Cool Spell Combos [Archive] - Wizards Community

Cool Spell Combos [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
shadow mage
07-06-04, 04:27 PM Recently I've started designing spell lists based around spells that work together and compliment one another and I've been curious as to the many different "killer combos" out there.

Combo #1: comprehend languages and explosive runes. Using a variant of the first spell that is one level higher and allows it to be cast on other beings and have other targets, I've decided it might be cool to leave a couple explosive runes around with this varient cast on them. I figure that reading the runes would be language dependant, and this would guarentee that they are read.

Combo #2: solid fog (or any similar fog spell) and forcewave. Great to keep opponents away from you by first slowing them down, then keeping them slowed down. Especially cool if you have an archer or another ranged combatant and you're in a tunnel.

Combo #3: mirror image + bull's strength + cat's grace = melee survivable mage? I used this combo early game with our party at 5th level and my Wiz4/Ftr1 suddenly became pretty fun to use in the middle of melee.

Who else has any combo's they'd like to share, complex or simple?
Seeker95
07-06-04, 06:40 PM Prestidigitation (or ghost sounds or ventriloquism) and stinking cloud. Great gag when you can embarrass a high ranking official at a social event.
shadow mage
07-06-04, 06:42 PM Oh prestidigitation I love to have fun with. C'mon, what's a harder pride-shot against any bad guy or high ranking official then wetting their pants?:smirk:
smrtgmp
07-06-04, 10:37 PM One of my favorites has always been to throw someone into a prismatic wall/sphere using telekinesis. Very good against enemies with low will saves.

Prestidigitation is, of couse, awesome. There are so many things you can do its not even funny. I was always fond of changing the taste of someones food or drink to something unpleasent. Nothing beats a nice frothy mug of orc sweat.
meabolex
07-07-04, 09:11 AM The combo of the week is Solid Fog + Sleet Storm.

5 ft. move action? Try a DC 15 balance check first.

5 ft. full round move action for DC 10 balance check (:

Even better if you cast an extended Melf's acid arrow on the enemy.

The best part? None of these spells have a saving throw or are affected by spell resistance.
bahamut_0
07-07-04, 09:24 AM Silent Image and Ghost Sounds.
Any illusion you want......
[GSV] Kirstar
07-07-04, 10:10 AM rock to mud followed by mud to rock

they sink then they are stuck :)

enervation / energy drain and circle of death......

knock their levels down then kill them.

command "watch" + symbol of death / insanity / stunning etc
Vanamir
07-07-04, 10:31 AM There is also the quite devastating combination of fly , improved invisibility and an area attack spell like fireball. It turns your wizard or sorcerer into a stealth bomber. :D

It gets particularly nasty if you combine it with 3.0E haste.
Egres
07-07-04, 10:33 AM command "watch" + symbol of death / insanity / stunning etc
Is it a house-rule?

From the SRD:

Command
Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Clr 1
Components: V
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One living creature
Duration: 1 round
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
You give the subject a single command, which it obeys to the best of its ability at its earliest opportunity. You may select from the following options.
Approach: On its turn, the subject moves toward you as quickly and directly as possible for 1 round. The creature may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.
Drop: On its turn, the subject drops whatever it is holding. It can’t pick up any dropped item until its next turn.
Fall: On its turn, the subject falls to the ground and remains prone for 1 round. It may act normally while prone but takes any appropriate penalties.
Flee: On its turn, the subject moves away from you as quickly as possible for 1 round. It may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal.
Halt: The subject stands in place for 1 round. It may not take any actions but is not considered helpless.
If the subject can’t carry out your command on its next turn, the spell automatically fails.
[GSV] Kirstar
07-07-04, 11:15 AM im still thinking 2nd ed foir command. its hard not to.
shadow mage
07-07-04, 11:37 AM I'm liking the solid fog/sleet storm, but would't a nice grease work just as nastily? I mean, if you have the time an extra 1st level spell thrown in is just mean.

enervation/energy drain and circle of death I'd never thought of before...hehe, better let my necromancer friend hear that one.

