1st level Cleric useful spells

[Li Shenron]

I am playing a Cleric for the first time (1st level), and I find myself always preparing the same 2-3 spells, half of which are converted into Cure Minor/Light Wounds. What are in your opinion useful spells of 0th and 1st level?

Some more information:

- the party is composed by my Cleric, a Druid, a Ranger and a Sorcerer (often missing)

- I am CG with Strength and Luck domain

- we are in a urban setting

- we have just lost everything except our lives in a battle

You see... my main problem now is to have handy spells before I can get a new weapon and an armor. But being 1st level, it's kind of embarassing What do you suggest?

 

[Destil]

Command: always useful.
Magic Stone: Handy for someone without a weapon.
Sanctuary: Handy for someone witout a weapon who dosn't want to attack anyone.
Your 1st domains spells arn't too great, really, for general use. I'd go with the entropic shiled, unless you know about a specific energy type you need to deal with a lit.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Command: always useful.

Doesn't have the same out-of-combat application it had in First Edition, though.

"Sleep" or "Cooperate" for six seconds, Will Negates, doesn't stack up well against one minute, no save...

-Hyp.

 

[fba827]

Two questions:

1) What source books are you allowed to use, by the way? (not that there are many 0 and 1st level spells in other books as it is)...

2) Does "loosing everything" include loosing material and focus components or do you still have your holy symbol and spell component pouches?

----
Well, some helpful ones, though this list may need to be adjusted depending on your answer to the above:

0:
Cure Minor Wounds - great if you want to keep someone from bleeding to death but don't really need them to be healed back to positive hit points right away) -- though, no need to prepare since it can be spontaneously cast.

Create Water - if you are low and food, rations, general supplies in addition to weapons and all...

Detect Magic - need new stuff? Great way to sort through the treasure loot. Though, if other spellcasters already have this prepared, no need to be redundant

Guidance - 1 minute duration. If your cleric is the cooporative sort cast on fighters (or yourself) and what not before a fight (or other activity). A bonus (however small) to a roll can make all the difference in the world, especially when you are all low in experience and low on resources (weapons, armor, etc.).

Light - if without torches and know you are going into a dark place ...

1:
Bless - same reasons as guidance and it affects more people

Cure Light Wounds - staple necessary, though, can be spontaneously cast so no need to prepare

Doom -- if, and only if, you have a really good DC then perhaps this. But, since you are so limited in spell power right now, I'd avoid spells that get a save and just go with the personal buffing ones... but, still, if you have a good DC on your spells, then this is a good one (makes it harder to hit your quasi-naked bodies )

Shield of Faith -- (if you have the M) when without armor, find ways to boost it

Summon Monster I -- (if you have a divine focus) if you all can't handle much, any little help will get you through a lot!

---

Some others have possibilties but depends a lot on where you are, what you plan on coming against, etc... lots of combat or social stuff, cave/dungeon or wilderness, expected enemies, etc...

Anyway, that's just my two cents... you may want to still get back to those two questions above as the answers to those will influence the suggestions you get ...

 

[Li Shenron]

Two questions:

1) What source books are you allowed to use, by the way? (not that there are many 0 and 1st level spells in other books as it is)...

2) Does "loosing everything" include loosing material and focus components or do you still have your holy symbol and spell component pouches?

1) I can make proposals from WotC books, but everything except PHB requires to be approved. DotF has only Burial Blessing as 1st lv IIRC.

2) There are very very few 0th/1st Cleric spells which require material components, maybe only Shield of Faith and Bless Water. I still have the holy symbol anyway.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------

I was thinking about Magic Stone as well, but it doesn't seem that great. If I find a suitable improvised club, maybe Magic Weapon?

And what about Inflict Light Wounds... does it have a save-negate? If not, it's like having a 1-shot weapon (since if you miss the attack you don't lose the spell, and the first attack is considered the same action as casting the spell) with quite good damage - 1d8+1 but you get Str bonus to attack roll only - and it's a touch attack.

 

[fba827]

ack --

yes, I was going to include Inflict Light Wounds on the list but for some reason did not.

Inflict Light Wounds -- it is a touch attack! Don't loose it until you touch something (i.e. you miss you can try again). Yes, there is a save for half. Note though, it is a Will save which is generally bad for the people who are the big bad fighting types with high HD and hit BABs... so, usually a good choice there...and, with the exception of facing undead and such, it can more or less affect any living oponent (as opposed to some of these other spells that are more focused for combat against one particular group (such as undead, evil, good, etc.) or another...

 

[fba827]

1) I can make proposals from WotC books, but everything except PHB requires to be approved. DotF has only Burial Blessing as 1st lv IIRC.

Hmm.. if you have access to Magic of Faerun, another possibility is Wieldskill.

Since you mentioned being in an urban setting, if you find yourselves using skills a lot, a +10 bonus to a skill check is pretty handy. (The secondary application of the spell is not nearly as handy though.. but +10.. definately. -- boosted bluff or diplomacy checks are always nice with social interations. )

Grantite, the other suggestions are probably "better" than wieldskill, just mentioning it in case you are doing lots of critical skill checks that aren't quite "making it"

 

[Hypersmurf]

Inflict Light Wounds -- good choice there...and, with the exception of facing undead and such, it can more or less affect any living oponent...

'course, if you're a positive channeler, preparing Inflict Light Wounds works just fine for undead too...

-Hyp.

 

[Li Shenron]

(bump)

The Sorcerer in our group knows Ray of Frost, Detect Magic*, Read Magic*, Light*, Obscuring Mist* and Mage Armor, so I don't have to cast the * spells usually.

What's left?

 

[dcollins]

"loosing everything"

It's spelled "losing" or "lose".