The Apprentice’s Companion II: Second Level Arcana

By Darkgolem
Updated 4/28/07

Second level spells are often not much more damaging or dazzling than 1st level spells, but they tend to have larger areas and less restricted affects.

Author’s Note: While the information here is as accurate as possible, distance, casting time, and damage had to be estimated through experiment.  Several tests of each spell were done before any conclusion was made. It is possible that some spells are slightly different than results showed, but all should be very close to exact.

Note regarding clouds and stationary effects: Several spells of 2nd level--such as Glitterdust, Web, Fog Cloud and Hypnotic Pattern--are placed in a specific area for a set duration of time and do not need to be targeted on creatures to be used.

These spells require special use to find their full potential.  Each time a creature enters a one of these spell areas, it is required to save against it once. Once inside the area of affect, the creature is not required to make another save until it exits and enters the area again.  Therefore, it is advisable to either place multiples of this spell next to each other, or lead enemies back and forth into and out of the spells area.

In addition, stacking these spells on top of each other does not work.  If placed next to each other, then multiple saves will be required.  If placed on top of each other, only one save is required.  Also note that all these spells have a slightly larger area (about 3 feet, roughly) than their visual affect.

If these guidelines are used, you will find these spells much more effective and efficient than if simply placed once and no further strategy is used.

Wizard and sorcerer ratings are a gauge (with 5 being best) of how worthwhile a spell might be for that class to take.

Blindness Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: necromancy Range: medium Components: verbal Duration: permanent Save: will to avoid Target: foe Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “The powers of unlife render an enemy blind.”  Blindness causes severe penalties to hit.  It is noteworthy in that it affects undead and has no somatic component (meaning no armor check penalty).  It does not affect vermin or oozes.

Bear's Endurance Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: transmutation Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “An ally gains greater vitality and stamina, granting a bonus to constitution.”  This spell provides a + 4 bonus to constitution, which does not stack with items but does with enhancements.

Bull's Strength Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: transmutation Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “The affected ally gains strength and power, giving a bonus to strength.”  This provides a + 4 bonus to strength, which does not stack with items but does with enhancements.

Blur Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: Illusion Range: short Components: verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, ally Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes:  “An ally's outline becomes blurred, granting a 20% miss chance”  This spell is very useful since it provides, in essence, the equivalent of +4 armor class to yourself and your friends for a minimum cost.

Cat's Grace Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: transmutation Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “An ally becomes more graceful, agile and coordinated, giving a bonus to dexterity.”  This spell provides a + 4 bonus to dexterity, which does not stack with items but does with enhancements.

Command Undead Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: necromancy Range: long Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: special (1 minute per save attempt) Target: foe Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes:  “Control is granted over enemy undead, allowing it to be commanded to fight.” After the initial save made by the target undead, if affected, the undead receives a new save every minute.  This spell is very effective against skeletons and other mindless undead, but less so against intelligent undead because of their higher will saves.

Daze Monster Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: enchantment Range: medium Components:  material, somatic, verbal, Duration: 5 seconds (extendable) Target: foe Save: will to avoid Wizard Rating: 1 Sorcerer Rating: 1 Notes: “Clouds the mind of an enemy so that it takes no actions.”  While it will affect non-humanoids, it has no affect against giant vermin, undead or oozes.

Eagle's Splendor Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: transmutation Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 3 Sorcerer Rating: 4 Notes: “An ally becomes more poised, articulate and personally forceful, granting them a bonus to charisma.”  This spell provides a + 4 bonus to charisma, which does not stack with items but does with enhancements. Sorcerers may find Eagle's Splendor worth a slot of their learned list because using it on themselves can increase the potency of their spells and their pool of spell points.

False Life Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: necromancy Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: self Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “Uses the power of unlife to grant a limited ability to avoid death, giving a bonus of temporary hit points.”  This useful spell grants 10 + (1 per level) hit points that stack with regular hit points and constitution bonuses.

Flaming Sphere Cool down (seconds): Wizard 60 Sorcerer 30 Casting Time: medium School: evocation Range: shorts Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 60 seconds Target: self, positional Damage: 2d6 fire Save: reflex for 0 damage Wizard Rating: 2 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “This spell creates a burning ball of flame that rolls slowly, burning anything that it touches.”  This sphere will attack any opponent it can percieve (it has the normal perception of a low level creature), automatically, until no other opponents are percieved. It will otherwise follow the caster around until the duration of the spell ends. This spell can be used at the same time as summoned monsters and created undead

Fog Cloud Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: long School: conjuration Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 30 seconds per level (extendable) Target: foe, positional, breakable Area: 10' radius sphere Save: none Wizard Rating: 3 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “A bank of fog billows out, obscuring the sight of all targets within its affect.”  The penalty to hit from the difficulty seeing does not appear to affect the caster nor his or her allies, nor does the cloud prevent seeing or targeting the enemy.  Useful against foes not affected by blindness or enchantment affects, or for long melee combat.

Fox's Cunning Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: transmutation Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “Ally gains wit, giving a bonus to intelligence.”  This spell provides a + 4 bonus to intelligence, which does not stack with items but does with enhancements. Wizards may find Fox's Cunning a valuable spell to keep memorized because using it on themselves can increase the potency of their spells and their pool of spell points.

Ghoul Touch Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: fast School: necromancy Range: touch Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 6 seconds/save Target: foe, Save: fortitude to avoid Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “This spell imbues your touch with negative energy, allowing you paralyze a single living humanoid.  A successful fortitude save negates this effect."  This is a fair spell, but because it is a fortitude save, it is less useful than hold person or a similar spell.

