Best Combat Spells

[sasha]

I like some of the temporal magic stuff, but don't like that they don't work against the supernatural and such.

I like the one you mentioned. I would add off the top of my head to it Paralysis, Carpet of Adhesion, and Cloud of Slumber.

[rat_bastard]

What do you guys think are the best spells available for combat? Both offensive AND defensive, try to keep in mind PPE cost, casting time and even practicality. For example, Annihilate is an amazingly powerful spell, does 2D4xlOO M.D. not counting area of effect damage! ... but. It cost 600 or 300 PPE, depending on OCC. And for a great spell, thats not exactly practical, take a look at this Nazcan Line Drawing. The Energy Line System, "Activating these giant symbols costs 400 P.P.E. per outlet, and releases a blast that inflicts 2D4x100 M.D.! These blasts can hit only airborne objects, but they have incredible range and able to hit targets in orbit around the Earth!"... cool, but rarely useful (unless you have a huge group of magic users who can use these lines and pool PPE... you are in south america and aliens are invading ).

To start things off, heres one of my favorite combat spells:

Power Bolt
Range: 1,600 feet (487 m) +100 feet (30.5 m) per level of experience.
Damage: 5D6 M.D. +2 per level of the spell caster.
Duration: Instant.
Saving Throw: None.
P.P.E.: Twenty

Manageable PPE, good damage, and best of all, insane range thats comparable to high tech guns. And its accurate, "this attack never misses, unless the intended victim rolls a natural or modified (with bonuses) 20 or higher to dodge." Lots of attacks have higher damage with same PPE cost, but their ranges are incomparable. Its the sniper rifle of the magic using world

Anyways, please post your favorite spells, and if they aren't obviously combat oriented, feel free to explain how you like to use them so!

In a game where a over the counter pistol can melt tanks direct damage is the least efficient use of a mage's abilities. Shielding and boosting spells as well as terrain control spells have a much more impressive effect than doing what anyone with a functioning fore finger and thumb can do.

[Mack]

Yep, magic spells excell at effects other than damage. The obvious winners are Magic Net, Carpet of Adhesion, and Mindshatter, but there are plenty of other spells that can be extremely useful.

Let your gun toting minions (often known as fellow players) worry about damage output. A well placed spell can often win a battle outright.

(And FWIW, I do love Power Bolt. But as a TW weapon, not necessarily the spell itself.)

[The Galactus Kid]

What do you guys think are the best spells available for combat? Both offensive AND defensive, try to keep in mind PPE cost, casting time and even practicality. For example, Annihilate is an amazingly powerful spell, does 2D4xlOO M.D. not counting area of effect damage! ... but. It cost 600 or 300 PPE, depending on OCC. And for a great spell, thats not exactly practical, take a look at this Nazcan Line Drawing. The Energy Line System, "Activating these giant symbols costs 400 P.P.E. per outlet, and releases a blast that inflicts 2D4x100 M.D.! These blasts can hit only airborne objects, but they have incredible range and able to hit targets in orbit around the Earth!"... cool, but rarely useful (unless you have a huge group of magic users who can use these lines and pool PPE... you are in south america and aliens are invading ).

To start things off, heres one of my favorite combat spells:

Power Bolt
Range: 1,600 feet (487 m) +100 feet (30.5 m) per level of experience.
Damage: 5D6 M.D. +2 per level of the spell caster.
Duration: Instant.
Saving Throw: None.
P.P.E.: Twenty

Manageable PPE, good damage, and best of all, insane range thats comparable to high tech guns. And its accurate, "this attack never misses, unless the intended victim rolls a natural or modified (with bonuses) 20 or higher to dodge." Lots of attacks have higher damage with same PPE cost, but their ranges are incomparable. Its the sniper rifle of the magic using world

Anyways, please post your favorite spells, and if they aren't obviously combat oriented, feel free to explain how you like to use them so!

In a game where a over the counter pistol can melt tanks direct damage is the least efficient use of a mage's abilities. Shielding and boosting spells as well as terrain control spells have a much more impressive effect than doing what anyone with a functioning fore finger and thumb can do.

I agree. Apparition is sweet.

[Dead Boy]

I agree with the others in that the best combat spells of magic are not the ones that deal damage. A punk with a Wilk's 457 can out-damage almost anything a mage twice his level can dish out. But using magic to gain advantage over others is where the fights are won. That punk with the 457 isn't so scary once hit with a House of Glass spell, or dropped to his knees with Agony. Or if the party is being terrorized by an uber-juicer with a bazillion attacks and a PP of infinity; he's not so bad after being hit with a Befuddle spell. And if he's still an issue, Befuddle him again, and again to stack those effects till he's down to an attack every other melee and suffers -8 to that Auto Dodge.

Remember, the best combat spells are those from Spell Level's 1-5 because they only require one melee action to cast. Which would you rather have, a 5D6+8MD attack spell (Power Bolt is Level 6) that can only be gotten off every other melee action, or the ability to gain instant advantage, and press that advantage with every action? And as it happens to be, a lot of the really good advantage-gaining spells just happen to fall in that range... not all, but a lot of them.

[jedi078]

One of my players is doing a pretty good number against an invisible T-rex with magic net to it's mouth, and Paralasis: Lesser to it's legs.

Of course I require characters to make a strike roll when using any offensive spell. Makes more sense then just 'poof' the magic net spell just appears on said T-rex's mouth. I know many argue against this, but lets face it the character is trying to place the spell on a specific target.

[Balabanto]

Realm of Chaos. Now your enemies fight their greatest enemies. And it's save at -3. Sure, the mage goes too, but that just ensures their greatest enemies win. (See Carpet of Adhesion above.)

