Less useful spells

[Edwin]

Let's try to give a real explanation for what you think are the less useful spells. They can be mage or priest and of any lvl. Please say why you think it's not useful for you.

My choices:
-All the animal summoning spell: 1 and 2 are really insignificant (useful in BGI not in BGII); 3 could be useful, but opponent mages always have some death spells, so....
-goodberries: heal 1 point.....are we joking???
-heartquake: you have the possibility of losing your items, of summoning an hostile heart elemental, and the enemies take not so great damage.
-detect evil: i can't understand this spell

Suggestions and comments are welcome.



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Edwin, mighty founder of the Brotherhood of the Spellcasters

[Pe Ell]

what About know alignment? How often do you use that spell?

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When there is no wrong, there can be no right.

When there is no darkness, there can be no light.

And when there is no evil, there can be no good.

~Just a few words of wisdom from a proud member of the Brotherhood of the woods

[Sabretooth]

Infravision!
What an awesome spell, I couldnt possibly finish the game without it (note: this IS sarcasm).

[TheDude]

Originally posted by Sabretooth:
(note: this IS sarcasm).

hehe i thought so

[Loredweller]

Originally posted by Edwin:

...
-detect evil: i can't understand this spell

Suggestions and comments are welcome.

very useful spell in dungeons and new areas. It reveals all evil creatures nearby, and magically protected ones as well. I use it very frequently.
Just my 2g,
L.

[Loredweller]

Originally posted by Edwin:
...
My choices:
-All the animal summoning spell: 1 and 2 are really insignificant (useful in BGI not in BGII); ...

They are very useful to draw attention, waste spells and lure. The slavers' compound was cleared in this way, for example. We entered the upper entrance, not severs. Bunch of pets under Wizard Eye engaged battle at the trapped stair, lured so guards down, cloudkills then finished the job. The trap was left without cover and the rest was easy. Do not listen to Hendak's advice upper entry is far more easy than through severs.
Another use, especially for solo, is disarming traps.
L.

[lama]

I think no spell is realy bad, but I rarly use any spells from the divanation spell group. animal summuning is indeed not so good especialy with the 5 creatures limit (no abuse of simulacrum). the spells I use most are mefs minor meteors, fireball, chant, protected from evil 15 radius, sunfire, armor of faith, chaos, emotion hopless, defensive harmonie.

I never use disintegrate because the change of losing items.



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lama member of the Brotherhood of the Spellcasters

[Gyre]

Originally posted by Edwin:


-All the animal summoning spell: 1 and 2 are really insignificant (useful in BGI not in BGII); 3 could be useful, but opponent mages always have some death spells, so....

In tough fights where it helps to summon a lot of creatures, it's often useful to summon low-level animals and monsters first. I use them as pawns to sacrifice in order to drain off the enemy's spells. Then I summon the higher level animals and monsters that can actually do some damage.

BTW, the Druid conjure animal spell, which produces two brown bears, is really good.

[Savarius]

The panthers you sometimes get with Animal Summoning 2 are pretty cool; in my solo beastmaster game, they basically took down the Master of Thralls in the Astral Prison.

Goodberries last a long time, so if you're low on healing spells, you can knock back a few of these and last that much longer.

Earthquake: Well, that's what you get for messing with nature!

[koz-ivan]

any level 1 mu spell besides identify & m missle.

the only possible exception is burning hands vs trolls.

[fable]

All the animal summoning spells can be useful under different circumstances. They can serve as useful distractions to an enemy--I've used 'em to get around the golems in the Fighter's Stronghold--and even a tadpole could effectively cause an enemy mage to lose their concentration while working up a spell.

I would have to say that Identify is among the least useful, since those eyeglasses cast it 3 times before needing to recharge.

[Loredweller]

Originally posted by koz-ivan:
any level 1 mu spell besides identify & m missle.

the only possible exception is burning hands vs trolls.

Have you even a try to read description of Chromatic Orb? At lev.12 it becomes Finger of Death in fact. In most circumctances should be avoided at lev. 10 and 11, if you want any loot, but even then in desperate situations they help much. And casting time is 1 like as Magic Missile, so it may be used as spell interrupter as well, while Finger of Death takes 5. BTW, there is far less use of MM in BG II as in BG I. For one thing too much immune to it. My favorite is Chromatic Orb, and since i'm wizardliker, there have been battles win only by this spell. You should see 4 mages casting them one by one and dark drows one by one turning nice white and melting into thin air (leaving their armour and weapons laying, of course)
Just my 2g, though,
L.

[Edwin]

Yes, Chromatic orb is one of the best spell in the game, considering the low lvl and its power.
A consideration about imprisonment: its power is not under discussion. What i don't like about this spell is that if you imprison an enemy you cannot take it's objects....so where's the fun????


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Edwin, mighty founder of the Council of Mages

[rapier]

Color Spray...as soon as you emerge out of Irenicus' dungeon it becomes useless...
Chromatic Orb rules! Besides FoD and Disintegrate it is my most often used death spell!

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Though I can see to the ends of the earth
Still I ramble this treacherous path.
Over my shoulder I glimpse the corpses gathering.
This day I walk the Way of the Beast.

[fable]

Agreed, Chromatic Orb is a great spell. Actually, any spell that grows in power as your character gains experience usually proves worth it.

There was a wonderful spell in P:T that looked like a giant ballista, took forever to cast, and did almost no damage whatsoever. After three or four levels, however, it began doing a bit more damage, and when you hit level 11 or 12 it suddenly became among the powerful "cheap cost" spells in your arsenal. Ax of Patience, or something like that.



[This message has been edited by fable (edited 03-24-2001).]

[rapier]

Originally posted by fable:


About Imprisonment, though: I think of it as a temporary holding container. Use it on a major adversary, mop up the rest, then cast Freedom and gang up. Works pretty well.

...Casting Maze would have the same effect...



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Though I can see to the ends of the earth
Still I ramble this treacherous path.
Over my shoulder I glimpse the corpses gathering.
This day I walk the Way of the Beast.

[Bruce Lee]

The cleric spell champions strength is useless. It is a level 5 and does almost the same as the fourth level spells holy power but it disables your priestspells wich holy power does not. I believe it is also weaker then holy power in that it doesn't improve your thac0 as much as holy power.

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Proud member of the Brotherhood of the woods.

[This message has been edited by Bruce Lee (edited 03-24-2001).]

[ThorinOakensfield]

Color Spray the most useless spell since evry creature is immune to it except maybe a kobold. Infravision is usless also.Most divination spells are usless.

[koz-ivan]

chromatic orb is that good?

i may have to give it another shot.

b/t/w what manual are you reading, the players handbook? - cause the game manual only lists it's effects up to level 7 (2-16 dm + 2 rounds hold) save negates damage and effects.

the "save negates" line always kept me away, m missle only checks vs mr, but it appears i've been too hasty in my decision.

[Kovi]

There is no save for the damage part of the chromatic orb.
Players guide is sometimes very different from the in-game spell description. The guide was definitely copied from BG1 and a lot of spell definitions were not updated.
Still even the in-game spell descriptions are different from the real effect.
Anyway I didn't used chromatic orb with solo, the mm does about twice damage and the enemy opponents rarely fail with the +6 save.