Knock is a skeleton key for specifically any one lock at a time. That just doesn’t have a home in a game flush with better exploration tools and ways to circumnavigate the locks mundanely, not to mention groups actually engaged and excited to track down the real key the DM hid somewhere nearby.
Read MoreLevitate 5e
The poor man’s version of Fly, Levitate can let you or someone else you choose take to the air like a balloon.
Use it to access higher levels of tall buildings or to reach something on a high shelf.
It could be used as an alternative to Feather Fall if you get pushed off a cliff, or if you simply jump off as a means of escape.
Read MoreLocate Object 5e
Mundane investigation is going to probably be a way better option than ever spending spell slots on Locate Object. The risk of casting a spell that does nothing is too high, and the number of scenarios you’d actually benefit from the cast are probably capped out at once or twice a campaign, if that.
Read MoreMagic Mouth 5e
Magic Mouth is often forgotten about. The gold cost does leave it feeling like a series of buildable magic items more than a real spell, but the ritual tag makes it incredibly easy for wizards to pick up and mess around with. If you like overly complicated plans involving two dozen interlocking pieces lining up perfectly, Magic Mouth is an amazing addition to your toolbox.
Read MoreBanishment 5e
Banishment has the potential to warp all future encounters around it. Temporarily halving the quantity of enemies your group faces will give you an enormous resource advantage that can easily trivialize encounters built around a handful of moderately threatening enemies.
Read MorePrayer of Healing 5e
If you need those hit points in addition to Prayer of Healing, then this spell is decent, but I have to wonder if casting another proactive 2nd level spell like Spiritual Weapon instead may have mitigated a bunch of the incoming damage while ending the damaging encounter faster.
Read MoreSending 5e
If you’re getting access to Sending, it's probably through Sending Stones, and that’s more as a convenience to mitigate metagaming than a particularly powerful magic item. Most tables just won’t want to spend a 3rd level spell slot on this, especially when the distance isn’t typically a major element you’re worried about in most games.
Read MoreDaylight 5e
Daylight has an incredible look. You conjure a brilliant blast of light, a radiant explosion that rebukes all darkness. The problem is that’s kind of all Daylight does; it's a big, hour-long spotlight that acts as a super torch. And that’s rarely going to be worth a 3rd level spell slot.
Read MoreMagic Weapon 5e
Magic Weapon is a terrible spell that exists for an unfun, poorly designed mechanic that has no place in modern gaming.
Read MoreMirror Image 5e
Mirror Image is an old classic I’ve relied on in multiple editions of D&D. It’s fun to watch your enemies get frustrated by wasting a great attack roll just to knock out one of your illusions.
The lengthy spell description covers all the bases pretty well. If you’re forced to participate in combat, Mirror Image is a good way to keep yourself alive a few extra rounds.
Read MoreMisty Step 5e
Misty Step gets you past traps, over moats, and into houses. It excels in combat, in exploration, and in role playing and infiltration moments. Hop onto the chandelier to bring it down, or onto the back of the red dragon mid flight! Get yourself onto the back of the horse fleeing with the kidnapper before they can get too far away! Put yourself in the ideal seat on the wagon without needing to call shotgun!
Read MoreDominate Beast 5e
Dominate Beast is outclassed by summoning magic and hits a creature type games tend to pull away from in the tier you get it.
Read MoreRay of Enfeeblement 5e
Ray of Enfeeblement isn’t something I’d recommend picking up and using regularly at 3rd or 4th level, but something to consider past 7th level when you’re starting to bank a lot of higher level spell slots and have some room to switch out lesser used lower level options.
Read MoreRope Trick 5e
Rope Trick isn’t going to be a wizard’s most cast spell, but as a cheap 2nd level tool, it's a blast to play with that will affect the game from the moment you get it until it ends. Clever players can juice this for all it’s worth, and even in its average use case, your DM is going to have to consider how they deal with it.
Read MoreSee Invisibility 5e
See Invisibility does less than it says rules as written, which is crazy to me. You spend a 2nd level spell slot to see invisible and ethereal creatures for an hour- to me, it's implied this removes the benefits of them being invisible or ethereal, but thanks to good old fashioned wonky rules interactions, it does no such thing!
Read MoreSpider Climb 5e
Spider Climb is a 3rd level way to start engaging with the three dimensional fantasy world in ways you couldn’t prior. It fulfills part of the Spiderman fantasy where you’re sticking to ceilings and sneaking over arrow traps laid out on the floor. It gives you a tool for scaling shear surfaces in a new way, for a long time.
Read MoreSuggestion 5e
Suggestion is a spell with one of the most powerful potentials in the game for its level. Clever words paired with misleading circumstances can lead NPCs to perform in ways that radically shape the outcomes of the story. With a duration of eight hours, at minimum, Suggestion can act as a save or die to remove foes from a fight that they feel isn’t entirely necessary.
Read MoreWeb 5e
Web is an iconic classic spell. This is something straight out of 2nd edition, a spell to gunk up a dungeon corridor to light on fire with your torch. Its 5th edition translation leaves it feeling almost like it's out of place; the rules around it are complex, requiring a very specific environment to work at all, but in exchange, gives you a fairly powerful effect to play around with.
Read MoreEnhance Ability 5e
Enhance Ability is something you prepare for a single low tier encounter involving seducing a nobleman and then never again. It's an unremarkable spell with underwhelming text that doesn’t play well in a system that gives out advantage like candy on Halloween. You probably don’t ever want to spend spell slots on this.
Read MoreDispel Magic 5e
Taking Dispel Magic at 5th level is a bit overkill, but finding room for it in the next few levels I’d recommend to most anyone. Dispel Magic is reliable, useful, and a way to engage with a kind of play otherwise challenging to interface with.
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