| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
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| #1FrogReaverFeb 20, 2015 22:05:30 | My list
1. Bless 2. Shield 3. Sleep 4. Hex / Hunters Mark 5. Burning Hands 6. Thunderwave 7. Armor of Agathys 8. Protection from Evil and Good 9. Heroism 10. Divine Favor
Notable spells: charm person, animal friendship, disguise self, faerie fire
Current Community List (# of votes in parenthesis)
1. bless(7) 2. sleep(6) 3. shield(5) 4. hex(5) 5. healing word (5) 6. command (4) 7. Goodberry (3) 8. Detect magic (3) 9. faerie fire (3ish) (A bunch of spells have 2 votes now) |
| #2ValraukarFeb 21, 2015 5:34:07 |
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| #3YunruFeb 21, 2015 6:08:42 | I fail to see why Burning Hands is so great. Especially when all it has to offer is damage (in which case why not Magic Missile?). |
| (Reply to #3)FrogReaver |
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| #5jaappletonFeb 21, 2015 8:38:43 | 1. Shield 2. Hex 3. Faerie Fire 4. Command 5. Bless 6. Detect Magic
The best thing about these six is that they're useful... Forever, really. Does Shield's effectiveness ever really drop off? Hex's damage only being 1d6 may not seem like much at higher levels, but that's where it's secondary effect comes in to play. Advantage with Faerie Fire is always good, etc.
Off the top of my head, I couldn't come up with 4 more that are great no matter what. If I looked hard I suppose I could find a few more but I don't have my PHB with me. |
| (Reply to #4)1eejit |
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| (Reply to #6)jaappleton |
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| #8ValraukarFeb 21, 2015 10:21:20 | At low levels, I think in almost any scenario for casting burning hands I'd rather cast sleep, except of course vs immunes. Just my preference.
And to add on to that list of spells that remain useful: I think healing word always has some use as a combat heal, especially to up a downed ally, and Mage armor is almost a spell tax for certain casters.
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| #9jaappletonFeb 21, 2015 10:24:48 | Healing Word to pick someone up... That's a bonus action, right? If so, agreed.
Mage Armor... Sorta agreed. I haven't had an opportunity to really dive into the magic items in the DMG, I don't know if there's any sort of "Here's robes/a ring/bracer/etc, but it boosts AC!" items. If they don't exist, then yeah, Mage Armor is on the list as well for certain casters. Some Warlocks and Sorcs notwithstanding, of course. |
| #10Archon007Feb 21, 2015 11:08:29 | 1. Sleep 2. Magic Missle (how is this not on the list - auto hit) 3. Bless 4. Burning Hands 5. Healing Word |
| #11FrogReaverFeb 21, 2015 11:25:27 | So far the most useful level 1 spells ranked in order of mention
1. bless (4) 2. sleep (3) 3. shield (3) 4. hex (3) 5. healing word (3) 6. burning hands (2) 7. command (2) 8. deteict magic (2) 9. faerie fire (2ish) 10. mage armor (2ish) |
| #12ClutchboneFeb 21, 2015 15:47:20 | 1. Bless - solid bonuses. 2. Goodberry - perfect HP top-up spell, no overheal wastage. 3. Healing word - bonus action to pick up your dying meatshield. 4. Sleep - autowin encounters lvl 1-3. 5. Shield - reaction to not die. 6. Magic Missile - auto hit and scales well. 7. Hex - cripple their initiative and do more damage. 8. Faire fire - advantage for everyone! 9. Command - make them flee and trigger OAs. 10. Silent Image - use your imagination.
