# What Are The 12 Best Wizard/Sorcerer Spells At Each Level?



## Flynn (Apr 10, 2007)

I am in the process of trimming down the spell lists for wizard/sorcerer as part of an effort to create a streamlined version of D&D for my next campaign (and to use to teach my son the game). I'm in the process of creating that master list, but I thought I'd also ask for any input from the folks here on ENWorld. So, what spells do you consider quintessential to the D&D gaming experience? What are the spells that are most often selected by you as a player, or by the gamers at your table? What spells at each level define the game for you, above all others?

Any input would be appreciated,
Flynn


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## sirwmholder (Apr 10, 2007)

I’ll give you 6 of my personal favorites per Wizard Spell level...

Level 0
Daze: Humanoid creature of 4 HD or less loses next action.
Arcane Mark: Inscribes a personal rune (visible or invisible). 
Prestidigitation: Performs minor tricks. 
Light: Object shines like a torch. 
Ray of Frost: Ray deals 1d3 cold damage. 
Detect Magic: Detects spells and magic items within 60 ft. 

Level 1
Shield: Invisible disc gives +4 to AC, blocks magic missiles. 
Mage Armor: Gives subject +4 armor bonus. 
Obscuring Mist: Fog surrounds you. 
Floating Disk: Creates 3-ft.-diameter horizontal disk that holds 100 lb./level. 
Magic Missile: 1d4+1 damage; +1 missile per two levels above 1st (max 5).
Feather Fall: Objects or creatures fall slowly. 

Level 2
Hideous Laughter: Subject loses actions for 1 round/level. 
Acid Arrow: Ranged touch attack; 2d4 damage for 1 round +1 round/three levels. 
Web: Fills 20-ft.-radius spread with sticky spiderwebs. 
Darkness: 20-ft. radius of supernatural shadow. 
Scorching Ray: Ranged touch attack deals 4d6 fire damage, +1 ray/four levels (max 3).
Invisibility: Subject is invisible for 1 min./level or until it attacks. 

Level 3
Deep Slumber: Puts 10 HD of creatures to sleep. 
Fireball: 1d6 damage per level, 20-ft. radius. 
Lightning Bolt: Electricity deals 1d6/level damage. 
Displacement: Attacks miss subject 50%. 
Blink: You randomly vanish and reappear for 1 round/level. 
Haste: One creature/level moves faster, +1 on attack rolls, AC, and Reflex saves. 

Level 4
Dimensional Anchor: Bars extradimensional movement. 
Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser: Stops 1st- through 3rd-level spell effects.
Black Tentacles: Tentacles grapple all within 20 ft. spread. 
Dimension Door: Teleports you short distance. 
Invisibility, Greater: As invisibility, but subject can attack and stay invisible. 
Enervation: Subject gains 1d4 negative levels. 

Level 5
Break Enchantment: Frees subjects from enchantments, alterations, curses, and petrification. 
Dominate Person: Controls humanoid telepathically. 
Feeblemind: Subject’s Int and Cha drop to 1. 
Wall of Force: Wall is immune to damage. 
Baleful Polymorph: Transforms subject into harmless animal. 
Telekinesis: Moves object, attacks creature, or hurls object or creature. 

Level 6
Antimagic Field: Negates magic within 10 ft. 
Globe of Invulnerability: As lesser globe of invulnerability, plus 4th-level spell effects. 
True Seeing: Lets you see all things as they really are. 
Suggestion, Mass: As suggestion, plus one subject/level. 
Chain Lightning: 1d6/level damage; 1 secondary bolt/level each deals half damage. 
Disintegrate: Makes one creature or object vanish. 

Level 7
Delayed Blast Fireball: 1d6/level fire damage; you can postpone blast for 5 rounds. 
Forcecage: Cube or cage of force imprisons all inside. 
Spell Turning: Reflect 1d4+6 spell levels back at caster. 
Invisibility, Mass: As invisibility, but affects all in range.
Finger of Death: Kills one subject.  
Limited Wish: Alters reality—within spell limits. 

Level 8
Mind Blank: Subject is immune to mental/emotional magic and scrying.
Maze: Traps subject in extradimensional maze.  
Polar Ray: Ranged touch attack deals 1d6/level cold damage. 
Shout, Greater: Devastating yell deals 10d6 sonic damage; stuns creatures, damages objects. 
Telekinetic Sphere: As resilient sphere, but you move sphere telekinetically. 
Polymorph Any Object: Changes any subject into anything else. 

