Top Tier? Mid Tier? Bottom Tier? Level 1-9 Arcane Spells (talking about 10th lvl right now)

bbear

The focus of this thread is to discuss the merits of level 1 to 9 mage spells. I'm interest to see how players view the ranking and gain insight if there are disagreements. I plan to do one for every mage level and priest/druid spells. The ranking is divided into 3 tiers: top, mid and bottom tiers. Top tiers are the most consistent and effective spells. Mid tiers are outclass by top tiers and other spells, or there is simply no spell slots for them. Bottom tiers are just fillers or spells that put the caster in danger.

A score out of five is given and the spells are ranked by score within each tier. I list comments next to some spells.

- LEVEL 1 -

Top Tiers
-Magic Missile: 5/5
-Blindness: 4.5/5 (There are few, if any are immune to blindness and it lasts for 10 turns!)
-Sleep: 4.5/5 (BG1 only)
-Shield: 4/5 (while short duration, it offers better protection than Armor)

Mid Tiers
-Armor: 3.5/5
-Chromatic Orb: 3.5/5 (the ultimate luck spell; save +6 penalty but kill)
-Spook: 3.5/5
-Charm Person: 3/5 (useful, but save +4 penalty and humanoids only)
-Color Spray: 3/5
-Grease: 3/5 (mage version of entangle, level 1 version of web, but the effect is slow)
-Identify: 3/5
-Protection from Evil: 3/5 (provides additional defensive bonus, but a priest can do a better job)
-Larloch's Minor Drain: 2.5/5 (at least this is range, grants temporary minor HP and potentially disrupt spellcasters)

Bottom Tiers
-Burning Hands: 2/5
-Reflected Image: 2/5
-Chill Touch: 1.5/5
-Friends: 1.5/5
-Protection from Petrification: 1.5/5
-Shocking Grasp: 1.5/5
-Infravision: 1/5

-Find Familiar: 1 or 5 (a one time spell for protagonist mage/bard/UAI thief)
-Nahal's Reckless Dweomer: 1.5 or 5 (a desperate and suicidal spell!)

Edit: I forgot about Spook, Grease and Nahal's Reckless Dweomer.

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- LEVEL 2 -

Top Tiers
-Mirror Image: 5/5
-Web: 4.5/5 (great disabling spell over time at save -2 penalty but not party friendly, combo with spiders)
-Blur: 4/5 (+3 AC and +1 saves bonus)
-Chaos Shield: 4/5 (Wild Mage only, short duration)
-Glitterdust: 4/5 (one time mass blindness, but 4 rounds short duration and shorter casting range)
-Melf’s Acid Arrows: 4/5 (meant to be stacked together for spell disruption)

Mid Tiers:
-Stinking Cloud: 3.5/5 (no save bonus or penalty)
-Agannazaar’s Scorcher: 3/5 (use the fire wand)
-Horror: 3/5
-Invisibility: 3/5
-Resist Fear: 3/5 (let the priest memorize this spell)
-Strength: 3/5 (most NPC will benefit from this spell)

Bottom Tiers:
-Detect Invisibility: 2/5
-Ghoul Touch: 2/5 (Fighter Mage only)
-Luck: 2/5 (three rounds duration)
-Deafness: 1.5/5
-Power Word Sleep: 1.5/5
-Ray of Enfeeblement: 1.5/5
-Vocalize: 1.5/5
-Know Alignment: 1/5 (save vs spell just to see if someone is good or evil?)

-Knock: 1.5 or 5 (necessary in solo setting)

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- LEVEL 3 -

Top Tiers:
-Haste: 5/5 (drawback is fatigue)
-Melf’s Minute Meteors: 5/5 (early access to +5 weapons)
-Flame Arrow: 4.5/5
-Remove Magic: 4.5/5
-Skull Trap: 4.5/5 (high damage potential, but casting range is dangerously short)
-Fireball: 4/5 (use the fire wand)
-Slow: 4/5 (-4 save penalty, solo character should take this over haste)

