c-tier spells

Spell-by-spell: Conjure Animals

(All links take you to DnD Beyond unless otherwise noted.)

Overview

“You conjure nature spirits that appear as a Large pack of spectral, intangible animals in an unoccupied space you can see within range. The pack lasts for the duration, and you choose the spirits’ animal form, such as wolves, serpents, or birds.

“You have Advantage on Strength saving throws while you’re within 5 feet of the pack, and when you move on your turn, you can also move the pack up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

“Whenever the pack moves within 10 feet of a creature you can see and whenever a creature you can see enters a space within 10 feet of the pack or ends its turn there, you can force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 Slashing damage. A creature makes this save only once per turn.

“Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above 3.” (Dnd Beyond Link)

First things first, the spell doesn’t actually conjure animals. It conjures nature spirits. Actually no, it doesn’t even do that. It basically summons a 30’ wide rolling ball of immaterial but deadly whirling blades. 

At a glance, the spell has no benefit outside of combat, but it has a duration of ten minutes, so I guess you could park it in a doorway while you searched a room. 

Damage-wise, the spell can be brutal because it can let you damage enemies twice with the same attack and doesn’t dip into your action economy to move around. Against mooks and minions it can quickly clear a fight, and even against boss-level foes, it does enough round-to-round damage to wear them down or keep them at bay. 

Conjure animals in past editions

In AD&D, good ol’ beautifully-named Animal Summoning I let you summon up to eight normal or giant animals, but you had to guess what type was available in your area (you did get three guesses, though). The animals would aid the caster in whatever way they could, sticking around for a fight or until the caster was safe, the mission accomplished, they were dead or dismissed.

In 2nd edition, conjure animals was a 6th-level priest or wizard spell that summoned up to twice your level in hit dice worth of mammals (and only mammals. Dolphins, fine, but no emus.) If you wanted to specify the animal mammal summoned, you only got half as much HD. The animals fur-babies stuck around for twice your level in rounds, so they were clearly in it to win it. The conjured animals only wanted to fight, and if you asked them to do anything else, they might turn against you. They disappeared when slain like enemies in a side-scroller from the 90s. 

3rd edition summoned 1-8 fey spirits that took the shape of animals. This had some weird corner-case interactions with the rules (protection from evil and good would protect you from the summoned spirits for example), but otherwise didn’t really matter. Because they stuck around for an hour, you could the spirits for all sorts of things: scouting, guarding, hunting, fighting, travel, or spying.

In 4th edition, Summon Beasts is the closest I could find. You called forth a number of animals suitable to the area equal to your Charisma modifier. They were your minions until they were hit, at which point they would run away. This is just pure awesome-sauce—actual animals, acting like animals. 

5.0 went back to spirits, but at least it still conjured something animal-ish. 

How good is conjure animals?

There are lots of good 3rd-level spells (maybe the sweet spot for spells in the game). But conjure animals is clearly one of the better damage spells at that level for rangers and druids, if not the best. From a game design point of view, it feels overpowered, overly combat-focused, and the gains on action economy are lost by the sheer volume of saving throws. And it doesn’t do what it says it does. Definitely a C-tier effort by the design team. 

House rules and other thoughts

I think DnD Beyond commenter Pyrobolser hit the nail on the head with this comment from September 4th of last year.

“That’s just a flaming sphere with fangs and claws.

“I know that some DM complained about invocation spells being a hassle to run in combat, but at least they were thematically correct.
“Sure, it will slow down the battle, but seeing the druid in my group having fun choosing what animals she’s going to bring to the battle was well worth the time.

“I feel there was a lot of solution to remake this spell without completely removing it’s original purpose and aesthetics. Reduce the number of summons to a max of 4, give a list of summons to pick from in the spell description, or even give a generic stat bloc for a “summoned beast”.

“Just anything but this generic “dex save or damage” spell.”

How do we fix this and not over-complicate DnD’s already brutal action economy?

  • Get back to animals.
  • Get back to animals appropriate to their environment (or brought along with the caster).
  • Give the spell utility outside of combat.
  • Require changing the animals’ target or action require a bonus action.
  • Leverage the rules for mobs from the DMG.

