Must have spells

[kabreras]

Hello,

I am playing a wizard in our new campaign (still low level).

I was wondering what are the new "must have" spells in DD5 ... noticed that the spells changed a lot.
Some got stronger
Some got crap
Some can be cast as rituals

Lets just make a list of the must have by levels

I start

Cantrips
Prestidigitation
Mending
Fire Bolt

Level 1
Find Familiar
Detect magic
Shield
Silent image

level 2
Invisibility
Suggestion

[Starsinger]

Cantrips
Fire Bolt


I'm curious as to the inclusion of Fire Bolt in your list of must haves. It's 1d10 sure, but Ray of Frost is 1d8, a respectable damage type and has some control on it.

[HarrisonF]

For me, the must have wizard spells:

Cantrips:
Minor Illusion: Probably the best general utility cantrip around. Can be used for a lot of purposes such as hiding in it, or obscuring items, or signaling others.


1st level
Mage Armor: 8 Hour duration means you need to cast this up to 3 times per day
Shield: +5 AC when you need it means you can avoid getting hit
Absorb Elements: A lot of the scary saves for you are helped by this. Dragon's breath weapons are pretty serious business.

These three are the core defensive stables for a wizard. At higher levels, you will end up with 1st level slots to burn. These are good uses of them.

Best non-defensive spell:
Tasha's Hideous Laughter: Being a non-typed effect causes so many things to be affected by it. It is pretty crazy how good it is at times.

Rituals:
Detect Magic: Something that is needed and expected from you
Find Familiar: Very good utility for scouting and remoting seeing. Useful at all levels. I don't use it for the Help cheese on attacks, but some DMs do allow that I hear.
Alarm: Real good for the first few levels until you get Leomund's Secret Hut to sleep in


2nd level
Web: All around spell that often can make fights really easy. Good effect for the level. It has won me many fights by itself.
Invisibility: Real good for the scout. Can help make most scouting activities trivial.


3rd level
Counterspell: So good in certain cases. The short range is how it doesn't become broken.
Dispel Magic: Someone needs to have it prepared. If you don't have a cleric or druid, that would be you.
Fireball: Even as a non-blaster wizard, this spell can be really OP when you get it and for the next few levels. The range and damage combine to make it broken at level 5 and still good at level 11.
Hypnotic pattern: A go-to spell that can be used to take out a bunch of people. Works pretty nice in a lot of situations.

Ritual:
Leomund’s secret hut: Even without using it in combat cheese, it is still a really good rest spell


4th level
Polymorph: Making people Giant Apes or T-Rexes never gets old. This is a good pre-buff in some cases, but also can be used as your on-demand heal spell effectively.
Arcane Eye: This can break so many encounters. Our DM hates it. Being able to scout entire dungeons and know where the bad guys are hanging out, and get the surprise on them every time is pretty OP.

[Shining Wrath]

There are multiple Wizard's Handbooks posted, all of which rate the spells. There are also Warlock & Sorcerer Handbooks which rate many Wizard spells as well.

Start here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?377491-Guides-Tables-and-other-useful-tools-for-5E-D-amp-D).

[0oMooncalfo0]

Actually, Enhance Ability isn't on the wizard spell list, to my knowledge.

I'd also add Sleep (1st level enchantment) for consideration. It's more powerful than it was in past editions (5d8 worth of HP) and is very good for field control at low level.

[CoggieRagabash]

Definitely second Sleep, assuming any time is spent at low levels. It's dependable and effective, can really shape an encounter. Later on it's not going to see as much use but every once in a while you spy a situation to quietly, harmlessly and without a save just put a creature or few down so it'll never be a complete waste on your list.

[Malifice]

Definitely second Sleep, assuming any time is spent at low levels. It's dependable and effective, can really shape an encounter. Later on it's not going to see as much use but every once in a while you spy a situation to quietly, harmlessly and without a save just put a creature or few down so it'll never be a complete waste on your list.