Level 9
Freedom: Releases creature from imprisonment. 
Imprisonment: Entombs subject beneath the earth. 
Mage’s Disjunction: Dispels magic, disenchants magic items. 
Power Word Kill: Kills one creature with 100 hp or less.
Time Stop: You act freely for 1d4+1 rounds. 
Wish: As limited wish, but with fewer limits.

Good Gaming,
William Holder


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## maggot (Apr 10, 2007)

12 spells per level is a lot if just picking from the PHB.  Here are the 12 0-level spells I've seen used a lot.

Level 0
1 Resistance: Pretty good at lower levels, use it to make cloaks of resistance later
2 Acid Splash: No SR touch attack, good against DR at low levels, good if you are a rogue
3 Detect Magic: Don't leave home without it
4 Read Magic: If you are used to finding a lot of scrolls and not resting
5 Daze: Okay for a few levels, then rather bad.
6 Light: Essential, unless you are all dwarves or invest in sunrods
7 Dancing Lights: Always fun
8 Ghost Sound: See dancing lights
9 Disrupt Undead: Very good even beyond 1st level
10 Mage Hand: Indispensible
11 Mending: If ruled to repair damaged weapons
12 Prestidigitation: A general flavorful treat


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## Flynn (Apr 16, 2007)

Thanks, guys. I appreciate the feedback. I'm still working through it, but 12 is a hard number to bring it down to. I can do 20, though.

More later,
Flynn


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## WhatGravitas (Apr 17, 2007)

Flynn said:
			
		

> Thanks, guys. I appreciate the feedback. I'm still working through it, but 12 is a hard number to bring it down to. I can do 20, though.
> 
> More later,
> Flynn



A somewhat random idea... what if you cut it down to one spell per school, plus four "highlights", then you could highlight the concept of schools as well.

Or if you're already settling for over-12, then set it to 16 - two for each school - then you have a smaller list to select...


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## Flynn (Apr 17, 2007)

Lord Tirian said:
			
		

> A somewhat random idea... what if you cut it down to one spell per school, plus four "highlights", then you could highlight the concept of schools as well.
> 
> Or if you're already settling for over-12, then set it to 16 - two for each school - then you have a smaller list to select...




That's what I started with as my base, was two from each school at each level, and the only one that couldn't do it was Divination at 9th level. There's a few extra spells that seem to beg to be included, though.

I'll see what I can do, though.

Thanks,
Flynn


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## the Jester (Apr 17, 2007)

Well, I pared the lists down heavily for my low magic campaign- if you look about midway down pg. 1 of this thread, you can see what I did.

However, I was trying to engineer a certain "feel" for each spellcasting class, take out certain types of spells (the ones that disable certain types of adventures), etc. So my motives were different from yours, and the methodology I used to select which spells would 'stay on the island' may prove unsuited to what you're doing.


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## Flynn (Apr 17, 2007)

Thanks, Jester. I like the looks of it, and it gives me some ideas.

I appreciate the help,
Flynn


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## Felnar (Apr 17, 2007)

dont forget burning hands, sleep, mirror image, and fly


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## szilard (Apr 17, 2007)

Rope Trick
Shrink Item
Major Image

-Stuart


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## jensun (Apr 17, 2007)

Hmm, sirwrmholder's list is missing what are some of the most common high level spells used:

Teleport/Greater Teleport
Contingency
Plane Shift
Gate


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## Evilhalfling (Apr 18, 2007)

skip the Evard's Tentacles and Darkness they both have rule problems,
See Invisibility, perhaps fire shield?   
you may need some energy resist/protection spells as well. 

There was a list of best spells - compiled from polls if anyone wants to find it and link it.


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## sirwmholder (Apr 18, 2007)

jensun said:
			
		

> Hmm, sirwrmholder's list is missing what are some of the most common high level spells used:
> 
> Teleport/Greater Teleport
> Contingency
> ...



Yeah, in our games we don't teleport alot and when we do it's usually handled by NPC's to "speed us on our way".  Contingency is a great spell... just not my play style... I suppose too many past DM's using Anti-magic fields thus negating the trigger for my carefully worded Contingencies .

