3.5: Well-designed spells?

[Mystify]

What do you think the best spells are in 3.5? And to be clear, I don't mean "most powerful and gamebreaking." I mean, which spells are the most well-designed? If a spell has too much power for its level, it is not designed well. If a spell is too weak, it is also not well-designed. A well-designed spell is useful in a variety of circumstances, offers a reasonable bonus, and shouldn't make the DM go and cry in the corner. The Polymorph spells are right out, being extremely overpowered and flexible, for instance.
A caster who picked these spells would be useful and flexible, but won't have any "I win" buttons.

[Tr011]

Trollshape (PHB2)
You can use it in a lot of ways: Out of combat healing, in-combat healing + temp HP to save urself if in melee with an enemy, you can use it with other buffs to go hitting enemies like a fighter or you use it to get your lost leg back (or even your familiar's via share spell). And it looks funny to transform yourself into a troll and then cast on your spells. And it is a SWIFT action to use.

//edit: Dispel Magic is useful and well designed with its limit. Death by Thorns (BoVD) is very nice but has it's drawbacks (corrupt spell and touch range). The Orbs in SpC are nice, useful and well designed. Energy Aegis (PHB2) is a good immediate defensive spell that is not as overpowered as Ruin Delver's Fortune or Wings of flurry. Khelben's Suspended Silence from MoF has it's uses since Silence is not available for wizards/sorcerers and it has some cool uses.

[HunterOfJello]

I actually think that Magic Missile is a very well designed spell. It has fairly low damage, but a high degree of reliability. The damage maxes out at caster level 9, but is still fairly weak as far as hp damage goes. It can hit multiple opponents and take out 2 to 3 monsters of a low CR at a time once the caster is at a higher level, but won't do so easily. It's definitely one of the trademark spells of D&D and arcane spellcasters in general for good reason. It also sounds cool and invokes a cool image of a series of missles made out of pure force flying from a mage's hand and slamming into his enemies. The spell is also easily defended against with an amulet, but will normally do damage to any type of enemy. Very few monsters have immunity to force damage, although many will fast heal back the small amount of damage done by it. I think it is a well designed spell that serves its purpose very well.

[Urpriest]

Panacea is pretty cool, without being overwhelming for its level, and it really helps people out with being a healer without filling their slots with useless crap.

[Steward]

Feather Fall does its job and does it well.

[FMArthur]

I actually think the Summon Monster line is really cool and decently balanced up to and including Summon Monster V. VI and above start getting wacky with monsters that have majorly impactful extra effects and pseudo spellcasting of their own. The fixed list of creatures (with a little bit of expansion from additional books) is good for it, not like Polymorph where you get to just grab the Monster Manuals and pick from it like it was your own forms' catalogue.

Overall the SM line is too powerful, but the effect is so versatile, so cool and so much fun for the game. The spells getting to make it onto your list of prepared stuff alongside truly bad offenders is indicative of their power to some degree, but mostly it's just that the ability is irreplaceable; there isn't anything like it barring Gate, and the SNA line which is basically the same ability anyway. It's an iconic caster power that is unique in effect and useful in purpose.

[NeoSeraphi]

Well-designed? Guidance of the Avatar (http://www.wizards.com/dnd/article.asp?x=dnd/sb/sb20010504a) No, not really.

I think haste is a good example of a well-designed spell. It's a party-wide buff that comes online at 5th-6th level when the party fighter/barbarian/paladin starts to need just a little extra edge to keep owning and the party ranger has finally stopped missing when he uses the Rapid Shot feat.

And haste stays useful for the majority of your adventuring career. You'll never regret preparing one in the morning.

[Zaq]

I'm a big fan of Unluck. It undeniably gives you an edge over the target, and they're going to be very frustrated by it, but it's not a way to just automatically remove them from relevance. It's a solid and interesting debuff that severely hampers the target without totally neutralizing them, and I think that's very appropriate for a 3rd level spell.

Also, it works against nearly any enemy you face. It would be slightly more even if it let the target's victims reroll their saving throws against the target's effects (e.g., Jim is hit with Unluck; if Jim casts Fireball on Jack, Jack gets to reroll his Reflex save and take the better), but still, everyone's going to notice if you Unluck them in ways that they won't always notice other debuffs.

[deuxhero]

^^Unless find yourself needing another does of fly...

[elvengunner69]

I am so in love with this spell...and yes I might want to marry it

Magic Stone Transmutation
Level: Clr 1, Drd 1, Earth 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Up to three pebbles touched
Duration: 30 minutes or until discharged
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)


You transmute as many as three pebbles, which can be no larger than sling bullets, so that they strike with great force when thrown or slung. If hurled, they have a range increment of 20 feet. If slung, treat them as sling bullets (range increment 50 feet). The spell gives them a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls. The user of the stones makes a normal ranged attack. Each stone that hits deals 1d6+1 points of damage (including the spell’s enhancement bonus), or 2d6+2 points against undead.

Druids rule. :smallbiggrin:

[NeoSeraphi]

I am so in love with this spell...and yes I might want to marry it

Magic Stone Transmutation
Level: Clr 1, Drd 1, Earth 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting time: 1 standard action
Range: Touch
Targets: Up to three pebbles touched
Duration: 30 minutes or until discharged
Saving Throw: Will negates (harmless, object)
Spell Resistance: Yes (harmless, object)


You transmute as many as three pebbles, which can be no larger than sling bullets, so that they strike with great force when thrown or slung. If hurled, they have a range increment of 20 feet. If slung, treat them as sling bullets (range increment 50 feet). The spell gives them a +1 enhancement bonus on attack and damage rolls. The user of the stones makes a normal ranged attack. Each stone that hits deals 1d6+1 points of damage (including the spell’s enhancement bonus), or 2d6+2 points against undead.

Druids rule. :smallbiggrin:

If you love that spell, you must really love its big brother, giant's wrath (Spell Compendium) :smallcool:


^^Unless find yourself needing another does of fly...

Well, starting at 9th level, you don't, since you get overland flight.

[Big Fau]

I actually think the Summon Monster line is really cool and decently balanced up to and including Summon Monster V. VI and above start getting wacky with monsters that have majorly impactful extra effects and pseudo spellcasting of their own. The fixed list of creatures (with a little bit of expansion from additional books) is good for it, not like Polymorph where you get to just grab the Monster Manuals and pick from it like it was your own forms' catalogue.

Overall the SM line is too powerful, but the effect is so versatile, so cool and so much fun for the game. The spells getting to make it onto your list of prepared stuff alongside truly bad offenders is indicative of their power to some degree, but mostly it's just that the ability is irreplaceable; there isn't anything like it barring Gate, and the SNA line which is basically the same ability anyway. It's an iconic caster power that is unique in effect and useful in purpose.

I'd have less of a problem with the SM line if it worked like Astral Construct (AKA; summons completely artificial creatures that were designed specifically for the spell itself) rather than drawing upon the MM's creatures.

Dawnburst, from CM, is a personal favorite as far as design goes. It's a niche spell, but it has a wider amount of flexibility than you'd expect from a 1st level spell. It isn't overpowering, but the advantage it gives is noticeable.

[elvengunner69]

If you love that spell, you must really love its big brother, giant's wrath (Spell Compendium) :smallcool:


I just fell deeper in love with being a Druid. That is seriously awesome.

[Human Paragon 3]

Shrink Item. So cool and useful!

[NeoSeraphi]

I just fell deeper in love with being a Druid. That is seriously awesome.

:smallbiggrin: Glad I could be of service.