D&D 5E What is the most powerful spell?

Yaarel · Aug 23, 2017

I am mulling Color Spray, to move it up into the Least Useful category. It effects only 1 round of the Blinded condition, but can blind an ally too. My impression is, some experienced players give it a nod at its hypothetical use, but also rarely actually use it. It is less good than Sleep. On its own merit, I suspect Color Spray is rarely worth the price of a spell slot.

Yaarel · Aug 23, 2017

2nd-Level Spells are up.

Sort thru them. Each spell should be slightly more useful than the one above it. If you feel one is out of order, suggest which spell you would want to see it under.

Also continue combing thru 0-Level and 1st-Level.

When thinking about frequency:
• Highly Frequent: it is worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell in most encounters.
• Frequent: it is worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell at least once between short rests.
• Somewhat Frequent: it is worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell at least once between long rests.
• Less Frequent: it is worth spending a spell spell slot to cast this spell at least once during an adventure.
• Infrequent: it is rarely worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell during most adventures.

Certain spells depend on setting (undead spells in a gothic setting, water spells in an aquatic setting, etcetera). If they are effective, they count as Less Frequent, but if you happen to be in one of these settings, keep them in mind.

The value of a spell comes from both its potency to significantly alter the outcome of an encounter, and its frequency of when such an encounter is likely to come up.

Gwarok · Aug 23, 2017

Yaarel said:
2nd-Level Spells are up.

Sort thru them. Each spell should be slightly more useful than the one above it. If you feel one is out of order, suggest which spell you would want to see it under.

Also continue combing thru 0-Level and 1st-Level.

When thinking about frequency:
• Highly Frequent: it is worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell in most encounters.
• Frequent: it is worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell at least once between short rests.
• Somewhat Frequent: it is worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell at least once between long rests.
• Less Frequent: it is worth spending a spell spell slot to cast this spell at least once during an adventure.
• Infrequent: it is rarely worth spending a spell slot to cast this spell during most adventures.

Certain spells depend on setting (undead spells in a gothic setting, water spells in an aquatic setting, etcetera). If they are effective, they count as Less Frequent, but if you happen to be in one of these settings, keep them in mind.

The value of a spell comes from both its potency to significantly alter the outcome of an encounter, and its frequency of when such an encounter is likely to come up.

Why do you rank Prayer of Healing to highly? I thought it was a great spell until I saw a 10 min casting time, and if you're going to do that might as well take a short rest. Just wondering if I'm missing something. Cheers!

Gwarok · Aug 23, 2017

Ganymede81 said:
Ever notice that the most powerful spells in a D&D game would be the least useful in real life?

Most of the spells in the PHB do little more than help you kill people or otherwise break the law. I, on the other hand, would be casting Sleep on myself every evening and would be using Prestidigitation to make every food bacon-flavored.

And lets not forget Mending. You can make a pretty damn good living being able to fix just about anything broken in 1 minute.

Yaarel · Aug 23, 2017

Gwarok said:
Why do you rank Prayer of Healing to highly? I thought it was a great spell until I saw a 10 min casting time, and if you're going to do that might as well take a short rest. Just wondering if I'm missing something. Cheers!

Prayer of Healing rates so ‘low’ because it is so effective. Potentially, this one 2nd-level spell slot for Prayer of Healing equals *SIX* 2nd-level spell slots for Cure Wounds. − Enough to heal all members of most adventurer parties, and more spell slots left over for future encounters.

The 10-minute casting intentionally makes it an out-of-combat spell. Yet you are right, it competes with the Short Rest to recover hit points from hit dice. Thus, the frequency of when the spell becomes useful diminishes.

Essentially, the spell becomes useful after several combat encounters, after hit dice run out, in the aftermath of a difficult battle where most of the party suffers damage, and before the party faces future a combat encounter. Heh, this happens often enough during most adventures. If a party finds themselves in this situation, no other spell can equal what Prayer of Healing can do (at least until the 6th-level spell, Heal). The spell is for rallying when everyone is vulnerable.

That said, maybe the situationality is enough to move it ‘up’, out of Excellent into Good. For now, it ranks on the cusp between the two categories. Keep in mind, healers tend to consider this spell a must-have.

Yaarel · Aug 24, 2017

Color Spray shifts up into the Least Useful category. The duration of a single round and the need to be near and allies to clear away, make its worth of 1st-level spell slot doubtful.

Lanefan · Aug 24, 2017

Yaarel said:
Color Spray shifts up into the Least Useful category. The duration of a single round and the need to be near and allies to clear away, make its worth of 2nd-level spell slot doubtful.

Not surprising. It used to be 1st-level at least up to 3e, and at that level it fit in nicely. Its usefulness drops off dramatically as you advance in level, though, so making it a 2nd-level spell takes away its best times (i.e. very low PC level) and thus makes it kinda pointless.

Yunru · Aug 24, 2017

Yaarel said:
Color Spray shifts up into the Least Useful category. The duration of a single round and the need to be near and allies to clear away, make its worth of 2nd-level spell slot doubtful.

I have taken note of this.

Re: Magic Missile. If 1d10+1d10 per spell level is the damage with half on a miss, then auto-damage should do 62.5% of that.
For Magic Missile, this comes out at ~1d12. What it actually deals is 3 static points higher. Simply removing the +1 brings it back in line with expected damage.

Yaarel · Aug 25, 2017

Tiny Hut. Despite its 1 minute casting time, it is still thinkable to prepare/know it for a spell slot. Its use as a barrier for defense and ‘crowd control’ is extraordinary. Often, it is feasible to spend the minute to set it up, and then go bring the monsters to you. (The fact that you can do all of this for free as a 10 minute ritual, is amazing.)

As spell to prepare/know, it seems like on the cusp between Good and Not Bad.

Maybe later we can go thru and figure out which are the best rituals to have, in a separate list.

Yaarel · Aug 25, 2017

3rd-level spells are up!

D&D 5E What is the most powerful spell?

Yaarel

He Mage

Yaarel

He Mage

Gwarok

Explorer

Gwarok

Explorer

Yaarel

He Mage

Yaarel

He Mage

Lanefan

Victoria Rules

Yunru

Banned

Yaarel

He Mage

Yaarel

He Mage

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