What spells do you consider useless?

[TIPOT]

Infestation is pretty garbage. A con save to deal 1d6 poison damage and then a d4 to move 5ft in a random N,S,E,or W, direction. Though if you manage to get someone to step off a cliff using this spell that's definite style points. At least Poison Spray is 1d12 damage for a con save.

Jump seems pretty bad, given it's 1 minute duration you'll only ever be able to use this to jump 1 large gap. It would be neat if the duration was an hour like Longstrider.

Blindness/Deafness seems pretty garbage, since it's the same level as hold person and arguably is just a ****tier version of it. I mean sure it has less target restrictions but it also targets CON. I think this spell would be way better if it both Blinded and Deafened at the same time instead of you choosing just 1 effect.

Jump isn't that bad. If there's difficult terrain it can act as a pseudo fly and has some use.

Blindness is really good. You're massively undervaluing the lack of concentration required. You can use it and keep a buff up which is huge.

[Yuroch Kern]

I think I’m misunderstanding you. The cantrip requires an action to cast or a bonus action to cast if you use meta-magic. But you still have to wait until your next turn to use it. That is of course if you do not lose concentration on the spell or you can no longer attack the creature. So unless there is a super ultra mega attack that needs to hit the creature on your next turn, it is a worthless spell.

Yes. The main reason to use it is if you are able to have a bonus action next to it, like Cunning Action to run away and set up a ranged attack, Inspiration, or Battle/War Magic to setup a possible Advantage every round, or attack with a net. It's main (only?) function is to preserve limited resources by making them hit more. At higher levels, it is probably swapped since resources are more available. Anybody else will have trouble with it, except Sorcerers with Quicken, since you can setup a next round attack roll after, say, a Quickened Fireball and TS, then whatever. Concentration is always a thing, but unless they hit you with more than 21 points a damage a pop, DC 10 isn't that difficult.

[Yuroch Kern]

I tend to look at spells like these as "difficult". True Strike, Witch Bolt, Entrall...these and the others are usable, but only if you know how to use them. Fireball is pretty useless in a ally/foe melee, unless they are fire-resistant and/or you don't care, neh?

[Desamir]

Heat Metal.

I actually had a Wand of it made in a 5e game. And never again did we face an opponent in metal armor and the DM ruled repeatedly that stuff like swords and daggers had wooden hilts and so could be held without issue.

So, I consider it a useless spell, it might be useful if a DM didn't seemingly deliberately deny you chances to use it; but that was not the case.
Pretty sure once I sold it he threw like 8 full-plate greatsword warriors at us too.

Classic adversarial DMing. I hope you've found better games since then.

My vote goes to Find Traps, since it effectively does nothing.

Blindness is a sleeper. How many save-or-suck spells exist that don't require concentration? You don't find them until 5th level at the earliest (Contagion, Bestow Curse, both touch spells). And it upscales to target multiple creatures!

[Yuroch Kern]

Classic adversarial DMing. I hope you've found better games since then.

My vote goes to Find Traps, since it effectively does nothing.

Blindness is a sleeper. How many save-or-suck spells exist that don't require concentration? You don't find them until 5th level at the earliest (Contagion, Bestow Curse, both touch spells). And it upscales to target multiple creatures!

Word. Heat metal is brutal, and having a DM specifically negate player advancement and/or loot he himself hands out is not a permanent DM...

Find Traps is a DM call, and is tedious with ones like the one above. Only useful in a novice game. It would only be useful to an Arcane Trickster, who doesn't get it...

[Yuroch Kern]

The absolute most tedious spell I can think of is Crown of Madness. If it were a 1st level spell, mayyyyyybe, but for a 2nd? There is little extra tactical advantage for this spell that can end any given round. It is a two round spell at best, and only suggests a weird delay of game for one opponent, maybe. Although the Charmed condition does keep you safe I suppose...maybe that is it's use?