Edited for formatting. |
| #13ShinQuickManFeb 21, 2015 14:15:57 | 1. Bless 2. Goodberry 3. Shield 4. Find Familiar 5. Tasha's Hideous Laughter 6. Healing Word 7. Hex/Hunter's Mark 8. Dissonant Whispers 9. Entangle 10. Sleep |
| #14Archon007Feb 21, 2015 14:59:22 | Goodberry at #2? A first level spell that grants 10 hit points is your number 2 best spell? |
| (Reply to #14)FrogReaver |
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| #16BRJNFeb 21, 2015 15:55:02 | in no particular order: - Command. If the goal is not "take away all enemies' HP", you can get a long step there with a well-chosen word. - Bless. Several pseudo-Strikers who won't miss, makes fights go faster. - Sleep. Wipe out minions or KO a bloodied Solo. I'm playing an elf, so I can tell the Wizard to aim this one at me! - Mending. Oops we accidentally broke the object we were supposed to retrieve... - Unseen Servant. Go over there (behind the guards) and do some work for me... - Animal Friendship. With a lenient DM, take one major foe out of a fight (while the Wolf Guard and the Druid rub each others' tummies).. - Paladin Smites. Enemies go down that much quicker when you roll an extra die of damage; status effects can be exploited. - Alarm. Cast as a ritual on your campsite before going to sleep; prevent nasty surprises.
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| (Reply to #11)FrogReaver |
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| (Reply to #15)Clutchbone |
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| (Reply to #18)FrogReaver |
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| #20FarBeyondCFeb 21, 2015 16:37:56 |
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| (Reply to #16)jaappleton |
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| (Reply to #19)Clutchbone |
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| #23ImaculataFeb 21, 2015 17:30:51 | I think I would always place Detect Magic at number one. That is like roleplaying spell number one. I can't even count how often Detect Magic comes up during literally every session.
Sleep starts out powerful, but quickly becomes useless against creatures with higher saves.
Shield always remains useful. A good second. |
| (Reply to #17)FrogReaver |
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| #25ShinQuickManFeb 21, 2015 18:21:36 |
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| #26guachiFeb 21, 2015 20:38:16 | Find Familiar Shield Bless Goodberry Faerie Fire Hex/Hunter's Mark Fog Cloud Detect Magic Tenser's Floating Disc Mage Armor
Three (Find Familiar, Detect Magic, Tenser's Floating Disc) are on there because they are rituals and that greatly boosts the utility of a spell that doesn't actually cost a spell slot.
Two, Bless and Faerie Fire, boost the ability to hit and that's always useful. Shield and Mage armor do the opposite and make you harder to hit. Goodberry is insane amounts of (free) healing if you cast piles of them the night before. Hex/Hunter's Mark are solid damage on every hit so the more attacks you get... Fog Cloud is heavy cover no matter where you are and its radius is quite large if cast at higher levels. |
| #27Archon007Feb 21, 2015 21:35:01 |
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| #28Archon007Feb 21, 2015 21:27:02 |
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| (Reply to #28)Clutchbone |
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| #30UnknownMournerFeb 21, 2015 22:33:35 | Burning Hands also has great utility.
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| #31Archon007Feb 21, 2015 22:35:59 |
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| (Reply to #20)ZHDarkstar |
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| (Reply to #30)Yunru |
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| #34YunruFeb 22, 2015 0:58:54 | 1) Bless 2) Shield 3) Magic Missile 4) Hex 5) Faerie Fire 6) Healing Word 7) Goodberry 8) Detect Magic 9) Find Familiar 10) Hunters Mark |
| #35slumgumFeb 22, 2015 2:46:44 | 1) Faerie Fire 2) Bless 3) Charm Person 4) Diguise Self 5) Fog Cloud 6) Tasha's Hideous Laughter 7) Feather Fall 8) Grease 9) Magic Missile 10) Cure Wounds
I based this list primarily on the qualification that the spell should be useful when cast in a first level spell slot forever. It's helpful to have first level spells you can effectively cast in first level spell slots or else those spots are wasted (This doesn't apply to every caster as warlocks and to a lesser degree sorcerers can skirt the issue). Faerie Fire, Bless, Charm Person, and Disguise sell all give you advantage (or plus to you rolls) in combat or social situations - these are effective regardless of the caster's level.
Fog Cloud is a decent escape spell, ambush spell, or whatever creative use you have it. Tasha's Hideos Laughter can take an NPC out of the fight using a first level spell slot. Even Hold Person is 2nd level!
Feather Fall has a narrow application, but what other spells can save you when you're unexpectedly falling to your death?
