D&D: Five of the Worst 2nd-Level Spells
Spells have their highs and their lows. And today we’re taking a look at the lows, with some of the worst 2nd-level spells in D&D 5E.
2nd-level spells are a fun part of D&D. They can be where you start to feel a bit more like a powerful spellcaster. You can open many doors, literally. You can make enemies unable to see you through multiple effects. You get some actual area-of-effect spells that are pretty worthwhile. And the defensive options are second to none.
These 2nd-level spells, on the other hand, are much further down the list. Whether outshone by cantrips, or just outright lies, these are some of the worst 2nd-level spells in D&D.
Continual Flame
Continual Flame is one of those legacy D&D spells that used to be a pretty big deal. It’s a spell that can create a permanent magical torch, meaning you never have to worry about having light.
Only, the rules of 5E have changed so that you have another sort of permanent source of magical light from the Light cantrip. This not only can be cast at will (so you effectively always have it ready) but it also sheds more and better light than Continual Flame. When a 2nd level spell is outshone, literally, by a cantrip, something’s up.
Aganazzar’s Scorcher
Aganazzar’s Sorcher is one of the spells introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, which, unfortunately, shows how tacked on some of those spells were. It’s a worse option all around than almost every other 2nd-level damage dealing spell. It is a blast of fire damage that stretches out in a line 30 feet away from you, dealing 3d8 damage or save for half.
Shatter, on the other hand, has a longer range, deals damage in an easier-to-aim area (a 20-foot sphere, meaning your enemies don’t have to be lined up), and targets a worse save, by and large. And that’s without taking into account that Shatter can damage objects. Other spells have other effects or longer ranges or do more damage.
Dust Devil
With the exception of Dust Devil. This is one of the worst 2nd-level spells and it’s unfortunate because Dust Devil sounds like it should be good!
You create a 5-foot cube dust devil that deals damage to any creature that ends its turn within 5 feet of the dust devil. Assuming they fail a Strength save. It’s a lot like Flaming Sphere except it does less damage (1d8 vs. 2d6) and is even harder to trigger. It only works if your enemy ends their turn within 5 feet of it, and that’s almost never going to happen unless you’ve already immobilized them, in which case they’ve got more to worry about than 1d8 damage which they could save to reduce to half.
Barkskin
Barkskin is one of the worst 2nd-level spells because it’s a sort of weird, worse Mage Armor. Not only does it take your Concentration, so you can’t cast other Concentration spells while keeping this one going, it only lasts up to an hour. So right off the bat, it’s a much more restrictive spell than Mage Armor.
And the tradeoff isn’t great. It only ensures you have a minimum AC of 16, which isn’t hard to beat. Anyone with Mage Armor and a shield and even a single point of Dexterity modifier already meets that. And if you have more than a +1 Dex? You beat a 2nd level spell with a 1st-level spell slot.
Find Traps
Find Traps is not only one of the worst 2nd level spells, it’s one of the worst spells in the game period. It straight-up doesn’t do what it says it does.
When you cast Find Traps, you become magically aware of the fact that traps are present. You don’t learn the location of the traps. Just that they’re nearby. And that’s assuming that there are any within 120 feet of you at the time you cast the spell. Because, unlike every other detection spell, this one is instantaneous.
So it’s over as soon as it begins, and as often as not, will turn up nothing for your time.
What are your picks for the worst 2nd-level spell in D&D?
