unconventional uses of low level spells.

[nedz]

If you want to pull this off without being a Binder, you have to take the Extraordinary Concentration Feat (Comp Adv), which allows you to maintain Concentration on a spell as a Move or Swift Action (requires Concentration check). Though the Str doesn't scale on generic Mage Hand, so you'd need to be very small/light if you wanted to pull of the surfing trick.

Servant Horde [SpC] does scale with level.
It creates 2d6+1/level (max 15) Unseen Servants, you just have to be very light - or Reduced.

[The Redwolf]

It's not terribly low level and it isn't something I've been able to do so far, but I want to play a druid and get someone on a patch of dirt and cast create water or get them over stone and cast stone to mud, then have someone with high strength or myself in wildshape hold them upside down with their head in the mud and cast mud to stone. I feel like if you have a group of people to you need to scare that might work fairly well.

[navar100]

I've long wanted to play a cleric who casts Harm, bad guy is reduced to 1 hit point, then cast Cause Minor Wound.

[nedz]

I've long wanted to play a cleric who casts Harm, bad guy is reduced to 1 hit point, then cast Quickened Cause Minor Wound.

FTFY ............

[Karoht]

Because if you can cast a 5th-7th level spell, why not blow the 4(?) spell levels to just make it stick.
Any time I've had the opportunity to cast Harm on anything, one of two things has occured.
1-The target makes the save for half damage.
2-The target has Deathward up and takes no damage.
But the sheer amusement factor of finishing someone with a Cantrip?
Priceless.

[Thump]

Using Ghost Sound to make it sound like the King farted in the middle of his epic pre-battle speech.

[Karoht]

Ghost Sound for a ranged intimidate check.
I find it's worth it to have the Goblin or Troll language just for that purpose.
The words "I will eat your face" apparently sound particularly scary to those who don't understand a lick of Goblin or Troll.
Of course I could probably say "Bunnies and Kitties" in that language and give someone the creeps if they don't know the language.

[sombrastewart]

Ghost Sound for a ranged intimidate check.
I find it's worth it to have the Goblin or Troll language just for that purpose.
The words "I will eat your face" apparently sound particularly scary to those who don't understand a lick of Goblin or Troll.
Of course I could probably say "Bunnies and Kitties" in that language and give someone the creeps if they don't know the language.

Doing it in Abyssal or Infernal would probably do it, provided they have those words.

[Belril Duskwalk]

In 2nd edition (when you could command wasn't limited to a list of specific words/effects) I once commanded the plate mail wearing enemy to swim from on board the deck of a ship.

Another fun use of command: Saving a life. Also in 2nd edition. Our party was talking with the captain of the guard. He was offered a drink by someone. The guard went to drink it. Somehow, we, the PCs knew this drink had been poisoned. But we couldn't tell the guard how we knew. He assumed we were joking and went to drink it anyway. Our cleric decided he would stop him from drinking it, forcibly. He cast command and gave the order "Spill". The guard spilled the drink and, having no idea what just happened, assumed the cleric had predicted he was about to spill his drink. And so the assassination attempt was foiled, by a first level spell.

[Astral Avenger]

Grease centered on BBEG, + combust, 'nuff said.

Edit: not sure how legal this is with anyone else's DM...

[Silva Stormrage]

Grease centered on BBEG, + combust, 'nuff said.

Edit: not sure how legal this is with anyone else's DM...

Doesn't grease comment on how it can be lit aflame? And doesn't combust specify that it can light things on fire Why would a DM ban that?

[TuggyNE]

Doesn't grease comment on how it can be lit aflame? And doesn't combust specify that it can light things on fire Why would a DM ban that?

It doesn't. Some D&D-based games allow it to be combustible explicitly (DDO, for example), but given that there is in fact a higher level spell somewhere (Sor/Wiz 2, I believe, but I don't recall the name) that is basically "grease that ignites if you want it to" some DMs figure it's a good reason to nerf grease.

I'm not sure I agree; I might prefer adjusting the Balance rules and removing the superfluous Sor/Wiz 2 version, which has a similar effect on grease's overall power, without the weirdness of non-flammable oily substances spread all over.

[Slii Arhem]

Force ladder (SC, wiz2, creates an immobile ladder of force) can be used a a poor man's wall of force to stop charges, as well as using as a bridge or even, if you're a bit crazy, a ladder.

That's... special, I suppose? It really just seems like they took Dark Way and reduced its effectiveness in every way possible by half (supports half the weight, is half the width, has a definite length limit) and on top of that they gave it a required focus. The only upside, I suppose, is it lasting minutes per level rather than rounds per level. Even so, I wouldn't choose a wizard with this over a cleric with Dark Way.

[MesiDoomstalker]

THis one is dependent on DM and interpretation, but my Wizard has on a few occasions used a Gust of Wind spell as a super jumping ability. Even once dodged the BBEG's attack with a Contingencied Gust of Wind aimed at the floor. That was a fun fight.

[Deophaun]

It doesn't. Some D&D-based games allow it to be combustible explicitly (DDO, for example), but given that there is in fact a higher level spell somewhere (Sor/Wiz 2, I believe, but I don't recall the name) that is basically "grease that ignites if you want it to" some DMs figure it's a good reason to nerf grease.

Incendiary slime, from Complete Mage. And I don't view making grease inflammable as a nerf at all. It's more of a buff than anything, as 9 times out of 10 when fire damage is being tossed around my grease spells, I would rather keep the effects of grease in play rather than have it converted into 1d3 fire damage for 2 rounds.

It also makes it safe to grease the dwarf, as the kids are apparently calling it these days.

[ericgrau]

I've long wanted to play a cleric who casts Harm, bad guy is reduced to 1 hit point, then cast Cause Minor Wound.

Alas that only worked in 3e. 3.5e nerfed it.

• I've summoned an unseen servant underneath the opening under a cheap locked door. Had him open it from the inside.
• I put my shrink item spell on a (caster level) day cycle so I'm carrying (caster level) shrunken items all the time for only 1 spell slot. Then I load up on random huge stuff from the player's handbook.
• Level 3 scrolls of tenser's floating disk make good emergency stretchers and a good way to carry random things you find too.
• Wand of augury to play 20 questions on the current plot point.
• Reduce person to buff the rogue. +2 to both hit and AC from a level 1 spell.
• Swift fly on a sorcerer for when you can't be bothered to lose a single standard action to fly. Cast it again and again.
• Round 1 of fight for the macguffin: Levitate the macguffin out of enemy reach. Finish the rest of the fight at a leisurely pace against whichever foe you wish to engage. Ally in trouble? Levitate him too, at range; who needs a healer? Enemy flying away? Levitate flying ally for a 20 foot head start. Dungeon obstacle? The strongest party member becomes a human elevator for the whole party. I used to think it was fly-lite to briefly provide a weak option until you can get the real thing, but it can do so much that fly can't (except the elevator).

[BowStreetRunner]

I wonder whose job it is to look through all the other spells and determine whether or not their effects overlap with Prestidigitation's. I also wonder what would happen if your character had consistently been using Prestidigitation to make items taste bad (but not to the point of forcing a save vs. Nausea) and then learned of the existence of the Horrible Taste spell.

As you point out here, Horrible Taste is a spell that forces a save or become nauseated. Using Prestidigitation to cause something to taste horrible is not the same. Note that the effects of the spell aren't copied by this use of Prestidigitation.

Myself, I am thinking that the next time my character is present when a new cask of beer is tapped, a little Prestidigitation to make the first mug taste bad might just leave me the only customer willing to pay (half-price of course) to drink the rest of the cask.