Advanced Learning choices for Unseen Seer

[phaedrusxy]

I'm having a really hard time choosing this... In the process of digging around, I've found some tremendous spells that are hardly mentioned or not mentioned at all in the discussion threads and guides for this (and for divination spells in general). So... I turn to you, my friends, to help me make the choice (which in all likelyhood I'll make before I get all that many replies to this thread even, but I thought it worth sharing my discoveries in any case...). So... enough of my long-winded diatribe. The spells!

Echo Skull is a 5th level druid spell that is just cool as f*ck. It lets you see, hear, and speak out of a skull that you cast it on, and lasts 1 hour per level. This is bar none the greatest long distance communication spell in all of D&D 3.5 that I've been able to find. However... it is easily replaced by a pair of Aspect Mirrors, which for 8,000 gp do the exact same thing, but better (they're bidirectional in all ways). So... awesome effect, but reproducible by a cheap (for the level) magic item.

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is there anything that just lets you speak at a distance? My character has a 3rd Eye of Sense, which basically gives him at will Clairvoyance and Clairaudience. So I really just need to be able to send information back...

Find the Path (6th level for everyone but sorc/wiz, for some reason...): this spell I suspect is either incredibly awesome, or completely useless, and much of that will probably depend on the DM and the specific adventure types that you run into. I'm not sold on it, personally, but it is worth considering.

The old standby Hunter's Eye, of course, if you like sneak attack damage. Damage is fairly easy to generate, though, and I'm not convinced this spell is worth the opportunity cost of giving up one of the others on this list. One thing to consider is that if you have (free) Persistent Spell and UMD, you can just pick up a wand of this...

Hindsight is crazy awesome for any kind of "mystery" game, which the one I'm in definitely qualifies as. I would have killed for this spell early on. Now... the game is focused less on uncovering mysteries than it was initially. It is on the sorc/wiz list at 9th, but you can snag it from the bard list at 6th as an Unseen Seer. It's definitely a contender, but not clearly the best for everyone. One major downside is the 1,000 gp material component, though... (why couldn't this be a focus?  :p )

Wild Instincts is a 3rd level ranger/2nd level druid spell that gives you a +10 insight bonus to both Spot and Listen, and let's you keep your dexterity bonus even when caught flat-footed. It also has a swift action casting time, and is persistable. If this actually prevented you from being flat-footed entirely (and hence enabled you to cast immediate action spells), it would easily win, hands down. As-is... it's still extremely tempting. Again though... this would work well as a wand.


So... what say you, Gentle Readers?

[Nifft]

Brain Spider (L7 Domain spell; XPH & SRD) - not bad for an intrigue game.

Choose Destiny (L9 Domain spell; Races of Destiny) - get 5e-style Advantage on basically all rolls for 1 round/level. Begging so hard for Persist abuse.

Commune With Nature (L4 Ranger spell; SRD) - it's level 5 for the Druid so you get to cast this spell first, and rub it in that dirty hippy's face for up to two character levels.

I Smell Your Fear (L4 Ranger; Ghostwalk) - it's locate creature except 1 hour/level instead of 10 min/level, and the spell's name is 4,000% more awesome.

Listening Lorecall (L2 Druid; SpComp) - Unseen Seer gets skill points, Blindsense is a fine use for them.

Lay of the Land (L1 Ranger; SpComp) - Summons your mother- it's a mini find the path but only costs a 1st level spell slot. If you find the path interesting, this should be high on your list.

Lore of the Gods (L2 Cleric; CChamp) - +5 on all Knowledge checks unless your god has the Knowledge domain, in which case you get +10 instead. Hello Knowledge Devotion.

Grave Strike (L1 Cleric; CAdv) - sneak attack the undead for 1 round; you're an Unseen Seer so you should have some kind of Sneak Attack dice available, but you are mostly a Wizard so maybe you have better things to do with your actions.

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

Unlimited distance within the same plane is kinda standard. Now, finding something that really works between planes... that would be a great find.

[phaedrusxy]

Unlimited distance within the same plane is kinda standard. Now, finding something that really works between planes... that would be a great find.

Transdimensional Spell could at least get you the transitive planes.

Brain Spider (L7 Domain spell; XPH & SRD) - not bad for an intrigue game.

I have Read Thoughts, which with clever baiting (mention the thing you want them to think about, either in casual conversation nearby, or even by just directly asking them about it) can do almost as much. I mean... as anyone who has ever played The Game can tell you, trying NOT to think of something just makes you think of it more.

Good suggestions, though. Thanks!

[PlzBreakMyCampaign]

Also, I forgot my standard warnings about Mind Blank.

Commune With Nature (L4 Ranger spell; SRD) - it's level 5 for the Druid so you get to cast this spell first, and rub it in that dirty hippy's face for up to two character levels.

Only if you are using a Balanced Spell Progressions (mine is in my MetaCompendium). Otherwise you're stuck with imbalanced, RAW D&D. And we know spells are the most broken part of 3e.