Originally Posted by
HalfQuart
Unless you can use hit-and-run tactics regularly, Power Word Pain takes too long to be useful for PCs. It is killer when used against PCs by NPCs, though, so I recommend staying away from it entirely to not give your DM any ideas.
A couple other useful 1st level spells are Identify and Mage Armor. You can probably put off Identify until a bit later, as you won't have many magic items or enough money for the material component for a bit.
I'd also hold off on taking Grease and get it at 2nd level -- it's a good spell, but only lasts 1 round/level.