Glitterdust Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: conjuration Range: medium Area: 10' radius sphere Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 6 seconds per level (extendable) Target: foe, positional, breakable Save: will to avoid effect Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “A cloud of golden particles covers everything in an area, causing targets to become blind and outlining invisible creatures.”  This spell causes permanent blindness in your foes, but not yourself or party members. During the course of the spell, all beings in the area of the Glitterdust see only minor outlines. Undead are blinded while in the cloud of the spell but cannot be blinded permanently by this spell. Creatures in the dust are granted a 20% miss chance while in the mist.

Hypnotic Pattern Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: illusion Range: medium Area: 10' radius sphere Components: material, somatic Duration: 45 seconds (extendable) Target: foe, positional Save: will to avoid Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 4 Notes: “A twisting pattern of subtle, shifting colors weaves through the air, fascinating targets within it.”  Much like hypnotism, this spell is very useful for causing your foes to hold still and do nothing while you defeat them one at a time.  Of note is that the hypnotism effect does not have a duration, lasting until broken, even if you should leave and come back later, as long as the instance does not reset.

Invisibility Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: illusion Range: long Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 120 seconds (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “Ally becomes invisible, vanishing from sight, even from dark vision.  Attacking a target removes the effect.”  This spell is does not prevent detection caused by making noise.

Knock Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: transmutation Range: short Components: verbal Duration: instant Target: usable locked door or chest Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “Unlocks any lock which could be picked by a sufficiently skilled rogue”. This spell uses a Open Lock skill of caster level + caster primary Ability score modifier. Note that there are special locks which cannot be picked without special circumstances, and this does not work on any runes or valves, and doors that require a certain Ability score or higher to use.

Melf's Acid Arrow Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: conjuration Range: medium Components: focus, material, somatic, verbal Duration: 5 seconds per every other level (see text) Target: foe, positional, breakable Damage: 1d7 +1 per 5 seconds Save: none Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “Deals continuous damage to attacks with a magical arrow of acid.”  The purpose of this spell is to prevent enemy casters from casting spells by causing continual concentration checks.  Every 5 seconds, the caster takes damage from the acid and must make a concentration check if casting.  While useful for this, it is otherwise unremarkable.

Otto's Resistible Dance Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: enchantment Range: short Components: verbal Duration: 3 seconds per level (extendable) Target: foe Save: will save to avoid effect Wizard Rating: 3 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “Enemies feel an undeniable urge to dance and begin doing so, complete with foot shuffling and tapping.  This spell makes it impossible for the enemy to do anything other than caper.”  This spell is very noteworthy in that it can be cast in armor without an armor check penalty.  This spell requires a touch attack.

Repair Moderate Damage Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: transmutation Range: medium Components: somatic, verbal Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “Transmutes the structure of a living construct ally to repair moderate damage.”  This spell repairs 2d5 + 6 + (1 per level) damage.

Resist Elements Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: Abjuration Range: short Components: focus, somatic, verbal Duration: 1 minute per level (extendable) Target: friend, self Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 2 Notes: “Gives an ally limited protection from elemental damage, reducing damage taken.”  This absorbs 10 points of damage from every energy-based attack, after saving throws are applied, while in effect.  At level 6 this spell absorbs 20 points of damage, at level 8 this spell absorbs 30 points of damage.  This spell allows only allows one type of energy to be chosen to be protected against for each casting.

Scare Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: necromancy Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 9 seconds per level Target: foe, positional Area: 10' diameter circle Save: will to avoid Wizard Rating: 1 Sorcerer Rating: 1 Notes: “Casts cause fear on multiple targets.”  This spell suffers the same problems with targeting that sleep does. The target of the spell is a set location. Creatures often move out of the way before the spell takes effect.

Scorching Ray Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: evocation Range: medium Components: somatic, verbal Duration: instant Target: foe, directional, breakable Damage: 2d7 + 6 fire Save: none Wizard Rating: 5 Sorcerer Rating: 4 Notes: “Blasts a target with fiery rays, doing fire damage on impact.” This spell requires your opponent to stay in front of you while casting, and due to the mobile nature of combatants is better at range than in melee. It is easily the most effective damaging 2nd level spell.  It requires a ranged touch attack to hit.

Summon Monster II Cool down (seconds): Wizard 120 Sorcerer 60 Casting Time: long School: conjuration Range: medium Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 2 minutes Target: self, directional Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 1 Notes: “Summons a fiendish scorpion to fight for you for a brief time.  Casting this spell locks out casting any other summon monster spell for 2 minutes.”  This scorpion is a mediocre fighter.

Touch Of Idiocy Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: short School: enchantment Range: touch Components: somatic, verbal Target: foe Save: none Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “Reduces an enemy's mental facilities, giving a penalty to intelligence, wisdom and charisma scores.”  This spell requires a touch attack to hit.  It is fairly useful against enemy spell casters.

Web Cool down (seconds): Wizard 4 Sorcerer 2 Casting Time: medium School: conjuration Range: medium Area: 10' diameter circle Components: material, somatic, verbal Duration: 40 seconds (extendable) Target: foe, positional, breakable Save: reflex to avoid Wizard Rating: 4 Sorcerer Rating: 3 Notes: “Creates a many-layered mass of strong, sticky strands, trapping targets within them.”  This spell is effective in disrupting enemy spell casters, since they often do not have good reflex saves.  The period of restraint for a failed save lasts for approximately 10 seconds.  Note that there is a period of 30 seconds after the spell has expired where the web partially disappears but appears still present.  Fire creatures and giant kind are immune to webs; fire spells will damage or destroy a web.

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