06-23-2019, 01:22 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
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Least Useful Spells
I saw a category about most useful adventuring spells and it made me think: Which are the spells do you find least useful and why. Then you may get replies of uses for these spells that you never thought of. Let me start this off.
Slow Movement: This spell being a thrown spell means you need to be close to your foe to cast. To put it simply: once you are engaged, slowing your foe is a bit late to be helpful. I find Trip or Sleep much better. Avert: Sounds useful but given the maintenance cost (1 per turn) I'd rather have a summoned wolf. Also, often the first turn does nothing for you since after movement phase. Magic Fist: Damage is too low. Confusion: this is only useful against Wizards, and still the wizard foe can still cast his lower IQ spells or hit you with his staff (since you will be close enough to cast a Thrown spell on him). Instead a Clumsiness spell could help prevent both cast and attacks from hitting, AND it is useful against more than just Wizards. Does anyone use this to prevent disbelieving of their illusion? Dazzle: only really intended for solo wizards. If you are in a group, you just dazzled your friends in addition to the foes. It would have been nice if the wizard could control direction of dazzle or something. So, has anyone found this useful in groups and how? |
06-23-2019, 03:33 AM | #2 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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AVERT. Simply brilliant. The target gets no saving throw and it can affect anything, no matter how big or powerful it might be. Giants? Bah, go away you big lunk. 14 hex-Dragons.? Begone you overgrown snake! A summoned wolf wouldn't help you much there, would it. It's only weakness is against attacks from a distance, but you have reverse missiles for that. MAGIC FIST. Another essential spell. The genius of this spell isn't that it's much good as an actual missile (it isn't) but in this: "...can also trigger traps or carry out other unsubtle manipulations within line of sight.." so it's like a clumsy retainer you can send ahead to check out dodgy areas. And it can do this for 1ST! DAZZLE. A low level Wizard's mass attack spell. The scout reports a chamber ahead full of orcs, too many for the party to take on in a straight fight. The Wizard declares, "stand well back lads, I got this." He approaches the door, throws it open, casting Dazzle as he does so. The party then change in and clean up. The only thing that stops it being absolute kryptonite is the short duration of 3 turns so the players may only get a couple of turns of advantage. My favourite combo was Dazzle Wizard and Blind Warrior. |
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06-23-2019, 04:31 AM | #3 | |
Join Date: May 2019
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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06-23-2019, 04:51 AM | #4 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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I'd like to think that's a joke, but I have a bad feeling you're serious 😂😂 |
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06-23-2019, 05:04 AM | #5 | |
Join Date: May 2019
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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Thank goodness I'm GMing and not playing eh? Last edited by MikMod; 06-23-2019 at 05:08 AM. |
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06-23-2019, 05:38 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Dec 2017
Location: London Uk, but originally from Scotland
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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I've always considered Wizards to be a fair bit rarer than the proportions mentioned in the rules. But even if they are as common as that, why would a Wizard lend you their apprentices to help you farm wishes? Surely they be doing it themselves. So what you say doesn't make sense. Plus I think it may have been a mistake to reduce the IQ of Demons in the new edition, though I understand why it was done. |
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06-23-2019, 06:00 AM | #7 | |
Join Date: Mar 2018
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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06-23-2019, 07:24 AM | #8 | |
Join Date: May 2019
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Re: Least Useful Spells
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I think it's pretty easy to see the party leaving town with a couple of extra beginner wizards/apprentices... |
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06-23-2019, 07:27 AM | #9 |
Join Date: May 2019
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Re: Least Useful Spells
Well, quite. I was really thinking about how practical it would be to farm wishes and it turned out - depending on the GM - pretty easy.
I think in my campaign 'will not suffer magic to be cast upon them' means that magic will not work on demons - it just makes them mad. At least the mind control type stuff (in which I include Avert). |
06-23-2019, 08:15 AM | #10 | ||
Join Date: Jun 2018
Location: Durham, NC
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Re: Least Useful Spells
Awesome post. This is exactly what I hoped to see.
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