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I am thinking that there are some quite useless spells in BG as some just don't carry over well from PnP to computer gaming. Some spells have gained my respect for their usefulness but there are some which are pretty lame (in my opinion, others may disagree).

Infravision
Find Familiar
Friends
Goodberry
Teleport Field

Some spells are "useless" because other spells do the same thing, only better. For example, why would you cast Color Spray if you can cast Sleep? Likewise, Reflected Image is "useless" if you can cast Mirror Image.

Teleport Field is actually pretty useful. I don't use it much myself because I prefer for my enemies to stay still (preferably held or in an unconscious state), but as UserFriendly suggested, it's very helpful against the Eclipse party, and it ignores magic resistance. He also said there's no saving throw (which would make it incredible), but I'm not so sure about that.

indeed there is no saving throw against it, or if there is I've never seen anyone save against it, so its quite useful, I always used it at watchers keep

[QUOTE=VonDondu]Some spells are "useless" because other spells do the same thing, only better. For example, why would you cast Color Spray if you can cast Sleep?[/QUOTE]
Maybe for situations like for an Invoker, who couldn't cast Sleep (Enchantment school), but could cast Color Spray (Alteration school)?

Or more likey, so they could say they got 300 spells, instead of 299.

[QUOTE=KoreeGahn]indeed there is no saving throw against it, or if there is I've never seen anyone save against it, so its quite useful, I always used it at watchers keep [/QUOTE]

No save throw, no magic resistance. It is a wondrous spell, Specially cause you can combine it with damaging spells and make enemies return to the damage area every now and then when they aim to kill your characters

I'm currently starting to use several area damaging spells, and hold and incounsciousness spells at the same time, and they all (even grease) can hold 99% of the enemies in some way. it takes some time to cast all of them (no wands) and I try to lure enemies into the area spells, so it is nice to have telly field to arrest them on the web effects after they've been released from the area spells range.

The most useless spells:

Charm animal
Cure disease
Shileag
Color spray
Chill touch.

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Having taking a look through the spell list for both mage and priest spells I have come to the conclusion that not a single spell is useless.

And for those that say a spell is useless - here's a challenge, name a spell and I will prove that it isn't useless - EVERY spell in the game has a useful function so try to prove me wrong.

Infravision - useful for scouting if thief/ranger is not available.
Find Familiar - useful for mages that want more hp or a little backup.
Friends - ever had a mage with 10 cha going to Ribald buying tons ? That +6 cha would definately save you 20-40%.
Goodberry - good healing method for those that have no conventional or present means and have no potions.
Charm animal - ever charmed Guenywvar or a pair of mountain bears? that was useful.
Cure disease - especially useful when being diseased on the Deck of Many Things by that strength curse and not wanting to go all the way back to heal.
Shileagh - suprisingly good melee weapon for druids/clerics that want to damage golems etc.
Color spray - useful in Bg1 but with the spreading effect in BG2 that can effect 6 low level creatures its useful when in chateau irenicus.
Chill touch - overlooked for the greater Vampiric Touch or Harm, but on a mage with a low level can reduce thaco which would help against a low level but fighter that can hit you.

Useless Spells

Amran,

I agree with you on all except Infravision. While some spells may not be useful to the style of a particular player or perhaps to the party members of a particular party someone puts together and therefore might "seem" useless. They do indeed have some use in other situations or for other parties.
But I have NEVER seen any use for Infravision (other the XP for memorizing the spell). There is no location in the game that is completely blacked out requiring you to have infravision to see. Every character can see in every location. So if you don't have a thief or ranger for a scout, how does infravision give you any benefit? I can still see. If I want an unobserved scout, I just have my mage cast invisibility on any party member and off they go. All I have seen infravision do is change a living creature's color to pinkish/red when that party member is selected (a totally cosmetic effect). But every character/NPC with or without Infravision can see the creature one way or the other.

I've never seen any point to "Know Alignment."
That is right up there in my book of useless spells.