Mid Tiers:
-Dispel Magic: 3.5/5 (eclipsed by Remove Magic and Dispel Magic from other classes)
-Invisibility 10 Radius: 3.5/5 (party first strike capability)
-Vampiric Touch: 3.5/5 (use this on self or container for extra HP, duration lasts for 5 turns)
-Dire Charm: 3/5 (humanoids only)
-Hold Person: 3/5 (priest can get this as level 2 spell)
-Lightning Bolt: 3/5 (unpredictable, use the lightning wand)
-Minor Spell Deflection: 3/5
-Monster Summoning 1: 3/5
-Protection from Normal Missiles: 3/5
-Spell Trust: 3/5
-Ghost Armor: 2.5/5 (Kensage only before access to Spirit Armor)

Low Tiers:
-Clairvoyance: 1.5/5 (outdoor only)
-Detect Illusion: 1.5/5
-Hold Undead: 1.5/5
-Protection from Cold: 1.5/5
-Protection from Fire: 1.5/5
-Non-Detection: 1/5

jackjack

I have a soft spot for Chromatic Orb, but I tend to cast Greater Malison, Doom, etc. beforehand.

JLee

Spook is a mid-tier one for me that is missing from the list. I'd agree with most of your assessment. I'd personally rate Pro. from Pet. and Identify a little higher. I look forward to the subsequent lists, thanks for posting!

element

what about the level one fear(I forgot its name) spell that must be top tier surely

bbear

@JLee: Thanks for the feedback. I actually forgot about it because I never used it and there are too many spells!

@element: It does have -6 save potential penalty, but many creatures are immune to fear. Unlike Sleep, it's single target and only becomes useful later in the Saga. At this stage, Magic Missile becomes the Level 1 Spell and there are simply no slots for Spook.

elminster

I'd personally put Burning Hands at tier 2 (3/5). Mostly because of its use in killing trolls. Its also quick casting and I've found it to be better than Magic Missile when it comes to spell interrupting (more useful for that in BG1 than BG2 though).

element

well I wont argue

also what about grease

elminster

Also what about Nahal's Reckless Dweomer!

Kaltzor

I usually replace Sleep with Emotion once I get access to it... Since that thing does pretty much the exact same, but with no HD limit.

And Chromatic Orb in my opinion remains more useful throughout the games more than Magic Missile does... While Magic Missile is fun, Triple Chromatic Orb from a sequencer is such glorious cheese.

Skaffen

Spook should be tier 1: with -6 save taking someone out of the fight for 3 rounds (which is is an eternity in larger ToB fights) it's really very powerful.

Chromatic orb is also literally a killer. With average 9 instead of 17.5 damage for MM it does only half the damage (which doesn't really matter in the endgame) but when you get the killing effect in SoA most enemies have saves around 10 so a 20% chance to kill. Even in the endgame enemy saves after bonus will be 1-2 so a 5-10% chance of killing. And you can interrupt casters just as well as with MM...

I almost always throw in a greater malison in fights making it and chromatic orb even more useful, giving orb a 20-25% killing chance even in ToB. Just took out 2 uninjured fire giants with Imoen that way!

ZaknafeinBaenre

I like larlochs minor drain because of its utility to disrupt a spellcaster, it has saved me many times. I'd swap shield with chromatic orb, as your mage is usually stoneskinned and mirror imaged and protected from harm in all sorts of ways.

Blackraven

Good list, I'd rate Shield a bit lower (never use it really), and maybe Spook a bit higher as it scales nicely as you level up. I always keep one memorized for emergency situations even at the higher levels.

Grease is pretty nice. Very useful if you've got a ranged attacker (or if you're one yourself, e.g. a s a figheter/mage). Plus it can help you escape if necessary. I think it makes innocents go hostile though.

Quartz

Top Tiers
-Magic Missile
-Chromatic Orb
-Spook
-Grease

Mid Tiers
-Blindness
-Sleep
-Shield
-Armor
-Identify
-Protection from Evil
-Larloch's Minor Drain
-Friends
-Nahal's Reckless Dweomer

Bottom Tiers
-Color Spray
-Charm Person
-Burning Hands
-Reflected Image
-Chill Touch
-Protection from Petrification
-Shocking Grasp
-Infravision
-Find Familiar

Though in Icewind Dale, I'd rate Shocking Grasp at Top Tier. :P

ZaknafeinBaenre

If we are talking icewind dale, burning hands goes to the top

CrevsDaak

I think that right in the moment you get Chain Contingency or Contingency, Nahal's goes to the top sicne you can cast the, without a wild surge chance.

casualt

You can cast Larlochs Minor Drain your self and it will buff your character. Very useful if uor CHARNAME is evil and has it as a Bhall spell

Blackraven

@Quartz, that would be my top 4 as well.
There are other spells may initially be more useful, but their usefulness is too short-lived IMO to merit top tier status..

