Post/Author/DateTime	Post
worst_player_ever 10-16-05, 06:06 PM	Firstly, hello to everyone.I have some questions that have been bugging me lately. So here goes. 1)I have a sorcerer that just lvl'd up to lvl 3... And now I get a new spell. I allready have magic missile and mage armor btw. Which spells do you guys think I should learn? Btw my party has already a barbarian,a cleric,a druid and a rogue. And I LOVE offencive spells. My mind is between these 5 i)Summon Monster I :A little weak but very useful in many situations...(Like using it as a 'shield' and setting off traps) ii)Ray of Enfeeblement : Everyone talks of how 'broken' it is... But is it really that effective? iii)Burning hands : Looks like a nice one... But it has the 'reflexes' save iv)Shocking Grasp : Good Dmg , +3 to attack rolls if the opponent carries a lot of metal... But you have to benext to the opponent to do it v)Chill touch :Looks like iv, only that it doesn't have the +3 part ...But it can possibly do 1 STR dmg. What do ou guys think?Which one of those would b more useful? 2)Ok this perhaps is a stupid question, but what the hell... About this thread over here... http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=505181 If I understand correctly , If I've used all of his 2nd level slots I can use a third level slot to cast a 2nd level spell. Does this happen in reverse? I mean, If I've allready finished all my 3d lvl slots, can I use a 2nd lvl slot to cast a 3d lvl magic move? (my guess is... no :p) 3)I considered summoning a familliar many times, but I can't stop thinking about the possibility that it dies... And I lose exp points, of course. So what do you think? Is a familiar a MUST for a sorceror or can he do well (or better) on his own? That's that. Thank you in advance :)
EmperorTippy 10-16-05, 07:22 PM	1.Ray of Enfeeblement: You are guarenteed to do 2 strength damage which lasts a minimum of 10 rounds. Dependign upon your level you could do up to 11 strength damage (enough to screw most everybody specialy warriors and 12 STR monsters) 2. No. The spell slot listed in the spell description is the MINIMUM allowed slot. 3. Get one of the flying familars and have it stay out of range. You can use it as a crude scout plus soem other minor benefiets (sp?) such as the raven ebign able to speak or getting +2 on a skill check.
StormCrow42 10-16-05, 07:23 PM	Forget SM I, it's too weak. The later SM spells get better, but the first is a waste for a sorcerer. Good sorcerer spells that hold up are Grease (battlefield control, or to help your party members avoid being swallowed by that huge creature), Enlarge Person (your tank has reach, your spiked-chain wielding tripmonkey now controls 60'x60' of the battlefield), and Ray of Enfeeblement (it's always good when the bad guy doesn't hit as hard), to name a few. Sleep can be good early, but it wanes fast and should be swapped out at level 6 if you'd taken it. I'd take burning hands over shocking grasp, you can use an AoE spell more than a touch spell, but the range is a tad short regardless. Shield should be an eventual choice, but probably not yet. Also when choosing spells, consider if you're going to take metamagic feats and how they might effect the spells you take. There is a suprising amount of flexability in sorcerers with metamagic if you select the right spells, including level 0 spells. You can always cast a lower level spell in a higher slot if you want, but not the other way around. A familiar can be useful sometimes. If you carry it around you get the benefit of alertness (+2 to spot and listen), plus another benefit depending on it's type. The familiar has improved evasion, which means it'll be taking half or no damage from AoE spells with reflex saves, basically mitigating the fact that it only has half your hit points. You really have to weigh the probability that your DM will be gunning for your familiar to decide if you want to get one. A side benefit of a familiar starting at 3rd level is that they can deliver your touch spells for you (again, worry about the odds of your GM gunning for them), making some of those touch ranged spells less dangerous to cast. Edit: in Complete Arcane, the Lesser Orb series of spells might warrent consideration if you have a reasonable Dex score. Lesser Orb of Sound is especially useful in that few monsters have resistance to sonic damage. The other lesser orb spells do d8/2 levels damage, for a reasonable damage output that isn't subject to spell resistance, unlike magic missile (lesser orb of sound only does d6/2 lvls due to the lack of resistance mentioned earlier).
