Interested in building a Celestial-magic focused character? Keep reading.
Celestial casters are focused on using element-attuned wands to deal Elemental damage, specialize in offensive evocation spells, and use magic of the four elements (Stone, Lightning, Ice, Flame).
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Race notes: Biata cannot use Celestial magic, and Barbarians have racial prejudices against it. Some races also have Read Magic and Read Write at double-cost, so consider that!
Spellcasters generally spend a vast majority of their build on Spell Slots. A Spell Slot allows you to memorize a spell equal to that level, for a single use during the course of the day. As an example, John the Celestial Sorcerer has purchased Read Write, Read Magic, two 1st level Spell Slots and one 2nd level Spell Slot. Then he attends an event. For the first day, he can memorize two Stone Bolts (using both of his 1st level Celestial Slots) and one Lightning Bolt, using his 2nd level Celestial Slot. If he decides to, he can memorize different spells for the second day. For an easy chart of the spells by level, look at page 108 of the Alliance Rule Book, and page 110 for the Effects of each spell, which are listed in alphabetical order.
Due to the Spell Slot intensive aspect of being a Scholar, I have only prepared a single Build Template, but three different Spell Preparations, the Supporter, the Elemental Master, and the Tactician. These three Celestial spellcasters have all spent their Build Points in the same way, but they have drastically different spell preparations!
My recommended Build Template for this is as follows:
Base Skills: Read/Write, Read Magic, Spell Slots ( 4-2-1 )* - 15 Build Total
Advanced Skills: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1)* - 38 Build Total
Elite Skills: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )* - 73 Build Total
*Spell Slots purchased by this template are listed by level, 1st-2nd-3rd-etc. As an example, (4-3-2-1) would mean four 1st level slots, three 2nd level Slots, two 3rd level Slots, and one 4th level slot.
NOTE: It is highly recommended you pick up a weapon skill of some sort, as you will be otherwise extremely limited in capability should your spell slots become depleted. A weapon skill is not included in this template, as it can vary from 2 Build (Small Weapon) to 16 Build (Polearm). You should pick a weapon that you'd feel comfortable with using, at a cost you're willing to spend.
SECOND NOTE: Celestial casters have access to Wands. Wands will cost you 2 Silver per wand, and are attuned to a single Element upon purchase. You can also buy extra Wands, to have backups or elemental choices! For every Celestial Spell Slot you know, you have 1 Wand Charge per day. Your Wand damage is equal to 1 + your total 9th level Spell Slots. Example: John the Celestial Sorcerer can memorize four 9th level Spell Slots and has a total of 36 Celestial Spell Slots, so he can shoot for "5 Elemental <element>!" 36 times per day! Remember, you -must- be holding your wand in order to use a Wand charge!
Starting Equipment: 12 Copper, Spellbook, Armor
The Supporter
Description: The Supporter is the guy who'll keep you in the fight. They specialize in Protective spells, and spells that will slow down an enemy. They're usually behind a Fighter, and rarely ever engage in melee, except to perhaps serve as a -brief- distraction for an enemy, or out of desperation.
Additionally, the Backpack may offer Protective spells to strangers as a way of making friends! Remember that Biata and Barbarians probably don't want your protectives!
Base Spell Preparation (4-2-1) :
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Magic Armor x 2
3rd - Bind x 1
Advanced Spell Preparation ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Magic Armor x 4
3rd - Bind x 3, Wall of Force x1
4th - Awaken x 1, Shun x 2
5th - Spell Shield x 2
6th - Elemental Shield x 1
Elite Spell Preparation: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Magic Armor x 4
3rd - Bind x 3, Wall of Force x1
4th - Awaken x 2, Shun x 2
5th - Spell Shield x 3, Release x 1
6th - Elemental Shield x 3, Magic Blade x 1
7th - Confine x 3
8th - Dispel x 2
9th - Circle of Power x 1
Favorite Spells:
1st - Disarm: Disabling a weapon-user with a first level spell is remarkably effective. A favorite tactic is to use this to have the target drop their weapon, and to quickly grab it before they're able to pick it back up again. Fortress: The ability to be able to ignore weapon blows of 10 damage or less could potentially save your life in the event you and/or your buddy are suddenly overwhelmed by numbers, allowing you to remain safe until reinforcements arrive.
2nd - Magic Armor: The ability to negate damage to your friend is huge, especially right before a powerful attack like a Slay or an Eviscerate. Pin: Either this will keep an enemy from being able to move, or it will make them vulnerable for a few seconds while they try to rip free. Either is pretty solid, and it can help you manage your targets more easily with your partner.
