*You climb to the top of a tall tower and find a great and powerful wizard in his study*
WHO GOES THERE?
Ah … I see. One who wishes to learn the thaumaturgical arts free from the tainted legacy of Hogwarts. One who wishes to rival the power of the great magicians of Marvel. One who wishes to peel back the fabric of reality and see what wizardly secrets dwell behind the veil. One who wishes to summon the elements, change the shape of subatomic structures, and master spacetime itself.
You have sojourned to the right place, young mage. I shall teach you. Now fetch me a bowl of mushroom soup stewing over the fireplace and I shall tell you of all the great and powerful spells that I know. For I am a level 20 Wizard, and I know a bit about this sort of thing.
10. Fireball
This spell is one of the oldest in all of Dungeons and Dragons lore. Indeed, it is a classic. It allows the user to summon a giant fireball and strike multiple targets for massive damage. What could be better? It is one of the finest offensive spells that the wizard has in their arsenal, and one that has been passed down from generation to generation of players. How else do you think I heat my mushroom soup? Sticks and matches? A true wizard would never.
9. Wall of Force
Wall of Force allows the caster to create a wall made entirely out of FORCE that can be manipulated and shaped across the battlefield. It can be used to separate groups of enemies or to stop a particularly powerful one from advancing. It can also be shaped into a sphere and placed around a foe! The wall cannot be damaged or removed with Dispel Magic. Only the rare skill Disintegrate and remove it. And what goblin has that? None, I tell you.
8. Fly
The skill allows a caster to FLY. What could be better indeed? It allows the wizard to put the ranger out of a job by scouting terrain from above, and allows one to fight in aerial combat! Combine this skill with fireball and one becomes a veritable airstrike!
7. Polymorph
Polymorph is a high-level transmutation that allows the wizard to transform friend or foe into any shape they choose! As long as that shape equates to their challenge rating of course. One can turn a tawdry level seven ally into a powerful CR 7 beast! This is useful because beasts tend to have much higher stats than a character at an equivalent level. It also gives an ally new hit points, which allows a wizard to use it as a healing spell that puts the party’s cleric to shame!
6. Haste
This spell is one of the most formidable buffs in the entire game! When cast on an ally, it allows that ally to move at DOUBLE SPEED. This means that they cover twice as much ground when moving, gain an additional armor class, advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and an extra action! Double the attacks! Double the spellcasting! Double the movement! Double the chaos!
5. Greater Invisibility
This spell is a formidable one in combat. In combat it allows the wizard to cast spells and attack without breaking the invisibility. It also means that the user cannot be hit with spells, as most spells cannot target invisible characters. It additionally gives a player advantage on most attacks, while giving enemies disadvantage on attacks against the invisible player.
4. Plane Shift
While wizards are formidable in combat, their utility off of the battlefield gives them an extra edge that cannot be rivaled by any other class. Plane Shift is one of the most useful exploration spells in the game, and allows the wizard to bring their entire party to separate planes of reality! One can explore the depths of hell, the highest spires of heaven, and the many realms in between at a whim! It can also banish enemies (or a particularly annoying NPC) to another plane of existence forever! Huzzah!
3. Counterspell
This spell is one of the most formidable anti-magic abilities in the game. It allows the wizard to annihilate almost any spell that is fired at the party. It automatically cancels another spell of third level, and can also be used in a higher level slot to counter higher level spells. Is that a fireball hurtling toward the party? Not anymore. Is the party about to be banished to another plane of existence? Not anymore. Is your party member’s spell rendered useless by an enemy’s Counterspell? Not anymore.
2. Forcecage
This spell traps an enemy in a box of force that cannot be penetrated by attacks or spells. Unlike other spells, Forcecage does not use concentration, allowing a wizard to use other spells while Forcecage is active. It also blocks enemies from traveling through the Ethereal Plane or using teleportation to escape. Simply put, unless a creature has Charisma high enough to escape the Forcecage, they are stuck there until the wizard chooses to release them.
1. Wish
This is it. The most powerful spell in existence. A spell so powerful, so potent, so broken that some Dungeon Masters outright ban it from being used. The spell is able to do anything that the caster WISHES IT CAN DO. DO YOU UNDERSTAND WHAT THAT MEANS!? A user can have ANYTHING THEY WANT (as long as the Dungeon Master allows it). It can insta-kill a boss! It can be used to mirror any other spell in the game! It can be used to create things out of nothing! I myself use the spell every day. How else do you think I find mushrooms for my soup? By foraging for them? Such peasant-ly tasks are beneath me. I simply wish for more mushrooms and lo and behold the mushrooms appear! The caveat is that a wizard must be careful with their words when using the spell. I once wished for “an ungodly amount” of mushrooms and nearly drowned the realm in unholy fungus plucked from the nighted forests of hell!
(featured image: Wizards of the Coast)
