Vapourware List of actually useful D&D spells in CRPGs

[Lhynn]

Grease, web and darkness are the really obvious ones that should be of help in pretty much any rpg if properly implemented.

 

[Syme]

I think it would be pretty boring if only the most useful spells are included in a game, you'd just end up having every caster you fight use basically the same spellbook instead of one that better suits their background. I mean there's little reason to ever cast a single target touch range Contagion over a ranged AoE Confusion, but it's still a better fit flavor-wise for a disease-spreader type of mage to use the former.

 

[octavius]

Enlarge
Stinking Cloud

 

[laclongquan]

You are not comparing properly. Contagion is level 5 while Confusion is 4th.

Contagion is wasted because its strongest feature are both selectable effects and 7 day duration. IN games, first option is too complex so no game ever implement it I think. And 7 days is too long for game effect.

Compare to other 5th level spells like Cloudkill, Flame Strike, insect plague, then yeah, instant-wise and combat-wise it's not very effective.

What would make it selectable is quest-wise. If game are to have some quest or NPC get cursed by Contagion, or some text combat where you can select effect for contagion duel, etc...

 

[laclongquan]

Enlarge
Stinking Cloud

I used to love Englarge in NWN2 engine. One female body get enlarge person and you have full screen of flesh~ The Strength effects of disarm is neither here or there. But yeah, I dont think game engine ever implement full feature of enlarge.
Note: NWN2 engine only. If you want IWD setting, use icewind dale module for NWN2 engine. Or Pool radiance remastered module for same engine.

As for Stinking cloud, it's also of great use. Cast it on your summoned undeads like zombie/skeleton and you can use it like zero-friendly fire disabling AoE. Unlike Web or Grease.

 

[Mr. Magniloquent]

I'll second Glitterdust. Spells with dual functions like this are outstanding.

• Evard's Black Tentacles. Not just for hentai, these things deal bludgeoning damage to just about everything and have a high rate of grapple/paralysis. With a good AoE and an Extend metamagic, you can kill even exotic enemies that are normally very difficult.
• Solid Fog. Defense so good it might as well be offense. Stops ranged attacks, all but prevents melee attacks, and allows your spells to fly unfettered.
• Charm/Dominate spells: Often overlooked, these spells are a game changer. You're not merely adding to your side, but subtracting from theirs. Turn their most fearsome threat into your greatest kamikaze.
• Improved Invisibility: Another dual purpose spell. Scouting, escaping, diffusing an attacker's onslaught, and enabling sneak attacks/backstabs.
• Wall of Fire: An unsuspectingly good spell. Low per event damage is actually to your advantage, because it makes it easier for you to prepare for it. Weave your enemies through it and the damage adds up very quickly. Angle the wall to form a straight line down a corridor. Also, double damage to undead is immensely useful to arcane casters who are poorly equipped (especially at lower levels) to deal with undead.
• Confusion: Like dominate, but sometimes better. Completely cripple an enemy party either by making them helpless, ineffectual, or traitorous.
• Wall of Blades: Potent physical damage with an AoE. Yes.

These are some common spells that are typically good no matter what D&D game they are found in. There are many other spells, but these are typically very consistent in quality.

 

[flabbyjack]

 

[Harthwain]

Haste is probably one of the most useful buffs in RTWp games. Not only it's useful in combat it also makes exploration less bothersome.

I will add that with no limited rests (Solasta) or time sensitive quests (Kingmaker) Haste has no real drawbacks in games like IWD or BG (as the spell causes fatigue once it wears out), because you can just rest after that (and reload a save, if the monsters attack you).

Even there people get in ruts and turn manageable fights into fights that suck too much attention and energy trying to master them with outleveled spells under the erroneous "most spells are trash" theory.

Humans are prone to fall into a meta. Limit of spell slots necessitates the selection of spells, meaning a lot of people are going to use spells they consider best/useful/universal most of the time. So more specialized/niche spells are going to fall out naturally. Futhermore, if a game puts huge emphasis on combat then almost all spells - if not all spells - are going to be combat-oriented, even if a game features non-combat spells. Unless a game makes good use of spells' interactivity, but very few do. And people are lazy, so they are not going to think what else they can do, if what they do already is good enough and they won't change their spells often (because they think they are already using the most optimal/useful spells).