This. Sleep is a game changer at low levels.

The bane of many a kobold and goblin. Even the odd Ogre.

Runs out of steam later on, but its a mook slayer beyond equal at low (1-3rd) level.

Still good at higher levels against softened up targets too thanks to: Save -None. With a 5th level slot its (roll 13d8 v your opponents HP, roll higher and they die, no save)

[CoggieRagabash]

Still good at higher levels against softened up targets too thanks to: Save -None. With a 5th level slot its (roll 13d8 v your opponents HP, roll higher and they die, no save)

Or even not dead, honestly that's where I loved it most once we got out of little kobolds and goblins stages. If there was someone we needed to live past the encounter, Sleep was a great way to make sure we would have time to go tie them up. It's hard as a mage to non-lethally fireball someone into submission, and another control spell might just fail, so Sleep fills a nice niche.

[Inevitability]

Cantrips:

-Minor Illusion. I swear, by the time the offensive cantrips are just another way to waste your action, Minor Illusion will still shine. The versatility of this spell is amazing.
-Prestidigitation. Same as ME, but less so.
-Fire Bolt. This gives you a respectable damage output, but doesn't do much else. Still, starting fires 120 ft. away is never a bad thing.

1st-level:

-Shield. Shield all the way. What to spend your reaction and useless 1st-level slots on? That's right, Shield.
-Feather Fall. Actually a surprisingly useful spell. Height differences aren't exactly uncommon, and when your fly spell gets disrupted you'll be glad you picked it.
-Chromatic Orb. Except for the 50 GP focus, there is nothing to stop you from picking this. It deals good single-target damage and lets you pick the type? Yes please.

[MaxWilson]

-Feather Fall. Actually a surprisingly useful spell. Height differences aren't exactly uncommon, and when your fly spell gets disrupted you'll be glad you picked it.

It works on other creatures, too. A few seasons ago, my players were trying to take out a barracks full of forty hobgoblin. Their chosen approach was to bombard the barracks with boulders dropped from 300' from their spelljamming ship, a programmer powered by captured ropers. Much excitement was had over repeatedly landing, under fire, to pick up trees and boulders to use as ammunition.

They didn't think to do this, but they could simply have dropped ropers instead, using Feather Fall on six ropers at a time. Would have been interesting to see that one play out...

[kabreras]

Cantrips:
-Chromatic Orb. Except for the 50 GP focus, there is nothing to stop you from picking this. It deals good single-target damage and lets you pick the type? Yes please.

As i see it it is 50gp material not focus.. witch make it a damn expensive spell

[DracoKnight]

-Chromatic Orb. Except for the 50 GP focus, there is nothing to stop you from picking this. It deals good single-target damage and lets you pick the type? Yes please.

Well, if you have an Arcane Focus, that's negated; the spell doesn't consume the diamond.

[Daishain]

Well, if you have an Arcane Focus, that's negated; the spell doesn't consume the diamond.
foci can't replace priced components, whether or not the component is consumed.

[JoeJ]

Well, if you have an Arcane Focus, that's negated; the spell doesn't consume the diamond.

You can't use an arcane focus to replace a material component with a cost, like this one. However, you're correct that the diamond is not consumed, so you only have to pay for it once.

Edit: Shadow monked

[Shining Wrath]

As i see it it is 50gp material not focus.. witch make it a damn expensive spell

Unless the spell description says the materials are consumed, they are not.

[kabreras]

I didn't notice that...

Thanks

[JumboWheat01]

Misty Step is a great Second Level spell to have. A Verbal-only BONUS ACTION teleport. And at level 18, you can make it so you can cast it at its lowest level at will, without using a spell-slot. Since Misty Step doesn't scale at all, that's pretty much a free teleport whenever you need it.

Also fun to use if you happen to be a slower race than your buddies. Keep up with free teleports.