EDIT: a solo mage or one in a priestless party might promote PfE to the top tier.

mumumomo

The thing is level 1 spells are not really useful : wands are much better and plentiful in bg. And in bg2 they just don't cut it anymore.

To really give some ranking :
- top tier
Magic missile : good for interruption mostly and to kill sarevok.

Mid tier
Sleep is useful for the first levels of the game but can be easily replaced with the wand of sleep
Shield is very nice early bg (especially againsy tarnesh and nimbul) but is replaced easily by the amulet of shielding
Chromatic orb : for troll killing and occasionnal lucky roll
Spook : good saving throw penalty but duration is too short.
Blind : no penalty but good duration
Protection from evil : good buff.

Low tier : friends and identify. Saves you some money which is not bad but not needed at all.

Crap tier : all the rest.
Grease may be nice but web is much better.

Tarlugn

I´m rating the 1 lvl spells based on my playing experience with a chaotic evil red dragon disciple.

Top Tier
- Charm Person (if this works, having an enemy cleric, mage or druid charmed usually ends a fight most favorably)
- Spook (Great for making the same foe, whom had a saving throw before, flee in panic)

Mid Tier
- Magic Missile (Neat)
- Chromatic Orb (Nice, if somewhat random)

Bottom Tier
- Identify ( I haven´t counted it yet, but saving a trip to a temple and 100 gold feels good)

JLee

I use blindness and MM heavily, Shield and PfE often, and PfP situationally (of course).

I've never used Grease and rarely use CO. I'll have to bring them into the mix next time. I enjoy threads like these that shed new light on various aspects of the game I may be underutilizing.

bbear

Grease as a top tier is interesting. I may throw one on top of web, stinking cloud, entangle on enemies. Beware that grease will turn neutral npc to hostile, while the other 3 wont.

Quartz

mumumomo said:

Grease may be nice but web is much better.

Yeah people keep saying this but Grease is a Level 1 spell while Web is a Level 2 spell. Of course Web is more effective, I don't think anyone is going to argue with that. But ... why not both? I always memorize one Grease per day, maybe two if it's Edwin and/or high level mage with Ring of Wizardry.

While Web is very effective, they may roll their saving throw at some point and walk out of it. Grease adds a second layer of saving throws to make, and thus I will often see enemies save for Web and fail with Grease, resulting in them basically being totally doomed to inevitably failing versus Web all over again.

Also, I'm not totally sure on this, but it would appear to me that when someone fails their save versus Grease, they end up affected for longer than other such AoE spells where they can successfully roll their saving throw fairly soon after. Anyone want to confirm or deny this?

CrevsDaak

Quartz said:

Also, I'm not totally sure on this, but it would appear to me that when someone fails their save versus Grease, they end up affected for longer than other such AoE spells where they can successfully roll their saving throw fairly soon after. Anyone want to confirm or deny this?

I can confirm from your Greases in the MP run and once a while when I used it against a bunch of enemies with a Bard solo.

CTKnightOwl

Protection from Petrification is a situational spell. While the need for it in BG1 is rare (Lindin area, Candlekeep, Baldurs Gate warehouse, and Durlag's Keep) it's duration is long. For this, I think it should be a tier2 spell. Try getting through a single Basilisk battle without prot/petrify. Your character just can't make their saves often enough and it only takes a single failed save to instakill your character.

ID may save you gold but think about how many times you found a great wand in a dungeon but can't use it until you get back to town because you don't have a bard or ID memorized.

Blindness is IMO one of the most OP spells for BG1. There are several really powerful fighters that can be completely neutralized with a single failed save and for scripted battles that are saved beforehand, you can just reload until they fail that save. Then sit back and pepper them from afar. So easy it should be illegal.