[Tanarii]

I tend to look at spells like these as "difficult". True Strike, Witch Bolt, Entrall...these and the others are usable, but only if you know how to use them.

There's no reasonable PC use for True Strike and Witch Bolt. There's no "know how to use them". Folks have been trying to find a reasonable use for them, good enough to justify taking up space in your spells, in these forums for years and never succeeded. (Also note True Strike is a cantrip and cannot be swapped out when you inevitably get buyers remorse.)

DM monsters (which includes NPCs) is a different matter. As a DM close to useless or very niche spells can be used, because you can control the initial situation better, but more importantly extremely non-optimal is sometimes fine on an NPC.

[Asisreo1]

There's no reasonable PC use for True Strike and Witch Bolt. There's no "know how to use them". Folks have been trying to find a reasonable use for them, good enough to justify taking up space in your spells, in these forums for years and never succeeded. (Also note True Strike is a cantrip and cannot be swapped out when you inevitably get buyers remorse.)

DM monsters (which includes NPCs) is a different matter. As a DM close to useless or very niche spells can be used, because you can control the initial situation better, but more importantly extremely non-optimal is sometimes fine on an NPC.

True strike's only purpose would be to either cast plane shift for it to hit or be a sorcerer and upcast chromatic orb in the case that you're fighting something with resistance to any damage type you've leaned on.

Basically, you have chromatic orb because you have a limited number of spells known and most of the good ones are either lightning or fire which are pretty common (not super common). Chromatic orb lets you bypass a resistance that you choose correctly while also bypassing magic resistance/legendary resistance.

There's quite a few creatures with damage resistance but it's really the only noncantrip a sorcerer gets that can bypass magic resistance. I think that's also why chromatic orb is relatively expensive, any creature with magic resistance just has to take it as if it's another attack and it's rare to have a creature resistant to all of the possible damage types.

You won't know you need it until you do and true strike helps guarantee it.

[FabulousFizban]

true strike.

this!!!!!!

[Yuroch Kern]

So, yeah, despite the success or failure of certain spells, the effort to use them really turn them off completely. Find traps is soooo interpretable though. Heck, Mordenkainen's Sword is such a lesser version of Spiritual Weapon to the point of why didn't you get Forcecage? 1,500 gp of ruby dust should theoretically be easy for a 13th level+ caster.

[MrStabby]

I want to speak up for a couple of spells mentioned here and add one more.

Blindness/deafness is situational, but awesome when it is needed. I see it as a spell for shutting down caster types. Spellcasters are often not that tough and a con save will be tough for them to make in a way that something like a wisdom save wouldn't be.

It has different strengths in different classes. For a sorcerer I would skip it, too few spells known for one to go on something this situational. For a caster type I would just look to blow away their hit points instead.

On a bard it's great. So many spells targeting strong mental saves and little blasting. Drop hypnotic pattern on a crowd then follow up with blindness on the guy with high wisdom that made the save.

Bot saying it's the best save ever, but probably better than bane.

Compulsion is another spell mentioned that I think isnt that bad - mediocre rather than poor. You do get a lot of control and the spell only allows another saved when used. With each move you can take melee guys out of combat for a couple of turns.

My nomination is Dust Devil. A paltry d8 damage. A modest area of effect. And it's at end of turn so the enemy can just move away 5ft and pretty much ignore the spell.

[Chronos]

Mordenkainen's Sword isn't useless because of the comparison to Spiritual Weapon. It's useless because of the comparison to Bigby's Hand. Which does more damage at a lower level (or even more yet if upcast), and can move further, and that's just one option for the spell. Plus, it being, well, a hand, there's a lot more room to get creative with it.

Although, actually, come to think of it, as long a you have at least a +3 spellcasting ability modifier, a 6th-level Spiritual Weapon also outclasses the sword.

[Kireban]

Minor illusions- too dependent on the dm. Cant be switched later on into another spell since it is a cantrip, and if you have a dm that isnt into this spell, it will just be ignored when used. I consider dms who are too into this spell and decide that everything can be solved with it even worst.