[Malifice]

Misty Step is a great Second Level spell to have. A Verbal-only BONUS ACTION teleport. And at level 18, you can make it so you can cast it at its lowest level at will, without using a spell-slot. Since Misty Step doesn't scale at all, that's pretty much a free teleport whenever you need it.

Also fun to use if you happen to be a slower race than your buddies. Keep up with free teleports.

Aside from when you're blinded or cant see.

[Gignere]

Cantrips -

Minor Illusion - Most versatile cantrip in the game, useful in combat and out of combat
Light - See combo with unseen servant below
Mage Hand - Open doors/chest at a distance, knock on a close door at a distance while you are hiding behind a minor illusion pure gold.
Any Damaging Cantrip - Personally I like shocking grasp and chill touch, shocking grasp because of combo with familiar and chill touch for heal denial rider.

Level 1
Find Familiar - Crawford ruled help action in combat allowed, so your familiar can now help the rogue and deliver your shocking grasp all in the same round. This is the must have level 1 spell now.
Silent Image - Create an illusory fog cloud = advantage for your party at least for a round if not more.
Magic Missile - Auto hit force damage take that dodging, disengaging rogue
Shield - +5 AC is ridiculous especially at level 18 when this becomes automatic perm +5 AC.
Unseen Servant - have this hold light source (see cantrip above), position servant 50 - 60 feet ahead of party. You just defeated darkvision even if your party doesn't all have darkvision. Even against Drows your party is still lightly obscured and as long as the party is stealthed, Drows still should have trouble seeing the party.

Level 2
Misty Step - bonus action, vocal only teleport is too good to be true.
Phantasmal Force - Int save, almost nothing in the MM is proficient in this save. Target can spend an action to do an int (investigation) check, once again I don't see anything in MM proficient in investigation. What the effect is only limited by your imagination? Only drawback is DM may nerf it to uselessness, since it is an illusion. Should at a minimum be able to mimic other level 1 and 2 disables, including prone, restrain and blind.
Scorching Ray - sometimes you just need to kill things.

Level 3
Animate Dead - 4 skeletons armed with crossbows and outside of darkvision range (see unseen servant + light combo) or hidden in illusory fog cloud shooting with advantage, omg.
Counterspell - my party got so butthurt when I counterspell all of their fireballs.

Level 4
Arcane eye - if you abuse this watch out for the DM ban hammer.
Polymorph - what do you mean the bard can't fight, not when he/she is a T-Rex or King Kong. Much better to cast this on a non-frontline melee.

[Malifice]

Counterspell - my party got so butthurt when I counterspell all of their fireballs.

Serves them right for casting them within 60' of you.

All you need to do is walk outside of a 60' radius of anyone with it, and they cant use counterspell.

Another options is to hit them with something else that burns the reaction first (like shield spell).

[Slipperychicken]

Level 1
Find Familiar - Crawford ruled help action in combat allowed, so your familiar can now help the rogue and deliver your shocking grasp all in the same round. This is the must have level 1 spell now.
Silent Image - Create an illusory fog cloud = advantage for your party at least for a round if not more.
Magic Missile - Auto hit force damage take that dodging, disengaging rogue
Shield - +5 AC is ridiculous especially at level 18 when this becomes automatic perm +5 AC.
Unseen Servant - have this hold light source (see cantrip above), position servant 50 - 60 feet ahead of party. You just defeated darkvision even if your party doesn't all have darkvision. Even against Drows your party is still lightly obscured and as long as the party is stealthed, Drows still should have trouble seeing the party.


Looks good, but I'd replace unseen servant with Tenser's Floating Disk. It's quite handy for getting heavy loot and KO'd teammates out of dungeons, especially when you can't bring in your mules or cart for some reason.

[Gignere]

Serves them right for casting them within 60' of you.

All you need to do is walk outside of a 60' radius of anyone with it, and they cant use counterspell.

Another options is to hit them with something else that burns the reaction first (like shield spell).

It was in a castle, hard not to be within 60 ft and still have LoS.