Grease is self explanatory.
Magic Missile and Cure Wounds will eventually be less useful in first level spell slots, but they're both included since they're essentially the baseline spells for doing their jobs (Damage and Healing). Magic Missile is extremely reliable. |
| #36YunruFeb 22, 2015 2:50:23 | Hex and Hunter's Mark are far more viable than Magic Missile in a 1st lvl slot. Cure Wounds is only still good because any healing revives a downed ally. |
| #37slumgumFeb 22, 2015 3:20:21 | Yes, I am saying Magic Missile and Cure Wounds break with that criteria I mostly based the list on. Magic Missile is the most reliable way to deal damage in the game - it's not better or worse than Hex, it's used in different scenarios. Some people boil everything down to damage per round... but that is just not a way I enjoy playing D&D. There are smarter tactics than always playing for damage per round. |
| #38ImaculataFeb 22, 2015 4:09:16 | There's a difference between pointing out the advantages of fire in general, and the specific use of Burning Hands. Lighting a fire, or burning evidence, is not an advantage of Burning Hands. You have to look at what the spell itself does. The range and the damage. The damage is pathetic, and doesn't scale at higher levels. And the range requires a soft caster with low AC, to be close to his opponents. Something that a spellcaster generally does not want to do. It's a pretty poor spell in nearly all editions. Oh, and the target also gets a save for half damage. The only advantages I can think of, is that it has the potential to set someone on fire. Something not nearly enough DM's make use of. And that it is a cone, so if multiple enemies are close together, you could light them all on fire. But the cone thing is kind of helt back by the fact that you need to get close.
Magic Missile is a lot better. It generally does more damage at higher levels, there's no save, and it always hits. It has a longer range at higher levels, and deals force damage (so elemental resistance does not offer protection against it). The only real disadvantage is that there are specific shielding spells against Magic Missile, and that the maximum amount of missiles is hard capped at level 9 or higher. |
| #39melloredFeb 22, 2015 18:25:34 | thiis this the best at level 1, or the best across all levels. |
| #40YunruFeb 23, 2015 2:23:41 | It was level 1 spells cast as level 1 spells iirc, but appears to have since been ret-gone. |
| #41melloredFeb 23, 2015 5:41:11 |
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| #42melloredFeb 23, 2015 5:51:02 |
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| #43QwertyAzertyFeb 23, 2015 6:58:48 | 1: Hex: all Charisma based class dip 2 level in warlock for a eldritch blast/Hex combo. Then give them disvantage on Strenght Check, so they become very easy to grapple (oppose Athletic check=Strenght check). ANd the 1d6 scale (when Eldritch Blast do 2 blast, you do an extra 2 1d6, 3 blast = 3 1d6, 4 blast = 4 1d6, add on your reaction blasts as well, add on your quicken eldritch blast as well (for a total at level 17 or a possible 12d6 per round for the entire day (if you keep your concentration all day long) 2: Shield: +5AC on a reaction once you know the enemy would hit you is ALWAYS usefull no matter your level 3: Bless: +1d4 to hit to up to 3 target, if your party got 3 character using attack roll to deal damage then your in business. 4: Goodberries/Healing Word: give one to each party member, to bring back fallen allies in combat. healing word is a bonus action with a range, but need to be casted by the caster himself (so if he fall he cannot cast it on himself) Goodberrie, can be used as potion, by anyone, so no matter who fall in combat, the rogue can reach you and squeeze the juice down your throat to bring you back in combat. Specially at higher level, monster can dish out so many HP, that their is no difference between 1 HP, 1d4+X and 1d6+X, they will all be brought down to 0 with a single hit. 5: Find Familiar: for 10gp and 1 short rest, you gain a second perception check, a scout difficult to detect (who would suspect the rat in the cave to be a spy? an extended touch spell (an owl fly by attack make it extremely easy to use shocking grasp or vampiric touch and FREE Help action giving you advantage on one attack per round, finally if the monster use his attack to kill it, oh well costed you 10gp to save one attack from the party member 6: Faerie fire: Advantage on eeveryone, espascially that big suit of armor who got 0 Dex. 7: Detect Magic: you know that magical wand hidden under the mucky water, I was able to see it no problem without