster. Using Arcane Thesis, and a couple of other tricks I can get a CL for one spell up to 10+1d6, but I'm having trouble coming up with a level 1-3 spell that really benefits from this.

The best I have now is Scorching Ray with Maximize, Empower, Energy Sub [Acid] and Cooperative, which is cast from a 3rd level slot, and shoots 3 rays for a total of 72+6d6 damage, or switching Maximize with Energy Admixture and waiting until 7th for 36d6 damage over three rays.

I'm sure the playground can do better, though. So, which spell should I thesis?

Edit: Actually the first example has a CL of 9+1d6 for scorching ray, so I have to roll a 2 or better to pull this off.

PId6
2010-06-22, 10:44 PM
You missed a feat: Reserves of Strength, from DLCS. Lets you ignore CL caps on spells.

Keld Denar
2010-06-22, 10:45 PM
Shame on you PId6....show some self restraint!

PId6
2010-06-22, 10:47 PM
Shame on you PId6....show some self restraint!
What is this "self restraint" you speak of? :miko:

dextercorvia
2010-06-22, 10:48 PM
You missed a feat: Reserves of Strength, from DLCS. Lets you ignore CL caps on spells.

I was looking for that one, but all I could remember was 'that dragonlance feat that removes the cap'. It's a +1 metamagic, no?

It wouldn't apply to Scorching ray though, since that is a cap on rays, not damage dice, right? I'll have to take another look at Combust.

Thrice Dead Cat
2010-06-22, 10:55 PM
Reserves of Strength is actually not a metamagic feat.

EDIT: Silly forum limiting the number of posts I can make in a minute.:smallsigh:

Keld Denar
2010-06-22, 10:57 PM
Its not metamagic. You just take damage for each +CL you give the spell, up to 3 levels. Its pretty clear that it was intended only to push the bounds of the spell for those 3 levels, but it was worded pretty crappily.

Combust would be ok, but I'd look for a spell with a bit more range.

dextercorvia
2010-06-22, 10:58 PM
I just noticed that. It leaves you stunned though. Not very useful for in combat, however, I think it means that I can Alter Self up to a 12+1d6 HD form. Does anyone know when you roll the Wild Mage ability, before or after you announce the effect?

Fax Celestis
2010-06-22, 11:49 PM
I like poison (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/poison.htm), myself.

dextercorvia
2010-06-22, 11:51 PM
I like poison (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/poison.htm), myself.

Took me two reads to catch the CL in there. Nice.

Superglucose
2010-06-23, 12:56 AM
I just noticed that. It leaves you stunned though. Not very useful for in combat, however, I think it means that I can Alter Self up to a 12+1d6 HD form. Does anyone know when you roll the Wild Mage ability, before or after you announce the effect?
Alter Self from humanoid isn't all that impressive imo. It's when you get the outsider type that things get nasty.

That being said, 12+1d6 CL on a lesser tiefling casting Alter Self? Suddenly you get to rock out as Horned Devil as a 6th level character. Heloooo CR 16 encounter :smallwink:

Optimystik
2010-06-23, 01:05 AM
Took me two reads to catch the CL in there. Nice.

Too bad you can't cast it :smalltongue:

Volthawk
2010-06-23, 01:11 AM
Alter Self from humanoid isn't all that impressive imo. It's when you get the outsider type that things get nasty.

That being said, 12+1d6 CL on a lesser tiefling casting Alter Self? Suddenly you get to rock out as Horned Devil as a 6th level character. Heloooo CR 16 encounter :smallwink:

Lesser Planetouched are humanoids.

Hague
2010-06-23, 02:04 AM
Well, you can become an Elan and you can Alter Self into Aberrations.

Hendel
2010-06-23, 02:08 AM
Wings of Flurry from Races of the Dragon is a a good spell that scales with CL as there is no cap on the number of d6 you can get.

Edit: Yep, I read right over that line about 1-3, so Scorching Ray is great for that. My low level Pathfinder Sorcerer uses it for now.

GoodbyeSoberDay
2010-06-23, 02:15 AM
Wings of Flurry from Races of the Dragon is a a good spell that scales with CL as there is no cap on the number of d6 you can get.A few problems:

Level 4, he wants level 1-3
Sorcerer only
Reflex: Half
SR: Yes

IMO at that level Scorching Ray is your best bet.

Milskidasith
2010-06-23, 02:19 AM
Buy Third Eye Clarity's to stop from being stunned by Reserves of Strength. 3k each, and they prevent one use of stunning per day, though it takes a while to change them (two standards) so you only really need two.

You could also take the necropolitan template, but that loses you a level and a bit of EXP.

GoodbyeSoberDay
2010-06-23, 02:29 AM
I don't have DCS handy, so might someone tell me what would happen if one cast, say, an Ocular Orb of Fire at CL 20 using Reserves of Strength? As in, would it be 18d6 or 20d6, and would you be stunned at casting or upon 'unloading' the ocular spells?

Curmudgeon
2010-06-23, 04:00 AM
Not very useful for in combat, however, I think it means that I can Alter Self up to a 12+1d6 HD form.
I don't see where you're getting either of these figures from.
The maximum HD of an assumed form is equal to your caster level, to a maximum of 5 HD at 5th level. Reserves of Strength says:
Your increased caster level affects all level-dependent variables of the spell ... You can exceed the normal level-fixed limits of a spell with this feat ... So you can get (CL + 1/3/5) HD from Alter Self, and be stunned for 1/3/5 rounds and also exhausted. There's no 1d6 there.

Keld Denar
2010-06-23, 09:11 AM
The 1d6 comes from Wild Mage. Thats assuming he's patching the negative CL over with Practiced Spellcaster using the "most beneficial" stacking of abilities.

dextercorvia
2010-06-23, 03:12 PM
Indeed.

Wizard5/WildMage1 CL3+1d6

Spellgifted(Transmutation) +1CLTransmutation/-1CLEverything Else -- This is actually one of the reasons I'm asking, I'm trying to pick which school to pick this trait for.

Practiced Spellcaster +3CL (For transmutations +4 for everything else)

Arcane Thesis +2 to thesis spell -- again trying to determine which spell to thesis

Reserves of strength +1,+2,+3 with1,2, or 3 rounds of stun (Cast on an Out of Combat long duration spell, I think the stun is better than the damage)

Assuming the Liberal reading of Reserves of Strength, that is

3+1+3+2+3+1d6=12+1d6.

Even a conservative reading on Reserves of Strength (that the cap removal only applies to the CL boost from Reserves of Strength), just means I pick a different spell to Thesis, and at Wiz3 could have a CL of 7 for Alter Self.