D&D 1E Creative Uses for 1e Spells

[Ravilah]

I'm playing 1e for the first time, and I've got a Thief/Wizard. There's a lot of creative freedom in this system it seems to me, and I was wondering if more experienced folks out there had come up with creative ways of using various 1e spells.

I supposed an addendum question would be, which spells are the most versatile (not necessarily the most powerful)?

R

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

Grease is great for making areas slippery...and it is also flammable.

When you get it Item or Shrink Item (whichever it was called) can let you carry all kinds of useful things, including lit campfires.

 

[Greenfield]

In 1st and/or 2nd Ed, when the Mount spell was introduced it had a range, but no requirement that the creature be summoned on a surface that could support it. Also, as you went up in levels you got bigger/better mounts. At one point you got an Elephant.

Taking those two factors together, you could bomb opponents by dropping Elephants on them. Then there is one use that's still my favorite. Mount as "Wall of Horse", using the summoned creature as an instant obstacle for an opponent.

And yes, Itemize was open to gross abuse, but I'm not sure if that was in the 1st Edition. The line between 1st and 2nd was kind of fuzzy.

 

[Jack Simth]

I'm playing 1e for the first time, and I've got a Thief/Wizard. There's a lot of creative freedom in this system it seems to me, and I was wondering if more experienced folks out there had come up with creative ways of using various 1e spells.

I supposed an addendum question would be, which spells are the most versatile (not necessarily the most powerful)?

R

Let's see... I don't have perfect recall, but didn't Haste age you a year, and wasn't there a clause about anything that makes you age forcing a system shock roll to avoid death, making Haste the lowest-level save-or-die in the game?

 

[nijineko]

shrink item with holy water using optional cloth-like substance. make a cloak. hand cloak to holy water vulnerable villain with suitable excuse. cancel shrink item. ^^

raise water and chain lightning were always a favorite.

volumetric fireballs were just awesome in the old editions, one of the things i missed in 3rd. i occasionally drop in scrolls of the original version of fireball as loot in my 3rd ed. games. i use the term "antiquity" to refer to any previous version item/spell that i drop in more-or-less as is into a 3rd ed game.

 

[Nellisir]

Phantasmal force. Because nothing confuses the ogre like dancing lizards in tutus.

 

[Cedric]

At higher levels, do not dismiss the power of Magic Missile.

 

[the Jester]

Illusions!

Specifically, phantasmal force, improved phantasmal force, spectral force, advanced illusion, programmed illusion and permanent illusion. Oh HELL yeah!

 

[NotZenon]

then there's the cantrips.

a player of mine liked to hold his action to interrupt opposing mages by casting "sneeze" or "giggle" on them. *I was pretty sure this was a misuse but i let him get away occasionally*

He also liked to cast the cantrip "hairy" and then follow it up with "tangle" (or was it knot?) and sometimes "firefinger" (or spark?) to light the hairy tangled opposing person on fire. I usually let him do a couple damage just for giggles.

anyways there are probably rules for why these things don't work but perhaps your dm doesn't know them? hah.

 

[radja]

tenser's floating disc: because you can ride it. also comes in handy when you need a boat.
levitate: you use this on your opponent. lift your unhappy opponent to 100ft, and cancel your levitate.
leomund's tiny hut: translucent from the inside, opaque from the outside means full concealment

1e spells have some hidden gems, but your DM may not appreciate them (like the levitate one)