Suggestion- too problematic and not well defined. Can be totaly ignored by dms even after the target failed its saves. But I find it much worst when the dm excepts the caster's suggestion for the enemy to defend it. Suddenly a level 2 spell makes a boss attack its own minions- better than the level 8 spell dominate monster.

These 2 spells are considered great spells, but they depend way too much on the dms and players for not being ignored/abused.

[Yora]

Compulsion is another spell mentioned that I think isnt that bad - mediocre rather than poor. You do get a lot of control and the spell only allows another saved when used. With each move you can take melee guys out of combat for a couple of turns.

The issue with compulsion is that it's a bard spell and warlock invocation. It does not just have to be useful in some situations, but useful enough so that you are willing to trade away other 2nd level (or higher) spells or another invocation to get it. And it just can't compete there.

[Tanarii]

The one that always comes to my mind first is enthrall. It is only mostly useless in most situations, but why would a bard or warlock pick them if they could take darkness, invisibility, hold person, spider climb, and suggestion instead? I would not be surprised if it's the least used spell in the entire game.

Enthrall seems to be there specifically to all your team to pickpocket, sneak away and leave the caster behind, or get into perfect position to stab someone in the kidney when he might otherwise object. It's incredibly niche in a wilderness and dungeon and adventuring site game.

Basically, agreed on Enthrall, it's close to useless.

Speak with plants seems pretty awful for 3rd level. I can see a few circumstances in which druids or rangers would prepare it, but none in which a bard would learn it.

If information gathering and planning ahead is relevant to your adventuring game it's extremely useful. This is a combat as war spell, not a combat as sport one.

True strike is pretty obvious.

Agreed per my previous. It's just terrible. No one should take it.

Is blade ward for when you're 1st level and want to disarm a spear trap with your foot?

Its there for an at-will defense when you're about to get whomped. Of course, not many players care about an active defense this weak. They'd rather Dodge even though that's a terrible choice for the typically low AC arcane caster but at least you don't use a cantrip slot, Disengage (often superior), or use a spell (usually superior but costs a resource). Also it's okay for EKs of level 7+.

So I can see where you'd consider it useless, and it's certainly not a popular pick.

Bane is not that bad when you're a low level cleric. But I don't see why any warlock would waste an invocation to be able to cast it one time per long rest and still having to use a spell slot for it. This is so bad, I think this is actually a mistake. It's probably supposed to be "cast at will with expanding a spell slot". That would make a lot more sense.

Bane is fantastic. It penalizes saves. Let me say that again but louder IT PENALIZES SAVES.

The reason it uses a warlock slot is so it can be upcast, and because there's no way it should be at will. That'd be stupidly powerful. It'd be pretty cool if the invocation was 1/LR cast for free as a level one spell on top of the option to use it with slots though.

[Yuroch Kern]

Mordenkainen's Sword isn't useless because of the comparison to Spiritual Weapon. It's useless because of the comparison to Bigby's Hand. Which does more damage at a lower level (or even more yet if upcast), and can move further, and that's just one option for the spell. Plus, it being, well, a hand, there's a lot more room to get creative with it.

Although, actually, come to think of it, as long a you have at least a +3 spellcasting ability modifier, a 6th-level Spiritual Weapon also outclasses the sword.

The comparison is based largely on your second paragraph, but you did elaborate on it with the first. It is a better explanation than I was able at the time of my post. \m/

[MaxWilson]

Find Traps is a DM call, and is tedious with ones like the one above. Only useful in a novice game. It would only be useful to an Arcane Trickster, who doesn't get it...

Find Traps is as useful as the traps are deadly. In a normal game it's pretty useless. In a hypothetical game where you often wind up invading archmages' towers and uber-secure vaults (ancient or modern), and where the traps are designed to actually kill you instead of tickle (e.g. Glyph: Wall of Force + Glyph: Conjure Earth Elemental + Glyph: Cloudkill), Find Trap could speed up your raids by quite a bit by letting you know when you DON'T have to be paranoid. It also combos well with Augury/Divination, to get details once you know a trap is there.