I've always like the flying invisible spellcaster hurling area affects down, but personally I'm liking for that tactic a well-placed disintegrate. If they have a high save, SO WHAT, you take out a 10 ft cube beneath them instead and sink their butts in a hole, then show them a solid fog.
Loren Pechtel
07-08-04, 12:16 AM Originally posted by [GSV] Kirstar

command "watch" + symbol of death / insanity / stunning etc

Watch what? You don't get to specify a target.

Besides, what are you saying about a timepiece?

3.5 nerfed this spell anyway, you don't get the creative uses anymore.
paradoxmage
07-08-04, 12:47 AM Polymorph(gray render) + Ghostform

or better when perpared: Poly(gray render)+Ghostform+haste+prot from_____+cats grace+stoneskin+heroism+bears endurance
sinvraal
11-02-04, 06:48 PM The best use of command in 2nd edition was to say 'defenistrate!' - I.E To jump out the window.

hehe try that in a tower or castle and hilarity will ensue
grug
11-02-04, 07:10 PM The bast combo i can think of is:

hold monster + reverse gravity

then u simply dismiss the spell once they reach the peak area of effect
KA BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

glass strike + shatter

for good measure :schemes:
Bonzai
11-02-04, 07:37 PM New one from LM. If you play an undead mage...

Contingency + Revive Undead.

DM a bastard and destroyed your Phlactery? Here's a way to come back. Contingency in general is fun. :D
hovnarr
11-03-04, 08:37 AM What a great thread!

Alas folks, enervation + circle of death would not have any synergy. Enervation doesn't really take away or reduce HD, it just adds "negative energy levels". So a 14HD creature with 6 NELs is still a 14 HD creature and does not count as an 8 HD creature.

Here are a few good jokes you might not have heard of:

Feather fall + Dimension door; fireball; fireball; fireball...

Frostgiant1: "Where did he go?"
*KABOOM*
Frostgiant1: "OUCH! Where did that come from?"
Frostgiant2: "Have no idea."
*KABOOM*
Frostigiant1: "OUCH! It's coming from above! What the... He must be 700 feet up in the air - there's no way we can reach him there! Run, run!"
*KABOOM*

(Just cast Dim door again if you get within missile range. A killer tactic outdoors or where there is no ceiling. Remember that the air becomes thin and a bit difficult to breath at heights above 1000 meters.)

Solid Fog + Cloudkill

Throw in sleet storm too if you're cheesy. Even creatures with high saves and SR will die eventually. You can Dim door to the other side of the fog and cast a cloudkill there too, just to be sure... This tactic is especially useful on foes with moderate or low Con, but anyone who cannot dispel magic or teleport out of there will die after a while.

And for a low level caster (I thought of this one myself, *proud*):

Burning Hands + Web

They get stuck and just as they are about to exit you torch them with extra fire damage from the Web. Not bad for a 3rd-5th level wizard!

Question: Has anybody tried using Enlarge Person with Alter Self to circumvent the "within one size category" restriction? Perhaps there are no huge forms with only 5 HD, but it could be worth investigating. Or you could use reduce person to become a tiny humanoid, if there is a useful form there. Just a thought...

EDIT: Buhu, :weep: I discovered that almost all of these goodies had already been mentioned in the other spell combo thread. Oh well, it proves that most of them are viable atleast.
kSquared
11-03-04, 12:49 PM Alas folks, enervation + circle of death would not have any synergy. Enervation doesn't really take away or reduce HD, it just adds "negative energy levels". So a 14HD creature with 6 NELs is still a 14 HD creature and does not count as an 8 HD creature. From the SRD:

A creature takes the following penalties for each negative level it has gained: [...] –1 effective level (whenever the creature’s level or hit dice are used in a die roll or calculation, reduce it by one for each negative level).
FatherNature
11-03-04, 02:20 PM A negative level is a negative level, is a negative level...

...(recently cast Enervation TWIN SPELL'd...and watch the Paladin collapse to ashes...)
"DANG!!! He ain't gonna be in 4.0! LOL, sorry DM, was I out of character?"

