what spells are Good for BtS,s Archanist?

[gaby]

What Spells do you think are good for a BtS,s Archanist?

[Killer Cyborg]

Depends on the campaign, really.

Since the BtS games I played in generally revolve more around investigation than around combat, we tended toward detection spells intend of offensive or defensive combat spells.

[Glistam]

I'm going by memory here, so I may miss a few examples or inadvertently pull examples in from other settings.

Spells that lend themselves to investigation should be their focus, I think.

First priority would be spells that allow the mage to see that which is typically hidden from mortal. See the Invisible, Sense Magic, Sense Evil, See Aura, See Wards, Sense Traps, and so on.

Next would be spells which aid in gaining knowledge, such as Eyes of Thoth, Tongues, Oracle, Locate, Impressions, and so on.

Now for investigation itself, spells such as Invisibility, Shadow Meld, Chameleon, and Invisibility: Superior give the mage an edge since he will be harder to detect.

For dealing with Supernatural Threats, there's spells like Exorcism, Constrain Being, Banishment, and the Circles of Protection which will be invaluable.

Spells such as Compulsion, Trance and Domination allow a mage to force his way past many human obstacles, and Words of Truth is a great interrogation spell. Not every mage would wish to know such magics, however, though they are probably less repulsive than "necromantic" magics.

A spell like "Cure Minor Disorders" could be an instant Hangover cure, invaluable to certain mages. There's some additional healing spells which may be of interest to certain mages, also.

Spells like Sorcerer's Seal (or is it just Seal?) can dramatically slow down pursuers or keep people locked up. Repel Animals is a great way to deal with Guard Dogs. Escape gets the Arcanist through locks and opens Things Which Should Probably Have Remained Closed.

"Obvious" spells are also a great part of an Arcanist's arsenal, and can be useful. Cloud of Smoke, Blinding Flash, Globe of Daylight, Thunderclap, Fear, Fuel Flame, Ignite Fire, Call Lightning, Circle of Flame... these all serve to illustrate the mage commands powers greater than mere mortals can comprehend and are great to use when the Wizard wants or needs to "show off."

A spell like Fingers of the Wind can allow for some dramatic entrances, also it can be combined with Float in Air or Levitation for greater effect. Telekenisis is also a staple of mage abilities.

Negate Magic and Dispel Magic Barriers are anti-magic tools the Arcanist should also try to have in his arsenal. Remove Curse may, unfortunately, also occasionally be necessary, depending on the sorts of investigation the Arcanist involves himself in.

Ultimately though, the specific spells an Arcanist learns should be based on the individual Arcanist him or her self and how the player wishes to play them.