It also potentially makes you better at dealing with the traps. "You don’t learn the location of each trap, but you do learn the general nature of the danger posed by a trap you sense." If you sense that hypothetical Force Dome of Poisony Death trap, maybe you have the Shadow Monk cautiously check out the room first, because she's immune to poison and can teleport.

Find Traps is a spell for certain genres of play that aren't common among 5E players, but it's not an inherently terrible spell.

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True strike's only purpose would be to either cast plane shift for it to hit or be a sorcerer and upcast chromatic orb in the case that you're fighting something with resistance to any damage type you've leaned on.

True Strike is still bad in the Plane Shift scenario unless you're playing a solo adventure--by essentially forcing you to Help yourself, the other PCs are delaying nuking whatever bad guy you're about to Plane Shift. Why don't they just Help?

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Mordenkainen's Sword isn't useless because of the comparison to Spiritual Weapon. It's useless because of the comparison to Bigby's Hand. Which does more damage at a lower level (or even more yet if upcast), and can move further, and that's just one option for the spell. Plus, it being, well, a hand, there's a lot more room to get creative with it.

Although, actually, come to think of it, as long a you have at least a +3 spellcasting ability modifier, a 6th-level Spiritual Weapon also outclasses the sword.

One interesting difference between Mordenkainen's Sword and Bigby's Hand is: Bigby's Hand can be killed. Sometimes that's good (it can tank), sometimes it's bad. (BTW, I never thought of it before, but how are monsters supposed to know which spells/effects are killable and which are not? I've never had a bad guy attack an invulnerable Spiritual Weapon before, but... does it look any different from a Flying Sword monster or a Bigby's Hand force construct?)

Anyway, if it weren't for Spiritual Weapon you'd have to say, "Well, Mordenkainen's Sword has some advantages." But it's much, much worse than Spiritual Weapon (because of concentration and action economy and even damage!).

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Drawmij's Instant Summons is an almost-completely-useless spell.

[Luccan]

Friends: It is actually useful, but you better not care about the person liking you afterwards. Not good for making friends, fantastic for getting stabbed.

Gust: is your foe on the edge of a cliff? No? Then there are better spells to use. Otherwise an inferior Mage Hand.

Witch Bolt: Too many requirements make this an inferior option at all times.

[JellyPooga]

Drawmij's Instant Summons is an almost-completely-useless spell.

I've never understood why, in any edition, this has always been such a high level spell with such a high cost attached. It would be a niche spell at best if it were a 1st level utility with no material cost, but as a 6th level spell that costs 1,000gp every time you use it? Hard pass.

[DrKerosene]

Suggestion- too problematic and not well defined. Can be totaly ignored by dms even after the target failed its saves.

The spell does say you can (probably) make a Knight give away their warhorse (which is good loot for a level 2 spell, if you or a Party member can masquerade as the beggar that gets the horse later).

However, based on the last DM I had, I was going to say Suggestion and Command ended up being supremely useless for me.

Also, Identify had no use regarding magic items being given to us, or when used on NPC/creatures that were under some weird effect(s).

Additionally, Message, Animal Messenger, Sending, & Magic Mouth were ruled to have no interaction with the Actor feat either. Which was disappointing.

Every single death was in a way that Revivify wouldn’t actually work, due to the amount of damage done. I never actually got to use it all the way to character level 8.

I had Illusory Script from the beginning, and the DM always stonewalled us with never getting (or seeing) any official documents.

I actually used Bless a bunch, and only three roles were meaningfully affected over the entire campaign.

Lastly, the Knowledge Cleric channel divinity ability to use Detect Thoughts was also always auto-detected. Really defeated the purpose of trying to use the subtle “no verbal or somantic components” feature of channel divinity to aid in insight checking someone (don’t worry, every NPC had a +10 modifier to the save, it never actually worked in the first place).

