D&D General Proportion of Spells

Do you find you don't use most of your known/prepared spells?

  • Yes. I only use a couple spells out of all that I have available.

    Votes: 0 0.0%

ezo

Get off my lawn!
I've been fortunate enough to get to play in a game (usually I DM...) and after some sessions I noticed something that I see often:

Although I have 11 known/prepared spells (which alone very rarely ever change), I use 5 of those spells easily 90% of the time. Once a long rest I might use a single spell slot on a spell NOT one of those 5. Frankly speaking, if I didn't even have the other 6 it wouldn't bother me much. Sure, I might have occassions when I wished I had this one or that one, but those would only be select cases.

1: Cure Wounds*
1: Detect Magic
1: Healing Word
2: Invisibility
2: Spiritual Weapon
3. Counterspell
3: Fireball

1: Bless*

1: Detect Good/Evil
1: Guiding Bolt
1: Shield of Faith

Out of the 11 spells I have access to, 90% of the time or more I only use the bolded ones.

So, I was curious if anyone else has similar experiences? Or do you use most of the spells you've selected, at least so they don't seem "extra" and unnecessary?

I think this is because my PC has his role, and those spells I commonly use are all I currently need to fulfill that role.

To be clear: I know you might not prepare most of the spells in a spell list. That isn't what I am talking about. I am talking about spells you actually have prepared or known.
 

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I've been fortunate enough to get to play in a game (usually I DM...) and after some sessions I noticed something that I see often:

Although I have 11 known/prepared spells (which alone very rarely ever change), I use 5 of those spells easily 90% of the time. Once a long rest I might use a single spell slot on a spell NOT one of those 5. Frankly speaking, if I didn't even have the other 6 it wouldn't bother me much. Sure, I might have occassions when I wished I had this one or that one, but those would only be select cases.

1: Cure Wounds*
1: Detect Magic
1: Healing Word
2: Invisibility
2: Spiritual Weapon
3. Counterspell
3: Fireball

1: Bless*

1: Detect Good/Evil
1: Guiding Bolt
1: Shield of Faith

Out of the 11 spells I have access to, 90% of the time or more I only use the bolded ones.

So, I was curious if anyone else has similar experiences? Or do you use most of the spells you've selected, at least so they don't seem "extra" and unnecessary?

I think this is because my PC has his role, and those spells I commonly use are all I currently need to fulfill that role.

To be clear: I know you might not prepare most of the spells in a spell list. That isn't what I am talking about. I am talking about spells you actually have prepared or known.
I tend to select spells for particular niches that don’t come up all the time. Its not surprising I don’t use most of these often.
 

5E provides a wonderful opportunity for variety, without forcing it. I tend to prepare 1-2 spells that will be used for each spell level, since those are the ones I need and/or are optimal. The rest are "utility" spells that seldom get used, but are amazing when it comes up.

For example, my paladin has Protection from Good and Evil prepared, just in case someone gets possessed. I also have Purify Food and Drink, Lesser Restoration, and Locate Object prepared, none of which have ever been used. Most of my slots are spent on Bless, Cure Wounds, and smiting, so I use the other prepared spells "just in case."
 

So what is your spell list, if you don't mind sharing?

I have found with many rituals the same thing happens... some get used, about half don't.
From memory:
(2014 spells) Alarm, Detect Magic, Comprehend Language, Find Familiar, Fog Cloud, Identify, Augury, Mirror Image, Detect Thoughts

For now, I play him as a crossbow user with magic as support rather than a pure Diviner. We're doing CoS, so its not that combat heavy if I play intelligently and use my rituals to avoid/escape combat.
 

I think you're just not quite getting into your magic-user role.

All spells are glorious glimpses into the infinite trove of secrets and powerful knowledge that is magic. Each one is a gem. Each one has a use (many, in fact) and comes out for the right feeling, occasion, or opportunity to gloat. Like my wife's shoe closet. Anyway, you prepare spells in advance because unlike the rest of the pedestrians in your party, you think about things ahead of time. Thinking is knowing is planning is magic. Those spells can fill the gap of what the party needs. They can be backups for what you'll lose when the meatheads get incapacitated (again). But the preferred spells to prepare are those that will help further your arcane knowledge, regardless of what your so-called "adventurer friends" think they'll be doing on a given day. After all, knowledge is power, and who doesn't want more power?
 

If we're talking about what I select, then, yeah, about 1/3 is probably closest to what I never use simply because the situation doesn't come up. Like I often have Feather Fall prepared above level 5 or so. I essentially never need it, but when I do need it, there's almost nothing else that compares.

If we're talking about the PHB in general then I think well over half are never even prepared by anyone at the table, ever. There's like 12 different kinds of blaster spells at any given level. 1 is the best. 2 are situational. The rest are trash. That's how it all goes.
 

Playing a hexblade warlock, there's a lot of spells on my list that don't end up getting used.

Part of it is the pain of Concentration being a little too limiting. I understand its in place to prevent the excesses back in 3E, but sometimes it's just a bit too constraining, and in some cases (like 2014 Barkskin) silly and punitive.
 

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