And for those that say a spell is useless - here's a challenge, name a spell and I will prove that it isn't useless - EVERY spell in the game has a useful function so try to prove me wrong.

Cure disease is indeed a good spell. There are some rude mummies out there, who have some kind of ridiculous 1 damage per second disease that lasts a fair while. Also also also: it cures blindness and deafness in addition to disease. Not to be overlooked. Good defenses on the other spells as well, though I concur with Philos about infravision.

Chill touch, though... You're going to have to work harder to convince me that's useful. It requires the mage move into close combat range, which is A Bad Idea. It allows a save, which even low-level fighters will often make. And it requires the mage make a to-hit roll, which he will almost always fail. Look at the save vs. magic of a low-level fighter, and look at the THAC0 of a low-level mage. I don't have the stats handy, so I can't do the math, but I'd guess that spell is going to get wasted at least 80% of the time.

Plus, look at the other level 1 spells it has to compete with. Even the lowest level mage in BG2 can fire off four magic missiles in the place of his chill touch. I can't think of a scenario where chill touch would be preferable to that.

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A very good comment, especially with chill touch, if a single magic missle is cast per level of the caster, increase the caster by 4 levels, their thaco and hp amongst other spells, the duration in BG1 of this particular spell is 10 rounds, here its 1 turn, Im guessing 60 seconds, 6 seconds per round, 10 roungs per turn (correct if wrong)

The duration of the spell, combined with the improved thaco of a level 7 mage, with hp similar is the following -

when performing an action in between spells, the action will most likely be to run, throw a dart or for a low level or even mid level, high level most likely will have either Robe of Vecna or Amulet of Power or Crimson Dart +3, their is only a few spells that can be used in the durations between spell casting to further enhance the mage: Melfs Minute Meteors, Improved Alcraticity I believe are the only two, but neither of these are applicable in BG1 or are over-looked in BG2 until the appropriate high level is achieved.

60 seconds, 9 spells being cast (spell every 6 seconds) but also with a backup melee spell with which when combined with invisibilty and glidderdust can give you the benefit of the doubt as it can be saved for 60 seconds whilst every other spell is being cast, someone or creature comes in melee, that dart won't save you the Chill Touch to the rescue.

I tend to have several last resort spells, melee or summoning wise - summoning being, PfromEvil, Improved Invisibilty and a Summon Fiend - i do tend to avoid using a last desperate act but then it can't always be avoided. The melee one was, Strength, Tensers Transofmration and lastly Black Blade of Disaster or Shadow Blade.

These combination are last resorts - when the kitchen sink has been thrown in, that is what Chill Touch is best used for, when you think you may run out of spells to kill a melee enemy, cast this before as you may not get time after, and even after your spells run out or 59 seconds has passed - this may save your life.

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On the infravision note, yes its not as good as Oracle or Wizards Eye - but note, neither of these are in BG1, and that infravision does allow you to view an enemy beyond normal sight.

Answer me this - how many of you have killed an enemy before he reached you or initiated dialogue and you got a few hits in there ?

This spells gives you the advantage of getting even more cheeky hits as it increases your line of sight without risking yourself if that character is a powerful melee character such as Sarevok in BG1 or Abazigal in BG2.

[QUOTE=dragon wench]I've never seen any point to "Know Alignment."
That is right up there in my book of useless spells.[/QUOTE]*SlightSpoiler*











You have to use it (or at least detect evil) to complete the paladin's stronghold quest. It's often good for a laugh (Some alignments may surprise you). - Curdis !

@Curdis,
Ah! That makes more sense now. I never play paladins, so I wasn't aware of its need in the Stronghold Quest.


I suppose I could see the humour value though, I'll have to try it sometime

Paladins have their own mass, almost unlimited range know alignment spell; then there's another single target, save to avoid effects spell too.

That single target one is poor.

~

Additionally although they have their uses: Level Drain and Blade of Chaos were poor spells completely useless for their level requirements.

I can't believe Find Familiar made the list! That spell is awesome (I know, you only cast it once). It gives you bonus HP at only the small cost of taking up an inventory spot.

