One of my favorites to use although 1st level is thunderwave. One time me and my friend who was playing a wizard who was my characters brother, got grouped up on by native warriors of the land we were in and i used thunder wave which took all of them out.
Thematically it's Knock, all day. I'm not sure why, but I love the idea of the spell busting open doors, chests, and anything else depsite the locks. Maybe I had too many wizards to show up when I started playing.
For damage its hard to get past Magic Missile, a classic that never fails.
Melf's Acid Arrow is a staple, as are Lightning Bolt, Fireball and Maze.
I know i saw a 5e version of Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting somewhere, anyone got a lead on it?
I really like Invisibility, or the Greater version. Whilst it is brilliant in a mechanical sense, there is just something amazing about suddenly disappearing from sight.
While I do like a lot of the "good" spells which everyone uses... your Shield, Counterspell, Fireball... I do have a special place in my heart for the somewhat offbeat spells. Phantasmal Force is a favorite of time. I love a good Evard's Black Tentacles, though its actual efficacy is somewhat questionable at times. Heat Metal, though not a Wizard spell, is a personal favorite of mine. I have come up with one too many entire character builds that revolve around making the best use of Armor of Agathys. I love Contagion. Spike Growth is another fun spell. I feel like some of these are just super interesting to think about, even if they aren't super great. But it gets boring casting just Shield, Counterspell, Fireball over and over.
Wall of Fire. The forbidden spell in my group, it corrupts us and whispers us to unleash the chaos and destruction everywhere we go. And we love cast it in the worst possible escenarios like a forest or in a tavern.
My favorite spell is fabricate. This is by far my favorite spell due to its UNLIMITED possibilities. The text in the phb says
You convert raw materials into products of the same material. For example, you can fabricate a wooden bridge from a clump of trees, a rope from a patch of hemp, and clothes from flax or wool.
Choose raw materials that you can see within range. You can fabricate a Large or smaller object (contained within a 10-foot cube, or eight connected 5-foot cubes), given a sufficient quantity of raw material. If you are working with metal, stone, or another mineral substance, however, the fabricated object can be no larger than Medium (contained within a single 5-foot cube). The quality of objects made by the spell is commensurate with the quality of the raw materials.
Creatures or magic items can't be created or transmuted by this spell. You also can't use it to create items that ordinarily require a high degree of craftsmanship, such as jewelry, weapons, glass, or armor, unless you have proficiency with the type of artisan's tools used to craft such objects.
This has a crazy amount of applications such as building a bridge, fabrication of ink to alter a legal document, sneaking raw materials into a secure facility then fabricating a weapon, ect. . Hell you get the point, BEST SPELL.
Sleep~ Nothing quite like a coup de grace. For those more squeamish you should avoid killing and use sleep and tie them up. Either way Sleep takes more bad guys out of the fight at lower levels.
Invisibility~ Buff your friends without having pesky arrows coming your way is Elegance in battle.
Fireball~ Yeah I can't argue the fun of this
Seldom use 4th level spells use the slots to boost other spells
Ray of Frost is my hands down favorite spell. From temporarily mending something (didn't have Mending at the time and I was like freeze it shut) to hitting a drunk party member in the face to get them sober.
Web is the reliable one. Very strong crowd control early in the game. Great if your party has one or more dedicated ranged damage dealers. Useful to catch those trying to run away. Used it as a safety net once to protect the party from falling boulders. You can use it as a (fragile) wall If somehow you get a ring of free action it becomes even more party friendly. Spider Man is also a fan.
Personal favourite is Phantasmal Force. I love hacking the dumbest bruiser-type's mind and then giving a detailed description of the most metal creature I can think of "restraining" it. Then explain to the party that they can't actually see it, but it's awesome.
Or if I can't think of anything, I bury it in 10 cubic feet of venomous spiders.
Greater invisibility. Attack and stay invisible. Advantage on attacks. Disadvantage on attacks by others if they even have a clue where you are. Stay alive and drop massive damage. You can escape. You can sneak.
Creation is a fun spell to use as an Illusionist and it is fast becoming one of my favorite. Create a small stone ball, roll it on the ground via interact with an object, use an action for malleable Illusions to turn it into medieval stocks that binds a caster. The following round use a concentration spell like Phantasmal Force to counter a brute. Or, you could create a wooden arrow and give it to an ally that uses a longbow or short bow. Ready your action to use malleable illusion to change the arrow into grasping roots that entangle an enemy. Bonus if you cast it at higher levels that increases its size by 5ft. each time.
I've become a huge fan of Wall of Force. Have saved my party from invisible snipers while we were in a building with some windows in it, from an avalanche barreling towards us off the side of a mountain, tossed it over a giant pit of lava to cross easily (rather than use the small beam that we could try to balance across), trap enemies...the list goes on.
Slow ftw. Got tired of using fireball like every other 5th lvl wizard and went looking for an interesting alternative. Found it in the Slow spell. You can drop it anywhere, unlike fireball, and don't have to worry about it hitting your allies (5e version). And just look at the list of what it does: 1. speed is halved
2. -2 penalty to AC
3. -2 penalty to Dexterity saving throws
4. can't use reactions (so no attacks of opportunity)
5. either action or bonus action (not both)
6. regardless of abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn
7. if casting a spell, roll a d20, 11 or higher and the spell takes effect next turn
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Magic Missile is my favorite. It may not do as much damage as other spells, but it always hits and it does force damage which is a definite plus.
