Best Low-Level Spells

[Eltern]

So, I'm making a 3rd level wizard, and I have access to every single book published by Wizards. What do -you- think are the most important spells to make sure I know? I'm not specialized, so any school is open.

I know the staples like Magic Missile, Charm Person, Identify, etc., but what about spells from outside the PHB that you just think "Wow, I'd take that"? There's a LOT of material there, and I haven't read it all. Help me sift through the spells.

 

[Evilhalfling]

Grease and Mount. Sleep over magic missle.
there are some decent spells for archer mages in Cadv. Little for the single class mage, in any book.

2nd
Wraithstrike (Cadv) swift, esp for multiclass wizards.
Earthbind (draconmicon), Great spell, negates flight, and slows target even with a save.
Sonic Weapon (Cadv)

 

[UltimaGabe]

I've always loved Ray of Enfeeblement and Silent Image. Ray of Enfeeblement, at low levels, has the potential to nearly eliminate anybody in armor (assuming it reduces their strength below what's needed to carry it, that is), and even at higher levels, it still gives the enemy a penalty to attack rolls and damage. Not bad at all for a 1st-level spell.

Silent Image, one the other hand, has so many uses. (In fact, there was a thread a few weeks ago with dozens of uses for the Image spells.) So many different things you can do with it can be done without the enemy seeing past it- for example, block off a corridor with an illusory wall of stone. Unless they try to break through it (which they'd probably be able to do anyway), they're just gonna take one look at it and go another way, in most cases. So it doesn't matter what the DC is. Or, if you need a hiding space in a room, make an illusion of a large piece of furniture, a pillar, a snow bank, a heap of trash, or whatever else fits the decor, and unless they have reason to believe that it's not real, nobody's gonna bother pushing on that pillar or studying the snow bank. There's just so many uses for it, you know?

 

[IronWolf]

Glitterdust can be fun....

 

[Vorput]

Color Spray!

And Rope Trick... especially if your party can use ranged weapons...

 

[Shin Okada]

Assuming you are not fighter mage type. Those are the lower level wizard spells used fairly often in my play group.

1st

PHB
Grees (Very useful. But know when you use it)
Identify (You need to know what actually is that strange item you got from the dead villain)
Magic Missile (Automatic damage is good. make scrolls)
Sleep (Still the best area-effect 1st-level spell)

Complete Arcane
Lesser Orb of XXX spells (Sonic is good as only few have resistance against it. Having other energy version could be useful when you expect to meet a foe with some energy vulnerability).

Miniatures Handbook
Mordenkainen's Buzzing Bee (No save! The best anti-caster spell)




2nd
Blindness/Deafness (Good against something with low fort save)
Glitterdust (Must have!)
Invisibility (Cast on your party's reckon, or on healer)
Knock (Rogue can deal with magical traps, but not with magical locks)
Melf's Acid Arrow (Long range, good damage)
Mirror Image (Classic self defense measure)
Scorching Ray (Short range, but really good amount of damages)
Web (Separating enemies could be change the tide of battle)

Miniatures Handbook
Bigby's Slapping Hand (Provoke AoA. No save and DC 20 Concentration check instead.)
Snake's Swiftness (Additional attack is good)

Edit : How could I forget Enlarge Person spell? Today, I rarely see a fighter type being medium sized or smaller.

 

[Eltern]

Sad to hear that there are so few low-level spells for the straight caster in the Complete series. Even looking through CA, the best is the Orb series, which is still only situationally useful (considerable damage to just one creature).

Ah well, looks like I'll stick to tried and true PHB spells.

 

[Deset Gled]

Chill Touch is one of the best tools a wizard has to deal with undead. Handy in dealing damage to everyone else, too.

 

[Saeviomagy]

So, I'm making a 3rd level wizard, and I have access to every single book published by Wizards. What do -you- think are the most important spells to make sure I know? I'm not specialized, so any school is open.

I know the staples like Magic Missile, Charm Person, Identify, etc., but what about spells from outside the PHB that you just think "Wow, I'd take that"? There's a LOT of material there, and I haven't read it all. Help me sift through the spells.

Every.

Single.

One.

I mean sure there are some stinkers, but as a wizard you should make it your priority to get as many spells in your spellbook as possible, and even the stinkers have the potential to be useful. Make sure you leave a slot free for every level (possibly fill up your highest level slots if you've only got one... but really consider not doing so).

Which is why every wizard in the entire universe should have a boccobs little black book.

I mean boccobs blessed book.

 

[Shadowdweller]

Sad to hear that there are so few low-level spells for the straight caster in the Complete series. Even looking through CA, the best is the Orb series, which is still only situationally useful (considerable damage to just one creature).

Oh, there's a fair number of good ones. I'm pretty fond of Bands of Steel (CArc): Wiz/Sorc 3. Reflex save or be rendered helpless, entangled even on a successful save.