Conjure Animals (Far Reach revision)

3rd-level conjuration (Druids, Rangers)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120’
Components: V, S 
Duration: Concentration (up to one hour)
Attack/Save: Special (see below)

You point at an area within range and make a bestial cry. A number of natural beasts, giant beasts, or swarms native to the terrain emerge from the area and move their speed toward you. If there are animals visible in the area, such as a herd of elk, or a flock of birds, the animals will come from these groups first, even bursting their fetters or disregarding their riders to join you (if feasible). The number of animals that heed the summons is equal to your proficiency bonus in HD and don’t have to be the same species. The summoned animals get their own intiative roll and will follow your spoken commands to the best of their ability (they are still animals after all), but they will flee if hit or damaged, pausing only to attack any creatures that attempt to hinder them. Giving the animals a new command or having them attack a different target takes a bonus action. If a creature that you summoned is killed, you take psychic damage equal to its hit dice. When the spell ends, the animals slink back from whence they came. 

GM Tip. Use the Mobs rules in the DMG to handle large groups of summoned beasts.

Casting against mounts. You can cast this against beasts that are being used as mounts. In this case, the mounts get a Wisdom saving throw against your spell DC. If they fail, they have the Charmed condition for the duration of the spell and attempt to come to you and obey your commands. As an action, a rider can attempt a Wisdom (Animal Handling) check against your spell save DC to free the mount from your influence.

At higher-levels. For each spell-slot above three, the spell summons an additonal level-equivalent HD of monsters equal. A 9th-level caster using a 5th-level spell slot to cast the spell could summon 12 HD worth of beasts. A 20th-level cast using a 9th-level spell slot could summmon 

Addendum: Monster Manual beasts by terrain and HD

Note: I left off the dinosaurs (a little too J-Park for my usual fantasy tastes), and Blood Hawks (clearly a monstrosity). If you feel strongly otherwise, by all means include them at your table.

Arctic

Coastal

Desert

Forest

Grassland

Hill

Mountain

Swamp

Underdark

Underwater

Urban

About Spell-by-Spell

Spell-by-spell is a series of articles where we discuss the spells in Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e. We start with the spell as-written, and we’ll provide our take on how “good” the spell is (S-Tier to F-Tier), and thoughts for using the spell as a player or DM. We offer up suggestions for adding color or flavor to the spell, out-of-the-box ideas for non-combat applications, and occasionally stories from the game-table. We might look the history of a spell and the different versions across editions or even different games.  Finally, we weigh in on how well the spell does what it says it does; how well it plays in-game (does it slow the game down, does it steal the thunder of other classes, is it fun); whether it should be banned, nerfed, or boosted; and revisions we’d like to see in theoretical future editions or that we plan to make (or have made) in our own D&D games.

Spell-by-Spell Tier Rankings:

F-Tier: Spells that are so bad, they shouldn’t be in the game. This includes useless and trap spells, as well as always-spam spells that seem to have been created to cause friction between players and GMs.

S-Tier: Spells that are so cool or so useful that you want to be able to cast them as many times as possible.

A-Tier: Spells that you always want to have in your spellbook or spell list. There may be situations where you would choose to not memorize or prepare them, but those cases are rare.

B-Tier: Good, solid spells. Spells you are often happy you have in your spellbook or spell list, but maybe don’t memorize or prepare every day.

C-Tier: Spells that are only situationally useful, that do too little damage, or that have some other strange or confusing unexpected flaw. Also poorly-named spells that don’t do what you would think they do.

D-Tier: Spells that are poorly designed, overshadow the schtick of other classes, or interact with other effects or abilities in ways detrimental to the player or game.

Spell-by-spell: Wall of Fire

(All links take you to DnD Beyond unless otherwise noted.)

Overview

“You create a wall of fire on a solid surface within range. You can make the wall up to 60 feet long, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick, or a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick. The wall is opaque and lasts for the duration.

“When the wall appears, each creature in its area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 5d8 Fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

“One side of the wall, selected by you when you cast this spell, deals 5d8 Fire damage to each creature that ends its turn within 10 feet of that side or inside the wall. A creature takes the same damage when it enters the wall for the first time on a turn or ends its turn there. The other side of the wall deals no damage.

“Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 4.”(Dnd Beyond Link)

Our sorceror loves wall of fire. It’s so flexible. It can be used for offense or defense. It blocks line-of-sight. And while they’re figuring out exactly how to place it for maximum effect, the rest of us have twenty minutes to stretch, grab a beverage, or catch up on sleep.

5d8 damage to everything in a 60’ line is fine damage for a 4th-level spell—maybe too much damage if we ever want to see anything leap through the flames. The whole “only one side of the wall does damage” thing is just fiddly and overly-complicated. And like way too many spells, the list of casters is long: druids, sorcerers, wizards, light clerics and forge clerics, and warlocks of both heavenly and diabolical patrons.  

Wall of fire in past editions

In OD&D, the wall did 1d6 damage to any passing through (2d6 damage to undead), and creatures under 4HD couldn’t cross it at all. In AD&D, wall of fire was a druid spell. It could be a wall or a ring, and it did 4d4 damage (+1 point/level) to any creature touching it. AD&D started the damage from the heat radiating off the wall. Idisosyncratically, the spell decription specified that the flames were amber in color. In second edition, the flames became violet or reddish-blue (aka purple?) if you were a wizard, but yellow-green or amber for priests. The heat only radiated from one side, and depending on your level, the wall could be huge (20 20’ squares at 20th level). 

In 3rd edition, they settled back on violet for all walls. The wall could be made permanent with our old friend permanency. In 4th edition, the wall only granted partial concealment. 

How good is wall of fire?

The spell is fine, but every time it gets cast, I sigh. It takes the caster forever to place it exactly just so, and we always forget which side of the fire is the hot side and who needs to flee the heat. As written, it’s a C-tier spell.

House rules and other thoughts

Reddish-blue Purple fire is cool. Walls of fire are cool. We want people jumping through them because it’s dramatic. I’m not sure why they can’t be floating in air, and you should have a means as a player to create a permanent one. Concentration spells don’t need additional time limits.

Wall of Fire (Far Reach revision)

4th-level evocation (Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30’
Components: V,S,M (a small piece of phosphorous)
Duration: Concentration
Attack/Save: Dex Save
Damage/Effect: Fire

An immobile, blazing curtain of shimmering purple fire springs into existence 30’ before you. The wall is 60’ long and 20’ high. Any creature caught in the wall when it appears or ending its turn in contact with the wall takes 4d8 points of damage (Dex save for half). Creatures on the opposite side of the wall are lightly obscured.

The spell can also be cast to create a ring of fire around you. The ring is centered on you and has a diameter of 20’. Either way, the wall is 20’ high.

A wall of fire can be made permanent by casting the spell in the same location every day for a year. 

At higher levels: Each spell slot above level 4 adds 30’ (10’ diameter) to the length of the wall. Casting wall of fire using an 8th-level spell slot would result in a wall 180’ long or a ring with a diameter of 60’.

About Spell-by-Spell

Spell-by-spell is a series of articles where we discuss the spells in Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e. We start with the spell as-written, and we’ll provide our take on how “good” the spell is (S-Tier to F-Tier), and thoughts for using the spell as a player or DM. We offer up suggestions for adding color or flavor to the spell, out-of-the-box ideas for non-combat applications, and occasionally stories from the game-table. We might look the history of a spell and the different versions across editions or even different games.  Finally, we weigh in on how well the spell does what it says it does; how well it plays in-game (does it slow the game down, does it steal the thunder of other classes, is it fun); whether it should be banned, nerfed, or boosted; and revisions we’d like to see in theoretical future editions or that we plan to make (or have made) in our own D&D games.

Spell-by-Spell Tier Rankings
  • S-Tier: Spells that are so cool or so useful that you want to be able to cast them as many times as possible.
  • A-Tier: Spells that you always want to have in your spellbook or spell list. There may be situations where you would choose to not memorize or prepare them, but those cases are rare.
  • B-Tier: Good, solid spells. Spells you are often happy you have in your spellbook or spell list, but maybe don’t memorize or prepare every day.
  • C-Tier: Spells that are only situationally useful, that do too little damage, or that have some other strange or confusing unexpected flaw. Also poorly-named spells that don’t do what you would think they do.
  • D-Tier: Spells that are poorly designed, overshadow the schtick of other classes, or interact with other effects or abilities in ways detrimental to the player or game.
  • F-Tier: Spells that are so bad, they shouldn’t be in the game. This includes useless and trap spells, as well as always-spam spells that seem to have been created to cause friction between players and GMs.