strumbleduck 10-16-05, 07:41 PM	1. I know you like offense spells, but the best spell by far that you haven't taken is enlarge person. This spell will seriously double the power of your barbarian, and will help the other characters a lot, too. It may not look like much, but it grants 10' reach (so monsters take an AoO if they want to get within range or retreat), and increases the size of melee weapons (a Large greatsword does 3d6 damage!) But if you really want to take an attack spell, I'd go for shocking grasp, since it does 1d6/level damage. Chill touch can't compete. Burning Hands is nice because it's an area attack, but its damage is pathetic. The Summon Monster spells are underpowered -- look up the stats for a celestial badger and you'll understand. Ray of Enfeeblement is useful against big strong boss-type guys. It would probably be my second choice. 2. Yes, you can use a 3rd-level slot to cast a 2nd-level spell. No, it doesn't work in the other direction. 3. Familiars are awesome. They really tend not to die very much -- the improved evasion helps with the area spells, and it would usually be very silly for monsters to target them with attacks. (Think about it: do you shoot arrows at the sorcerer casting magic missiles, or the weasel sitting on his shoulder?) A lot of the advantages of familiars are hidden. First of all, they have the same skill ranks as you do, which means that they can aid you with literally every skill check you make (especially once you can talk with them). Second, the "deliver touch spells" ability is really nice since it can hold the charge of the touch spell indefinitely. For example, you can put a shocking grasp on your familiar when you enter the dunegon. On the first round of combat, the familiar can deliver the spell, and you can cast a second spell of your own. Of course, that puts the familiar in some danger. A better strategy is to put a charge of bull's strength on the familiar, and have him sit on the barbarian's shoulder. He can buff the barbarian during the first round of combat, while you cast an attack spell. At slightly higher levels, cast silence and invisibility on your familiar before a big fight and have him run up to the enemy spellcaster. As long as he stays within 20 feet of his target he shuts down their spellcasting.
cowdragon 10-16-05, 08:04 PM	By 3rd level Burning Hands gets pretty cool. Now that it's a cone area it's even better than in 3.0. That's wheere my vote would go personally. Other good spells are Color Spray, Jump(I love this spell), Mount, Sheild(usually better than Mage Armor as it blocks MM and is still useful with bracers of armor). The Cowdragon :mage:
Nom 10-16-05, 11:41 PM	burning hands caps out way too soon (5th level at 5d4) for it to be worth burning a precious sorcerer slot on. Besides, if something is in range of burning hands it is too close! This is even more true if you are hoping to catch more than one creature in the area of effect. To do this, you need to be basically in melee range of multiple opponents who are not heavily engaged with your allies. At this point, a character with 3d4 hit dice should be using the Withdraw action, not a weak attack spell! Same goes for shocking grasp and chill touch. The biggest mistake a sorcerer can make is to pick a number of spells that all basically do the same thing. You already have a spell that can do 2d4+2 damage to one target (or 1d4+1 to two) at decent range. Picking another spell to deal 3d4 to 1-2 opponents at point blank range is redundant. In contrast, RoE is one of the most powerful 1st level battle spells going. A large melee opponent wont be overly bothered by 2d4+2 damage - a fighter can do more than that with a single longsword hit. In contrast, a 4 point Str penalty (slightly below average for RoE) will reduce all his attacks by 2 and damage by at least 2. That will quickly add up.
Dragonsblood 10-17-05, 01:59 AM	Color Spray is a solid choice that I don't think has been mentioned. 3.0 Sleep is good, however 3.5 sleep sucks because of the casting time. You really should shake off that "I like damage spells" attitude. Sorcerers/Wizards can do much more useful things. Get a famailar and have it run away from combat if you want to keep it safe. The owl is good because it will help with spot checks in dungeons and can keep watch for you while you sleep at night.
worst_player_ever 10-17-05, 09:14 AM	EmperorTippy,StormCrow42,strumbleduck,co wdragon,Nom and Dragonsblood- Thank you very much for your recponces. :bow:You've been very helpful. In the end I still can't make up my mind about the 1st question... But in the end I guess I'll pick 'enlarge person'to buff up my barbarian or the other ppl in my party. About n. 2)I knew it... Seemed too good to b true ... :raincloud 3)A fliying familiar is indeed a nice thought. Perhaps I'll give it a try. What's the worst that can happen? (err...) OK.I have another question. What bonuses does 'enlarge person' give to the weapons the target holds? I can't seem to find that on the dungeon master guide... :confused:
Beppo 10-17-05, 11:04 AM	The worst that can happen if your familiar dies? You will loose some experience. I think it was 100 xp per level sorcerer. So if you're now 3rd level you'll loose 300xp. To see the size increased damage of weapons look at page 28 of the Dungeon Master's Guide.
