Lv1 spells for Crowd Control, Sleep Vs Spook

[TheBlueFox]

For a multiplayer game I'm thinking of going Dragon Disciple, because I've got a feeling none of my friends are going to want to play magic casters.

WIth a large spell pool and an early grab of the Evermemory Ring, I was wondering which crowd control option would be better. Sleep is DAMN good, but later on it becomes worthless. I hear that spook retains its usability for longer. that true?

[Marksthecylon]

Unlike sleep Spook will work against enemies who have more than 5 hit die, also the saving throw penalty gets better the higher your level its -1 per experience level to a maximum of -6, whereas sleep is simply -3.

[TheBlueFox]

and I suppose there ARE Sleep wands to use...

[mike_hanna211]

Spook is much better long-term; only downside is it's single target.

For Level 1 crowd-control (if you choose any), I would go with Grease. No save penalty or hit die restrictions, but it has a good chance of affecting melee fighters. You find a ton of Grease scrolls anyway, so maybe don't use a precious spell slot on your Dragon Disciple.

[Vernum]

Can also get pretty decent early game AC between dex, single weapon skill, armor spell, and magic item bonuses. At least enough to gtfo. I've done close range caster builds by flanking with touch spells. Just have to be careful.

Love Dragon Disciple for this too due to late game natural bonuses.

[TheBlueFox]

LOOOOW HP though, but It is something I've wanted to try. I figured I'd do a Kensai sometime, dual into a Mage at level 8 or 9 Kensai, I forget which

[Hjelpmooglene]

Originally posted by TheBlueFox:

LOOOOW HP though, but It is something I've wanted to try. I figured I'd do a Kensai sometime, dual into a Mage at level 8 or 9 Kensai, I forget which

Level 9 or 13. I'd say 13 since you get the extra damage at 12 and the 13 gives you the extra attack per round. Although once a mage, spells will do more damage than melee attacks. Of course you could always do a pure kensai for max melee dps.

[kaiyl_kariashi]

Spook is a good 1 target CC vs a high level enemy, due to it's save penalty growing. It only lasts 3 rounds, but it can take 1 powerful enemy out of the battle for a few rounds.

Blindness is also a good pick as it has no penalty (though vs higher level targets it's ability to stick dwindles once they get in the 10+ range) and utterly defangs casters and archers while hindering a melee character's ability to track you while you kite them.

Sleep is alright, and first level spells have some floater spells that mostly come down to personal preference or are very situatonal, so if you're playing through BG1 it wouldn't hurt to take sleep. It's ALMOST worthless in BG2, but not a huge waste either since you'll usually only use 2-3 1st level spells regularly.

The sleep wand's disadvantage is that A, it's a flat save instead of save at -3 (save at -3 is essentially garunteed vs a 4 HD or lower creature while a flat save has a 20 or so % chance to fail), and B it's a save vs Wands/Breath instead of Spells, and creatures generally have better saves vs wands then they do vs spells. Especially in the case of warrior type creatures.

For 99% of BG1, Sleep is an I-WIN spell vs anything you fight in groups that aren't undead. Even ogres which are rough in BG will be KO'd instantly, with exception to Tazok (he's 8 HD).

It's not great vs single powerful enemies, but blind works extremely well vs those, or Spook. (or if you have a cleric, Command, timed to that they're on the ground right as everyone is about to start their attack rolls). It has no save up to level 6 and a flat save for things 7+.

[Soteria]

IMO just take sleep. When you get down to it they're both L1 spells; better to take a spell that will be great for all of BG then one that's situationally maybe good for longer. By the time most enemies are resisting sleep, you're not going to be sitting there going, "Man, if only I had spook that fight would have been so much easier."

Besides, what else are you going to take? There's not a lot of L1 spells that are still super useful by BG2.