[3.5] Permanent Symbol Spell on a Shield

[ajfonty]

Hi guys,

I'm looking to get a permanent symbol spell on my shield as a battle cleric, and I'm wondering which is the best to get. I'll cover my shield with a cloth, and when creating the symbol I'll explicitly state that the symbol becomes active when I take off the cloth.

Symbol of Death would be nice, but there's always the possibility of affecting targets that you wouldn't want to die. Also, I don't intend to tell my PC companions the spell's password, so there's always the problem that one of them could peek and fall over dead.

An empowered Symbol of Weakness would be nice, because it'll have the capability of incapacitating all but the strongest of targets. If a target isn't incapacitated, it'll still be much weaker in combat (if its a fighter) or still need to make concentration rolls (as a caster). The DC is also pretty high, which is a bonus, but it's also a lot more expensive.



Symbol of Fear is also nice. The DC isn't terrible, and the spell scales with level. The only concern that I have is the potential chaos it may cause, as we try to hunt down enemies that have panicked.

An empowered Symbol of Stunning seems nice too. It could easily limit the number of enemies you are fighting at once, but there's always the chance an enemy will only be stunned for one round.

Symbol of Insanity seems more niche than the others. Making opponents insane can be effective, but it doesn't necessarily incapacitate them. It would be fun to see them all turn and fight each other, but since it isn't a guarantee, I'm not so sure this is the best option.

Symbol of Pain is alright. It isn't as expensive, but I don't know if a -4 is enough to slow down high ranking fighter enemies. I think its much more effective against casters, who need to make a concentration roll (with a -4 penalty) to cast any spells when affected. The DC is also lower than the others.

An empowered Symbol of Sleep also has a low DC, but lasts much, much longer than a Symbol of Stunning. At the same time, I'm worried that an opponent could magically reawaken sleeping allies. Again, the DC is low, which concerns me.

So, as a battle cleric, which option is strongest? I'm leaning towards either Fear or Weakness at this point.

[Emperor Tippy]

Symbol of Weakness is your best bet. Most of the others are Mind Affecting which means that they are often essentially worthless.

What level do you play at?

[ajfonty]

I'm a level 13 dwarf cleric at the moment. I'm the main tank of the party and throw out debuffs against the enemy.