solbergb 10-17-05, 11:51 AM	I would take a long term view in spell planning. The only way to screw up a sorcerer is to pick bad spell combinations, and the most likely ways to do this are to do one of these things: 1. Excessive duplication of similar spells (all direct damage spells, all enchantments, etc) 2. Taking the spell that the wizard is racking about the same time you get the spell. You want spells that cover all of these bases: battlefield control (restricting enemy movement and actions) direct damage (used mostly to finish off wounded enemies, or clear away weak ones), including at leats one "SR=NO" direct damage option Save or XXX (cripple the enemy, but you want to target fort, reflex, will saves separately. Direct Damage often covers the reflex save side of the equation) Party Buffs (haste, enlarge, polymorph, some flavor of resist or prot energy, invisibilty etc are some of the better ones) These always work even when the enemy is immune to your main magic, and you want flexible spells that you might want to cast over and over, or cover the whole party with. Defense - AC boosting spells such as shield, mage armor, alter self are common, but one of the best is False Life (many things bypass AC, but hitpoints almost always help). On a sorc, false life can be used kind of like healing too, if you're one swat from dead, you can cast it again and get yourself out of danger. Divination - the arcanist is expected to be the one to sniff out the invisibles. See invisibility or arcane sight are popular options, but usually the sorc does this with scrolls and cantrips, not with a spell known. Still, it's damn handy to have divinations on tap, so of one or more fits your concept, work it in. mobility - A sorcerer pretty much has to be able to move quickly in combat and it's helpful if he can do so out of combat. You can get by with Haste for a while, but eventually some flavor of Flight and instant transport (dim door or teleport) belong on the list. Utility - what do you do when not in combat? Many sorcs over look this beyond the cantrip level or rely entirely on scrolls, but to me, I'd think about the personality of the sorc and what he would want to use spell slots for on his "days off". I find that many spells that help with comfort or with hobbies turn out very useful "in the field" castable on demand. Note that you really want all of this by level 7 or 8 in your spells known, and that's not possible without picking spells that cover several bases. Dispel Magic, for example, is a great multipurpose spell, as it is a debuff (for enemies prepared for you), a defensive spell (coutnerspelling or undoing bad effects) and a utility spell (clearing away magical traps). It also has several targeting options. In lower levels, plug gaps with scrolls - they're pretty cheap in the level 1-2 range. The reason level 7-8 is where you want your spells balanced is because the consumables start getting very pricy. A wand can cover a spell gap pretty well, if the spell effect isn't heavily dependent on level or the enemy failing a save. When you have an idea of the spells you want, then you need to look at metamagic. A "good" metamagic feat is one that applies to a significant percentage of your spells known. Metamagic does tend to lock you into one position on the battlefield, so it works better on spells with decent ranges (or in the case of enlarge spell, to get your short range spells into range without exposing yourself to counterattack) or spells that aren't always cast in combat. Silent spell is an exception - sorcerers who take this feat do it so they can ignore the effects of silence fields without having to move, or to cast spells more subtly (especially if they can go invisible and have a fair number of spells tht don't break invisibility). Still spell is 100% useless on a sorcerer - because it doesn't work in a grapple. (spellcasting in grapple is limited to std action, metamagic sorcerer spells are full round actions) I'd classify spell penetration type feats as a kind of metamagic - if most of your best spells are SR=yes, you might want a feat that boosts your ability to punch through SR rather than always having to go to your more limited SR=no list.
Dracspero 10-17-05, 12:00 PM	Also consider that, since you can cast the same spell for all your slots of that level, you don't necessarily need more than one damage spell per spell level. Ray of enfeeblement is a good spell (I'm in two campaigns where the DMs think it's too powerfull, in the first the DM added a fort save, in the other the DM made it a second level spell), so it makes a decent secondary attack (especially against a mage with a shield spell up). I haven't really seen Grease in action, but a lot of people are fans. However, if your Barbarian doesn't mind the drop in AC, then your decision to go with Enlarge Person is probably a good one. Also think about miscellaneous spells. Featherfall is always handy (frees up a ring slot), as are comprehend languages, Disguise Self, etc. In any case, I recommend you swap out Mage Armor for Shield at 6th level, as Mage Armor doesn't stack with Bracers or anything else granting an armor bonus.