When I play a Wizard I try to have those six spells per level memmed at all times or on backup scrolls... your mileage may very but they have served me well.

Thank you for your response,
William Holder


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## Notmousse (Apr 18, 2007)

4th
_Orb of Acid
Orb of Fire
Orb of Force
Orb of Electricity
Orb of Sound_

5th
Easy Metamagic Empowered
_Orb of Acid
Orb of Fire
Orb of Force
Orb of Electricity
Orb of Sound_

6th
Easy Metamagic Empowered, Easy Metamagic Enervated
_Orb of Acid
Orb of Fire
Orb of Force
Orb of Electricity
Orb of Sound_

7th
Easy Metamagic Empowered, Easy Metamagic Maximized
_Orb of Acid
Orb of Fire
Orb of Force
Orb of Electricity
Orb of Sound_

8th
Easy Metamagic Enhanced, Easy Metamagic Enervated
_Orb of Acid
Orb of Fire
Orb of Force
Orb of Electricity
Orb of Sound_

9th
Easy Metamagic Empowered, Easy Metamagic Enhanced, Easy Metamagic Enervated
_Orb of Acid
Orb of Fire
Orb of Force
Orb of Electricity
Orb of Sound_

[/Joking]


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## StreamOfTheSky (Apr 22, 2007)

Notmousse said:
			
		

> 4th
> _Orb of Acid
> Orb of Fire
> Orb of Force
> ...




You forgot Orb of Cold!  Getting the effect of an entire round invisible against the BBEG for the whole party is huge!


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## Flynn (Apr 23, 2007)

Here's what I have so far, but it's at 20 instead of 12. I still need to pare some of this down. Note that I've replaced many of the specific energy-based spells, such as Fireball, with Psionics-inspired generics for diversity. There may also be a few spells from my personal collection in here, so if you have any questions, please let me know.

Any suggestions or insights into what should be culled from the list below would be muchly appreciated.

With Regards,
Flynn

* * * * *

0th-Level Mage Spells (Cantrips)
1.	Arcane Mark
2.	Dancing Lights
3.	Daze
4.	Detect Magic
5.	Detect Poison
6.	Disrupt Undead
7.	Energy Ray, Lesser
8.	Energy Slam
9.	Flare
10.	Ghost Sound
11.	Light
12.	Mage Hand
13.	Mending
14.	Message
15.	Mystic Circumstances
16.	Open/Close
17.	Prestidigitation
18.	Read Magic
19.	Resistance
20.	Touch of Fatigue

1st-Level Mage Spells
1.	Cause Fear
2.	Charm Person
3.	Chill Touch
4.	Comprehend Languages
5.	Disguise Self
6.	Endure Elements
7.	Enlarge Person
8.	Feather Fall
9.	Floating Disk
10.	Identify
11.	Mage Armor
12.	Magic Missile
13.	Magic Weapon
14.	Monster Summoning I
15.	Obscuring Mist
16.	Protection From Outsiders
17.	Shield
18.	Silent Image
19.	Sleep
20.	Unseen Servant

2nd-Level Mage Spells
1.	Ability Enhancer
2.	Arcane Lock
3.	Blur
4.	Command Undead
5.	Darkness
6.	Detect Thoughts
7.	Energy Weapon
8.	Enhanced Knowledge, Lesser
9.	Hideous Laughter
10.	Invisibility
11.	Knock
12.	Levitate
13.	Locate Object
14.	Mirror Image
15.	Monster Summoning II
16.	Resist Energy
17.	Spectral Hand
18.	Spider Climb
19.	Touch of Idiocy
20.	Web

3rd-Level Mage Spells
1.	Arcane Sight
2.	Clairaudience/Clairvoyance
3.	Daylight
4.	Dispel Magic
5.	Energy Ball
6.	Energy Bolt
7.	Explosive Runes
8.	Heroism
9.	Haste
10.	Hold Person
11.	Magic Circle vs. Outsiders
12.	Magic Weapon, Greater
13.	Major Image
14.	Monster Summoning III
15.	Protection From Energy
16.	Protection From Outsiders
17.	Stinking Cloud
18.	Suggestion
19.	Telepathic Bond, Lesser
20.	Tongues

