D&D 3E/3.5 What are the "problem" spells in 3E?

[Cloudgatherer]

So the thread on harm got me thinking (a rare and dangerous thing, I know), what are the "problem" spells in 3rd Ed?

Let's keep the discussion centered on the PHB/SRD spells please!

Cloud, what do you mean by "problem" spells?

I see problem spells as those spells deemed as either 1) unbalanced or 2) commonly house ruled/banned or 3) ambiguously worded (fuzzy, vague, unclear). Naturally a spell could be all of the above, but the general idea is that these spells spark at least some debate.

I really don't want a rules debate about how the spells should be run. I'd simply like to list them along with a reason or reasons for why some people might think they are unbalanced.

I'll start off with a few common ones and I'll try to keep the list updated here at the top:

Vague, unbalanced, house-ruled spells:

Analyze Dweomer - often house-ruled

Color Spray - badly worded (simultaneous effects)

Disjunction - IMO, a bit unbalanced, especially at high/epic levels

Enlarge - Does not follow normal "size" rules.

Expeditious Retreat - vague in respect to flight, monk speed, etc.

False Vision - anyone use this ever?

Geas/Quest - vague/ambiguous

Harm/Heal - commonly house-ruled (we'll leave balance to the other thread)

Identify - Often house ruled.

Meteor Swarm - vague (re: impact vs. spread)

Mind Blank - poorly worded (maybe Discern Location belongs here too).

Mirror Image - vague (cleave/WW)

Negative Energy Protection - vague/confusing. Should protect against all negative energy attacks (i.e. harm), but does not.

Poly series of spells - unbalanced, vague

Reduce - See Enlarge.

Scry - vague

Shapechange - See Poly series.

Simulacrum - vague

Time Stop - vaguely worded


The following group is questionable. I'll list them since Shard brought it up. Are the following really problems, even though I think they violate the suggested damage cap in the DMG?
Damage Dealers:

Blade Barrier
Chain Lightning
Creeping Doom - 1000 points to anyone "slow"
Flame Arrow - No Cap, but must hit...
Flame Strike


Spells that are "too good to be true" (for their level):

Haste
Shield


Some have problems with translocation spells in general: Teleport, Teleport w/o Error, Shadow Walk, etc...

Spells to ponder:
Command
Forcecage
Greater Magic Weapon
Planar Ally (and Greater Planar Ally)
Web

 

[Shard O'Glase]

poly any object- to vaugue you could throw a rock and turn it into a mountain for a minute and kill anything beneath it for example.

shapechange-see above i turn into a solid block of adaamntite 200' on a side.

poly other - virtual insta death+ great utility spell rolled into a 4th level spell waytoo much.

blade barrier way-way blows the damage caps for a divine 6th level spell

flame strike see blade barrier but not way-way

chain lightning similar to flame strike and blade barrier it does the damage caps of a arcane single target spell of that level, and it chains. And that is the low end of the 20d6 range for single target spells for arcane daamge caps(6-7th level spells).

I actually have a big house rule list on spells, that I either removed or changed these are the only ones I remember off the top of my head.

 

[mikebr99]

I don't know if this is a problem or not... but I have an EPIC Wizard/Archmage, with really high DC's for his spells, making the save-or-die stuff near pefect.

 

[Veldrane]

Mmm, let's go with the "problematic spell list", where problematic means that in some cases the spell can be abused / unbalance the game, or simply that the spell seems a bit too much...

Not that I want to HR them all, still I'd like to hear what ppl thinks 'bout them before discussing with the players...

In no order...

• Shield (give it to a non caster, or 1st lvl caster / X melee fighter...)
• Haste (+4 AC and one more attack is ok, one more spell is another matter)
• Harm (okokokok, let's go on)
• Maze (no save, no spell resistance, bye bye critter)
• Spikes (+10 unnamed dmg bonus for 1 Hour/lvl?)
• Flame Arrow (haste yourself, metamagic it and you're on the 300/500 dmg/round)
• Firebrand (why should I take any other area spell?)
• Fire Spiders (no comment)
• Any Triple Empowered Buff Spell (7 times if Incantatrix or Dweomerkeeper)
• Shapechange (Tarrasque here and there)
• Blink (My God, was it really a rogue?)
• Hunter's Mercy (oh, an archer and a giant... ...oh, the giant is vanished)

I've surely forgotten something, but for now it'll be enough..

 

[Cloudgatherer]

I forgot about the polymorph line of spells. Good point.

Maybe I should add "spells that violate damage caps" section...

I don't consider insanely high DCs to be a problem with a spell in itself, but with the system or classes used. For instance, some of the FR classes need to be carefully monitored, otherwise a Shadow Adept/Archmage has a +6 enhanced DC, caster level vs. SR compared to a regular wizard. This is effectively a +12 Intelligence difference in addition to a couple spell penetration feats....

<EDIT>
Also, let's keep the discussion to PHB/SRD spells. Some in the above post appear in Magic of Faerun and I don't want to consider them (otherwise we'll have a flood of spells here, just the PHB spells please!)
</Edit>

 

[Thanee]

A few that come to mind...

Harm - For obvious reasons
Polymorph Other - Turns your party into combat monsters
Mordenkainen's Disjunction - Doh!
True Resurrect - Yeah, right! Where's the cost to balance this spell?
Miracle - Way too good compared to Wish.
Discern Location - At least Mind Blank protects against this now...
Restoration - Fear the undead? Not me!
Greater Restoration - What's the point of this spell!?
Divine Favor - That one gives just a tad too much fighting power!
Tenser's Transformation - Really, who needs fighters anyways?

BTW, you cannot turn into the Tarrasque with Shapechange!

In what book can I find this Hunter's Mercy spell?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Labrinnon]

Meteor Swarm - 24d6 to one target, no save. And since it isn't technically targeted on the creature, a high level mage can unload on someone inside of a time stop with these things.

 

[Thanee]

Meteor Swarm is weak! Well, ok, weak is not really fair, but not a problem spell in the slightest. There are enough ways to protect against this, really.

BTW, I thought it was possible to hit several creatures with it for no save, if they stand in a line!?

Bye
Thanee

 

[Shard O'Glase]

yeah meteor swarm is always disapointing IMO. It's apparent intent is to eb the end all be all AoE damage spell. It ends up being a crappy AoE damage spell and a decent single target damage spell.

I cast meteor swarm.

Ok where do you target it.

Oh i just aim it this direction and give it the max range. I want to hit as many people in a 5' path for 24d6 no save as I can.

grumble, again maybe we should just rename this spell bowling ball of doom.

 

[Aust Diamondew]

spells

Fortunately in my campaign I haven't had too much of a problem with these spells yet (but as my casters get higher in level there could be).

1) Haste (should be level 4)
2) Teleport line ( I just dont like teleporting, it takes away traveling from the adventure, but I proably will never ban the use of this spell)
3) Polymorph spells (these should proably be level 5)
4) Morkedians disjunction (magic items should be harder to get rid of)
5) Creeping Swarm (unless you know ahead of time your dead if your hit by this one)
6) Time stop (and I thought haste was bad)
7) Many Epic level spells (wizards, sorcerers, clerics and durids can already kick any other classes ass most of the time as is)