Dragonsblood 10-17-05, 01:43 PM	Also think about miscellaneous spells. Featherfall is always handy (frees up a ring slot), as are comprehend languages, Disguise Self, etc. In any case, I recommend you swap out Mage Armor for Shield at 6th level, as Mage Armor doesn't stack with Bracers or anything else granting an armor bonus. Another school of thought on Mage Armor vs Shield - if you keep mage armor, you can spend the money that you would spend on bracers and instead buy other gear. At 1 hour per level, casting it once before you enter a dungeon is basically like owning Bracers of Armor +4. Once you can afford +5 or greater bracers, then it would be a good time to switch out Mage Armor. The only advantage of Bracers of Armor is that it can't be dispelled, where as Mage Armor can. It is also recommended that mages buy a Mithril Buckler (0% arcane failure), which doesn't stack with Shield. A Mithril Buckler +1 is cheaper than Bracers of Armor +2, and both provide the same AC boost. At the same time, you're replacing a spell that only lasts a single combat, with an item that's always on. The only advantage here is that Shield blocks Magic Missile, but this is rarely an issue in most campaigns.
worst_player_ever 10-17-05, 02:00 PM	The worst that can happen if your familiar dies? You will loose some experience. I think it was 100 xp per level sorcerer. So if you're now 3rd level you'll loose 300xp. I knew that! I was just kidding. :) Anyway, it's 200 points per level. Anyway, thanx, I've found the reference in the dungeon master guide 3,5. I had an older version so it wasn't on the same page, but I borrowed the 3,5 version and (duh) you're right. solbergb, that was one awesome post you did. :clap: Thanx Dracspero, yes, ROE is indeed a very nice spell but I guess I'll stuck w/ 'enlarge persons'... On lvl 5 I guess I'll pick ray of enfeeblement.It seems a really nice spell. Especially when dealing with monsters and opponents w/ low strength. And yes, I'm thinking in changing 'magic shield' with 'shield'. It seems more useful. But! It is also recommended that mages buy a Mithril Buckler (0% arcane failure), which doesn't stack with Shield. A Mithril Buckler +1 is cheaper than Bracers of Armor +2, and both provide the same AC boost. At the same time, you're replacing a spell that only lasts a single combat, with an item that's always on. The only advantage here is that Shield blocks Magic Missile, but this is rarely an issue in most campaigns. Nice post, Dragonsblood! I didn't know that the mithril buckler had an 0%arcane failure!!! I'll start searching it. The bad thing about the sorceror is that he can only learn a limited amount of spells... Oh well.
MSW 10-17-05, 03:17 PM	Ray of Enfeeblement is a great spell and scales well and remains useful as you get to mid levels. I like to cast Web/Black Tentacles type spells, and hitting the target with a Ray of Enfeeblement really makes it tough for them to get out. Ray of Enfeeblement is no save, so that is what makes it a good spell. On the down side, you have to hit the target with a ranged tough attack, so at low levels, that's not a guarentee by any means. I wouldn't go for Summon Monster I. But you might want to give Mount a look. It's a great utility spell to be able to summon a horse & riding gear for 2hours/level. The best spell / most damage causing spell you could take right now is Enlarge Person. The 10 ft reach, 10ft size and increase in weapon damage and STR really will, round for round, work out better for you then anything else at lvl 3. Just cast it on your party's melee guy and then keep track of how much more damage gets scored because of your buff. It will be your first fundamental shift in thinking too. Your party members are your tools. If you make them better, they fight for you so you don't have to. At higher levels this will become more obvious, but at low levels it's just as true. Wizards don't have the toughness to do battle without the support of their party, so buffing up the front line defense is a really sound strategy. Thought I'd comment on Silent Image. It's a great spell to have with many uses. It won't do any damage, but sometimes hiding or distracting the foes, even momentarily, is more important, especially at low levels.
strumbleduck 10-17-05, 04:23 PM	OK.I have another question. What bonuses does 'enlarge person' give to the weapons the target holds? I can't seem to find that on the dungeon master guide... :confused: Look at the "Tiny and Large Weapon Damage" table on page 114 of the Player's Handbook. Or use this link (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/equipment.htm) and click on "Weapon Size" under Weapon Categories on the left.