3rd - Bind: While under the effects of a Bind, an enemy cannot use their arms at all, so it's a fairly powerful way to immediately stop an enemy's offense. Wall of Force: Being able to cordon off an entrance, or give some instant cover, is an incredibly useful tactic. It can be dropped by a Dispel Magic, but it shouldn't be underestimated.
4th - Shun: Enemies that are Shunned from you cannot come within 10 feet, nor can they direct any attack towards you, either at range or otherwise. Also useful for breaking Command effects on allies! Awaken: The only way to break a Waylay, and also the best way to remove Command spells without having to Shun your partner, which can make working in concert more difficult.
5th - Spell Shield: Generally, when you're fighting spellcasters, you end up having to deal with a -lot- of spells. These can go -very- fast, so many Backpacks only memorize Spell Shields. Release: If your campaign is using a lot of Binding effects, or you just want to have a Release in your pocket just in case, it's not a bad spell to have available.
6th - Elemental Shield: Same concept as Spell Shield...when you need to start using Elemental Shield, you usually have to use more than one. Magic Blade: Sometimes you face an enemy that can only be hurt by Magic weapons. In those circumstances, this can make a handy tool!
7th - Confine: While more offensive than the Supporter usually tends to be, Confine is an excellent spell for shutting down an enemy. An enemy that can't hit you is an enemy that you can deal with at your leisure. Also, an enemy that's Confined is vulnerable to a partner's Terminate, Assassinate, Eviscerate, or Slay, since they'd be unable to Parry or Dodge, making it possible to 1-2 combo. Charm: Turn an enemy into a buddy! Note that Charm is not an effect you can use to give commands. The target treats you as their friend, so its usefulness can be limited, though it can potentially eliminate one more enemy you have fight immediately.
8th - Dispel: Useful for fixing an ally who's been afflicted in some way, though be wary that Dispel will get rid of all of their Protections. Still, an ally who's been hit with Nausea, Laugh, Prison, or some other terrible effect isn't of much use to the Tactician.
9th - Circle of Power: Sometimes, you need a breather. A Supporter may decide to use a Circle of Power to allow an ally or two some precious time to fix their armor and get healed from potions. Since making the Circle takes time, it's not uncommon for such a Tactician to have a Circle of Power representation prepared ahead of time, ready for the caster to jump in and use the spell. Prison: A powerful spell that will encase your enemy in unbreakable force, which means you don't need to deal with that enemy immediately. Additionally, it's rare for an enemy to be able to break free of a Prison that's landed, so you only need to ensure that their allies don't Dispel them free.
The Elemental Master
Description: The Elemental Masters prepare their spells ready to deal with either elementals, or creatures that are otherwise weak to certain elements. Their evocation spells work as their primary source of offense, but they also have some tricks up their sleeves to deal specifically with elementals.
Base Spell Preparation (4-2-1) :
1st - Stone Bolt x 4
2nd - Lightning Bolt x 2
3rd - Ice Bolt x 1
Advanced Spell Preparation ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Stone Bolt x 4
2nd - Lightning Bolt x 4
3rd - Ice Bolt x 4
4th - Elemental Blade x 2, Banish x 1
5th - Stone Storm x 2
6th - Lightning Storm x 1
Elite Spell Preparation: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Stone Bolt x 4
2nd - Lightning Bolt x 4
3rd - Ice Bolt x 4
4th - Elemental Blade x 2, Banish x 2
5th - Stone Storm x 4
6th - Lightning Storm x 2, Elemental Shield x 2
7th - Subjugate x 2, Ice Storm x 1
8th - Dragon's Breath x 2
9th - Elemental Blast x 1
Favorite Spells:
1st - Stone Bolt: 5 Stone Damage
2nd - Lightning Bolt: 10 Lightning Damage
3rd - Ice Bolt: 15 Ice Damage
4th - Flame Bolt: 20 Flame Damage. Elemental Blade: For 10 minutes, your ally can use his weapons with the element damage of his choice. Example: John the Fighter can swing for 5 Normal with his sword, but with Elemental Blade, he might choose the Flame element, and for 10 minutes he can swing for 5 Flame. Note that the target gets to choose which element they swing for! Banish: This will either immediately dissipate a lesser elemental, lesser extraplanar creature, or lesser fey, or deal significant damage to a greater version of these creatures.