I wish Wizards had a 5e version of Tenser's Transformation as that used to be a fun spell in previous editions.
One of my favorites to use although 1st level is thunderwave. One time me and my friend who was playing a wizard who was my characters brother, got grouped up on by native warriors of the land we were in and i used thunder wave which took all of them out.
Thematically it's Knock, all day. I'm not sure why, but I love the idea of the spell busting open doors, chests, and anything else depsite the locks. Maybe I had too many wizards to show up when I started playing.
For damage its hard to get past Magic Missile, a classic that never fails.
Melf's Acid Arrow is a staple, as are Lightning Bolt, Fireball and Maze.
I know i saw a 5e version of Abi-Dalzim's Horrid Wilting somewhere, anyone got a lead on it?
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Wary the wizard who focuses on homebrew, for he can create nightmares that you wouldn't even dream of
I really like Invisibility, or the Greater version. Whilst it is brilliant in a mechanical sense, there is just something amazing about suddenly disappearing from sight.
And all the shenanigans it enables.
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My favorite use of a spell in 5e has been lightning lure.
I've used that thing to rip down flying creatures, knock enemies from scaffolding. And it's a cantrip.
Melf's Minute Meteors.
Nothing would make me feel cooler than to casually have small magic rocks spinning around my head that I can throw at will
"Roll for kink."
My homebrews - Naturalcrit
While I do like a lot of the "good" spells which everyone uses... your Shield, Counterspell, Fireball... I do have a special place in my heart for the somewhat offbeat spells. Phantasmal Force is a favorite of time. I love a good Evard's Black Tentacles, though its actual efficacy is somewhat questionable at times. Heat Metal, though not a Wizard spell, is a personal favorite of mine. I have come up with one too many entire character builds that revolve around making the best use of Armor of Agathys. I love Contagion. Spike Growth is another fun spell. I feel like some of these are just super interesting to think about, even if they aren't super great. But it gets boring casting just Shield, Counterspell, Fireball over and over.
Wall of Fire. The forbidden spell in my group, it corrupts us and whispers us to unleash the chaos and destruction everywhere we go. And we love cast it in the worst possible escenarios like a forest or in a tavern.
D&D Beyond Mobile Alpha Tester
My favorite spell is fabricate. This is by far my favorite spell due to its UNLIMITED possibilities. The text in the phb says
This has a crazy amount of applications such as building a bridge, fabrication of ink to alter a legal document, sneaking raw materials into a secure facility then fabricating a weapon, ect. . Hell you get the point, BEST SPELL.
Sleep~ Nothing quite like a coup de grace. For those more squeamish you should avoid killing and use sleep and tie them up. Either way Sleep takes more bad guys out of the fight at lower levels.
Invisibility~ Buff your friends without having pesky arrows coming your way is Elegance in battle.
Fireball~ Yeah I can't argue the fun of this
Seldom use 4th level spells use the slots to boost other spells
Ray of Frost is my hands down favorite spell. From temporarily mending something (didn't have Mending at the time and I was like freeze it shut) to hitting a drunk party member in the face to get them sober.
Web is the reliable one. Very strong crowd control early in the game. Great if your party has one or more dedicated ranged damage dealers.
Useful to catch those trying to run away.
Used it as a safety net once to protect the party from falling boulders.
You can use it as a (fragile) wall
If somehow you get a ring of free action it becomes even more party friendly.
Spider Man is also a fan.
Personal favourite is Phantasmal Force. I love hacking the dumbest bruiser-type's mind and then giving a detailed description of the most metal creature I can think of "restraining" it. Then explain to the party that they can't actually see it, but it's awesome.
Or if I can't think of anything, I bury it in 10 cubic feet of venomous spiders.
Greater invisibility. Attack and stay invisible. Advantage on attacks. Disadvantage on attacks by others if they even have a clue where you are. Stay alive and drop massive damage. You can escape. You can sneak.
Bone Burst. One of my favorites - great for necro's or dabbling Invokers.
Creation is a fun spell to use as an Illusionist and it is fast becoming one of my favorite. Create a small stone ball, roll it on the ground via interact with an object, use an action for malleable Illusions to turn it into medieval stocks that binds a caster. The following round use a concentration spell like Phantasmal Force to counter a brute. Or, you could create a wooden arrow and give it to an ally that uses a longbow or short bow. Ready your action to use malleable illusion to change the arrow into grasping roots that entangle an enemy. Bonus if you cast it at higher levels that increases its size by 5ft. each time.
I've become a huge fan of Wall of Force. Have saved my party from invisible snipers while we were in a building with some windows in it, from an avalanche barreling towards us off the side of a mountain, tossed it over a giant pit of lava to cross easily (rather than use the small beam that we could try to balance across), trap enemies...the list goes on.
Slow ftw. Got tired of using fireball like every other 5th lvl wizard and went looking for an interesting alternative. Found it in the Slow spell. You can drop it anywhere, unlike fireball, and don't have to worry about it hitting your allies (5e version). And just look at the list of what it does:
1. speed is halved
2. -2 penalty to AC
3. -2 penalty to Dexterity saving throws
4. can't use reactions (so no attacks of opportunity)
5. either action or bonus action (not both)
6. regardless of abilities or magic items, it can't make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn
7. if casting a spell, roll a d20, 11 or higher and the spell takes effect next turn