worst_player_ever 10-17-05, 08:12 PM	Look at the "Tiny and Large Weapon Damage" table on page 114 of the Player's Handbook. Or use this link (http://www.d20srd.org/indexes/equipment.htm) and click on "Weapon Size" under Weapon Categories on the left. Thank you for the link, however I already understood how things work by looking at page 28 in the dungeon master guide. Just for the record.... I chose 'Ray Of Enfeeblement' Later on I'll get Enlarge person too. MSW-> About Mount.... Naw... I already have a horsie! ;) Silent image... Yeah! That would be cool. I'll think about it. Question about the ROE. If a target has...let's say 14 strength with +2 modifier. Then I score max with this ray and the target gets a 6+1 negative penalty on STR (cause I'm on lvl 3). What happens to the target? Apart from having 7 Strength and thus having a -2 modifier? Does he get exausted ,really tired to lift his armor or something like that? :confused:
Osedox 10-17-05, 08:23 PM	Dude if you like direct damage grab a Lesser Orb spell from CA they are good and they ignore SR not that that is too much of a problem at 3rd level though
smrtgmp 10-17-05, 08:33 PM	Silent image is definately one to concider. It really lets you flex your imagination, and with its long range its great for causing distractions and the like. However, it can also be used to provide cover or concealment. If your barbarian buddy is getting his ass handed to him by something nasty with a long reach, he might not be able to safely withdraw because of the possible AoO's. With silent image, you can drop a "wall" between your ally and your enemy, which will provide your ally with cover. Cover negates AoO's. Need to sneak past some guards? An image of a bank of fog could be just the thing you need. You might want to hold out for major image, as that has auditory, olfactory, and thermal components as well. Grease was mentioned in passing above, but I would like to expand on what has been said. It is easily one of my favorite 1st level spells, and has saved my butt innumerable times, especially at low levels. Against large enemy bashers, who generally have poor ref saves, it can get them prone more often then not. That will allow your buddies to smack the crap out of them, as they suffer a -4 penalty to AC while prone. Did someone just get grappled? Grease em. It will give them a +10 bonus on escape artist checks, which can be a real life saver. One of my favorite uses of grease is to disarm enemy tanks. Just grease their weapon. Its also great in a million random instances. One time I was surrounded by zombies as a low level wizard/rogue, and I scampered up a tree (or maybe used levitate, dont remember) to seek refuge. The zombies started climbing up after me, so I waited till they got about 30ft up the tree and then greased the trunk. They fell into the swamp below, and I summoned a fiendish shark (why are the aquatic summons so much better than the normal ones?) which was able to hold them at bay long enough for my allies to take them out. For a sorcerer, versatility is key. Pick spells that can be used in several different situations and the low number of spells known becomes much less of a factor (though I still wish they had one extra spell known per level). Hope that helps. Happy gaming. :)
Dracspero 10-18-05, 09:52 AM	Actually, a Silent Image could only provide concealment, as cover is an actual physical barrier that could stop an attack. However, total concealment will allow you avoid AoO. So the wall trick will work as long as your opponents don't interact with it and make their save.
