Underrated Spells Part 2
Last time, we talked about spells up to the 3rd level, so now it’s time to explore higher-level spells. It gets easier and more complicated in some ways when looking at spells that fly under the radar at higher levels. There are also fewer spells, making it less likely a spell will fall by the wayside. Some, however, are labeled as useless, forgotten, or ignored. These are those spells.
4th Level
Aura of Purity
Classes - Artificer (Battle Smith), Cleric (Peace Domain), Paladin, Paladin (Oath of the Watchers.
Spell Level -4th
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - Buff
Range/Area - Self (30 ft. sphere)
Duration - 10 minutes
Concentration Required - Yes
There's a lot to love about this spell. With so much focus on offensive-minded spells, it's easy to forget that a simple buff spell can be the difference between life and death. Aura of purity affects everyone who isn't looking to kill you within its 30-foot sphere. Even your flying friends gain the benefits of the spell!
It prevents disease outright and grants resistance to poison. The meat of the spell is that it has all your friends rolling with advanatge against effects that cause the blinded, charmed, deafened, frightened, paralyzed, poisoned, and stunned conditions. Many higher-level monsters you'll face have more up their sleeve than just hitting you with their sword. Whether it is being immune to an Aboleth's disease-ridden tentacle or not being enthralled with the Rakshasa who casts charm person on you, you'll want all the help you can get against such effects.
Since the spell moves with the caster, it's a great spell for the paladin to cast on themselves. They can wade into the fray, and all their nearby melee hero friends will rejoice. And with their high Constitution, a paladin has a better than average chance to maintain Concentration. The downside is the paladin will be unable to use any of their smite spells, but sometimes you've got to take one for the team.
5th Level
Danse Macabre
Classes - Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level -5th
Casting Time - 1 Action
Damage/Effect - Control
Range/Area - 60 feet
Duration - 1 hour
Concentration Required - Yes
What if you're tired of compatriots and want new friends? Maybe the rest of the party was killed in battle and can't bear the thought of leaving them behind. Or you may want to test out having undead minions before you become an all-powerful necromancer, commanding legions of undead. Whatever the reason, dance macabre is the spell for you.
With danse macabre, you can turn five corpses into either skeletons or zombies. They are more powerful than your run-of-the-mill lesser undead, as they gain a bonus equal to your spellcasting modifier to both attack and damage rolls. They act as one when you use a bonus action to command them. Your undead minions can do practically anything you tell them to do - stand guard, open a door, carry you on their shoulders as you sit on the golden ornate throne you had built for such an occasion, etc. Let's be honest; you'll use them as meat shields, throwing them in front of you when the BBEG gets too close, and there's nothing wrong with that.
6th Level
Contingency
Classes - Wizard
Spell Level -6th
Casting Time - 10 Action
Damage/Effect - Utility
Range/Area - Self
Duration - 10 days
Concentration Required - No
A wizard who has been pushed off the side of a mountain and is plummeting to certain death must think, "Boy, I wish I had the fly spell prepared right now." With contingency, they could have it ready even if it's not currently prepared.
Contingency is only available to wizards and is limited to spells that can only target you. Because it doesn't blow things up, it's often ignored. That's too bad because it's a fantastic defensive spell for the glass cannon wizard.
When you wake up in the morning, fully rested, and with every spell slot filled, choose a spell of 5th level or lower. You must follow a couple of rules when selecting the spell -it must have a casting time of 1 action and, as mentioned above, can target you. You cast that spell--called the contingent spell--as part of casting contingency, using spell slots for both spells. The contingent spell is then stored away in some magical arcane void (ok, probably not) until a specific set of circumstances of your own choosing arises. Those circumstances most commonly involve something very bad for your health. When the situation occurs, the contingent spell is cast.
This spell's duration of 10 days is what makes it great. Sure, you lose 2 spell slots, but only on the day you cast contingency. Just cast it from the safety of the inn you're staying in. Then, spend the day playing cards, helping orphans, or gathering information on some poor, unsuspecting monster to kill. It probably didn't do anything to you, so who's the bad guy here?
8th Level
Mighty Fortress
Classes - Wizard
Spell Level -8th
Casting Time - 1 Minute
Damage/Effect - Utility
Range/Area - 1 mile
Duration - Instantaneous
Concentration Required - No
Ever dream of having your own castle? With mighty fortress, you, too, can become a homeowner and be the envy of all your friends and family.
This is a throwback spell. In the 1st and 2nd editions, high-level characters often conquered lands, built castles, and commanded armies. They also had to pay someone to build their manor, feed and clothe their army, and hire and pay people to keep their castle in tip-top condition. Some wizard somewhere said, "fuck that," and the mighty fortress spell was born.
The fortress' basic floorplan is the same no matter who casts the spell. Per the spells description, here's what you get for a 8th level spell slot:
The fortress has four turrets with square bases, each one 20 feet on a side and 30 feet tall, with one turret on each corner. The turrets are connected to each other by stone walls that are each 80 feet long, creating an enclosed area. Each wall is 1 foot thick and is composed of panels that are 10 feet wide and 20 feet tall. Each panel is contiguous with two other panels or one other panel and a turret. You can place up to four stone doors in the fortress’s outer wall.
A small keep stands inside the enclosed area. The keep has a square base that is 50 feet on each side, and it has three floors with 10-foot-high ceilings. Each of the floors can be divided into as many rooms as you like, provided each room is at least 5 feet on each side. The floors of the keep are connected by stone staircases, its walls are 6 inches thick, and interior rooms can have stone doors or open archways as you choose.
The walls, turrets, and keep are all made of stone that can be damaged. Each 10-foot-by-10-foot section of stone has AC 15 and 30 hit points per inch of thickness. It is immune to poison and psychic damage. Reducing a section of stone to 0 hit points destroys it and might cause connected sections to buckle and collapse at the DM’s discretion.
That's awesome. But wait, there's more! You can decorate the fortress as you see fit. You can create almost anything - from luscious velvet curtains to giant poster beds to floor-to-ceiling portraits of you in your best wizard robes. It even comes with a fully stocked kitchen, with enough food to feed up to 100 people. We're not talking pizza and chips, but a full nine-course meal every single day.
If owning a castle doesn't appeal to you, think of the spell this way: Casting the mighty fortress is like those tech billionaires who fly into their high school reunion via helicopter to show their childhood bullies how awesome their lives are. For the wizard picked on as a child for being a nerd, the mighty fortress spell can create the ultimate party house, with entrance by invitation only.
Your castle only lasts 7 days before it sinks into the ground. If you find that a homeowner's life is for you, you can cast mighty fortress every week for 52 weeks, and the fortress becomes permanent. Think of it like a 1-year mortgage, with weekly installments of one 8th-level spell slot.
Let me know if you have any under-utilized, under-appreciated, or unjustly ignored spells. Next week, we’ll be back to looking at feats and whether they are worth taking. Until then, may all your rolls be 20s!
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Art Credit - Caroline Gariba (Wizards of the Coast)
