What're your personal "signature spells"?

[Chase Skylark]

Starting a new campaign at level 7 and built a nice new controller style divination wizard. While building my spellbook with leveled spells it got me thinking about my list of must haves.

Here's my list...

Level 1: Shield, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, Detect Magic
Level 2: Mirror Image, Flaming Sphere, Blindness/Deafness, Misty step
Level 3: Counterspell, Hypnotic pattern, Enemies Abound, Fireball(ick but almost necessary)
Level 4: Watery Sphere, Polymorph, Greater invisibility, Otiluke's resilient SphereLevel 5:Synaptic Static, Hold Monster, Wall of Force, Telekinesis
Level 6: Mass suggestion, True seeing
Level 7: Force cage, Prismatic Spray, Reverse Gravity, Crown of stars
I haven't played past that to judge other spells except in white room.

So my question is, what are your "Must Have" spells in each level.

 

[DEFCON 1]

My signature spell is 'Skywrite'.

 

[Bitbrain]

For my former Half-Elf Sorcerer:
1st - Magic Missile
2nd - Scorching Ray
3rd - Counterspell (yes, I used Fireball more often, but I eventually dropped it. I always had Counterspell known)
4th - Polymorph (me and the Aasimar Barbarian soloed a Balor Demon with this one. I went King Kong while the Aasimar went Levi Ackerman from Attack on Titan . . . It was glorious)
5th - ANIMATE OBJECTS (the moment I "led the rubble from a burning building into revolt" and dealt >80 damage with a single volley to the Archmage who set fire to the building in the first place, I never looked back)
6th - Disintegrate
7th - Reverse Gravity

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

Web has become one of my absolute favourite spells since picking it up on my wizard. Throwing it down at a bottleneck is a real encounter changer, and even in the open will force some enemies to rethink their positioning. Restraining enemies is quite good, but even if they succeed their save I've found the difficult terrain to be useful.

One of my best moments with the spell was when we were fighting off a horde of animated statues coming at us while we were deep in the lair of a medusa. I threw down a web in front of the corridor entrance they were filtering through. A few rounds in a stone giant comes stomping through. It failed its dex save, and then the DM declared it was going to break out (seeing as it's strength score is through the roof). Then I grin and tell him the giant gets a 3 on his roll from one of my earlier portent rolls. I think he was a little disappointed that the next round it got turned into a pincushion before it could escape.

 

[Ezequielramone]

I started playing my wizard with 2nd ed on Krynn. The DM rolled randomly my spells and I had to go on with that. Blink became my first round action always. Then chromatic orb or stinking cloud depending on the scenario. Then we moved to 5e and dimensional door was the spell I use with my last slot to sacrifice myself and save the dragon city. Paladine took me back and changed my robe from red to white.

 

[Warmaster Horus]

Misty Step has gotten a lot of my characters out of sticky messes over the years!

 

[AntiStateQuixote]

I don't ever play divine casters, so focus here on arcane casters.

1st: shield, absorb elements
2nd: see invisibility, misty step
3rd: counterspell (!!!), fireball, and sometimes hypnotic pattern
4th: banishment, greater invisibility
5th: hold monster
6th: true seeing
7th: forcecage, simulacrum
8th: clone
9th: foresight, wish

The single spell that every caster I ever make has is see invisibility. Nothing drives me more bat crazy than not being able to see my enemies. True seeing works for a higher level caster, and faerie fire will work in a pinch, but I must must MUST be able to see the freaking enemy or I go nuts!

I'm definitely a defense/control the enemy focused caster most of the time thus counterspell, abjurations, and crowd control spells.

 

[aco175]

I always liked thunderwave for 1st level spell and misty step for 2nd. I also like lightning bolt over fireball since we tend to have more close encounters rather than open areas.

 

[Ancalagon]

Tiny servant is the best spell in the game.

 

[77IM]

I generally consider shield one of the best spells in the game and can't imagine not taking it on a character who has access to it. Ditto for counterspell and healing word.

Beyond that, it really depends on the character. I try to mix it up constantly and not get too stuck on particular spells. I had a gnome evoker who made really great use of flaming sphere. I had a lizardfolk cleric who couldn't get enough spiritual weapon mixed with spirit guardians. And I'm itching to play an illusionist who constantly tosses out phantasmal force.