Magic Secrets
OK, so I wanted to make a post about my experiences with Magic Secrets. I wanted too, because I think some may underestimate how important your choices are here. And I credit mine for making me the MVP of the group. I couldn't possibly have been happier.
6th level Secrets:
1. Aura of Vitality - AoV has been covered pretty well here, so I won't go too crazy about it. But the 30' ranged healing *as a bonus action* is just too awesome for words. I could still do my thing without going full healbot, or I could still cast Cure Wounds as a standard action if I did. But generally speaking, I never cast Cure Wounds again once I got this spell.
2. Lightning Bolt - LB gave me the exact amount of blaster capability I wanted. I personally prefer it over Fireball, because I can do things like blast things point-blank in melee range, blast single targets engaged with party members (requires them to be perpendicular, but party members catch on quick how to position themselves), and still be pretty good AoE, if you position yourself right. Fireball is amazing, and you won't go wrong there. But where Fireball is like lobbing a grenade, Lighting Bolt can be a battlefield scalpel.
10th level Secrets:
1a. Bigby's Hand - Such a versatile spell. Control it as a bonus action! Punch something for 4d8, push a creature off a ledge, grapple a spellcaster, or keep a creature away from you. I've never found a more helpful battlefield control spell. This saved our bacon bigtime while fighting a dragon that we couldn't catch up too, that kept breathing on us and flying out of sight to recharge his breath weapon. Just when we were all about to die from a 3rd breath attack, I cast this and had the hand grapple the dragon, and pull it to the ground. It let the melee catch him, and it was curtains.
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1b. Telekinesis: So this deserves a mention here, simply because of how mechanically similar it is to Bigby's Hand. The major drawback here is it's a standard action (not a Bonus Action) to control your telekinesis. Major pluses are that it lasts for 10 minutes, (Bigby's Hand only lasts 1 minute) and you can ultimately do more with it. (DM depending, of course.) It could have a ton of out-of-combat uses, where Bigby's Hand is almost strictly for combat. So you need to pick your poison here! I went with Bigby's, but that's just me. But I wouldn't get both.
2. Wall of Force - There is no better wall spell. I've pushed the "pause" button on a boss creature for 10 minutes with a sphere while the party kills his minions. The DM absolutely hated that. Or you can use it to divide and conquer. Plus, my "get-out-of-jail-free" card has always been casting this to protect me and the party in a sphere for 10 minutes, and then casting Teleportation Circle. (1 minute casting time for Teleportation Circle, and no Teleport until level 13.) All kinds of uses! Unless your character is building themselves a castle, (i.e. Wall of Stone) then this is the "wall" spell you want.