Spell-by-Spell: Fire Storm

(All links take you to DnD Beyond unless otherwise noted.)

Overview

“A storm of fire appears within range. The area of the storm consists of up to ten 10-foot Cubes, which you arrange as you like. Each Cube must be contiguous with at least one other Cube. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 7d10 Fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

“Flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried start burning.” (Dnd Beyond Link)

It’s a more fiddly and less fun delayed blast fireball. It’s got a larger area, but one that players spend long agonizing minutes optimizing each time they cast it. And other than that, it does slightly less damage and lacks the lit-fuse fun of dbf.

Damage-wise, it’s on-par with other 7th-level spells. An evocation spell with no material components, it’s a simple and direct damage-dealer. It’s available to clerics and druids, giving them a bit of offensive firepower they debatably lack (sorcerers already have enough offensive firepower). I’m not sure why it’s not a wizard spell. Maybe wizards would never bother with it?

Fire storm in past editions

Fire storm has been around for a long time. In OD&D it was a 7th-level druid spell that did 1d6 damage to each creature in the area, or 2d6 damage to undead, and ignited all combustible materials across a huge area: 240-600 sq. ft.. depending on your level. The spell could also be reversed to extinguish normal fires and even potentially magical ones (5% chance per caster level). In AD&D, fire storm covered a slightly smaller area (160-400sq. ft.), but did more damage: 2d8, +1 point per caster level. Creatures within ten feet would also take that damage, which begs the question, why didn’t they just increase the area of effect? AD&D added a Dex save for half damage and called out that flametongue swords could be permanently extinguished if caught in the reverse of the spell. Ad&D also made the casting time almost an entire round.

3rd Edition pulled out all the stops, except for keeping the long casting time (1 full round to cast) and the saving throw (Reflex save for half). Fire storm could be cast 230-300’ away, covered an area of 200 cu. ft./level and inflicted 1d6 points of fire damage per caster level. In addition, you could choose whether or not any plants in the area were harmed when you cast it. However, reversing the spell was no longer an option. In 4th edition, the spell became a cleric-only power usable once a day. Its range was reduced (100’) but its area remained substantial (490’ sq. ft.) It’s damage was reduced to 3d10+Wis Modifier damage, but the area remained on fire, doing 1d10+Wis Modifier damage to any who entered the space if sustained.

The 2014 verison of fire storm kept the option to leave plants unharmed when casting the spell, but that option was left out of the 2024 PHB.

How good is fire storm?

It’s fine, but it’s not particularly inspiring. The fiddliness of having a customizable area of contiguous cubes means that every time it gets cast, the caster is going to spend a lot of time figuring out exactly what shape will have the best effect, slowing the game to a crawl while they optimize their casting. The optional “plants immune” bit was always a wierd legacy piece the spell is better off without. Despite putting fire across a large area, it doesn’t feel like unleashing a storm. It feels like carefully placing sixteen bonfires. It’s C-tier for me.

House rules and other thoughts

Take it off the cleric list (except for fire domain clerics). Give it to the wizards.

Spells should have a really clear design goal. For this one, it should be setting the world on fire. And it should feel like that. Make it an emanation with a crazy radius. The kind of thing that wipes out all the minions around you, reduces a tavern to cinders, or razes a village to the ground. You know, like a storm of fire.

Fire Storm (Far Reach revision)

7th-level evocation (Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (120’ Emanation)
Components: V, S 
Duration: Instantaneous
Attack/Save: Dexterity save

You unleash your magic in a storm of fire. Each creature in the area makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 7d10 Fire damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one. Flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried start burning.

About Spell-by-Spell

Spell-by-spell is a series of articles where we discuss the spells in Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e. We start with the spell as-written, and we’ll provide our take on how “good” the spell is (S-Tier to F-Tier), and thoughts for using the spell as a player or DM. We offer up suggestions for adding color or flavor to the spell, out-of-the-box ideas for non-combat applications, and occasionally stories from the game-table. We might look the history of a spell and the different versions across editions or even different games.  Finally, we weigh in on how well the spell does what it says it does; how well it plays in-game (does it slow the game down, does it steal the thunder of other classes, is it fun); whether it should be banned, nerfed, or boosted; and revisions we’d like to see in theoretical future editions or that we plan to make (or have made) in our own D&D games.

