What 5th-level spells should any Wizard prepare?

[dcollins]

Here's a poll in a series I'm trying to use to generate a "baseline" core Wizard's spell list. You can pick as many selections as you like.

Say you have a Wizard of about 12th level -- adventuring, PC or NPC, non-specialized, non-multiclassed, core rules only. He or she can likely prepare 3 or 4 spells of 5th-level. What spells should he or she prepare in those slots?

You can pick as many selections as you'd like -- I would suggest around 4.

 

[fujaiwei]

Teleport seems to be about the most important spell in the game, to me. It allows you to bypass some of mankinds greatest limitations - distance and time. Now if we only had a spell to travel back in time . . . or maybe I'm reading too much Weis & Hickman.

 

[shilsen]

For me:
Number 1 pick was Teleport, followed by Magic Jar and Wall of Force. Teleport is pretty obvious. Magic Jar is great for being in a dangerous situation in relative physical safety. And Wall of Force is great for controlling the battlefield.

After that, I'd take either Dominate Person, Hold Monster or Feeblemind, depending on what kind of enemies one was expecting to encounter.

 

[Rashak Mani]

WALL OF FORCE

This is a spell that can save an entire PC group. Except of course with pesky ethereals. You can cut off even mighty opponents... split the enemy and finish off one part first... escape by blocking the enemy. Use it against magical spells by readying it...

Teleport is too often used by the DM as a means of quickening PCs to somehwere else in the plot. In combat its not that useful... you have to gather everyone around to escape for example.

 

[EvilGM]

Wall of Force - battlefield control. there are so many uses for an invisible, mostly indestructable wall.

Teleport - mobility is good

Mage's Private Sanctum - peace and quiet and no scrying me you fools

Feeblemind - how would you like to be a drooling idiot? (alternate material component: bib)

Runner up...
Break Enchantment - handy, but many other classes get this as well, let them prepare it.

 

[Urbanmech]

Teleport, Wall of Force, and Feeblemind.

Teleport is useful for utility travel aspects and to get past obstacles but in a pinch it can be a useful combat spell. Touch the enemy and send him 1000 miles away.

Wall of Force can very effectively divide a battlefield and much of 3rd edition is about lessening the number of foes you have to fight at one time. Unless the foes can teleport or cast disintegrate they are stuck behind the wall to watch their comrades fall. It can also block an escape route that enemies may use to summon help. Lots of fun.

Feeblemind can reduce a mighty wizard to a useless bag of hitpoints. It can also remove the fighting prowess of intelligent foes. Though I wish the rulings on what a character is capable of at 1 int were more clear. What feats are useable? How does a fighter continue to operate if feebleminded?

 

[sinmissing]

I prefer my mages to be 50% utility/50% artillery
Mind Fog, Passwall, Cloud Kill, and Break Enchantment

Mind Fog is awesome (when it works) against creatures with good Wil saves. It cracks their mind open like a delectable lobster. . . .

 

[Saeviomagy]

Mind Fog is awesome (when it works) against creatures with good Wil saves. It cracks their mind open like a delectable lobster. . . .

To me, a will save spell that reduces will saves seems about as useful as a balloon in an earthquake.

ie - it has no relevance.

The action you spend casting it could easily have been spent
a) Casting a spell which didn't target will saves, and therefore had a higher chance of success
b) Casting a spell which targeted will saves but totally took the victims out of the combat

In fact, casting mind fog and THEN a will-save targeting spell has a zero percent impact on the success of just casting the will-targeting spell in the first place.

The only possible use I can think of for it is to place it over the entrance to an area that you expect a very large number of foes to pass through, before targeting them all with something like enthrall.

 

[Dthamilaye]

Firebrand (From Magic of Faerun). If your opponents are not airborne, there really is no better blast spell .

Of course, Teleport and WoForce are pretty ok too.

 

[Thanee]

Voted Teleport only. All the others are in no way essential, tho one of those wall spells (force, stone) is obviously pretty good in some situations.

Bye
Thanee