5th - Stone Storm: 25 Stone Damage
6th - Elemental Shield: When doing battle with elementals, it's wise to have an Elemental Shield! Lightning Storm: 30 Lightning Damage
7th - Ice Storm: 35 Ice Damage. Subjugate: Why damage an elemental or construct when they can be your minion for 10 minutes?
8th - Dragon's Breath: 40 Flame Damage.
9th - Elemental Blast: 45 <Element> Damage. Useful for not just a burst of damage, but also when you don't know which element you might need! Magic Storm: For the caster with an interest in spell economy, the Magic Storm provides an opportunity to launch a barrage of damage with a single spell. This is also useful for depleting the spell shields of an enemy caster! As long as the caster keeps their feet in place, they can continue to shoot for unlimited shots of Magic Storm, which is 10 damage per packet. Note that this isn't element-based damage, so it won't provide you any particular advantage against elementals.
The Tactician
Description: The Tactician understands that the winner of the fight is the one still standing at the end. The Tactician forgoes much in the way of Protection spells in return for spells that will negate his target's ability to harm his allies
Base Spell Preparation (4-2-1) :
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Pin x 2
3rd - Bind x 1
Advanced Spell Preparation ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Pin x 3, Repel x 1
3rd - Bind x 4
4th - Shun x 3
5th - Web x 2
6th - Sleep x 1
Elite Spell Preparation: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Pin x 3, Repel x 1
3rd - Bind x 3, Wall of Force x 1
4th - Shun x 4
5th - Web x 3, Spell Shield x 1
6th - Sleep x 4
7th - Confine x 3
8th - Dispel x 2
9th - Prison x 1
Favorite Spells:
1st - Disarm: Disabling a weapon-user with a first level spell is remarkably effective. A favorite tactic is to use this to have the target drop their weapon, and to quickly grab it before they're able to pick it back up again.
2nd - Pin: Either this will keep an enemy from being able to move, or it will make them vulnerable for a few seconds while they try to rip free. Either is pretty solid. Repel: Enemies cannot "Rip free" of a Repel, so it's an option you can use to keep an enemy at bay as an alternative to Pin.
3rd - Bind: While under the effects of a Bind, an enemy cannot use their arms at all, so it's a fairly powerful way to immediately stop an enemy's offense. Wall of Force: Being able to cordon off an entrance, or give some instant cover, is an incredibly useful tactic. It can be dropped by a Dispel Magic, but it shouldn't be underestimated.
4th - Shun: Enemies that are Shunned from you cannot come within 10 feet, nor can they direct any attack towards you, either at range or otherwise. Also useful for breaking Command effects on allies!
5th - Spell Shield: While this is a Protective and not a control spell, sometimes an enemy will Bane or Reflect one of your spells back at you. A Spell Shield is a good way to make sure that you won't get shut down by your own spells. Web: This is a great spell to keep an enemy shut down and immobile.
6th - Sleep: Nighty night, sweet prince. No more fighting for you.
7th - Confine: This is like Web, only stronger. Some enemies who can rip free of a Web might not be able to rip free of a Confine, especially if they've been Weaknessed. Charm: Turn an enemy into a buddy! Note that Charm is not an effect you can use to give commands. The target treats you as their friend, so its usefulness can be limited.
8th - Dispel: Useful for fixing an ally who's been afflicted in some way, though be wary that Dispel will get rid of all of their Protections. Still, an ally who's been hit with Nausea, Laugh, Prison, or some other terrible effect isn't of much use to the Tactician. Dragon's Breath: For the Tactician with a more offensive bent. A pair of Dragon's Breaths will cause many enemies to reconsider.
9th - Prison: A powerful spell that will encase your enemy in unbreakable force. It's a common tactic for a Tactician to Prison a powerful enemy until the weaker targets are dealt with, and then deliver the Killing Blow, dropping the Prison at the last second. "Killing Blow One, Killing Blow Two, Killing Blow Three, Prison Down!" Circle of Power: Sometimes, you need a breather. A Tactician may decide to use a Circle of Power to allow an ally or two some precious time to fix their armor and get healed from potions. Since making the Circle takes time, it's not uncommon for such a Tactician to have a Circle of Power representation prepared ahead of time, ready for the caster to jump in and use the spell. Magic Storm: For the Tactician with an interest in spell economy, the Magic Storm provides an opportunity to launch a barrage of damage with a single spell. This is also useful for depleting the spell shields of an enemy caster! As long as the Tactician keeps their feet in place, they can continue to shoot for unlimited shots of Magic Storm, which is 10 damage per packet.
