Advice on crowd control spells

[Cedrica-the-Bard]

CC spells, in order of effectiveness for my Bard:

Disco Ball
Glitterdust (IMO, the most under-utilized spell around, especially if there is a Rogue in the party)
Fear
Hold Monster
Suggestion (cheaper than Charm Monster)

I tend not to charm much tho, my songs turn the melee types into such monsters that I don't see much point in preventing a monster for getting in the way of their weapons for any length of time

Also, lately I find myself using Crushing Despair alot. It is an area effect spell of the Enchantment school and debuffing the baddies so the party takes less damage overall seems to make some sense to me and I find they don't save much with it. Also helps the casters with their spells on the baddies because it lowers the enemy saving throws by 2 along with their to hit, damage and skill checks. Whether it can be considered a CC spell is debatable (probably not).

But far and away, Fascinate is the ultimate CC: IF the party knows enough to let you use it AND take advantage of it.

One other comment, my Warchanter Bard likes the DR/5 song but not because it hits Barbarians who don't need it, but because it hits everyone else who likely does. Do casters and clerics and rangers and fighters and rogues and paladins ALL have equipment to make the DR from the song irrelevant? I can't imagine they do... Plus, the feat requirements were totally in line for the fighting build I made. However, the arguments being made for a battle bard to go Spellsinger rather than Warchanter do make alot of sense if everything fits properly for the build. All I know is when my Warchanter does the Reaver, the "people not tanking the Reaver" seem to take alot less damage than when I use my Spellsinger Bard in there... but maybe I'm crazy!

[bigj1608]

hypnotism/web is great all the way through the game for the most part.. just learn when and when not to use them

[~Jules921]

CC spells, in order of effectiveness for my Bard:


Glitterdust (IMO, the most under-utilized spell around, especially if there is a Rogue in the party)

{snippage}

I tend not to charm much tho, my songs turn the melee types into such monsters that I don't see much point in preventing a monster for getting in the way of their weapons for any length of time

Glitterdust is by far my favorite bardic spell.

I tend to ignore Charm as I've been burned by too many times. Nothing worse then waiting for the charm to wear off or having them turn when you least expect it or are prepared for it

Jules

[Cireeric]

well once the cap raises we will gett ottos irressitable, which doesn't have a save. All bards everywhere without a decent cha will rejoice!

One knock about that spell will be that it is a touch spell.

[Talon_Moonshadow]

One knock about that spell will be that it is a touch spell.

Use with Hypno (and a group that will support your tactic). Hyno at a distance.....run forward and politely ask the baddie to dance for you.....then bow to the barbarian raging behind you and tell him he's all yours........this is what I already do using Resistible dance......works extremely well if the twohanded barb, Ichy trigger fingered Ranger, and fire spamming arcane friends will wait for you to finish before opening up on them. (hurts real bad when you are right in the middle of the mob at point blank range and your "friends" break the hypno before you are done. )

[CSFurious]

did you read the thread?

Isn't this the Bard discussion group?

The topic is CC spells.

Why is there all of this talk of how sorcerers are better? Take it to that group.

[Cireeric]

did you read the thread?

Yes I did.

I this thread, I assumed that since the original post was "What mix of spells provides efective crowd control at low, mid and high levels?" and it is in the Bard Class Disscussion forum, that the responses would be geared toward the use of CC spells by a bard.

The OP also stated "(I am posting this question on the wizard forum too.)", so any comments for wizards would go to that thread.

Instead you had the second post in the thread:
have given up on bards & cc-spells

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my capped sor can just do it better

i think bards help their fellow players best as buffers &, for me, as warchanters

fascinate is the bard's best cc


That just seemed to lead the discussion away from the original question. I do agree with you that fascinate is the best. I like to follow up fascinate with fear.