Summary
When new versions ofDungeons and Dragonscome out, there are always some cuts to be made. Whether for better or worse, updated editions have chosen to go with certain spells and abilities over other ones, leaving many old spells behind in the dust. However, some of these spells are some of the absolute best to have graced the pages of anyDungeons and Dragonsmanual, leaving players to wonder why they were ever left out.
There are obviously reasons why Wizards of the Coast chose to leave these spells behind, but it’s still left a gaping hole in someDungeons and Dragonsplayers who are yearning for their favorite, sometimes goofy, spells to make a return. With that being said, here are some of the best, and most entertaining spells left behind in the transition to 5e.
8Disarm
Disarm Enemies Of Their Weapons
The Disarm spell seems like an obvious choice to include in the game, yet it was never included in the 5th edition. Instead, players have the option to use the disarm action, which makes things a little more difficult and complicated since it’s very situational. It’s great that there is still a feature to disarm enemies, but it’s not one that any magic player will be performing any time soon.
Disarm was a great spell because it created more tactical options on the battlefield.Wizards could castDisarm and other players could pick up the disarmed weapon on their turns, sometimes enabling dual wielding or bonus attack options. It was fun and creative, and often highly useful, and it’s pretty surprising that it was snubbed in the 5th Edition.
7Vortex
Attack Enemies With Magical Energy
Vortex was a crazy spell that wizards could cast and it oftenproved highly entertainingsince the caster would barely be able to control the spell. Casting Vortex meant players could fire a swirl of magical energy at an enemy. It took two turns to cast and turned into a huge tornado that the player would have to maintain concentration over to continue its effects.
Casters could move in the direction of the tornado, but it was a temperamental thing that even had a chance of moving back in the direction of the caster. It was an over-the-top ridiculously powerful spell that made for a lot of hilarious combat scenarios and is sorely missed by all chaoticwizards out there.
6Bone Blade
Turn Air Into A Weapon
Bone Blade was an awesome spell that was left out of the 5th edition, and it allowed spell-casters to conjure a weapon out of thin air. SureWarlocks can already do thatin 5e, but it’s a cool feature for other players to be able to cast a spell like this also. It’s spelled like Bone Blade which allows players to immerse themselves in role-playing, and actually creates a feeling of magical power.
Bone Blade was an eighth-level spell that summoned a bone blade to the caster who could wield it for as long as the spell’s duration. It did a decent amount of damage and even did a little extra against undead enemies. All in all, Bone Blade was a cool spell that gave players more freedom and a cool sense of power.
5Duodimension
2D Enemies
This was a neat little spell found in 2e which allowed casters to turn targets into essentially 2D versions of themselves, as only their height and width became visible to others. It was often used as more of a passive spell to assist party members or NPCs in crawling through tight, narrow spaces. However, it could also be used as a comic spell against unwitting enemies tocreate an optical illusionor irritate shopkeepers.
A cool feature of the spell was that part of the caster’s spirit would get sent to the Astral Plain, meaning creatures in the Astral Plain could interact with the target. As such, there was an inherent possibility that casters of Duodimension could get pulled completely into the Astral Plain, and possibly never be seen again!
4Sticks To Snakes
Priests Armed With Snakes
Another spell fromAdvanced Dungeons and Dragons(2e) was the Sticks to Snakes spell which allowed casters to turn sticks into, well, snakes. This was a spell used by priests, who could turn more sticks into snakes the higher their level. It was a surprisingly powerful spell as priests could control each of the snakes they summoned.
Of course, Sticks to Snakes was a very situational spell as it was only effective in areas where there were lots of sticks. However, if used effectively, 9th-level priests could turn up to 13 sticks into 13 snakes, which also had a chance of being poisonous. Sure they only had about 2 HP, but think of the chaos that 13 snakes could create!
3Mordenkainen’s Involuntary Wizardry
Enemies Cast Random Spell On Themselves
Here’s another hilarious spell from previous editions that unfortunately didn’t make the cut. Mordenkainen’sInvoluntary Wizardry is a spellthat can be cast on another spell caster which makes them cast a random spell they have prepared onto themselves. The outcome of thisspell is pretty much pure chaos, as the target can either end up doing any number of things to themselves.
A random spell is selected by the DM and the target has to perform a saving throw to determine if Involuntary Wizard lands. If it does then the target could blow themselves up, summon a monstrosity or an ally, heal themselves, or even poison themselves. The possibilities it creates are endless plus it’s a fun and entertaining way to spice up the battlefield in an unexpected manner.
2Rainbow
Shortbow Summon
Rainbow was another fun spell from 2e, and it’s very colorful, to say the least. 5th-level priests who are in sight of a rainbow can cast this spell to summon a majestic, shimmering shortbow with rainbow hues. The magical bow can shoot seven arrows, one for each color of the rainbow and players can shoot up to 4 arrows per round.
Each colored arrow has the ability to cause extra damage against certain enemy types. For example, red does double damage against fire dwellers or elementals whilst green does double damage against creatures who live in water and water elementals. These arrows are not only fun and beautiful, but also pretty dangerous as they have an added +2 to their hit and damage rolls. Shooting rainbow-colored arrows has been missed by many priests around the world.
1Summon Cats
The Power Of Felines
Cat lovers across the globe are seriously missing this funny spell that first appeared inAdvanced Dungeons and Dragons 2e. For feline lovers and cat enthusiasts, two of the largest cats nearest to the caster (within a 20-mile radius) are summoned to fight for the caster. Listen, yeah it’s kind of silly, but the fifth edition is seriously missing out on these hilarious, goofy summon spells. There’s something about the randomness to it all that just works.
The best part of this spell is that the two summoned cats can be any type of feline. This includes tigers, giant cats, leopards, or just household pet cats. It’s one of those spells where the caster has no idea what will be summoned, often making for some of the most entertaining role-playing experiences. 5e needs more spells like Summon Cats!
