spells that lost popularity in 3.0/3.5

[Vuron]

Also remember that many of the nerfs on spells are also to the PCs benefit. With 3.0/3.5 allowing classed humanoids it's quite likely that a first level party might encounter a kobold sorcerer who can cast sleep against them. If a spell is insta-win in the hands of a PC group it becomes insta-win as a NPC tool against equivalent level PCs. Considering that the NPC sorcerer doesn't need to reserve his sleep spell for later on in the day he can blow his most powerful spells early.

1e versions of sleep, web, stinking cloud, cloudkill would likely increase the percentage of encounter that end in a TPK which is generally seen as unsatisfying to the gaming experience

 

[Psion]

Wow. See a lot of entries here I see used a lot: fireball, prismatic spray (I've seen this rake parties over the coals), and stoneskin. Every villain mage I ever build is likely to have stoneskin.

 

[Victim]

OK, next session I'm going to look for it in the 3.0 PH...again. But, I'll ask first: did its name change, and-or was it in some other 3.0 book than the PH (either one would explain why we missed it).

Lanefan

Well, it's under F in the PHB instead of being sorted by spell level... It was in old PHB under Faerie Fire.

Hmm, yeah. I totally forgot about Stoneskin. Before it was a must have, and now it's handy but not required; mobility and concealment type effects (like Greater Invis) are more commonly used to defend against melee guys in its place. Allow me to say thank goodness on that.

I've still found that a wizard's best use to 'solve' encounters, but they have enough spells to do other things. And there's enough defenses that the wizard probably can't solve everything the same way; stinking cloud will still clean up against wizards and rogues, but giants probably won't care so much.

 

[Thurbane]

Yep, poor old Hold Person used to be a Cleric's best friend, now it's a spell that rarely sees the light of day...

 

[Aaron L]

Stoneskin. By far one of the best defensive spells of 1 & 2e and a 'must have' in every 7th level-plus wizard's repetoire.

Wow, Stoneskin is still a must have for us. DR 10/Adamantine is wicked.

 

[Victim]

Yep, poor old Hold Person used to be a Cleric's best friend, now it's a spell that rarely sees the light of day...

It's still good. You just have to set things up so that someone is ready to the coup de grace immediately following the cleric so they never get the extra saves. Not wicked awesome like it was before, but decent.

 

[Breakdaddy]

OK, next session I'm going to look for it in the 3.0 PH...again. But, I'll ask first: did its name change, and-or was it in some other 3.0 book than the PH (either one would explain why we missed it).

Lanefan

Look on p. 202 of the 3.0 PHB for Faerie Fire.

 

[DragonLancer]

Sleep never sees use anymore, not even as a basic level spell. It's just useless these days.

Other than that, I can't think of a spell that no longer gets used.

 

[Darklone]

I disagree about Stinking Cloud. Caused a near TPK more than once (last time we only survived because my char wasn't close enough to the rest of the group... )

 

[jeffh]

Here are some:

Prismatic Spray - Hit point totals have become much larger but the spell doesn't scale. It is a total waste now.

You can't be serious. Hit points, schmidt points; most of the effects are save-or-dies that couldn't possibly care less about them.