D&D 3.5 - Complete Mage [OEF]

CHAPTER 1
FUNDAMENTALS
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damage. The loremaster, with seven prerequisite divination
spells, is a natural choice for a spy who doesn't want to give
up any arcane spellcasting levels.
Best Feats: These feats help augment a spy in her chosen
role and are strongly recommended.
Extend Spell: This metamagic feat doubles the duration of
your most useful spells, allowing you to gather twice as
much information remotely.
Persistent Spell (Complete Arcane):
When this feat is applied to any detect
spell, the spy remains constantly
aware of the subject being divined
for the entire day.
Rapid Spell (Complete Divine): A
large number of divination spells
have long casting times. When the
party needs information quickly, this
metamagic feat can reduce a casting
time of 2 to 59 minutes to 1 minute.
Spell Focus (divination):
Though only a limited number
of divination spells allow
saves, you rely on many of
those.
Versatile Spellcaster (Races
of the Dragon): Although
only spontaneous spellcasters
can utilize this feat,
the ability to sacrifice two
lower-level spell slots for one
higher-level spell slot comes
in handy more often than you
might think.
Feats to Avoid: Although these
feats retain some functionality
for the spy, their application is
limited at best.
Enlarge Spell: Your scrying
spells have unlimited range and your
detect spells have fixed ranges, neither of
which can be augmented with this feat.
Spell Penetration: Divination spells generally create magical
sensors that are not affected by spell resistance.
Best Spells: As a spy, your spells enable you to perceive
surroundings remotely or become aware of hidden dangers.
Alternatively, the closer a spy can get to her enemies with concealment
spells, the more thoroughly they can be understood.
Most of your spells come from the divination school.
1st—Disguise Self: Even if a foe recognizes that you're disguised,
he still won't know what you really look like, allowing
you to try your infiltration again later.
2nd—Invisibility or Know Vulnerabilities (Spell Compendium):
Assuming a spy knows how to keep quiet or mask the noises
she makes, invisibility can get her close enough to enemies to
learn their most valued secrets. Bard spies should consider
taking know vulnerabilities at this level to learn the weaknesses
of an anticipated opponent. Sorcerers and wizards can also
learn know vulnerabilities, but as a 4th-level spell.
Spies are nothing if not tapped
into their surroundings
3rd—Clairaudience/Clairvoyance or Know Opponent (Spell
Compendium): Once a spy is acquainted with her surroundings,
clairaudience/clairvoyance becomes an immeasurable
benefit to not only track her enemies, but to warn her
companions about impending reinforcements. A bard gains
access to know opponent at this level, which reveals the most
powerful abilities a target possesses.
4th—Arcane Eye: Few spells are more useful
for reconnaissance than this invisible
sensor. It can rapidly scout ahead
while protecting the spy from all the
dangers of an unexplored area. This
spell works best when the arcanist
has several ranks in the Spot and
Search skills. Greater invisibility is
also a must-have spell at this level.
5th—Prying Eyes: If properly instructed,
the semitangible orbs of this
spell can function as an early warning
system with a range of 1 mile.
Be sure to invest in the 8thlevel
spell greater prying eyes
when it becomes available,
since it benefits from true seeing
as well.
6th—True Seeing: Displacement
effects, illusions,
invisible or translucent creatures
or objects, and polymorphed
forms are either negated or revealed
through this spell. The
true seeing spell even lets you perceive
the Ethereal Plane in case your
enemies herald from beyond the veil.
7th—Greater Scrying: Unlike
with scrying, the fact that you
don't need to haul around a
bulky focus makes this spell
useful in the dungeon.
8th—Discern Location: When it comes
to tracking down a creature or object, there is virtually no
way to prevent this spell from working. Mind blank is another
good choice, since it protects you from discovery.
9th—Eye of Power (Spell Compendium): If you thought arcane
eye was useful before, now you can remotely cast up to 3rdlevel
spells through it.
Spells to Avoid: A spy should be resourceful without
always counting on her spells. Explore ways to replace typical
spells with hard-earned skills that accomplish the same effect,
especially if you have a limited number of spells known.
Comprehend Languages: This spell is undeniably useful,
but by learning Draconic, Giant, Goblin, and Orc, a spy
can understand most of the languages her enemies speak.
Wizards with high Intelligence scores will be able to speak
almost all of these languages right away, and a bard can pick
them up cheaply with Speak Language as a class skill.
Scrying: Despite being a highly useful spell to intimately
study your enemy, until you can effortlessly transport the