Celestial casters are focused on using element-attuned wands to deal Elemental damage, specialize in offensive evocation spells, and use magic of the four elements (Stone, Lightning, Ice, Flame).
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Race notes: Biata cannot use Celestial magic, and Barbarians have racial prejudices against it. Some races also have Read Magic and Read Write at double-cost, so consider that!
Spellcasters generally spend a vast majority of their build on Spell Slots. A Spell Slot allows you to memorize a spell equal to that level, for a single use during the course of the day. As an example, John the Celestial Sorcerer has purchased Read Write, Read Magic, two 1st level Spell Slots and one 2nd level Spell Slot. Then he attends an event. For the first day, he can memorize two Stone Bolts (using both of his 1st level Celestial Slots) and one Lightning Bolt, using his 2nd level Celestial Slot. If he decides to, he can memorize different spells for the second day. For an easy chart of the spells by level, look at page 108 of the Alliance Rule Book, and page 110 for the Effects of each spell, which are listed in alphabetical order.
Due to the Spell Slot intensive aspect of being a Scholar, I have only prepared a single Build Template, but three different Spell Preparations, the Supporter, the Elemental Master, and the Tactician. These three Celestial spellcasters have all spent their Build Points in the same way, but they have drastically different spell preparations!
My recommended Build Template for this is as follows:
Base Skills: Read/Write, Read Magic, Spell Slots ( 4-2-1 )* - 15 Build Total
Advanced Skills: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1)* - 38 Build Total
Elite Skills: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )* - 73 Build Total
*Spell Slots purchased by this template are listed by level, 1st-2nd-3rd-etc. As an example, (4-3-2-1) would mean four 1st level slots, three 2nd level Slots, two 3rd level Slots, and one 4th level slot.
NOTE: It is highly recommended you pick up a weapon skill of some sort, as you will be otherwise extremely limited in capability should your spell slots become depleted. A weapon skill is not included in this template, as it can vary from 2 Build (Small Weapon) to 16 Build (Polearm). You should pick a weapon that you'd feel comfortable with using, at a cost you're willing to spend.
SECOND NOTE: Celestial casters have access to Wands. Wands will cost you 2 Silver per wand, and are attuned to a single Element upon purchase. You can also buy extra Wands, to have backups or elemental choices! For every Celestial Spell Slot you know, you have 1 Wand Charge per day. Your Wand damage is equal to 1 + your total 9th level Spell Slots. Example: John the Celestial Sorcerer can memorize four 9th level Spell Slots and has a total of 36 Celestial Spell Slots, so he can shoot for "5 Elemental <element>!" 36 times per day! Remember, you -must- be holding your wand in order to use a Wand charge!
Starting Equipment: 12 Copper, Spellbook, Armor
The Supporter
Description: The Supporter is the guy who'll keep you in the fight. They specialize in Protective spells, and spells that will slow down an enemy. They're usually behind a Fighter, and rarely ever engage in melee, except to perhaps serve as a -brief- distraction for an enemy, or out of desperation.
Additionally, the Backpack may offer Protective spells to strangers as a way of making friends! Remember that Biata and Barbarians probably don't want your protectives!
Base Spell Preparation (4-2-1) :
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Magic Armor x 2
3rd - Bind x 1
Advanced Spell Preparation ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Magic Armor x 4
3rd - Bind x 3, Wall of Force x1
4th - Awaken x 1, Shun x 2
5th - Spell Shield x 2
6th - Elemental Shield x 1
Elite Spell Preparation: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Magic Armor x 4
3rd - Bind x 3, Wall of Force x1
4th - Awaken x 2, Shun x 2
5th - Spell Shield x 3, Release x 1
6th - Elemental Shield x 3, Magic Blade x 1
7th - Confine x 3
8th - Dispel x 2
9th - Circle of Power x 1
Favorite Spells:
1st - Disarm: Disabling a weapon-user with a first level spell is remarkably effective. A favorite tactic is to use this to have the target drop their weapon, and to quickly grab it before they're able to pick it back up again. Fortress: The ability to be able to ignore weapon blows of 10 damage or less could potentially save your life in the event you and/or your buddy are suddenly overwhelmed by numbers, allowing you to remain safe until reinforcements arrive.
2nd - Magic Armor: The ability to negate damage to your friend is huge, especially right before a powerful attack like a Slay or an Eviscerate. Pin: Either this will keep an enemy from being able to move, or it will make them vulnerable for a few seconds while they try to rip free. Either is pretty solid, and it can help you manage your targets more easily with your partner.