[Gignere]

Looks good, but I'd replace unseen servant with Tenser's Floating Disk. It's quite handy for getting heavy loot and KO'd teammates out of dungeons, especially when you can't bring in your mules or cart for some reason.

Floating Disc is great the problem is that it sticks within 20 feet of you so you can't use the light trick and beat darkvision. I think beating darkvision in terms of usefulness is greater than a floating backpack.

However since they are both no concentrate rituals I don't see why you can't have both running. Might be a good way to argue that the fighter in full plate who is now riding the floating disc is not making any noise so should not have disadvantage with stealth checks.

Also this can be a great way to give your small party members extra movement, since the disc auto follows you so in combat you can move 30 feet and the small PC can move another 25 feet on their turn, covering a total of 35 feet (effectively if you measure from your starting point). Woohoo take that mobile feat.

[JumboWheat01]

Aside from when you're blinded or cant see.

True, but in that case, you're pretty SOL, since so many of your spells require you to see where you're planting them.

[Inevitability]

Aside from when you're blinded or cant see.

Or want to cast an actual spell this turn.

[Tanarii]

Cantrips: Ranged attack cantrip of choice, Minor illusion, shocking grasp, Mage hand. In that order. After that anything of choice.

1st level (6 at first level, assuming Int 16):
Sleep, area denial (Fog Cloud or Grease), area damage (Thunderwave or Burning Hands), utility or control (Disguise Self, Charm Person, T. Hideous Laughter), 2 rituals (Alarm, Detect Magic, Comprehend Languages, Unseen Servant, or Floating Disk)

Don't choose Mage Armor or Sheild at level one, your slots are too precious for that, get them at level 2 or even later. Don't take chromatic Orb until you can afford the component, usually around level two, although it's better for Sorcerers who can twin it and get added damage. Identify and Find Familiar you probably won't be able to cast until 3rd level if your DM follows recommended gold, so wait on those two.

2nd level I usually get Sheild or Mage Armor, and one more ritual from from the starting list. 3rd is Shatter and another ritual. Fourth is either Identify or Find Familar, and Misty Step. 5th is Fireball and Leomunds Tiny Hut. 6th is Fly and either Water Breathing or Phantom Steed.

This is all based on only being able to prepare Int+level spells, maximizing rituals available on top of that, and assumption I won't find any spells. And of course I'll vary it up depending on the way the campaign is shaping up. But these are my go-to spells for the first 6th levels without other considerations. Edit: I also tend to not use my ASI for Int at level four, but if I do plan to, I get another level 2 spell instead of Find Fam or Identify, or either skip them or pick them up before then.

[Slipperychicken]

Floating Disc is great the problem is that it sticks within 20 feet of you so you can't use the light trick and beat darkvision. I think beating darkvision in terms of usefulness is greater than a floating backpack.

However since they are both no concentrate rituals I don't see why you can't have both running. Might be a good way to argue that the fighter in full plate who is now riding the floating disc is not making any noise so should not have disadvantage with stealth checks.


That's a good point. After picking your free spells known, there's no need to choose between them.

[PoeticDwarf]

Hello,

I am playing a wizard in our new campaign (still low level).

I was wondering what are the new "must have" spells in DD5 ... noticed that the spells changed a lot.
Some got stronger
Some got crap
Some can be cast as rituals

Lets just make a list of the must have by levels

I start

Cantrips
Prestidigitation
Mending
Fire Bolt

Level 1
Find Familiar
Detect magic
Shield
Silent image

level 2
Invisibility
Suggestion

Serious, prestidigation? Minor illusion is way handier in almost every situation.
Shield, maybe, especially higher level
Fire bolt, chill touch, ray of frost, shocking grasp for most wizards, all other cantrips which are at least as good as firebolt.

[djreynolds]

Feather Fall, reaction, very useful

Levitate

Fly

Haste

[tsotate]

Serious, prestidigation? Minor illusion is way handier in almost every situation.
Except the situation of adventuring away from laundromats for months at a time. All other uses of the spell aside, some wizards just prefer clean underwear.

