I think both Minor Sequencer and Blindness are hardly considered underwhelming...
Personally, I like Fireball (underwhelming compared to Skull Trap), Clairvoyance and Stinking Cloud (compared to Web).
I only mentioned Minor Sequencer because it seems like it's left out as a sorcerer spell. I always take it as a sorcerer but others don't seem to recommend it.
The thing I hate most about Skull Trap is its pathetic cast range. If I want to cast it in an optimal position, 90% of the time my mage will end up eating an arrow or finding a fighter in their face before the casting time is even over.
I'm personally a fan of Ice Storm. It's the only direct damage 4th level spell and deals 8d8 damage over time without save. Better in Spell Revisions, though, where it reduces movement speed.
Been doing some IWD runs lately. My FMT has been casting armor as her level 1 spell.
In IWD armor lasts 9 hour and lets my FMT free to disable traps whilst casting other spells. If she needs to melee she just casts blur on top of the armor.
The lack of scrolls and money forces you to be creative - amd hence learning something. Armor can be a very usefull spell - took me 17 years to appreciate it
I think both Minor Sequencer and Blindness are hardly considered underwhelming...
Personally, I like Fireball (underwhelming compared to Skull Trap), Clairvoyance and Stinking Cloud (compared to Web).
I only mentioned Minor Sequencer because it seems like it's left out as a sorcerer spell. I always take it as a sorcerer but others don't seem to recommend it.
I have seen it on some list, but it is not on every list. To be honest there is some pretty strong competition on that level: Emotion, Imp Invisibility, Stoneskin, Fireshield (with SCS installed), Greater Malison, Spider Spawn and Teleport Field are all strong contenders. So I think this is one of the levels where a Sorcerer has to make some sacrifices...
I'm very surprised that some people actually wrote Glitterdust. In my opinion it is the most useful 2nd level spell by far. How can it be considered underwhelming?
I've actually never thought much of Glitterdust. The fact that it's party-friendly is nice, and blindness is strong, but the 4-round duration doesn't really buy much. Granted, it's the only level 2 spell with those traits (a party-friendly area-effect disabler), but it doesn't seem like a real game-changer.
I don’t know about underwhelming or even popular but the spells I like and use a lot that I rarely hear people talk about are. Mage: Stinking Cloud, it isn’t much but Skeletons and anyone with Chaotic Commands can walk around in it freely. Delayed Blast Fireball, This is my Lich killer for mages. It doesn’t work on Kangaxx’s skull form since ee but it is still pretty good. Side note, I scout a lot and will set up my battles whenever I can. Traps and Ring of the Ram to knock someone into those traps work so well together. Skull traps are usually better but DBF works almost as well and can get past a few things that ST can’t. Meh, no biggie but I do end up using the spell a lot. Incendiary Cloud, I actually use this more than ADHW. Cleric/Druid: Sanctuary, I scout a lot. It doesn’t alert most mages to dispel illusions and you can open chests. Barkskin, especially for Kensai>Druids but anything other than straight Cleric, Cleric/Ranger, Cleric/Fighter or Fighter/Druid it is many times the best AC available. Firestorm, anything that ignores magic resistance is going to be on my list. The last one I am not sure how everyone views it, but I love Nature’s Beauty. When everything goes whoosh along with the whoosh animation and the dialogue box is all- Beholder-Blinded Gauth-Blinded Beholder-Blinded Beholder-Blinded Gauth-Blinded I feel like dancing.
Comments
I'm personally a fan of Ice Storm. It's the only direct damage 4th level spell and deals 8d8 damage over time without save. Better in Spell Revisions, though, where it reduces movement speed.
In IWD armor lasts 9 hour and lets my FMT free to disable traps whilst casting other spells. If she needs to melee she just casts blur on top of the armor.
The lack of scrolls and money forces you to be creative - amd hence learning something. Armor can be a very usefull spell - took me 17 years to appreciate it
Mage:
Stinking Cloud, it isn’t much but Skeletons and anyone with Chaotic Commands can walk around in it freely.
Delayed Blast Fireball, This is my Lich killer for mages. It doesn’t work on Kangaxx’s skull form since ee but it is still pretty good. Side note, I scout a lot and will set up my battles whenever I can. Traps and Ring of the Ram to knock someone into those traps work so well together. Skull traps are usually better but DBF works almost as well and can get past a few things that ST can’t. Meh, no biggie but I do end up using the spell a lot.
Incendiary Cloud, I actually use this more than ADHW.
Cleric/Druid:
Sanctuary, I scout a lot. It doesn’t alert most mages to dispel illusions and you can open chests.
Barkskin, especially for Kensai>Druids but anything other than straight Cleric, Cleric/Ranger, Cleric/Fighter or Fighter/Druid it is many times the best AC available.
Firestorm, anything that ignores magic resistance is going to be on my list.
The last one I am not sure how everyone views it, but I love Nature’s Beauty. When everything goes whoosh along with the whoosh animation and the dialogue box is all-
Beholder-Blinded
Gauth-Blinded
Beholder-Blinded
Beholder-Blinded
Gauth-Blinded
I feel like dancing.
You forgot to mention the detect invisibility part. It's not just blindness.