3rd - Bind: While under the effects of a Bind, an enemy cannot use their arms at all, so it's a fairly powerful way to immediately stop an enemy's offense. Wall of Force: Being able to cordon off an entrance, or give some instant cover, is an incredibly useful tactic. It can be dropped by a Dispel Magic, but it shouldn't be underestimated.
4th - Shun: Enemies that are Shunned from you cannot come within 10 feet, nor can they direct any attack towards you, either at range or otherwise. Also useful for breaking Command effects on allies! Awaken: The only way to break a Waylay, and also the best way to remove Command spells without having to Shun your partner, which can make working in concert more difficult.
5th - Spell Shield: Generally, when you're fighting spellcasters, you end up having to deal with a -lot- of spells. These can go -very- fast, so many Backpacks only memorize Spell Shields. Release: If your campaign is using a lot of Binding effects, or you just want to have a Release in your pocket just in case, it's not a bad spell to have available.
6th - Elemental Shield: Same concept as Spell Shield...when you need to start using Elemental Shield, you usually have to use more than one. Magic Blade: Sometimes you face an enemy that can only be hurt by Magic weapons. In those circumstances, this can make a handy tool!
7th - Confine: While more offensive than the Supporter usually tends to be, Confine is an excellent spell for shutting down an enemy. An enemy that can't hit you is an enemy that you can deal with at your leisure. Also, an enemy that's Confined is vulnerable to a partner's Terminate, Assassinate, Eviscerate, or Slay, since they'd be unable to Parry or Dodge, making it possible to 1-2 combo. Charm: Turn an enemy into a buddy! Note that Charm is not an effect you can use to give commands. The target treats you as their friend, so its usefulness can be limited, though it can potentially eliminate one more enemy you have fight immediately.
8th - Dispel: Useful for fixing an ally who's been afflicted in some way, though be wary that Dispel will get rid of all of their Protections. Still, an ally who's been hit with Nausea, Laugh, Prison, or some other terrible effect isn't of much use to the Tactician.
9th - Circle of Power: Sometimes, you need a breather. A Supporter may decide to use a Circle of Power to allow an ally or two some precious time to fix their armor and get healed from potions. Since making the Circle takes time, it's not uncommon for such a Tactician to have a Circle of Power representation prepared ahead of time, ready for the caster to jump in and use the spell. Prison: A powerful spell that will encase your enemy in unbreakable force, which means you don't need to deal with that enemy immediately. Additionally, it's rare for an enemy to be able to break free of a Prison that's landed, so you only need to ensure that their allies don't Dispel them free.
The Elemental Master
Description: The Elemental Masters prepare their spells ready to deal with either elementals, or creatures that are otherwise weak to certain elements. Their evocation spells work as their primary source of offense, but they also have some tricks up their sleeves to deal specifically with elementals.
Base Spell Preparation (4-2-1) :
1st - Stone Bolt x 4
2nd - Lightning Bolt x 2
3rd - Ice Bolt x 1
Advanced Spell Preparation ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Stone Bolt x 4
2nd - Lightning Bolt x 4
3rd - Ice Bolt x 4
4th - Elemental Blade x 2, Banish x 1
5th - Stone Storm x 2
6th - Lightning Storm x 1
Elite Spell Preparation: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Stone Bolt x 4
2nd - Lightning Bolt x 4
3rd - Ice Bolt x 4
4th - Elemental Blade x 2, Banish x 2
5th - Stone Storm x 4
6th - Lightning Storm x 2, Elemental Shield x 2
7th - Subjugate x 2, Ice Storm x 1
8th - Dragon's Breath x 2
9th - Elemental Blast x 1
Favorite Spells:
1st - Stone Bolt: 5 Stone Damage
2nd - Lightning Bolt: 10 Lightning Damage
3rd - Ice Bolt: 15 Ice Damage
4th - Flame Bolt: 20 Flame Damage. Elemental Blade: For 10 minutes, your ally can use his weapons with the element damage of his choice. Example: John the Fighter can swing for 5 Normal with his sword, but with Elemental Blade, he might choose the Flame element, and for 10 minutes he can swing for 5 Flame. Note that the target gets to choose which element they swing for! Banish: This will either immediately dissipate a lesser elemental, lesser extraplanar creature, or lesser fey, or deal significant damage to a greater version of these creatures.
5th - Stone Storm: 25 Stone Damage
6th - Elemental Shield: When doing battle with elementals, it's wise to have an Elemental Shield! Lightning Storm: 30 Lightning Damage
7th - Ice Storm: 35 Ice Damage. Subjugate: Why damage an elemental or construct when they can be your minion for 10 minutes?