In the current campaign I play, I got a Sorcerer necro...who just became a vampire (he was already evil, anyway). Needless to say, Dim Door is just TOO FUN!

but, what's more fun than slamming your enemies to ashes with a fireball when you are 2000 feet (3 feet ~= 1 meter) up?

doing it with Archmage's High Arcana: Mastery of Shaping...not yet.
Then in the book Quintessential Elf, there a metamagic feat called Massive Spell...it has a lot of prereqs, +6 lv adjust, but the out come is very fun...
spells with an area effect, the area increases to ONE MILE!!

A ONE MILE WIDE FIREBALL THAT HITS EVERYTHING BUT YOUR ALLIES!!!

(btw, I'm a vamp...Feather fall, what's tha**wham!!**...I'll be ok, just give me a sec...)
Nightspirit
11-03-04, 02:34 PM flesh shiver+maximize shivering touch+coup de grace(you can use some fireball to kill you enemy, if you don't like coup de grace)
HeavenShallBurn
11-03-04, 02:36 PM Polymorph(gray render) + Ghostform

or better when perpared: Poly(gray render)+Ghostform+haste+prot from_____+cats grace+stoneskin+heroism+bears endurance

Using Ghostform ist pretty much useless.
The Spell says "You cannot make physical attacks against foes on the Material Plane exept with ghots touch weapons. In this case you have no specific strenght score..."

You could however use Improved Blink with Polymorph, or even better, with improved polymoprh (Draconomicon)

Btw: There is another Spell.Combo Thread outta here: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=303129
calypso
11-03-04, 02:37 PM Anyone got a good combo to use with magic jar?
hovnarr
11-03-04, 03:46 PM kSquared, I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. This puts my sorceror build into another perspective!
shadow mage
11-03-04, 04:36 PM For the psychic warrior and war mind fans out there (or psionicists in general with Expanded Knowledge):

Claws of the Beast (11 pp cost) + expansion (augmented to 7 pp cost)

Assuming your typical medium-sized character, you'd have 6d6 damage per hit. PER hit. That's an average of 21 damage PER HIT. Toss on claws of the vampire for another 5 pp if you want to gain half of that 6d6 in hp each time you hit. Or you can add truevenom for 7 pp, which busts out a 1d8 Constitution damage poison. Claws of energy (also 7 pp) can make add an extra d6 of fire, electricity, or cold. Metaphysical claw adds +1 to attack and damage to claw attacks, plus another +1 per 4 pp used to augment it.

draconic polymorph (into war troll) + wall of fire + fire shield

With a war troll who has a reach weapon, you can sit behind a wall of fire, anybody who wants to hit you has to get through your attack of opportunity AND the wall's damage, and then when they hit you in melee they have fireshield to worry about.

contingency (set to activate when struck in melee) + starmantle

Now you can sit in melee and with a high or medium Dex build you can destroy nonmagical weapons striking you, possibly destroy or damage magical ones striking you, and possibly negate melee damage with a Reflex save of 15. Suprise suprise.
Nightspirit
11-03-04, 05:34 PM flesh shiver is a very great spell, a must have for all faerunian arcane spellcaster

forcecage+quickened flesh shiver+maximized acid fog+quickened dimensional anchor...killer against warriors...

or against casters: quickened maximize touch of idiocy(with reach spell)[or enervation]+heighten feeblemind...now, try to cast a spell :P

shapechange(ruby golem)+energy immunity(sonic)...come on! attack me! :cool:
shadow mage
11-03-04, 05:38 PM Or you can just cast dimensional anchor and forcecage and let a warrior sufficate. lol, No other spells needed.
Nightspirit
11-03-04, 05:49 PM Or you can just cast dimensional anchor and forcecage and let a warrior sufficate. lol, No other spells needed.

acid fog will accellerate his die, so why don't use it?
:)

shapechange(ruby golem)+energy immunity(sonic)+contingency+teleport-->definitive defensive combo