Spell-by-Spell Tier Rankings
  • S-Tier: Spells that are so cool or so useful that you want to be able to cast them as many times as possible.
  • A-Tier: Spells that you always want to have in your spellbook or spell list. There may be situations where you would choose to not memorize or prepare them, but those cases are rare.
  • B-Tier: Good, solid spells. Spells you are often happy you have in your spellbook or spell list, but maybe don’t memorize or prepare every day.
  • C-Tier: Spells that are only situationally useful, that do too little damage, or that have some other strange or confusing unexpected flaw. Also poorly-named spells that don’t do what you would think they do.
  • D-Tier: Spells that are poorly designed, overshadow the schtick of other classes, or interact with other effects or abilities in ways detrimental to the player or game.
  • F-Tier: Spells that are so bad, they shouldn’t be in the game. This includes useless and trap spells, as well as always-spam spells that seem to have been created to cause friction between players and GMs.

Spell-by-Spell: Ensnaring Strike

(All links take you to DnD Beyond unless otherwise noted.)

Overview

“As you hit the target, grasping vines appear on it, and it makes a Strength saving throw. A Large or larger creature has Advantage on this save. On a failed save, the target has the Restrained condition until the spell ends. On a successful save, the vines shrivel away, and the spell ends.

“While Restrained, the target takes 1d6 Piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. The target or a creature within reach of it can take an action to make a Strength (Athletics) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the spell ends.” (DnD Beyond Link)

I so want this spell to be a good spell. The image of vines or webs erupting from a spear or arrow to ensnare and tangle an enemy, squeezing them until they perish or surrender, is visually enticing and cinematic. And yet, it’s got so many funky design choices that prevent it from being an automatic go-to option for your quiver. 

As written, ensnaring strike is only available to rangers and Oath of the Ancients paladins, despite being perfect for druids, or a good ammunition add-on for artificers. It feels like a good fit for rangers—especially those that like to attack from range, but unless you’re all-in on your elven, longbow-wielding, elk-riding, defender-of-nature-at-all-costs, it feels like a spell most paladins would consider cheating. 

A Local-Hero tier spell, it does damage on par with other 1st-level spells that also inflict a condition, though the chances of inflicting that condition drop preciptiously once you’re fighting ogres and giants. Against small or medium flying creatures, ensnaring strike can be extrememly bad-ass, as the restrained condition brings their flying to a crashing halt. I’ve never had a ranger player choose it over absorb elements, alarm, cure wounds, entangle, the despised goodberry, or zephyr strike, but I can see it being a nice addition for jungle- or vine-themed characters or archers.

Ensnaring strike, like the various smite spells, only uses up a bonus action, and you don’t have to decide to cast it until after you see if you hit, and you can use it in-between any other attacks you might have. Because being restrained gives attacks against you advantage, you’ll usually want to use it the first time you hit someone. Unlike the smite spells, ensnaring strike doesn’t work with Unarmed Strikes. As written, that seems like more of an oversight than a balancing act. 

The range of this spell is confusing—in that you are casting it on yourself, even though it’s clearly delivered through your weapon. “Touch” would seem to make more sense, but I get that that muddies the ranged attack waters. Because you can cast it after you hit with a ranged weapon, this is a space where ensnaring strike out-performs hunter’s mark: with a longbow, ensnaring strike has an effective range of 150/600 feet.

The spell only lists a verbal component (“Ha!?” “Take that?”), but clearly requires you to have a weapon as well. 

You have to assume that any large or larger creature is going to successfully save against this spell. They tend to be strong anyway, and them getting Advantage pretty much guarantees it. There’s a saving grace to ensnaring strike though, in that if your oppenent does successfully save against it, you don’t have to worry about maintaining concentration. If you do need to maintain concentration, at least you’ve taken a baddy out of the fight and can hit it with advantage while it’s restrained. 

The damage of ensnaring strike increases by 1d6 for each spell slot above 1, but unless it’s the last fight of the day against a medium-sized solo baddy and you aren’t worried about using up your spell slots, I don’t know why you’d ever choose to upcast it. 

