D&D (2024) "Must-have" spells

[Clint_L]

In the interests of considering what spells should be re-tuned for OneD&D, what would folks say are the "must-have" or "no-brainer" spells? My premise is that player choice is good, and if a spell is so obviously strong that an experienced player takes it almost automatically, it should probably be re-tuned or turned into a class ability.

Cantrips:
Guidance
Eldritch Blast

Level One:
Bless
Find Familiar
Healing Word
Shield

Level Two:
Pass without Trace

Level Three:
Counterspell
Fireball
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Revivify
Spirit Guardians

Level Four:
Banishment
Polymorph

Level Five:
Greater Restoration

Level Six:
Heal

Level Seven:
Forcecage

Level Eight:
Clone

Level Nine:
Mass Heal
Shapechange
True Polymorph
Wish

 

[Clint_L]

Follow-up: A common response is to suggest that other spells should be tune up to match these ones. I think that is both problematic in terms of balance and feasibility, and a lot more work, considering how few spells are woefully ahead of the curve.

That said, we could do a similar list of spells that an experienced player almost automatically avoids, and which should therefore be buffed (or pruned).

 

[Tales and Chronicles]

There's some other pretty good ones I tend to favor depending on the character's spell list:

• Hypnotic Patterns
• Web
• Fire Rays
• Faery Fire
• Simulacrum
• Rime's Binding Ice

none of these are in the OP realms, but they are kind of must-haves for me, at least.

 

[mellored]

Simulacrum

 

[Clint_L]

I debated Simulacrum, but it is extremely expensive to cast and maintain, and has some serious limitations. I only think it is broken in a campaign where the characters are given vast resources and time to prepare for an encounter. Which could be a lot of them, I suppose.

 

[Clint_L]

There's some other pretty good ones I tend to favor depending on the character's spell list:

• Hypnotic Patterns
• Web
• Fire Rays
• Faery Fire
• Simulacrum
• Rime's Binding Ice

none of these are in the OP realms, but they are kind of must-haves for me, at least.

Those are good spells, but the only one that seems close to automatic is Simulacrum, though see my post above. If the party has virtually unlimited resources then I would add some more spells, such as Hero's Feast.

 

[mellored]

I debated Simulacrum, but it is extremely expensive to cast and maintain, and has some serious limitations. I only think it is broken in a campaign where the characters are given vast resources and time to prepare for an encounter. Which could be a lot of them, I suppose.

A single extra protected ranged character, like a rogue, (don't clone the paladin) is going to add massive damage indefinitely.

 

[Dausuul]

I debated Simulacrum, but it is extremely expensive to cast and maintain, and has some serious limitations. I only think it is broken in a campaign where the characters are given vast resources and time to prepare for an encounter. Which could be a lot of them, I suppose.

It's a 7th-level spell, so by the time the PCs have access to it, they are 13th level. 1500 gp at that point is not quite trivial, but hardly a serious burden. And once you create the simulacrum, it sticks around until "used up," so you can make one and keep it on ice -- so to speak -- until needed. When you need the firepower, call in your simulacrum, burn through its spells and hit points, then replace it as soon as you have a little downtime. It's like a one-shot magic item for 1500 gp that gives you Action Surge every turn.

(The repair cost is irrelevant because nobody in their right mind repairs a simulacrum. For the cost of restoring 15 hit points, you can just make a new one.)

I'm sure the original intent of simulacrum was to be a spell by which a dastardly villain makes an evil clone of the king, a PC, et cetera. There are a number of "NPC spells" like this in the PHB, which isn't the worst thing in the world, but the designers too often fail to consider "What will PCs do when they get their hands on this?" They should either give the simulacrum a fixed statblock like the newer summon spells, or include some clause that discourages using it on yourself or other PCs (maybe the simulacrum is implacably hostile to the person it copies and cannot be prevented from attacking them on sight).

 

[Kobold Stew]

This is an interesting list. I don't agree with all of them, but you have some good points.

Cantrips:
Guidance

has been returned. Is your concern with the playtest version?

Eldritch Blast

Is class-specific and automatic. No longer a problem.

Level One:
Bless

Helps other players; and so a good use of an action in my book. Teamwork!

Find Familiar

Not everyone wants a pet; those who do aren't always casters, and so need the feat. I agree that it could be cleaner, but it isn't too powerful, especially now that flyby has been removed.

Healing Word

Cure wounds and Healing word are both good choices, and many casters won't have both. I'm fine with this.

Shield

Agreed -- should be tuned down.

Level Two:
Pass without Trace

Agreed -- should be tuned down.

Level Three:
Counterspell

Counterspelling is a whole mini-game that I think hapens more at other tables than the ones I play at. I understand the concern, but I haven't felt it to be broken in paly. I accept that changes are needed.

Fireball

Tradition.

Leomund's Tiny Hut

Could be tweaked, but a spell's investment for a safe night's sleep is a fine investment.

Revivify

In most campaigns I am in the diamond requirement keeps it inaccessible. It just can't be cast. (GP requirements for spells ar ethe worst way to gatekeep access).

Spirit Guardians

Perhaps.

Level Four:
Banishment
Polymorph

Both of these are combat-breakers. Bumping them up a level would help; but they do bring in player fun.

Level Five:
Greater Restoration

I think it's fine.
All the rest are level 5+; the imbalance is so big in the game at that point, it's really hard to clarify. They aren't all spells I would choose, I'll admit. I like Plane Shift, and think it shoudl be more accessible (e.g. to Horizon Walker Rangers). But at this level many spells have the ability to deform campaigns.

 

[Gadget]

I'm not sure if agree with the choices.

Cantrips:
Guidance
Eldritch Blast

I don't agree. Eldritch Blast is limited to the Warlock and part of that class's balance. Besides, in 1dnd it is a class feature. Guidance is iffy, I haven't seen it been abused over much, but could use a few tweaks. I would much rather they fixed things like True Strike and Friends.

Level One:
Bless
Find Familiar
Healing Word
Shield

The only one of these that I think needs to be adjusted is Shield. I can see the arguments for Bless and Healing Word, but I remain dubious.

Level Three:
Counterspell
Fireball
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Revivify
Spirit Guardians

Counterspell probably shouldn't be in the game and we should go back to readying a Dispel Magic to achieve the same affect. Fireball is fine. I don't have a problem with Revivify, it's basically magic defibrillators. Spirit Guardians and Tiny Hut do need to be toned down though.

Banishment is a bit of a trick. The only problem with the spell, imho, is that they made it too universal such that it applies to everyone; probably because they don't have an Outsider category in 5e. They have realized this and offered a 'fix' in the the Playtest that is far too hard to apply. If they had just made it limited to certain categories of creatures, like the Good/Evil line of spells, it would be fine. Perhaps it is too hard to categorize?

I'm not sure what problem Greater Restoration and Heal are supposed to cause. In fact, I've always felt that having to use it to restore and Exhaustion level was overkill (Lesser Restoration Should probable get rid of a level of Exhaustion if you ask me).

I would tweak Forbiddance so it cannot be used as a Dungeon fumigation spell and used more as intended to protect your fort/home base/temple/etc.

I agree with Forcecage, and would add Simulacrum to the list as well.

I'm less concerned about the 9th level spells, both because they rarely come up in play and 9th level spells are supposed to be the Bee's Knees. I'm more concerned that they fix the duds at this level, quite frankly.

Edit: fix grammer, punctuation, style and add in the bit about Banishment.