riskig to dive in. 8: Feather Fall: alway great when you are about to fall and don't have time to cast fly. 9: Mage Armor: it might be a spell taxe for most, but adding +1AC to the light armor character (compare to a regular studded leather who is only 12+dex) a +3AC to character without armor, and stackable with other item like Staff of defense, ring of protection, bracer of defense, shield. for 8 hours without concentration, who can say NO to this? 10: Magic Missile: yes might be only damage, but force damage (very few resistance/immune creature) automatic damage (so that suit of armor with shield hidden beind a 3/4 cover table who got a total of 25 AC... still receive damage . and even at level 1 doing only 3 darts doing 1d4+1 each (+Int for a evocation wizard level 10) is still usefull at higher level, to kill the monster running away with 1-3 HP (already killed a dragon that way lol)
Honorable mention to pretty much EVERYTHING else mention by other except Thunderwave????. Everytime we used it, it warned everyone within 300ft radius that you are here to kick some a$$. whenever a spell caster cast it I warn the party that within the next 5 rounds the entire dungeon will be in this room so we have to run away NOW. the few time they didn't listen it as been a TPK. So unless you are in the middle of a 300ft empty desert/room/dungeon, I don't see how it's usefull. it's not even lightning damage for a lightning sorcerer (the only "thunder" specialist is the Tempest Cleric) |
| #44NoctaemFeb 23, 2015 7:22:06 | I find it very odd that some people are posting Goodberry as a spell and explain that it's because it's awesome when combined with a cleric feature... I think we should really make sure that we don't put up spells that require additional features, feats, etc.. to make it to the top spell list at level 1. |
| #45melloredFeb 23, 2015 7:29:40 | Goodberry is pretty strong at level 1 without life cleric too. More HP then cure wounds, with no chance of wasting it. Plus food. |
| (Reply to #44)QwertyAzerty |
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| #47NoctaemFeb 23, 2015 7:36:41 |
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| #48YunruFeb 23, 2015 8:00:15 | Maybe I was misreading/remembering. I took it to be spells cast with level slots, as apposed to spells cast by a level 1 character. So their effectiveness as a level 1 spell over the course of all 20 levels. |
| #49NoctaemFeb 23, 2015 8:17:51 |
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| #50melloredFeb 23, 2015 8:20:52 |
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| #51melloredFeb 23, 2015 8:26:30 |
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| #52NoctaemFeb 23, 2015 9:18:48 |
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| (Reply to #40)FrogReaver |
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| (Reply to #48)FrogReaver |
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| #55melloredFeb 23, 2015 10:05:10 |
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| (Reply to #44)FrogReaver |
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| #57NoctaemFeb 23, 2015 12:59:36 |
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| #58ClutchboneFeb 23, 2015 13:17:13 |
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| (Reply to #57)FrogReaver | Yes that is my preference. It doesn't mean everyone must abide by it.
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| #60ZHDarkstarFeb 23, 2015 14:18:01 | Any 1st level variant human can grab Goodberry (or any other 1st level spell) via Magic Initiate, so its usefulness with another class' 1st level features can be noted. That said, it shouldn't be the only thing that decides a spell's place due to expected table variance on certain ambiguous rule interactions. Fortunately for Goodberry, it's still a damn fine utility spell for a 1st level character of any class. Any variant humans who want to take Healer at 1st level might as well take Magic Initiate to grab Goodberry instead. It has a one-time upfront cost of a spell component pouch vs having to restock healing kits. The two Druid cantrips are just icing on the cake, as even builds without high Wisdom scores can benefit from them. Guidance and Mending work wonders with an Assassin who retrieves and repairs all of his arrows and bolts to leave no trace of his work. |
| #61feartheminotaurFeb 23, 2015 14:31:07 | Not in order:
Hex Shield Bless Find Familiar Command Sleep Dissonant Whispers Goodberry Magic Missile Armor of Agathys
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| #62BRJNFeb 23, 2015 18:21:07 |
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