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
shadow mage 07-06-04, 04:27 PM	Recently I've started designing spell lists based around spells that work together and compliment one another and I've been curious as to the many different "killer combos" out there. Combo #1: comprehend languages and explosive runes. Using a variant of the first spell that is one level higher and allows it to be cast on other beings and have other targets, I've decided it might be cool to leave a couple explosive runes around with this varient cast on them. I figure that reading the runes would be language dependant, and this would guarentee that they are read. Combo #2: solid fog (or any similar fog spell) and forcewave. Great to keep opponents away from you by first slowing them down, then keeping them slowed down. Especially cool if you have an archer or another ranged combatant and you're in a tunnel. Combo #3: mirror image + bull's strength + cat's grace = melee survivable mage? I used this combo early game with our party at 5th level and my Wiz4/Ftr1 suddenly became pretty fun to use in the middle of melee. Who else has any combo's they'd like to share, complex or simple?
Seeker95 07-06-04, 06:40 PM	Prestidigitation (or ghost sounds or ventriloquism) and stinking cloud. Great gag when you can embarrass a high ranking official at a social event.
shadow mage 07-06-04, 06:42 PM	Oh prestidigitation I love to have fun with. C'mon, what's a harder pride-shot against any bad guy or high ranking official then wetting their pants?:smirk:
smrtgmp 07-06-04, 10:37 PM	One of my favorites has always been to throw someone into a prismatic wall/sphere using telekinesis. Very good against enemies with low will saves. Prestidigitation is, of couse, awesome. There are so many things you can do its not even funny. I was always fond of changing the taste of someones food or drink to something unpleasent. Nothing beats a nice frothy mug of orc sweat.
meabolex 07-07-04, 09:11 AM	The combo of the week is Solid Fog + Sleet Storm. 5 ft. move action? Try a DC 15 balance check first. 5 ft. full round move action for DC 10 balance check (: Even better if you cast an extended Melf's acid arrow on the enemy. The best part? None of these spells have a saving throw or are affected by spell resistance.
bahamut_0 07-07-04, 09:24 AM	Silent Image and Ghost Sounds. Any illusion you want......
[GSV] Kirstar 07-07-04, 10:10 AM	rock to mud followed by mud to rock they sink then they are stuck :) enervation / energy drain and circle of death...... knock their levels down then kill them. command "watch" + symbol of death / insanity / stunning etc
Vanamir 07-07-04, 10:31 AM	There is also the quite devastating combination of fly , improved invisibility and an area attack spell like fireball. It turns your wizard or sorcerer into a stealth bomber. :D It gets particularly nasty if you combine it with 3.0E haste.
Egres 07-07-04, 10:33 AM	command "watch" + symbol of death / insanity / stunning etc Is it a house-rule? From the SRD: Command Enchantment (Compulsion) [Language-Dependent, Mind-Affecting] Level: Clr 1 Components: V Casting Time: 1 standard action Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) Target: One living creature Duration: 1 round Saving Throw: Will negates Spell Resistance: Yes You give the subject a single command, which it obeys to the best of its ability at its earliest opportunity. You may select from the following options. Approach: On its turn, the subject moves toward you as quickly and directly as possible for 1 round. The creature may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal. Drop: On its turn, the subject drops whatever it is holding. It can’t pick up any dropped item until its next turn. Fall: On its turn, the subject falls to the ground and remains prone for 1 round. It may act normally while prone but takes any appropriate penalties. Flee: On its turn, the subject moves away from you as quickly as possible for 1 round. It may do nothing but move during its turn, and it provokes attacks of opportunity for this movement as normal. Halt: The subject stands in place for 1 round. It may not take any actions but is not considered helpless. If the subject can’t carry out your command on its next turn, the spell automatically fails.