[gullveig]

http://cdn.meme.am/instances2/500x/2987776.jpg

[Gignere]

Except the situation of adventuring away from laundromats for months at a time. All other uses of the spell aside, some wizards just prefer clean underwear.

Go commando and minor illusion a pair, for modesty.

[Tanarii]

That'll leave a pair of free-floating illusionary underpants lingering behind after you moved away.

That's not a reason not to do it. :)

[JumboWheat01]

Go commando and minor illusion a pair, for modesty.

That wouldn't stop any tender bits from actually rubbing against whatever you're wearing. That hurts after a while.

[Gignere]

That wouldn't stop any tender bits from actually rubbing against whatever you're wearing. That hurts after a while.

It's a wizard, obviously wearing big baggy robes will reduce the amount of chafing.

The best thing is you can flash and moon everyone all the time as your free object interaction.

[Tanarii]

Hahaha sounds like your wizards are Kilt wearers, not robe wearers.

[Gignere]

Hahaha sounds like your wizards are Kilt wearers, not robe wearers.

No that is my barbarian and he runs into battle and the first thing is free object interaction and off with his kilt in every fight.

[JoeJ]

Except the situation of adventuring away from laundromats for months at a time. All other uses of the spell aside, some wizards just prefer clean underwear.

And warm, tasty food. And cold beer. And warm socks. And instant fire. And enough warm water to bathe and shave with on even the coldest day.

[JumboWheat01]

And warm, tasty food. And cold beer. And warm socks. And instant fire. And enough warm water to bathe and shave with on even the coldest day.

FILTHY LIES. A wizard without a beard is not a very proper wizard, now is he? And don't give me that whole elven or female wizards thing. A wizard needs a beard, gods darn it!

[Tanarii]

And warm, tasty food. And cold beer. And warm socks. And instant fire. And enough warm water to bathe and shave with on even the coldest day.
I'm guessing it's a Hobbit Wizard. Uh ... I mean a Stout Halfling Wizard.

[tsotate]

Go commando and minor illusion a pair, for modesty.
That gets really, really uncomfortable when you hike and/or ride horses for several hours a day. Chafing is just no fun.

Also, have you tasted the meals the guy with the Outlander background foraged for us without Prestidigitation flavoring them?

Minor Illusion is great (though not even a tenth as great as the people ignoring its limitations try to pretend in the hopes their DMs won't call them on it), but Prestidigitation is the quality of life spell.

[JoeJ]

FILTHY LIES. A wizard without a beard is not a very proper wizard, now is he? And don't give me that whole elven or female wizards thing. A wizard needs a beard, gods darn it!

I said shave, I didn't say it necessarily had to be their face.

[M Placeholder]

Heat Metal.

Unless your on Athas, this is a great spell to have.

[JoeJ]

Heat Metal.

Unless your on Athas, this is a great spell to have.

The OP was asking about wizard spells, though. A wizard would have to multiclass as a Bard or Druid to get Heat Metal.

[Tanarii]

Heat Metal. anyone else do a double take seeing this after all that discussion of underwear vs commando?

I was like ... medieval torture time or what?

[M Placeholder]

The OP was asking about wizard spells, though. A wizard would have to multiclass as a Bard or Druid to get Heat Metal.

Whoops. Its such a good spell, that I don't know why it wasn't given to wizards as well as bards and druids.

[hymer]

Whoops. Its such a good spell, that I don't know why it wasn't given to wizards as well as bards and druids.

Are you implying that wizards ought to have access to all the best spells? :smallamused:

[Daishain]

Are you implying that wizards ought to have access to all the best spells? :smallamused:
Whether or not they ought to, they certainly seem to. I will also say that the tactical application of heat in just the right area (in a non blasty manner) sounds right up the wizard's alley, more so than other spells I can think of.