Underrated Spells Part 1
There are so many spells available to primary and secondary spellcasters it can be overwhelming. Everyone with access to fireball will take the spell, while no one in their right mind would ever take skywrite. However, with so many spells in between those two, some spells are overlooked.
Now, I'm not trying to say that everyone doesn't take the spells listed below, or if they find a scroll, they wouldn't write it in their spell book or be so disgusted they will burn the scroll. Even if you have them on your spell list, chances are you won't waste a precious spell slot on them. That said, the focus is on spells that must be added to your radar when you level up.
Take a step back and look at the spells you memorize. Now, think about how often you switch out those spells. We, as players, usually find ourselves pigeonholed, always preparing/casting a majority of the same old spells. Maybe it's because we've drunk the internet Kool-Aid, blindly following what we are told are good spells. Perhaps you love casting fireballs and have it in every spell slot above 2nd level. Whatever the reason, open your minds to the world of possibilities these spells present.
In part one, we'll look at lower-level spells, from cantrips up to 3rd-level. The spells listed here are in the Player's Handbook, Xanathar's Cauldron of Everything, and Tasha's Cauldron of Everything (apparently, Xanathar didn't know everything.) Spells found in other books will not be included, as many DMs will not allow spells from them. There are a lot of spells out there, making it even harder to choose what is good, bad, and under-utilized.
Cantrips
Mind Sliver
Classes - Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level - Cantrip
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - Psychic, see below
Range/Area - 60 ft.
Duration - Instantaneous
Concentration Required - No
Mind sliver is available to sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards. It isn't totally under the radar, but it's never a first or second option for the three primary casters. You'll take it eventually, but it may not make the cut to take up a spell slot. In my opinion, mind sliver deserves a spell slot starting at the first level.
It's potent for a cantrip for several reasons. Mind sliver has a range of 60 feet. Opponents get to make a saving throw, but it's an Intelligence saving throw. Intelligence is the dump stat for many creatures - just like players, making it difficult for many to succeed. It only does 1d6 psychic damage, which isn't as much as other cantrips, but psychic damage is a type of damage that few creatures (102) have resistance to. Remember that over 2,800 monsters can be found on D&D Beyond!
To compensate for the lower damage, a creature affected by the spell must subtract 1d4 from its next saving throw before the end of your next turn. It doesn't scale great, only doing 4d6 at the 17th level, but hey, it's a cantrip, so don't be greedy.
Everything about this spell screams, "Take me," and you should.
Primal Savagery
Classes - Druid
Spell Level - Cantrip
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - Acid
Range/Area -Self
Duration - Instantaneous
Concentration Required - No
Available only to druids, this Xanathar’s spell allows them to practice biting and biting before they can transform into a bear. It’s a melee attack, and you deliver 1d10 of acid damage on a hit. Acid damage is another form of damage that fewer creatures have resistance to (122). It scales ok and, by the 17th level, does 4d10 damage.
Once you can turn yourself into a mighty bear, consider this: Don’t you just hate it when you transform into your original form and find yourself within 5 feet of a not-quite-dead foe? Primal savagery provides an opportunity to land one more bite for the low, low cost of a cantrip.
1st Level
Grease
Classes - Artificer, Wizard
Spell Level - 1st
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - See below
Range/Area - 60 ft./10 ft square
Duration - 1 minute
Concentration Required - No
I’ve talked about the grease spell before, and it’s honestly one of my favorite spells. You’ll need to get out of the ‘spells should do damage’ mindset to fully appreciate the spell. The spell’s ability to control the battlefield is fantastic, considering it only costs a 1st level spell slot.
No damage is involved with the spell, but the area of effect does become difficult terrain, and more importantly, there is the chance for creatures to fall prone. A Dexterity saving throw isn’t as good as forcing a creature to make an Intelligence saving throw, but there are a slew of monsters who have the agility of a drunken housecat.
A ten-foot square is not that big, but grease can be quite effective in smaller areas. Indoors is where the spell shines; doorways, stairs, and dungeon hallways are all great locations to cast this spell. Where you cast the spell plays a big role in how well the spell works. Anyone in the AOE when the spell is cast or who starts or ends their turn in the greasy ground gets to make a Dexterity save to prevent falling on their respective butts. That’s a lot of opportunities to fall, especially for a 1st level spell. Grease doesn’t require concentration. If you’re going full control wizard, you now have the opportunity to cast multiple battlefield control spells during a fight.
2nd level
Enhance Ability
Classes - Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin (Oath of Glory), Sorcerer
Spell Level - 2nd
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - Buff
Range/Area - Touch
Duration - 1 hour
Concentration Required - Yes
There's something for everyone when casting the enhanced ability spell. Think of it as a supercharged guidance spell. When cast on a creature, the caster chooses one of six ability scores, granting them advantage in all checks in that ability. Would it be better if it was all checks and saves?" Of course, but it's only a 2nd level spell, and doing so would make it overpowered. The options are as follows
Bear's Endurance: Advantage on Constitution checks, plus 2d6 temporary hit points
Bull's Strength: Advantage on Strength checks, double carrying capacity
Cat's Grace: Advantage on Dexterity checks, no damage from 20 feet falls
Eagle's Splendor: Advantage on Charisma checks
Fox's Cunning: Advantage on Intelligence checks
Owl's Wisdom: Advantage on Wisdom checks
The biggest drawback to the spell is it requires Concentration. This makes it more of a situational spell, but one obvious option makes it quite effective in battle. The temporary hit points granted by Bear's Endurance are a boon for any front-line melee hero.
When using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you can grant one additional creature for each slot level above 2nd. Based on the wording, when you can cast enhance ability on multiple people, you can choose a different ability for each. The wording is vague, but I think it's correct based on the spell's description. (You touch a creature and bestow upon it a magical enhancement. This leads me to believe that since you touch individuals one at a time, you can bestow a different buff.)
3rd Level
Fear
Classes - Bard, Paladin (Oath of Conquest/ Zeal), Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level - 3rd
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - Frightened
Range/Area - Self (30 ft. cone)
Duration -1 minute
Concentration Required - Yes
A classic spell, fear has fallen off many people's spell selection map. With so many great spells unlocked at 3rd level, it's understandable that people can skip right over it. I'm here to tell you you shouldn't. It's way more powerful than you might think.
First, the effect targets as many people as you can squeeze into a 30-foot cone. That can be a lot of people. Each one will have to make a Wisdom save. A Wisdom save is one of the easier saves creatures can make, but when you're targeting a bunch of monsters, at least a couple will likely fail. It requires Concentration, but if your targets all fail their saving throw, who will be there to attempt to break it?
Once they fail their save, they drop everything and start running away from you at full tilt. If they can't run anywhere. they are stuck, probably cowering on the floor, crying those big snot bubble tears. Ok, maybe not, but they remained frightened. The only way the target(s) can break the spell is to wait a minute, hope the caster breaks their Concentration, or make a Wisdom save when you can't see them. Essentially, you don't have to do anything but be in the creature's line of sight, and they will have a disadvantage on attack and ability check rolls.
Next week, we’ll look at 4th through 6th level spells! Until then, may all your rolls be 20s!
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