[GSV] Kirstar 07-07-04, 11:15 AM	im still thinking 2nd ed foir command. its hard not to.
shadow mage 07-07-04, 11:37 AM	I'm liking the solid fog/sleet storm, but would't a nice grease work just as nastily? I mean, if you have the time an extra 1st level spell thrown in is just mean. enervation/energy drain and circle of death I'd never thought of before...hehe, better let my necromancer friend hear that one. I've always like the flying invisible spellcaster hurling area affects down, but personally I'm liking for that tactic a well-placed disintegrate. If they have a high save, SO WHAT, you take out a 10 ft cube beneath them instead and sink their butts in a hole, then show them a solid fog.
Loren Pechtel 07-08-04, 12:16 AM	Originally posted by [GSV] Kirstar command "watch" + symbol of death / insanity / stunning etc Watch what? You don't get to specify a target. Besides, what are you saying about a timepiece? 3.5 nerfed this spell anyway, you don't get the creative uses anymore.
paradoxmage 07-08-04, 12:47 AM	Polymorph(gray render) + Ghostform or better when perpared: Poly(gray render)+Ghostform+haste+prot from_____+cats grace+stoneskin+heroism+bears endurance
sinvraal 11-02-04, 06:48 PM	The best use of command in 2nd edition was to say 'defenistrate!' - I.E To jump out the window. hehe try that in a tower or castle and hilarity will ensue
grug 11-02-04, 07:10 PM	The bast combo i can think of is: hold monster + reverse gravity then u simply dismiss the spell once they reach the peak area of effect KA BOOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! glass strike + shatter for good measure :schemes:
Bonzai 11-02-04, 07:37 PM	New one from LM. If you play an undead mage... Contingency + Revive Undead. DM a bastard and destroyed your Phlactery? Here's a way to come back. Contingency in general is fun. :D
hovnarr 11-03-04, 08:37 AM	What a great thread! Alas folks, enervation + circle of death would not have any synergy. Enervation doesn't really take away or reduce HD, it just adds "negative energy levels". So a 14HD creature with 6 NELs is still a 14 HD creature and does not count as an 8 HD creature. Here are a few good jokes you might not have heard of: Feather fall + Dimension door; fireball; fireball; fireball... Frostgiant1: "Where did he go?" KABOOM Frostgiant1: "OUCH! Where did that come from?" Frostgiant2: "Have no idea." KABOOM Frostigiant1: "OUCH! It's coming from above! What the... He must be 700 feet up in the air - there's no way we can reach him there! Run, run!" KABOOM (Just cast Dim door again if you get within missile range. A killer tactic outdoors or where there is no ceiling. Remember that the air becomes thin and a bit difficult to breath at heights above 1000 meters.) Solid Fog + Cloudkill Throw in sleet storm too if you're cheesy. Even creatures with high saves and SR will die eventually. You can Dim door to the other side of the fog and cast a cloudkill there too, just to be sure... This tactic is especially useful on foes with moderate or low Con, but anyone who cannot dispel magic or teleport out of there will die after a while. And for a low level caster (I thought of this one myself, proud): Burning Hands + Web They get stuck and just as they are about to exit you torch them with extra fire damage from the Web. Not bad for a 3rd-5th level wizard! Question: Has anybody tried using Enlarge Person with Alter Self to circumvent the "within one size category" restriction? Perhaps there are no huge forms with only 5 HD, but it could be worth investigating. Or you could use reduce person to become a tiny humanoid, if there is a useful form there. Just a thought... EDIT: Buhu, :weep: I discovered that almost all of these goodies had already been mentioned in the other spell combo thread. Oh well, it proves that most of them are viable atleast.
kSquared 11-03-04, 12:49 PM	Alas folks, enervation + circle of death would not have any synergy. Enervation doesn't really take away or reduce HD, it just adds "negative energy levels". So a 14HD creature with 6 NELs is still a 14 HD creature and does not count as an 8 HD creature. From the SRD: A creature takes the following penalties for each negative level it has gained: [...] –1 effective level (whenever the creature’s level or hit dice are used in a die roll or calculation, reduce it by one for each negative level).