 

[Gangrelrumbler]

Haste is probably one of the most useful buffs in RTWp games. Not only it's useful in combat it also makes exploration less bothersome.

I will add that with no limited rests (Solasta) or time sensitive quests (Kingmaker) Haste has no real drawbacks in games like IWD or BG (as the spell causes fatigue once it wears out), because you can just rest after that (and reload a save, if the monsters attack you).

Time limits in Kingmaker aren't the issue when it comes to resting. You get days to get from place to place and 15 days for Kingdom stats update. Wasting 8 hours for rest won't make that much of a difference. And halfway through the game I had so many sources of haste spell I could just run through anything.

 

[True Ukrainian]

Displacement.

 

[laclongquan]

Glitterdust is useful only if games set up much invisible enemies. Otherwise the mass blind effect is... so so. Because it's wisdom check on level2.

Displacement is a good buff from Bard or wizard caster. Mostly Bard because wizards are too busy otherwise (fireball etc...)

 

[Pink Eye]

I didn't see Hold Person being mentioned. So I say Hold Person. The bread and butter for beating Dark Sun. Unlike other games, you can use Hold Person multiple times during your turn in Dark Sun. I used it to stun the infamous Dagolar, preventing him from exploding me into pieces with his spells. As he stood there in awe of the power of Hold Person. Just completely baffled how such a spell can exist. How, he, the most powerful wizard in all of Draj, can be felled by such a spell. My party of gladiators walked up and turned him into minced meat - I bet you he wished he had a cleric in his party!

Spoiler

Got a bandit problem? Just use Hold Person.

Spoiler

Clerics are pretty good in Dark Sun. Then again. They're always good no matter which game they're featured in. Second only to the monk class!

 

[octavius]

Got a Dragon problem? Just use the lvl 2 Stinking Cloud with no casting time.
Most powerful AD&D spell relative to level, I think.

 

[Thac0]

I like the idea of making general "always good" lists. I would sort them into damage, buffs, control.

Damage:
Magic Missile
Chromatic Orb
Scorching Ray
Fireball
Cone of Cold
Chain Lightning
Disintegrate

Buffs:
Bless
Mirror Image
Enlarge
Haste
(Communal) Protection from Good and Evil
(Communal) Delay Poison
(Communal) Absorb Elements
Greater Invisibility
Stoneskin

Control:
Grease
Sleep
Entangle
Hold Person
Glitterdust
Web
Stinking Cloud
Insect Swarm
Confusion
Saving throw lowering spells like Malison
Petrify or Finger of Death

Also all summons are usually good to very good.

This is mostly just a resorting of already mentioned spells.
As even hipster rpgs lile Pillars use these spells, knowing and recognising them is a huge part of what makes crpgs easier for veterans.

 

[Desiderius]

Haste is probably one of the most useful buffs in RTWp games. Not only it's useful in combat it also makes exploration less bothersome.

I will add that with no limited rests (Solasta) or time sensitive quests (Kingmaker) Haste has no real drawbacks in games like IWD or BG (as the spell causes fatigue once it wears out), because you can just rest after that (and reload a save, if the monsters attack you).

Even there people get in ruts and turn manageable fights into fights that suck too much attention and energy trying to master them with outleveled spells under the erroneous "most spells are trash" theory.

Humans are prone to fall into a meta. Limit of spell slots necessitates the selection of spells, meaning a lot of people are going to use spells they consider best/useful/universal most of the time. So more specialized/niche spells are going to fall out naturally. Futhermore, if a game puts huge emphasis on combat then almost all spells - if not all spells - are going to be combat-oriented, even if a game features non-combat spells. Unless a game makes good use of spells' interactivity, but very few do. And people are lazy, so they are not going to think what else they can do, if what they do already is good enough and they won't change their spells often (because they think they are already using the most optimal/useful spells).

But they’re wrong. Gitting less wrong (i.e. gud) is fun.

 

[rusty_shackleford]

and reload a save,

quit cheating

 

[Cael]

I find that most of the spells included in D&D CRPGs are bloat. Especially with the way spell memorization works and the lack of in-game information about enemies in areas you visit once.

There's a bit of an expectation at this point that Grease and Web are useful. But is a buff that gives +1 damage really worth adding? Does it serve a point outside of a minor character-building skill-test?