8th - Dragon's Breath: 40 Flame Damage.
9th - Elemental Blast: 45 <Element> Damage. Useful for not just a burst of damage, but also when you don't know which element you might need! Magic Storm: For the caster with an interest in spell economy, the Magic Storm provides an opportunity to launch a barrage of damage with a single spell. This is also useful for depleting the spell shields of an enemy caster! As long as the caster keeps their feet in place, they can continue to shoot for unlimited shots of Magic Storm, which is 10 damage per packet. Note that this isn't element-based damage, so it won't provide you any particular advantage against elementals.
The Tactician
Description: The Tactician understands that the winner of the fight is the one still standing at the end. The Tactician forgoes much in the way of Protection spells in return for spells that will negate his target's ability to harm his allies
Base Spell Preparation (4-2-1) :
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Pin x 2
3rd - Bind x 1
Advanced Spell Preparation ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Pin x 3, Repel x 1
3rd - Bind x 4
4th - Shun x 3
5th - Web x 2
6th - Sleep x 1
Elite Spell Preparation: Spell Slots ( 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 4 - 3 - 2 - 1 )
1st - Disarm x 3, Fortress x 1
2nd - Pin x 3, Repel x 1
3rd - Bind x 3, Wall of Force x 1
4th - Shun x 4
5th - Web x 3, Spell Shield x 1
6th - Sleep x 4
7th - Confine x 3
8th - Dispel x 2
9th - Prison x 1
Favorite Spells:
1st - Disarm: Disabling a weapon-user with a first level spell is remarkably effective. A favorite tactic is to use this to have the target drop their weapon, and to quickly grab it before they're able to pick it back up again.
2nd - Pin: Either this will keep an enemy from being able to move, or it will make them vulnerable for a few seconds while they try to rip free. Either is pretty solid. Repel: Enemies cannot "Rip free" of a Repel, so it's an option you can use to keep an enemy at bay as an alternative to Pin.
3rd - Bind: While under the effects of a Bind, an enemy cannot use their arms at all, so it's a fairly powerful way to immediately stop an enemy's offense. Wall of Force: Being able to cordon off an entrance, or give some instant cover, is an incredibly useful tactic. It can be dropped by a Dispel Magic, but it shouldn't be underestimated.
4th - Shun: Enemies that are Shunned from you cannot come within 10 feet, nor can they direct any attack towards you, either at range or otherwise. Also useful for breaking Command effects on allies!
5th - Spell Shield: While this is a Protective and not a control spell, sometimes an enemy will Bane or Reflect one of your spells back at you. A Spell Shield is a good way to make sure that you won't get shut down by your own spells. Web: This is a great spell to keep an enemy shut down and immobile.
6th - Sleep: Nighty night, sweet prince. No more fighting for you.
7th - Confine: This is like Web, only stronger. Some enemies who can rip free of a Web might not be able to rip free of a Confine, especially if they've been Weaknessed. Charm: Turn an enemy into a buddy! Note that Charm is not an effect you can use to give commands. The target treats you as their friend, so its usefulness can be limited.
8th - Dispel: Useful for fixing an ally who's been afflicted in some way, though be wary that Dispel will get rid of all of their Protections. Still, an ally who's been hit with Nausea, Laugh, Prison, or some other terrible effect isn't of much use to the Tactician. Dragon's Breath: For the Tactician with a more offensive bent. A pair of Dragon's Breaths will cause many enemies to reconsider.
9th - Prison: A powerful spell that will encase your enemy in unbreakable force. It's a common tactic for a Tactician to Prison a powerful enemy until the weaker targets are dealt with, and then deliver the Killing Blow, dropping the Prison at the last second. "Killing Blow One, Killing Blow Two, Killing Blow Three, Prison Down!" Circle of Power: Sometimes, you need a breather. A Tactician may decide to use a Circle of Power to allow an ally or two some precious time to fix their armor and get healed from potions. Since making the Circle takes time, it's not uncommon for such a Tactician to have a Circle of Power representation prepared ahead of time, ready for the caster to jump in and use the spell. Magic Storm: For the Tactician with an interest in spell economy, the Magic Storm provides an opportunity to launch a barrage of damage with a single spell. This is also useful for depleting the spell shields of an enemy caster! As long as the Tactician keeps their feet in place, they can continue to shoot for unlimited shots of Magic Storm, which is 10 damage per packet.