FatherNature 11-03-04, 02:20 PM	A negative level is a negative level, is a negative level... ...(recently cast Enervation TWIN SPELL'd...and watch the Paladin collapse to ashes...) "DANG!!! He ain't gonna be in 4.0! LOL, sorry DM, was I out of character?" In the current campaign I play, I got a Sorcerer necro...who just became a vampire (he was already evil, anyway). Needless to say, Dim Door is just TOO FUN! but, what's more fun than slamming your enemies to ashes with a fireball when you are 2000 feet (3 feet ~= 1 meter) up? doing it with Archmage's High Arcana: Mastery of Shaping...not yet. Then in the book Quintessential Elf, there a metamagic feat called Massive Spell...it has a lot of prereqs, +6 lv adjust, but the out come is very fun... spells with an area effect, the area increases to ONE MILE!! A ONE MILE WIDE FIREBALL THAT HITS EVERYTHING BUT YOUR ALLIES!!! (btw, I'm a vamp...Feather fall, what's thawham!!...I'll be ok, just give me a sec...)
Nightspirit 11-03-04, 02:34 PM	flesh shiver+maximize shivering touch+coup de grace(you can use some fireball to kill you enemy, if you don't like coup de grace)
HeavenShallBurn 11-03-04, 02:36 PM	Polymorph(gray render) + Ghostform or better when perpared: Poly(gray render)+Ghostform+haste+prot from_____+cats grace+stoneskin+heroism+bears endurance Using Ghostform ist pretty much useless. The Spell says "You cannot make physical attacks against foes on the Material Plane exept with ghots touch weapons. In this case you have no specific strenght score..." You could however use Improved Blink with Polymorph, or even better, with improved polymoprh (Draconomicon) Btw: There is another Spell.Combo Thread outta here: http://boards1.wizards.com/showthread.php?t=303129
calypso 11-03-04, 02:37 PM	Anyone got a good combo to use with magic jar?
hovnarr 11-03-04, 03:46 PM	kSquared, I stand corrected. Thanks for the info. This puts my sorceror build into another perspective!
shadow mage 11-03-04, 04:36 PM	For the psychic warrior and war mind fans out there (or psionicists in general with Expanded Knowledge): Claws of the Beast (11 pp cost) + expansion (augmented to 7 pp cost) Assuming your typical medium-sized character, you'd have 6d6 damage per hit. PER hit. That's an average of 21 damage PER HIT. Toss on claws of the vampire for another 5 pp if you want to gain half of that 6d6 in hp each time you hit. Or you can add truevenom for 7 pp, which busts out a 1d8 Constitution damage poison. Claws of energy (also 7 pp) can make add an extra d6 of fire, electricity, or cold. Metaphysical claw adds +1 to attack and damage to claw attacks, plus another +1 per 4 pp used to augment it. draconic polymorph (into war troll) + wall of fire + fire shield With a war troll who has a reach weapon, you can sit behind a wall of fire, anybody who wants to hit you has to get through your attack of opportunity AND the wall's damage, and then when they hit you in melee they have fireshield to worry about. contingency (set to activate when struck in melee) + starmantle Now you can sit in melee and with a high or medium Dex build you can destroy nonmagical weapons striking you, possibly destroy or damage magical ones striking you, and possibly negate melee damage with a Reflex save of 15. Suprise suprise.
Nightspirit 11-03-04, 05:34 PM	flesh shiver is a very great spell, a must have for all faerunian arcane spellcaster forcecage+quickened flesh shiver+maximized acid fog+quickened dimensional anchor...killer against warriors... or against casters: quickened maximize touch of idiocy(with reach spell)[or enervation]+heighten feeblemind...now, try to cast a spell :P shapechange(ruby golem)+energy immunity(sonic)...come on! attack me! :cool:
shadow mage 11-03-04, 05:38 PM	Or you can just cast dimensional anchor and forcecage and let a warrior sufficate. lol, No other spells needed.
Nightspirit 11-03-04, 05:49 PM	Or you can just cast dimensional anchor and forcecage and let a warrior sufficate. lol, No other spells needed. acid fog will accellerate his die, so why don't use it? :) shapechange(ruby golem)+energy immunity(sonic)+contingency+teleport-->definitive defensive combo