[Shark_Force]

Try not to misunderstand me, I completely understand that out right offensive magic is not a great way to go, and that tech is generally way better for damage and even defense (I play my Line Walker almost purely for support, and rarely am the one dishing out damage). I just simply want to know what peoples favorite combat magic IS

actually, magic is the way to go for defense. it's also the way to go for offense. it's just that the offense you should be looking at is not damaging, as a general rule (although, in some cases, damaging spells can be a good choice... generally speaking, when they do enough damage to remove an enemy entirely is the only time though)

[Mack]

One combo I've always wanted to try via tattoos: Invisibility, fly, and blind. Just fly around the battlefield and slap all you opponents.

[Incriptus]

As others have said the best use of magic is to do things that technology can not . . . and tech is very good at putting holes in things. However in keeping with the theme.

Deflection / Targeted Deflection: Great defensive combat spells
Ballistic Fire: Easy to underestimate, sure its 1d6 per level for a level 7 spell but . . . 1000ft+ is good range for magic, specifically states that it only takes one attack to cast, never misses! I like this as my anti-missle spell

[rat_bastard]

Teleport: lessor, This and a fusion block and even a passing understanding of what the interior of a vehicle looks like is one of the greatest cheap shots in the game.

Illusionary terrain: Congrats, you have the home team advantage, on any field.

Talisman and Amulet: these spells can make it so you never need to work again

Magic Adrenal rush: give anyone the power of a juicer without the nasty "death" side effect.

Superhuman Agility: why does anyone get the juicer treatment when there are mages?

Summon and control rain: anti-vampire nuke with no fallout.

Ironwood: armor and fortifications for the cost of carpenters

[drewkitty ~..~]

The best combat spells are the ones used intelligently. (i.e. "A person's greatest weapon is their mind.")
Other then that ones that come out of talismans are good also cause they only take an action to let loose.

[ShadowLogan]

well the best combat spells may also come down to the situation.

Cloud of Smoke. Very Low PPE cost and has no saving throw.

Invisibility: Simple. Low PPE cost and can engage in combat, targets are -9 to strike before other penalties. It can be defeated with certain abilties.

Multiple Image. PPE cost is 7. Saving throw is at -4 (essentially 16 before spell strength bonuses). While the bonuses confered to the mage aren't great, they would give a chance that an illusion is attacked and not the mage, and could make defensive actions against targets harder if the illusion also mimics the attack (no damage obviously).

[Mack]

Superhuman Agility: why does anyone get the juicer treatment when there are mages?

Where's this spell? I don't recall seeing it in RUE, BoM, or FoM.

[Zer0 Kay]

How about a set of spells that takes eight actions at most and 4 at minimum to cast with a cost starting at 22 and going as high as 204 depending on what you have already that does 49,920 at a minimum (if you have 4 attacks per round) to 299,520? It is also -10 to dodge and requires a 10 to be dodged... so a modified roll of 20. Plus if your GM has deemed that head shots are criticals it is an automatic headshot. Oh but the range is only 6' +2'/level. And it isn't "official" the spells are from a Rifter. The set consists of 3 required spells, one that can be swapped for greater damage and a fourth spell if you don't have the... "material" components.

[rat_bastard]

Superhuman Agility: why does anyone get the juicer treatment when there are mages?

Where's this spell? I don't recall seeing it in RUE, BoM, or FoM.

Mercenary adventures.

[Bood Samel]

I always like wall of ice. Dont you get like 50 MDC a level with that? Makes a great defensive barrier. I had a SAMAS swoop down on my mystic knight and I popped that up at him at like 300 MDC. Nothing like a guy abruptly hitting a 300 MDC wall at high speeds.

[rat_bastard]

Teleport: lessor, This and a fusion block and even a passing understanding of what the interior of a vehicle looks like is one of the greatest cheap shots in the game.

Illusionary terrain: Congrats, you have the home team advantage, on any field.

Talisman and Amulet: these spells can make it so you never need to work again

Magic Adrenal rush: give anyone the power of a juicer without the nasty "death" side effect.

Superhuman Agility: why does anyone get the juicer treatment when there are mages?

Summon and control rain: anti-vampire nuke with no fallout.

Ironwood: armor and fortifications for the cost of carpenters

I'm such an air head sometimes... "Summon and control rain: anti-vampire nuke with no fallout." THIS is the perfect example of why I asked this question. (takes note). I like that one

I'm pretty sure the only reason vampires thrive on rifts earth is because ley lines cause mental retardation.

[Khord - Lizard Mage]

-Invulnerability
-Impervious to Energy
-Invincible Armor
3 of my favorites that haven't been mentioned yet

[Zer0 Kay]

Teleport: lessor, This and a fusion block and even a passing understanding of what the interior of a vehicle looks like is one of the greatest cheap shots in the game.

Illusionary terrain: Congrats, you have the home team advantage, on any field.

Talisman and Amulet: these spells can make it so you never need to work again

Magic Adrenal rush: give anyone the power of a juicer without the nasty "death" side effect.

Superhuman Agility: why does anyone get the juicer treatment when there are mages?

Summon and control rain: anti-vampire nuke with no fallout.

Ironwood: armor and fortifications for the cost of carpenters

I'm such an air head sometimes... "Summon and control rain: anti-vampire nuke with no fallout." THIS is the perfect example of why I asked this question. (takes note). I like that one

Just don't forget that if your in the "area of control" of a VI they can control weather. Otherwise there would be no vampires with mages going around making it rain all the time.