smrtgmp 10-18-05, 03:28 PM	Hmm...I dont see anything in the description of cover that implies it has to be an actual barrier. I'm not saying you're wrong, just that I'm not sure. COVER To determine whether your target has cover from your ranged attack, choose a corner of your square. If any line from this corner to any corner of the target’s square passes through a square or border that blocks line of effect or provides cover, or through a square occupied by a creature, the target has cover (+4 to AC). When making a melee attack against an adjacent target, your target has cover if any line from your square to the target’s square goes through a wall (including a low wall). When making a melee attack against a target that isn’t adjacent to you (such as with a reach weapon), use the rules for determining cover from ranged attacks. Low Obstacles and Cover: A low obstacle (such as a wall no higher than half your height) provides cover, but only to creatures within 30 feet (6 squares) of it. The attacker can ignore the cover if he’s closer to the obstacle than his target. Cover and Attacks of Opportunity: You can’t execute an attack of opportunity against an opponent with cover relative to you. Cover and Reflex Saves: Cover grants you a +2 bonus on Reflex saves against attacks that originate or burst out from a point on the other side of the cover from you. Note that spread effects can extend around corners and thus negate this cover bonus. Cover and Hide Checks: You can use cover to make a Hide check. Without cover, you usually need concealment (see below) to make a Hide check. Soft Cover: Creatures, even your enemies, can provide you with cover against ranged attacks, giving you a +4 bonus to AC. However, such soft cover provides no bonus on Reflex saves, nor does soft cover allow you to make a Hide check. Big Creatures and Cover: Any creature with a space larger than 5 feet (1 square) determines cover against melee attacks slightly differently than smaller creatures do. Such a creature can choose any square that it occupies to determine if an opponent has cover against its melee attacks. Similarly, when making a melee attack against such a creature, you can pick any of the squares it occupies to determine if it has cover against you. Total Cover: If you don’t have line of effect to your target he is considered to have total cover from you. You can’t make an attack against a target that has total cover. Varying Degrees of Cover: In some cases, cover may provide a greater bonus to AC and Reflex saves. In such situations the normal cover bonuses to AC and Reflex saves can be doubled (to +8 and +4, respectively). A creature with this improved cover effectively gains improved evasion against any attack to which the Reflex save bonus applies. Furthermore, improved cover provides a +10 bonus on Hide checks.
Dracspero 10-18-05, 07:43 PM	The Glossary defines cover as "Any barrier between an attacker and defender. Such a barrier can be an object, a creature, or a magical force. Cover grants the defender a bonus to Armor Class." Under Concealment (1st paragraph): "Concealment encompasses all circumstances where nothing physically blocks a blow or shot, but where something interferes with an attacker's accuracy." But on topic it's still a nifty spell with lots of uses.
Nephlite 10-18-05, 07:48 PM	The Glossary defines cover as "Any barrier between an attacker and defender. Such a barrier can be an object, a creature, or a magical force. Cover grants the defender a bonus to Armor Class." Under Concealment (1st paragraph): "Concealment encompasses all circumstances where nothing physically blocks a blow or shot, but where something interferes with an attacker's accuracy." But on topic it's still a nifty spell with lots of uses. Cover never says solid barrier: thus as a Magical force, the illusion spell works according to Glossary. Concealment also fits.
Nom 10-18-05, 08:15 PM	Cover never says solid barrier: thus as a Magical force, the illusion spell works according to Glossary.It's implicit in the distinction between cover and concealment. Cover = something that blocks. Concealment = something that obscures. See also the difference between 'line of effect' and 'line of sight'. Addendum 1: I would think "magical force" applies to such things as wall of force, not just any magical effect ("light is a magical force, therefore I can use it for cover"). Addendum 2: That said, what is important isn't so much that it will block the attack, but that the attacker thinks that it will block the effect. If the attacker thinks the wall is real, it will spoil their shot almost as much as a real one. If they know it isn't real, they'll just ignore it and shoot straight through.
rusc75 10-19-05, 08:11 AM	A piece of advice for the 3rd level sorc: Remember that you can use scrolls and wand for most spells. Don't pick spells that don't have some level dependant effects as you can get these in wands and scrolls very cheap. Ie. Color Spray and Silent Image doesn't get any better at higher caster levels, so have them on a scroll instead.
Dragonsblood 10-19-05, 02:18 PM	A piece of advice for the 3rd level sorc: Remember that you can use scrolls and wand for most spells. Don't pick spells that don't have some level dependant effects as you can get these in wands and scrolls very cheap. Ie. Color Spray and Silent Image doesn't get any better at higher caster levels, so have them on a scroll instead. I dissagree. Using scrolls for spells that are useful in every fight can get too expensive. It's a far better plan to use scrolls for spells you're only going to use in uncommon situations or emergencies - such as a scroll of Expedious Retreat, or a scroll of Knock when the rogue can't open a door or chest. Wands for 1st level spells are too expensive until about 3rd level, and even then you're probably only going to have 1 or 2. By the time you can afford them easily, spells like Color Spray are no longer useful (Silent Image can be useful at any level however). The exception to this is Identify; even though you're going to use it often, because it has a 100gp material cost anyway, it's best to use wands and scrolls for this. Don't forget that you can switch a spell every other level starting at 4th (spells 2 or more levels below your highest spell level). At 6th level when Color Spray is no longer useful, just switch it then.