[Telok]

I've never understood why, in any edition, this has always been such a high level spell with such a high cost attached. It would be a niche spell at best if it were a 1st level utility with no material cost, but as a 6th level spell that costs 1,000gp every time you use it? Hard pass.

The ad&d version is 7th level. However it's loosely enough written that there are some relatively normal rulings that make it very useful. First, at high enough levels, it's interplanar. Second, a common ruling is that you cast the spell on the item and then can memorize something else in the slot. Third, it is a very fast spell with a 1 segment cast/use time that makes it less likely to be interrupted. Fourth, you can use it on artifacts which may unplesant to carry continually but situationally exceptionally useful. Fifth, most dms didn't limit the mage to just one item marked at a time.

However in a newer context of "prep your 6th level spell & blow a wad of cash to teleport a wand of magic missile to you"... yeah, trash.

[Mr Adventurer]

True strike is pretty bad, but it’s not garbage if you want to hit something with a leveled spell that uses an attack roll. Might be nice before you try to plane shift someone, for instance.

For some reason I had never thought that it could be used for spells with an attack roll. That's knocked it up a small notch in my estimation.

[JellyPooga]

The ad&d version is 7th level. However it's loosely enough written that there are some relatively normal rulings that make it very useful. First, at high enough levels, it's interplanar. Second, a common ruling is that you cast the spell on the item and then can memorize something else in the slot. Third, it is a very fast spell with a 1 segment cast/use time that makes it less likely to be interrupted. Fourth, you can use it on artifacts which may unplesant to carry continually but situationally exceptionally useful. Fifth, most dms didn't limit the mage to just one item marked at a time.

However in a newer context of "prep your 6th level spell & blow a wad of cash to teleport a wand of magic missile to you"... yeah, trash.

And with all of that...it still just pops an item that you already own and have probably left behind into your hand. It's a nothing effect. If you haven't got something on you, itxs probably because you don't need it. You could make it a cantrip and it would still be little more than a niche and fluffy effect that had little in-game effect. Blade Pact Warlocks have a free and at-will version with their pact weapon from level 3.

If you could use it to summon items you haven't interacted with, if you could name an object owned by someone else, or that you didn't know where it was or how to locate it...if it was a "get what you want, whenever you want it" spell I might understand. If it was an "items only Gate", it would be a useful pick. But it isn't. It's a Bag of Holding, no, a backpack that costs 1000gp every time you reach into it. It is and always has been an incomprehensibly high-leveled and expensive piece of trash.

Yes. There is the argument that it allows for a certain degree of contingency/back-up plan, but largely speaking if things have gone that badly, then one item is probably not going to save you. Just 'port outta there and fight another day.

[MaxWilson]

Friends: It is actually useful, but you better not care about the person liking you afterwards. Not good for making friends, fantastic for getting stabbed.

Maybe the spell 's name should have air quotes added.

:)

[Chronos]

Quoth Tanarii:

Bane is fantastic. It penalizes saves. Let me say that again but louder IT PENALIZES SAVES.

"Man, it's really tough getting this monster to fail any saves, what do we do?"
"I know, I'll cast another spell that it has to fail a save against!"

I mean, granted, Charisma is often a poor save. But it's still not exactly the best solution to that problem, especially since any given monster is going to have other poor saves, too, that you can usually guess pretty easily, and which will do a lot worse to it on their own. And if a monster is good at making both Con and Wis, it's probably because it has spell resistance, which also makes it good at Cha.

[MaxWilson]

And with all of that...it still just pops an item that you already own and have probably left behind into your hand. It's a nothing effect. If you haven't got something on you, itxs probably because you don't need it. You could make it a cantrip and it would still be little more than a niche and fluffy effect that had little in-game effect. Blade Pact Warlocks have a free and at-will version with their pact weapon from level 3.