Interested in other's thoughts on which spells are actually useful in a D&D CRPG, given the constraints of the genre.

+1 to-hit is useful right at the beginning when missing is the order of the day.

 

[Desiderius]

There is no such thing as “always good.” If there is that’s poor design.

Good Hope is the exception that proves the rule, but even there there is a trade off in availability and you might not want it if your group is more focused on beating Saves than attacking.

That Dark Sun interface! It’s hardly even there - how is that even possible!?! So revolutionary.

 

[Cael]

There're no bad spells, only bad implementation and bad users.

Say, Command spell.

In game like IWD/BG series we mostly dont do Command because the games are designed so that commands dont work well. But a Wisdom-check command is doable in low level fights it work well against dumbass (but high HP). Make them grovel/fall prone and another melee ally can do coup de grace to finish it off~

Or Goodberry, another unused spell. IT's unused because games are mostly skipping over the campsite action and food requirement for rest: IWD/BG games has free rest (money to pay for the beds at inn are nothing). So gamers can only use it to heal, which is measly and not as initially designed.

What are you on about?

Command is the most broken 1st level spell in BG/IWD. One failed save and the guy is unconscious for a round. That is enough for your melee fighters to get to him and turn the enemy into shish-kebab. It is the sole reason I am able to take out the giant spiders in that hut in Beregost at level 1 without a scratch/poisoned (which at level 1 = death).

Goodberry in IWD2 is a spell I use all the time. 4d4 healing is better than 1d8 any way you cut it.

 

[Jvegi]

But is a buff that gives +1 damage really worth adding?

At low levels, yes, obviously. And +1 to rolls is always useful. In difficult games, that is. Select all+click gameplay doesn't require any spells.

Web and Fireball aren't that amazing. In situations where every round is essential, there are usually much better or necessary uses of your precious action. Holy Word for example.

 

[laclongquan]

In my recent IWD2 I dont use Druid so yeah, forget about it.

In BG series it's a strict +1*5 = 5 flat HP.

 

[laclongquan]

But is a buff that gives +1 damage really worth adding?

At low levels, yes, obviously. And +1 to rolls is always useful. In difficult games, that is. Select all+click gameplay doesn't require any spells.

Web and Fireball aren't that amazing. In situations where every round is essential, there are usually much better or necessary uses of your precious action. Holy Word for example.

Depend on WHEN you go about it. In a solo-boss fight they are not that useful but if there's a bunch of minions it's necessary to stop them in a pack and AoE them.

 

[Ysaye]

Spells I always go for in Computer D&D games:

Level 1

• Identify - because most games have unidentified stuff / cover the role of the Bard.
• Magic Missile - little bit of scaling but also useful for interrupting and or killing of low level goons
• Sleep - good for crowd control at early and latter stages

Level 2

• Knock - so I can open locks and cover part of the role of the thief
• Invisibility - so I can scout out (and part cover the role of a thief / ranger) and make plans
• Melf's Acid Arrow or Agnazzar's scorcher - for getting rid of trolls and stuff that won't die without fire.

Level 3

• Dispel - Take care of stuff other mages do.
• Fireball - Not always useful in computer games (great in Ravenloft and Menzoberrazan and Gold Box, not so good in Baldurs Gate but still useful at times), also to take out stuff that only dies with fire.

Level 4

• Greater / Improved Invisibility - even better than original invisibility in Baldur's Gate types.

Level 5

• Stoneskin - good protection spell in the Baldurs Gate / IWD series
• Cloudkill - AoE choice spell at this point.

 

[Hobo Elf]

Or Goodberry, another unused spell. IT's unused because games are mostly skipping over the campsite action and food requirement for rest: IWD/BG games has free rest (money to pay for the beds at inn are nothing). So gamers can only use it to heal, which is measly and not as initially designed.

Really useful in Solasta, tho. That game has camping and food consumption as a mechanic.

 

[Calthaer]

It kind of depends. If the game is throwing a few powerful / high-Dex monsters at you, Web and Entangle might not do much. In Icewind Dale / 2, though, they often throw hordes of chumps at you and you can really go to town with these spells and throttle the volume of hacking and slashing you have to do.

Of course, the real reason to make your foes stand still with web / entangle is so that you can give your mage enough time to get off a Fireball, so...

Honorable mention to Silence for dealing with enemy spellcasters.