D&D 5E What are THE wizard spells?

[Milieu]

Edit: i see the wizard as an intellectual, a researcher, a learned scholar of the arcane, so when i see a bunch of people all going “yes, the spell that most represents what this guy is all about is the giant explosion” you can see why that might cause some dissonance, it just seems more fitting for a wild instinctual sorcerer or the bargained-for-power warlock to me.

I guess it depends on what kind of scholars you think of. If you think of wizards like liberal arts scholars, no, Fireball doesn't really fit. But if they're more like chemists, physicists, or engineers, then most wizards think explosions are awesome (as long as you don't much care about the things in it).

 

[Clint_L]

people are valid to their own interpretations it's just that fireball of all the spells has always had it's place in DnD as a bit of meme with it being the answer to every problem, especially problems where it brute force isn't the answer 'if fireball isn't working, use more fireball', and it's a little hard to tell especially with that spell specifically how genuine people are being when they mention it.

it's a good and powerful spell, but do people think it's a wizard spell because they've always had it on their lists and thus can't imagine a wizard without it or do they genuinely think they should have it.

do you see what i'm saying?

Yes, I understand perfectly and yet still think you are wrong. Your argument was not complex. Perhaps (wild idea) there are many different perspectives and yours, while great for you, is no better than mine.

 

[CreamCloud0]

Yes, I understand perfectly and yet still think you are wrong. Your argument was not complex. Perhaps (wild idea) there are many different perspectives and yours, while great for you, is no better than mine.

i was never trying to assert to you that i was 'correct', just that people give the question it's proper considerations beyond the initial reactions of 'hee hee fireball powerful explode the goblins' and 'but the wizard has always had fireball' and the way you had phrased your previous responses made me think you hadn't understood that.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

I don't think of fireball as a wizardy spell because sorcerers get it and, to me, it's a boring blaster spell. Sure, fireball is iconic but I don't really consider it iconic to the wizard anymore. It's more a sorcerer spell at this point (at least, to me). My ideal choices would only be on the Wizard's list but 5e sorcerers have so many of the Wizard spells that some of my favorite spells are on the sorcerer list, unfortunately.

I see wizards as the masters of 'preparedness' and utility so I'd choose:

• Contingency
• Scry
• Time Stop (sadly, on the the sorcerers list)
• Magnificent Mansion
• -Teleport (also sorcerer list)
• -Mind Blank
• -Clone
• -Wall of Force
• -Telekinesis (to a lesser extent)

 

[Eyes of Nine]

Wish
Magic Missile/Eldritch blast sort of thing
Fireball/lightning bolt
Teleport (Apparate!)
Create food and water
Divination stuff
Counterspell

 

[Tony Vargas]

I mean, I guess I'm a Grognard, but to me that means what are the classic spells that have defined magic-users from their humble d4 hp/random spells known beginning to their spontaneous-casting heyday.

Sleep
Magic Missile
Shield
Unseen Servant
Hold Portal/Knock
Invisibility
Web
Fools Gold
Pyrotechnics
Magic Mouth
Continual Light
Phantasmal Forces
Fly
Fireball/Lightning Bolt
Haste/Slow
Polymorph Other
Wall of Fire/Ice
Teleport
Wall of Force
Cloudkill
Passwall
Glassee/Glassteel
Enchant an Item
Disintegrate
Power Words
Simulacrum/Clone
and, of course,
Wish

Then all the Jack Vance/Dr Strange tribute 'named' spells
Tenser's Floating Disk
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Melf's Minute Meteors
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere
Mordenkainen's Sword
Drawmij's Instant Summons
Bigby's various Hands
Otto's Irresistible Dance
etc..

 

[Cadence]

I mean, I guess I'm a Grognard, but to me that means what are the classic spells that have defined magic-users from their humble d4 hp/random spells known beginning to their spontaneous-casting heyday.

Sleep
Magic Missile
Shield
Unseen Servant
Hold Portal/Knock
Invisibility
Web
Fools Gold
Pyrotechnics
Magic Mouth
Continual Light
Phantasmal Forces
Fly
Fireball/Lightning Bolt
Haste/Slow
Polymorph Other
Wall of Fire/Ice
Teleport
Wall of Force
Cloudkill
Passwall
Glassee/Glassteel
Enchant an Item
Disintegrate
Power Words
Simulacrum/Clone
and, of course,
Wish

Then all the Jack Vance/Dr Strange tribute 'named' spells
Tenser's Floating Disk
Leomund's Tiny Hut
Melf's Minute Meteors
Mordenkainen's Sword
Drawmij's Instant Summons
Bigby's various Hands
Otto's Irresistible Dance
etc..

I am very happy for the Vance mention. I am very sad that Prismatic Spray and Imprisonment were not on the list

 

[Tony Vargas]

Oh! Darn, I forgot Prismatic Sphere!

(In my day Prismatic Spray was an Illustionist spell, or it might've been on my list)

 

[Storyteller Hero]

Summoning spells deserve a shout out. So many plots revolve around summoning magic in popular literature.