D&D 5E Spells that turned out to be a lot more powerful than you thought

[Sacrosanct]

Just like the title says. Which spells turned out to be a lot more effective or powerful than you thought before seeing them in actual play?

Conjure Animals: The most powerful 3rd level spell, especially when dealing with multiple foes. 8 wolves can be summoned, each with pack tactics and the ability to knock creatures prone. Last night we came upon 15 or so bullywugs and giant toads, and that spell turned it into a very easy encounter. The wolves charged in with surprise (the didn't see us) and we flanked around and hit them from the other side. Between how much damage the wolves ended up doing, and the damage they were taking that otherwise would have went to us, this spell is OP.

Darkness: Particularly when paired with a warlock's devil sight. Cast darkness on the F/W and let him just wade into the courtyard, wrecking havoc

Suggestion: Long duration, and only one save. Not a new save every round. Half our party fell to this ability.

 

[Nebulous]

Spiritual Guardians turned out way stronger than I expected the first time I saw it in use.

 

[Prism]

Spiritual Guardians turned out way stronger than I expected the first time I saw it in use.

I'm still undecided about it due to concentration. My cleric has cast it a few times now and it has lasted between two full rounds and a single attack by one opponent. The problem is you feel compelled to get central to include as many opponents as possible but then you are open to attack and the failure. If you stay at the back you affect less monsters and become a beacon for ranged attacks. Its still the best damaging option for a 5th level cleric but doesn't compare to the single round damage of fireball. There may be a use as an element of control but I haven't had much success with keeping monsters at bay yet.

 

[Dragongrief]

I'm still undecided about it due to concentration... The problem is you feel compelled to get central to include as many opponents as possible but then you are open to attack and the failure.

Dodge is your best friend. Since the potential damage of the spell outweighs most other options, keeping it up is more important than "actively" attacking (taking an action to keep someone else alive is probably worth the risk of losing the spell though).

Disadvantage on their attacks + DC 10 Con Save should allow you to keep it up for a while.

 

[Nebulous]

I'm still undecided about it due to concentration. My cleric has cast it a few times now and it has lasted between two full rounds and a single attack by one opponent. The problem is you feel compelled to get central to include as many opponents as possible but then you are open to attack and the failure. If you stay at the back you affect less monsters and become a beacon for ranged attacks. Its still the best damaging option for a 5th level cleric but doesn't compare to the single round damage of fireball. There may be a use as an element of control but I haven't had much success with keeping monsters at bay yet.

yeah, i guess it really depends on how long you can maintain it before getting whacked. I think, isn't the duration long, like 10 minutes?

 

[KarinsDad]

Just like the title says. Which spells turned out to be a lot more effective or powerful than you thought before seeing them in actual play?

Conjure Animals: The most powerful 3rd level spell, especially when dealing with multiple foes. 8 wolves can be summoned, each with pack tactics and the ability to knock creatures prone. Last night we came upon 15 or so bullywugs and giant toads, and that spell turned it into a very easy encounter. The wolves charged in with surprise (the didn't see us) and we flanked around and hit them from the other side. Between how much damage the wolves ended up doing, and the damage they were taking that otherwise would have went to us, this spell is OP.

The conjuration spells have a weakness though. Concentration. Every group of PCs (or semi-intelligent NPCs) should always focus fire on a caster concentrating on a Conjure spell. Strong, but it makes the caster a primary target of counterattacks. A single Fireball can do as much damage as a pack of wolves, especially a pack of wolves that can sometimes be counterspelled with a single attack (and in fact, can be counterspelled even before the conjured wolves initiative comes up, making the spell totally useless sometimes). Spells are often overpowerful or not based on situation. A lightning bolt in a long narrow corridor can wreck havoc on dozens of foes.

No doubt that this is a powerful encounter ending spell in some circumstances, especially one where the caster casts the spell before combat even starts (and might hide behind total cover for the encounter duration). But the weakness makes it not OP. Other third level spells can get similar results.

 

[KarinsDad]

Dodge is your best friend. Since the potential damage of the spell outweighs most other options, keeping it up is more important than "actively" attacking (taking an action to keep someone else alive is probably worth the risk of losing the spell though).

Disadvantage on their attacks + DC 10 Con Save should allow you to keep it up for a while.

It depends. Some clerics walk around in AC 19 or 20. The chances of them getting hit tend to be a bit low to begin with and the chances of making a Con save are not that terrible. Sure, against a lot of foes, especially ranged ones (or ones with great bonuses to hit), Dodge is the way to go. But that potentially increases the damage of the spell by definitely decreasing the damage of the Cleric. It makes the spell a bit watered down (since the Cleric is now no longer doing normal melee or ranged damage at the same time as damaging with the spell).

Since most foes will tend to try to get out of the area of the spell, the Cleric is already semi-protected from melee attacks. Many foes will not want to move up and melee attack.

 

[GMforPowergamers]

The conjuration spells have a weakness though. Concentration. Every group of PCs (or semi-intelligent NPCs) should always focus fire on a caster concentrating on a Conjure spell. Strong, but it makes the caster a primary target of counterattacks. A single Fireball can do as much damage as a pack of wolves, especially a pack of wolves that can sometimes be counterspelled with a single attack (and in fact, can be counterspelled even before the conjured wolves initiative comes up, making the spell totally useless sometimes). Spells are often overpowerful or not based on situation. A lightning bolt in a long narrow corridor can wreck havoc on dozens of foes.

No doubt that this is a powerful encounter ending spell in some circumstances, especially one where the caster casts the spell before combat even starts (and might hide behind total cover for the encounter duration). But the weakness makes it not OP. Other third level spells can get similar results.

I rarely think to pound the summoner if a fighter and theif are double teaming me...

 

[Prism]

Dodge is your best friend. Since the potential damage of the spell outweighs most other options, keeping it up is more important than "actively" attacking (taking an action to keep someone else alive is probably worth the risk of losing the spell though).

Disadvantage on their attacks + DC 10 Con Save should allow you to keep it up for a while.

I think I have been a bit too eager to do the damage by running in on the first round. Probably better to cast from a safer location and then dodge when moving in.

 

[Prism]

An entangle spell was cast on half of the party and it took several rounds for the weaker members to escape. Made that fight very difficult. I'm not sure if this counts as a spell being more powerful than I thought though as entangle has always been good