4th-Level Mage Spells
1.	Animate Dead
2.	Arcane Eye
3.	Bestow Curse
4.	Black Tentacles
5.	Charm Monster
6.	Confusion
7.	Contagion
8.	Dimension Door
9.	Energy Wall
10.	Enhanced Knowledge
11.	Globe of Invulnerability, Lesser
12.	Ice Storm
13.	Invisibility, Greater
14.	Monster Summoning IV
15.	Phantasmal Killer
16.	Polymorph
17.	Remove Curse
18.	Scrying
19.	Shadow Conjuration
20.	Stoneskin

5th-Level Mage Spells
1.	Baleful Polymorph
2.	Break Enchantment
3.	Contact Other Plane
4.	Dismissal
5.	Energy Cone
6.	Fabricate
7.	Feeblemind
8.	Hold Monster
9.	Magic Jar
10.	Monster Summoning V
11.	Passwall
12.	Permanency
13.	Persistent Image
14.	Planar Binding, Lesser
15.	Sending
16.	Shadow Evocation
17.	Telekinesis
18.	Telepathic Bond
19.	Teleport
20.	Waves of Fatigue

6th-Level Mage Spells
1.	Analyze Dweomer
2.	Anti-Magic Field
3.	Circle of Death
4.	Contingency
5.	Create Undead
6.	Disintegrate
7.	Dispel Magic, Greater
8.	Energy Current
9.	Flesh to Stone
10.	Forceful Hand
11.	Geas/Quest
12.	Globe of Invulnerability
13.	Heroism, Greater
14.	Monster Summoning VI
15.	Permanent Image
16.	Planar Binding
17.	Probe Thoughts
18.	Programmed Image
19.	True Seeing
20.	Undeath to Death

7th-Level Mage Spells
1.	Arcane Sight, Greater
2.	Banishment
3.	Control Undead
4.	Control Weather
5.	Finger of Death
6.	Forcecage
7.	Grasping Hand
8.	Insanity
9.	Limited Wish
10.	Monster Summoning VII
11.	Plane Shift
12.	Power Word Blind
13.	Prismatic Spray
14.	Project Image
15.	Reverse Gravity
16.	Scrying, Greater
17.	Shadow Conjuration, Greater
18.	Spell Turning
19.	Teleport, Greater
20.	Waves of Exhaustion

8th-Level Mage Spells
1.	Binding
2.	Clenched Fist
3.	Clone
4.	Dimensional Lock
5.	Discern Location
6.	Horrid Wilting
7.	Incendiary Cloud
8.	Maze
9.	Mind Blank
10.	Moment of Prescience
11.	Monster Summoning VIII
12.	Planar Binding, Greater
13.	Energy Ray, Greater
14.	Polymorph Any Object
15.	Power Word Stun
16.	Prismatic Wall
17.	Screen
18.	Shadow Evocation, Greater
19.	Telekinetic Sphere
20.	Temporal Stasis

9th-Level Mage Spells
1.	Crushing Hand
2.	Disjunction
3.	Dominate Monster
4.	Energy Drain
5.	Foresight
6.	Freedom
7.	Gate
8.	Imprisonment
9.	Meteor Swarm
10.	Monster Summoning IX
11.	Power Word Kill
12.	Prismatic Sphere
13.	Shades
14.	Shapechange
15.	Time Stop
16.	Wail of the Banshee
17.	Weird
18.	Wish


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## shurai (Apr 25, 2007)

If you're introducing people to the game, you can probably stop at 3rd level magic.  If your campaign gets to 5th/6th character level, then I think you won't have to worry about simplicity very much anymore.

I really don't think you need more than four or five spells per level, anyway, and stick to the simplest rather than the most useful spells; you're the DM so you can make the simpler spells useful more often anyway.

If it were me, I'd do it like this:

0th:
Detect Magic
Light
Read Magic
Prestidigitation

1st:
Magic Missile
Identify
Charm Person
Mage Armor
Unseen Servant

2nd:
Scorching Ray
Resist Energy
Detect Thoughts
Invisibility
Daze Monster
Enhance Ability*

3rd:
Fireball (of course)
Dispel Magic
Fly
Heroism
Suggestion
Clairvoyance/Clairaudience

*copy <Animal>'s <Quality> +4 to abil spells, but let them pick any ability on the fly

This should be sufficient for introducing people to the game, I'd say.

Need a similar hand with cleric spells?


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