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[QUOTE=Deadalready]

Additionally although they have their uses: Level Drain and Blade of Chaos were poor spells completely useless for their level requirements.[/QUOTE]

If they have their uses can they really be called useless because a low-level cannot have access to them ? I disagree.

Level drain can affect even the most powerful but also it is an incredibly useful spell for limiting the power of those that seem incredible in their spellcasting especially but also for a character that is versatile - F/M/T or a Monk,

'Blade of Chaos' ? im assuming you mean 'Black Blade of Disaster' or 'Phantom Blade' as I've never heard of that particular spell in BG1 or BG2. This is an incredibly potent spell and it is not to be understimated when combined with a Kensai/Mage that has profeciences in Single Weapon Style it can augment this power as it creates a near unbeatable weapon of power, save for one weapon I believe that is similar to it.

Know Alignment effects those that is not a paladin or have such means of doing so. It can determine the outcome of many quests as to which a choie is given and it is in doubt whether a particular character is evil as it isn't considered an offensive spell.

If you have a spell that you believe is useless please post as i'm trying to convince myself and others that no spell is.

Magical Stone... While not completely useless, I think it definitely rates up there for me as ineffective for SOA. Even given the +1 to hit and is considered a magic weapon the measly 1D4 of damage makes it quite an ineffective spell in my book considering you start at level 7!

Magical weapons are found quite easily and early in the game with better damage in SOA or you can even use Shillelagh.
I would rather use extra slots for more level 1 spells that remain useful at level 7 like Sanctuary, Bless, pro evil, Entangle!, and yes even detect Evil.

Now starting at level 1 is another story. I remember using magic stone quite often in BG and Icewind dale, even spending more than one slot for memorization.

Oh ya! Color spray is defininitly more fun than casting sleep. The idea behind it... spraying bright colors, from your hand, so clashing that it disorientates an opponent unconscious!

[QUOTE=Amran_X_Kaiser]On the infravision note, yes its not as good as Oracle or Wizards Eye - but note, neither of these are in BG1, and that infravision does allow you to view an enemy beyond normal sight.[/QUOTE]
I'm not sure what you mean by this; are you saying that Infravision uncovers more of the visibility fog than regular vision does?
[QUOTE=jDED]The idea behind it... spraying bright colors, from your hand, so clashing that it disorientates an opponent unconscious![/QUOTE]
Probably like an epileptic fit or something.

Chill Touch and Infravision

Regarding Chill Touch it be last resort for a pure mage but I think (haven't tested this) it might be very helpful for mage combo (such as fighter/mage) since they would probably have a decent A/C and a pretty good THACO. Thus reducing the risk of being vulnarable to being hit and have a better chance to apply the spell in return. Might be just the thing if you run into an opponent you are having a hard time hitting with a weapon due to high AC (or has protection from normal or magical weapons running). The spell ignores certain aspects of AC (can't remember which) and with the better THACO they would have a pretty good chance of applying it.
I may be missing something regarding the Magic Missle thought but a mage gains a new missle every "two" levels and not "a single missle per level of caster". So for a 5th level mage chill touch will do 5d4 while MM will do 3d4 (a missle gained at 1st, 3rd, and 5th).

Regarding Infravision again, I haven't tried the spell obviously and might test your proposal. But I have frequently dropped opponents before they got within spitting range. Far easier to have an invisible scout as a spotter and then send in long range artillery (spells) safely from a distance and outside the target's viewing range. Any survivors of the spell usually die from the first round of bullets, bolts, arrows as they try to close. Haven't tried using a bow from extreme range but this infravision trick might make some of the "extra distance" bows in the game more useful. So might be worth a try. None the less, Infravision is at its best a VERY limited use spell, if not useless, (To Me )

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Glad to see someone knowing specifics since I uninstalled BG2 and the best I could do was a guess at the chill touch so its good to know it was even more powerful than I suspected.

lol may as well me limited rather than useful

Any more queries ?