Magic Missile after level 5 is pretty much the staple for most of my mages. Although, sequencing Chromatic Orbs greatly increases your chances of an instakill.

It's really all in how you use them.

bbear

CTKnightOwl said:

Protection from Petrification is a situational spell. While the need for it in BG1 is rare (Lindin area, Candlekeep, Baldurs Gate warehouse, and Durlag's Keep) it's duration is long. For this, I think it should be a tier2 spell. Try getting through a single Basilisk battle without prot/petrify. Your character just can't make their saves often enough and it only takes a single failed save to instakill your character.

Skeletons from Anime Dead (Lv3 priest) are immune to petrification. Send in your shock troops and kill them with archers. A solo mage may need to rely on the spell.

Quartz

CTKnightOwl said:

Protection from Petrification is a situational spell. While the need for it in BG1 is rare (Lindin area, Candlekeep, Baldurs Gate warehouse, and Durlag's Keep) it's duration is long. For this, I think it should be a tier2 spell. Try getting through a single Basilisk battle without prot/petrify. Your character just can't make their saves often enough and it only takes a single failed save to instakill your character.

Indeed, it is really impossible to "rate" such situational spells. In their situation? You might even take that spell over a Dragon's Breath. Otherwise? Worst spell ever. Yup, impossible to rate.

bbear

Top tiers are the most consistent and effective spells. Mid tiers are outclass by top tiers and other spells, or there is simply no spell slots for them. Bottom tiers are just fillers or spells that put the caster in danger.

A score out of five is given and the spells are ranked by score within each tier. I list comments next to some spells.

Level 2:
Top Tiers
-Mirror Image: 5/5
-Web: 4.5/5 (great disabling spell over time at save -2 penalty but not party friendly, combo with spiders)
-Blur: 4/5 (+3 AC and +1 saves bonus)
-Chaos Shield: 4/5 (Wild Mage only, short duration)
-Glitterdust: 4/5 (one time mass blindness, but 4 rounds short duration and shorter casting range)
-Melf’s Acid Arrows: 4/5 (meant to be stacked together for spell disruption)

Mid Tiers:
-Stinking Cloud: 3.5/5 (no save bonus or penalty)
-Agannazaar’s Scorcher: 3/5 (use the fire wand)
-Horror: 3/5
-Invisibility: 3/5
-Resist Fear: 3/5 (let the priest memorize this spell)
-Strength: 3/5 (most NPC will benefit from this spell)

Bottom Tiers:
-Detect Invisibility: 2/5
-Ghoul Touch: 2/5 (Fighter Mage only)
-Luck: 2/5 (three rounds duration)
-Deafness: 1.5/5
-Power Word Sleep: 1.5/5
-Ray of Enfeeblement: 1.5/5
-Vocalize: 1.5/5
-Know Alignment: 1/5 (save vs spell just to see if someone is good or evil?)

-Knock: 1.5 or 5 (necessary in solo setting)

CTKnightOwl

Yeah, I just realized there are a few ways to get around the Basilisk stare. Korax does help in the Lindin area but I found Blindness to be the single most effective way to take a Basilisk out of a fight. I have found that when I send in the bonies, and try to follow up with archers, the basilisk always seems to get a glance or 3 in their direction.

CrevsDaak

I'd give Strength a higher value when in a solo run, long duration, helps you carry things like Ankheg shells, etc, Detect Invisibility should have at least 2,5 because it's very good in low levels SoA.

Quartz

My biggest problem with Level 2 Mage spells: I have never found great use in Mirror Image or Blur. Mirror Image is unreliable to me. Blur seems like a spell for Fighter/Mages and Xan and that's about it. Someone help me with my badkid attitude on this one?

Blackraven

Invisibility is a top tier level 2 spell for me, throughout BG1 and part of BG2.
Short casting time. Lasts 24 hours. In BG1 there aren't that many invisibility potions. And only in BG2 will mages start casting oracle, true sight etc.
Also I like having the initiative in a battle, invisibility helps here.

Stinking Cloud is a conteder for top tier as well. Fantastic combined with web, or for example with summoned skeletons.

I personally never use Glitterdust, because of its short duration, and would put in the mid tier category.

But these are personal preferences I suppose. All in all a very good list!