Wizard spells are cast by sorcerers, rangers, bards, and - you guessed it - wizards.
Type: Defense
Strategy: Setting the armor class only to six, this spell is a waste. As long as you have bracers of defense with an armor class of six or better, this spell will do nothing at all.
Importance: None
Type: Hindrance
Ability: Giving the target an armor class penalty of four and giving a -4 chance to hit on their attack rolls, this spell actually serves you well and does its job. But it is nowhere near as good as a higher-level crippling spell. It is efficient enough when it isn't resisted and is generally only for use on lower-level monsters.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Touch damage
Strategy: This spell is actually deceptively powerful. Burning hands starts with a rather low amount of damage, but increases to pack quite a punch. The downfall of this spell is that you must strategically position your mage so that he won't hit your other party members. The fact that the caster must be quite close to its target, which is very bad for a mage, practically negates any benefit this spell could give. Usually, we stick to magic missile for sheer ease of use.
Importance: Low
Type: Charm
Ability: Charm grants control of any one humanoid enemy to the player for five rounds. Toward the end of the original Baldur's Gate, most creatures resisted the charm series of spells. The same problem is present in Baldur's Gate II, so usually, you can't cast the spell successfully. Though it is never bad to charm a low-level creature to take hits during any battle, your journey in Baldur's Gate II will rarely take you to a human-like creature that is of a level low enough to be charmed. However, keeping one copy of the spell memorized is advised for the earlier portions of the game, for those times when you do run into a susceptible person.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Touch damage
Ability: The -2 armor-class penalty incurred by chill touch is nice, but it doesn't offset the problem of bringing your mage into the fray. The damage is negligible (one to eight), and the two-point armor-class penalty is small, so we recommend that you either never use this spell or use it with extreme caution. Though some fire-based creatures are weak to cold-based attacks, the small amount of damage is almost never worth the sacrifice of your mage's safety.
Importance: Low
Type: Missile damage
Strategy: Missile damage deals moderate damage that increases with the level of the caster, but it also has a secondary effect that will, beginning from the base level in Baldur's Gate II and going up, range from a three-round stun to paralysis. The damage that the orb deals is decent, but in the original Baldur's Gate, the spell was mainly used for its secondary effect. However, in Baldur's Gate II, the spell is often resisted, and the special effect rarely comes into play. Still, it is advised to keep a copy memorized through the beginning of the game and try it out at times to see if it will get off. If it does, the stun or the paralysis effects are both extremely useful, as they immobilize the enemy and give you free hits.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Damage and hindrance
Strategy: This spell deals one to six points of damage and renders the target unconscious. Though useful in the original, it rarely affects anyone now. The other problem with the spell is that the spray can hit your party members and cause a messy situation. Unless you find yourself surrounded by masses of low-level enemies, it is advised that you stay away from this spell.
Importance: None
Type: Summoning
Strategy: Summons a small creature to fight by your side. The caster gains half the hit points of the familiar as a bonus. Though you can talk with your familiar, and you gain bonus hit points, you will lose a point of constitution permanently if it dies. Though that is a risk we would never take, it's a personal choice. The hit-point bonus is fair, and the creature can give help with puzzles and combat.
Importance: Personal (low)