Thanks for your reply, Sytze, here are some of my thoughts on those spells/abilities you point out:
Originally posted by Sytze
-What about Animate Dead??
It's a level 5 mage spell, so I always have a few memorized with mages. Besides, it can be put in a trigger, so you can summon 3 skeleton warriors in an instant!
-How about Holy Smite??
It's nice, enemy-damaging spell, but later in the game it's not powerful enough. I'd go for Abi-Dalzim's or take Aerie, who can put 3 Holy Smites in a trigger.
-Free Action->
I agree it's useful, but later in the game, your save rolls are good enough that you don't get held/stunned so easily. Unless you use web and send your fighters (why not just summon a spider with the figurine or a mage), not too vital.
-Protection form Evil 10' Radius->
Definitely useful when fighting demons early in the game and in summoning situations, especially when the enemy hits you with Remove Magic and you need to re-cast. However, as pre-buff, you can also go one-by-one with a Paladin or a mage. Later in the game demons fall pretty easily to your fighters.
-Flame Strike->
I agree it's powerful, nice, but your mage does better at damaging spells. e.g. 3 flame arrows in a trigger do awesome damage.
-Righteous Magic->
Definitely powerful, but it takes time. In the case of mages, Tensor's Transformation can be put in contingencies/triggers and cast instantanously with improved haste and mislead or whatever.
-Aerial Servant
I've not used it, but I cannot imagine it being better than the druid Fire Elemental (maybe as powerful, but probably not more powerful)
-Greater Restoration (speaks for itself)
I always do this at a temple or use a scroll on a particular character. I try not to get too many people level-drained anyhow, so I don't have urgent need for this spell.
-Turn Undead
Nice, especially when you don't have strong fighters or it's early in the game. It's nice to blow up all those annoying shadows that drain strength from my kensai, but it's more of a convenience than a necessity for me, especially later in the game.
++++++++++
You can see, I like triggers/contingencies
It gives mages so much more versatility than a straight-book spell arsenal!
In general, I feel that clerics and cleric-fighters could have used one or more unique abilities/spells. I think I shall try a mod addressing those issues in my future "all-righteous" party.
-kaitsuburi
~~ aim low, deliver.