If you could use it to summon items you haven't interacted with, if you could name an object owned by someone else, or that you didn't know where it was or how to locate it...if it was a "get what you want, whenever you want it" spell I might understand. If it was an "items only Gate", it would be a useful pick. But it isn't. It's a Bag of Holding, no, a backpack that costs 1000gp every time you reach into it. It is and always has been an incomprehensibly high-leveled and expensive piece of trash.

Yes. There is the argument that it allows for a certain degree of contingency/back-up plan, but largely speaking if things have gone that badly, then one item is probably not going to save you. Just 'port outta there and fight another day.

Having put a certain amount of thought into uses for this spell, I can confidently say... You're very close to correct. But the spell isn't completely useless in all situations.

Fundamentally it's a way to have your stuff in multiple places. You can have it where you have it, or have it where you have a sapphire. It's Find My Phone for D&D.

If you're a 20th level wizard who's acquired enough spells for a backup spellbook to take several thousand gp and weeks of effort to create, even with the backup discount, it's not totally foolish to invest another 1000 gp in a summoning ritual for it. Then instead of carrying multiple spellbooks on your adventures, you just carry one spellbook and a couple of sapphires linked to spellbooks.

You might also want to cast it on important possessions like Robe of the Archmagi or Staff of the Magi, especially if there's any chance your Clone might someday need to retrieve them from your corpse. (Scry first if possible to make sure they're not being held, and have a backup sapphire just in case the first one goes wrong.)

So for a filthy-rich high-level wizard it's not useless. No wonder said wizard didn't bother to research it down below 6th level.

[Tanarii]

"Man, it's really tough getting this monster to fail any saves, what do we do?"
"I know, I'll cast another spell that it has to fail a save against!"

Exactly. All at the low low cost of a 1st level slot.

And with all of that...it still just pops an item that you already own and have probably left behind into your hand. It's a nothing effect. If you haven't got something on you, itxs probably because you don't need it.

That does not follow at all.

[Yora]

For some reason I had never thought that it could be used for spells with an attack roll. That's knocked it up a small notch in my estimation.

Examples seem to be limited to chromatic orb, though.

But even then, I think it might usually be a better idea to just cast chromatic orb twice. Yes, you loose an additional spell slot if the first attempt fails, but when you are that desperate that upcast chromatic orb is your only real option, then I think losing a slot it better than losing a round.

[Tanarii]

Examples seem to be limited to chromatic orb, though.

It might have some use if the DM ruled (despite sage advice) that the S component is the described pointing finger in the spell text, AND it's not immediately obvious you're casting a spell. Although what they would think about you pointing at them during (for example) a negotiation that might turn into combat any second would still be a thing.

But that's a fundamental changing of spellcasting. It affects the use of many spells, and will change their relative power. For example, Dissonant Whispers, or Suggestion.. And for the latter part about not being immediately obvious, it also makes figuring out how Counterspell triggers an issue.

[Asisreo1]

It might have some use if the DM ruled (despite sage advice) that the S component is the described pointing finger in the spell text, AND it's not immediately obvious you're casting a spell. Although what they would think about you pointing at them during (for example) a negotiation that might turn into combat any second would still be a thing.

But that's a fundamental changing of spellcasting. It affects the use of many spells, and will change their relative power. For example, Dissonant Whispers, or Suggestion.. And for the latter part about not being immediately obvious, it also makes figuring out how Counterspell triggers an issue.

It isn't an awful cast if you get it proc'd before you become polymorphed by another caster. You can also use it for +# ammunition. Even though they aren't nonmagical until they hit, it may be too dangerous in a fight to get them back immediately.

What's cool about +# ammunition is that it stacks with +# bows and crossbows, so they're still relevant even after you get +3 bows, which I think is really cool. If your DM is good at letting you have downtime up to months, it wouldn't hurt to use excess coins to make ammunition.

If your a pure spellcaster, using your prepared spells for chromatic orb may not be worth it, but it doesn't hurt to have it as a spellscroll just in case.

True strike is definitely not a wise pick for an initial spell.