D&D 5E Survivor Worst Spells: FIND TRAPS IS THE WORST!

[OB1]

Time Stop 18 - The right choice twice a day!

Query: what does this mean, in context? Is it more than just an enthusiastic expression of support?

Nothing more than enthusiastic support for the spell mixed in with a very bad play on the saying about broken clocks, I'm afraid.

Find Traps 21 - My worst spell thread revealed useful properties of all spells mentioned. Except this one. It actually got worse the harder you look and think about it.

Think outside an optimal party. Especially a party with no rogue and all around bad perception scores. Some of the spells in the PHB are specifically designed for overcoming weakness that could arise via rolling character stats in order or not having certain classes in the party.

 

[Phazonfish]

It's not that bad. If you get a negative result ("no traps here!") you can skip a bunch of poking around with 10' poles.

So best case scenario you burn a 2nd level slot to accomplish nothing (but faster than you would have otherwise done so). And then you still run the risk of triggering a trap, because it's wasn't something produced by a person with the intent of it being a trap. "It's not that bad." you say, but it turns out just about every spell in 5e is good for something, so even a not that bad spell can still be the worst.

 

[see]

Vote up bad spells! Vote down good spells!

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 21
Animate Dead 6
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 20
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 21
Friends 20
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 21
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 23
Weird 20
Wish 11
Witch Bolt 19

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

So best case scenario you burn a 2nd level slot to accomplish nothing (but faster than you would have otherwise done so). And then you still run the risk of triggering a trap, because it's wasn't something produced by a person with the intent of it being a trap. "It's not that bad." you say, but it turns out just about every spell in 5e is good for something, so even a not that bad spell can still be the worst.

No, best case scenario is that you take the loot instead of leaving it well alone. Indiana Jones would kill to have such a capability. (Oh, who am I kidding? Indiana Jones is going to take the loot anyway, and run from the boulder. But Forrestal wouldn't!)

The usefulness of the spell is directly tied to the lethality of the traps/the DM's willingness to kill you with traps. Obviously if the DM's campaign never includes horrific traps, the spell loses a lot of its value, just as Protection From Energy loses value in a campaign that's all about stabbing things instead of burning them.

 

[Argyle King]

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 21
Animate Dead 4 How is this considered a bad spell?
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 20
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 22
Friends 20
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 21
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 23
Weird 20
Wish 11
Witch Bolt 19

 

[hbarsquared]

UP FOR WORST, DOWN FOR BEST!

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 21
Animate Dead 4
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 20
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 22
Friends 20
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 21
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 24 But what about when you... nope, not then either.
Weird 20
Wish 9 Far better than it's lesser-known cousin, Fish.
Witch Bolt 19

 

[Gladius Legis]

New day, new votes:

UP FOR WORST, DOWN FOR BEST!

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 21
Animate Dead 4
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 20
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 22
Friends 20
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 22 - 5e's version is insultingly putrid. Absolutely pathetic damage for a 7th-level spell. Bigby's Hand and Spiritual Weapon are both so much better, damage-wise, action economy-wise, and range-wise, even using lower-level spell slots.
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 24
Weird 20
Wish 7 - Amazingly, the duplicate spell function is much better than 3.x's. (5e is any spell regardless of class 8th or lower; 3.x has level limits lower than that depending on class and school. 3.x's duplicate spell function also required material costs past a certain amount.)
Witch Bolt 19

 

[Harzel]

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 19
Animate Dead 4
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 20
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 22
Friends 22
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 22
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 24
Weird 20
Wish 7 - Never have liked it. Don't like the 5e version any better. But it clearly is not going to survive, so I'll put my upvote elsewhere.
Witch Bolt 19

 

[MiraMels]

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 19
Animate Dead 4
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 18
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 22
Friends 22
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 22
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 24
Weird 20
Wish 7
Witch Bolt 19

 

[JonnyP71]

Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting 19
Animate Dead 2 Really GOOD spell
Barkskin 20
Blade Ward 18
Drawmij's Instant Summons 24
Feign Death 21
Find Traps 22
Friends 23 Really BAD spell
Divine Word 20
Mending 18
Mordenkainen's Sword 22
Phantasmal Killer 20
Ray of Enfeeblement 20
Time Stop 18
True Strike 24
Weird 20
Wish 7
Witch Bolt 19