Seven Signature Spells

[Olgar Shiverstone]

1. If you were to list seven spells that are the most iconic in D&D, what would they be?


2. And for a different approach: pick seven 1st level sorcerer/wizard spells that are the most useful throughout a character's career.

My thoughts for #1:

1. magic missile
2. fireball
3. cure light wounds
4. raise dead
5. teleport
6. polymorph
7. Tenser's floating disc

Why seven? Uh ... alliteration's nice? A default array wizard (15 Int) is probably never going to bother getting more than 7 1st level spells (3 start +2 Int +2 at 2d level)?

 

[Sammael]

Answer to #1:

1. Fireball
2. Magic missile
3. Raise dead
4. Entangle
5. Teleport
6. CLW
7. True seeing

Answer to #2:

1. Tenser's floating disc
2. Unseen servant
3. Identify
4. Magic missile
5. Feather fall
6. Endure elements
7. Disguise self

 

[Teemu]

To #1, I'd say

1. magic missile
2. cure light wounds
3. fireball

From here on it's a bit harder

4. protection from evil
5. animate dead
6. charm person
7. sleep

 

[Elder-Basilisk]

1. Magic Missile
2. Fireball
3. cure light wounds
4. Protection from evil
5. Teleport
6. Wall of force
7. Meteor Swarm

 

[Lurks-no-More]

Fireball, Magic Missile, Wish, Raise Dead, Cure Light Wounds, Sleep, Polymorph (Self), Teleport.

 

[Huw]

1. Magic Missile
2. Web
3. Fireball
4. Remove Curse (especially in older editions!)
5. Disintegrate
6. Polymorph in its various forms
7. Cure Light Wounds

Honary mention: Grease

 

[Snapdragyn]

Fireball
Magic Missile
Cure Light Wounds

(most seem to agree on those)

Web/Entangle (different spells, but similar functionality; drop one if it seems too much like cheating to get an extra in)
Magic Mouth (oldschool)
Explosive Runes (/nod to OotS)
Detect Magic (duh)

 

[rgard]

1. Magic Missile
2. Web
3. Fireball
4. Remove Curse (especially in older editions!)
5. Disintegrate
6. Polymorph in its various forms
7. Cure Light Wounds

Honary mention: Grease

I second Disintegrate. And in it's 3.5 enhanced form: Split Ray Disintegrate.

 

[Baron Opal]

1. Magic Missile (the iconic attack spell, long live Emirikol!)
2. Shield (it's mate, the superb defense)
3. Web (initial crowd control, the old wizard's picture in the blue book remains with me today)
4. Fireball (when a wizard comes of age)
5. Dispel Magic (the hammer to magic's nail)
6. Polymorph (the ultimate utilitarian spell)
7. Disintigrate (the final insult)
8. Meteor Swarm (the army killer)
9. Wish (finally, reality bends to your will)

Ok, that's nine rather than seven, but I was on a roll.

 

[bodhi]

What, no love for Lightning Bolt?

Edit: Oh, and for the list:
1) Magic Missile
2) Fireball
3) Cure X Wounds
4) Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt! Lightning Bolt!
5) Identify
6) Wish
7) Invisibility (although not so much as a spell to be cast as an effect to be used, ala the One Ring or Harry's Cloak).