Ensnaring strike in past editions

As far as I can tell, the spell was new in 5th edition. In the 2014 PHB, ensnaring strike clarifies that the vines appear at the point of impact, but the spell is otherwise the same. 

How good is ensnaring strike?

I think it might be a B-tier spell for certain ranged attackers, but overall, it’s C-Tier for me. Ensnaring strike is a good spell, but not good enough to be chosen over other spells unless you are really leaning into a theme. The vines created “just appear,” which to me, seems like the designers didn’t want to get caught up in the metaphysics and consequences of where the vines actually come from. Like many D&D spells, it feels like it was invented in a vacuum, instead of having a specific niche that was trying to be filled or otherwise finding a home in an ecosystem of other spells. 

House rules and other thoughts

Ensnaring strike could be a cooler spell. Give it to druids, have the vines emerge from the ground, or better yet, grow from the weapon or ammunition itself, creating opportunities for moving the restrained character in melee. Give it a chance to affect large or bigger creatures at higher levels. And why Athletics to break free? Is this a sport I haven’t heard of? (Yes, I know it’s because that’s how the grappling rules are written–that’s a conversation for another day).

Ensnaring Strike (Far Reach revision)

1st-level conjuration (Druid, Ranger, Paladin – Oath of the Ancients)
Casting Time: 1 bonus action (which you take immediately after hitting a target with a weapon)
Range: Self
Components: V, S, M (the somatic component is that you must hit a target with a weapon or piece of ammunition; the material component is the weapon or piece of ammunition used during the attack)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Attack/Save: Strength save

As you hit the target, grasping vines erupt from your weapon or piece of ammunition, and the creature must make a Strength saving throw. A Large or larger creature has Advantage on this save. On a failed save, the target is Restrained until the spell ends. On a successful save, or if you lose concentration, the vines shrivel away, and the spell ends.
While Restrained, the target takes 1d6 Piercing damage at the start of each of its turns. The target or a creature within reach of it can take an action to make a Strength check against your spell save DC. On a success, the spell ends.
If you are holding on to the weapon in question, such as when wielding a melee weapon, and successfully ensnared your opponent, the creature is considered Grappled as well as Restrained, and you can drag or carry them, but every foot of movement costs 1 extra foot unless you are two or more size categories larger. 

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can use each spell level above 1st to either inflict an additional 1d6 points of piercing damage to the target each round, or to increase the size category the creature must possess in order to get advantage on the save.
For example, if you cast ensnaring strike as a 5th-level spell, you could inflict 3d6 damage every round on a Huge creature and it wouldn’t get advantage on its Strength save to resist the spell. 

About Spell-by-Spell

Spell-by-spell is a series of articles where we discuss the spells in Dungeons & Dragons 5.5e. We start with the spell as-written, and we’ll provide our take on how “good” the spell is (S-Tier to F-Tier), and thoughts for using the spell as a player or DM. We offer up suggestions for adding color or flavor to the spell, out-of-the-box ideas for non-combat applications, and occasionally stories from the game-table. We might look the history of a spell and the different versions across editions or even different games.  Finally, we weigh in on how well the spell does what it says it does; how well it plays in-game (does it slow the game down, does it steal the thunder of other classes, is it fun); whether it should be banned, nerfed, or boosted; and revisions we’d like to see in theoretical future editions or that we plan to make (or have made) in our own D&D games.

Spell-by-Spell Tier Rankings
  • S-Tier: Spells that are so cool or so useful that you want to be able to cast them as many times as possible.
  • A-Tier: Spells that you always want to have in your spellbook or spell list. There may be situations where you would choose to not memorize or prepare them, but those cases are rare.
  • B-Tier: Good, solid spells. Spells you are often happy you have in your spellbook or spell list, but maybe don’t memorize or prepare every day.
  • C-Tier: Spells that are only situationally useful, that do too little damage, or that have some other strange or confusing unexpected flaw. Also poorly-named spells that don’t do what you would think they do.
  • D-Tier: Spells that are poorly designed, overshadow the schtick of other classes, or interact with other effects or abilities in ways detrimental to the player or game.
  • F-Tier: Spells that are so bad, they shouldn’t be in the game. This includes useless and trap spells, as well as always-spam spells that seem to have been created to cause friction between players and GMs.