D&D 5E What are some cool/neat standard PHB wizard spells?

[werecorpse]

I run a game and the player of the wizard has a tendency to find a thing that works pretty well and specialise in it then get bored. He doesn’t try other stuff because of the opportunity cost vs casting his specialisation. He is an evocation wizard who had taken elemental adept fire and he tends to use fireball or firebolt 9/10 combat actions. He also tends to use his concentration 4th level spell on greater invisibility (or enhanced fireball)

Now there’s not a big problem with this except I can see that he is getting bored but can’t overcome his inner efficiency optimiser.

So I’d like to give him access to a bunch of other neat wizard spells via scrolls or wands to cast in combat that do other things to give him a taste and am looking for suggestions. He is 8th level so up to about 5th level spells would be relevant. They don’t have to be “better“ Just not weak as I just want to encourage him to try some different stuff and if he does and they suck he will return to his fireball position- I have web, slow, cloudkill, Maybe polymorph (I’m aware of the dangers) any other suggestions?

 

[tsodge]

All of 'em. Make it rain spells. Give them so many option they feels silly casting fireball.

Maybe have other mages mock them. Call them 'the learned' ironically because he only knows how to start fires.

Have a recurring fire Res/immune villian.

 

[DemoMonkey]

"Have a recurring fire Res/immune villian. "

An excellent idea. Though they would have to be immune, Elemental Adept would bypass resistance.

 

[MonkeezOnFire]

When I played a wizard I liked to lean into the control spells. Web, Hypnotic Patter, Evard's Black Tentacles are all nice options that really slow down opponents. Wall of Fire is a nice hazard that's even an evocation spell so it can be sculpted to avoid hurting allies on the initial cast (they'll still have to get out of the way after that though). If you really want to encourage these, then have an encounter where enemies have to charge through a choke point when you first reward them. In those situations these spells really punch above their weight class.

For out of combat Fly is always great for exploration.

 

[Ancalagon]

Tiny Servant. I have spoken

D&D 5E - Move over Fireball and Spirit Guardians, there is a new best 3rd level spell sheriff in town!

Greetings friends and fellow forumites. I am the bearer of great news. D&D has a new best spell. Those who have the newly release Xanathar's Guide to Everything will of course know that I am talking about the superlative spell, Tiny Servant. Tiny Servant lasts for 8 hours and doesn't take...

www.enworld.org

 

[Undrave]

Do they ever use Rituals? They don't need to expend spell slots and would give them more stuff to do. Reward them with a Ritual Book at some point so they don't have to hunt for them and maybe some ink and stuff so they can copy into their own spell book.

 

[Seramus]

So I’d like to give him access to a bunch of other neat wizard spells via scrolls or wands to cast in combat that do other things to give him a taste and am looking for suggestions.

This was his plan all along. Min/Max the DM!

 

[UngeheuerLich]

Hmmh. Fireball is actually a great spell, especially for an evoker with elemental adept.
Haste is quite good, if you have the right person to cast it on. Slow is a good control spell incertain situations. Sleet storm is actually one of the best spells you could wish for. Enemies lose concetration quite easily. You obscure vision and slow enemies by a large amount. The area is huge and placed well, you can divide the battelfield into parts. In another thread hypnotic pattern was deemed borderline broken.
I did the math for flaming sphere when I compared alchemist on level 5 with other artificer archetypes and found it not bad at all. Grease is not terrible as it is a control spell without concentration. Mirror image gives protection without using concentration. Black tentacles proved to be one of the most useful control spells my NPCs used against the PCs. Levitate is also a very powerful single target control spell and a good utility spell. Misty step and dimension door allow for instant travel to a ver advantageous position on the battlefield.
Dispell magic and counterspell can save lifes. Longstrider and expeditious retreat are continual mobility spells that have quite a high duration and make melee enemies' life hell. Melfs acid arrow though not doing a lot of damage or better vitriolic sphere negate regeneration and disturb concentration for 2 turns without using your own concentration. Phantasmal force and tiny hut annoyed me quite a few times as did rope trick.
Aborb elements is very helpful if it is needed...
Ok. I think that is enough for now. Note that I did even note some niche applications of overall rather bad spells.

 

[BlivetWidget]

If he has 4th level spell slots and isn't using Polymorph, it's only because he doesn't know about it, didn't read it carefully, or he played with a jerk DM sometime in the past who nerfed the magic beans out of it. Let him turn a friend into a giant ape or t-rex and he'll discover the best buff spell in the game (for its level). Most of the really great wizard spells at your requested level aren't blast spells anyway. Polymorph, Animate Objects, Wall of Force, etc. Each one of them is a complete game changer.

I would say to just give him any spells you want him to try. A wizard with infinite spells doesn't break anything, they're still limited by spell preparations and slots. The whole wizard thing is about learning new spells, it's built right into the class. If you're not letting him grow his spellbook anyway, you should be.

 

[TheSword]

Why don’t you show not tell.

Demonstrate some good spells on the party and its sure to get his attention. Particularly if after he’s seen them in action they’re found in a scroll or spellbook.