Type: Defense
Strategy: Protecting the caster from various spells cast directly at him, this spell works well enough. However, we advise you to wait until better deflection spells like the real deflection or minor globe of invulnerability. Though this spell won't absorb much, it can serve as a backup deflector to the other spells mentioned.
Importance: Low
Type: Summoning
Strategy: Summoning monsters to fight for the caster, this spell summons fairly low hit point creatures. Though some of the later summon spells are great to cast for creatures that absorb damage, these won't do much of anything and are just a waste of time.
Importance: Low
Type: Defense
Strategy: If you ever run into a time when a creature could detect you as something you are not, this spell could be important. For example, if you have an invisible character, casting this would not let them be detected. However, we found that invisible creatures are rarely detected anyway.
Importance: Low
Type: Defense
Strategy: If you find yourself under cold attacks from spells, traps, or anything else, casting this will absorb 50 percent of all cold damage done through spells and all damage done by normal attacks to the target creature. This happens very infrequently in Baldur's Gate II.
Importance: Low
Type: Defense
Strategy: See protection from cold. This spell is the same, but works on fire-based damage.
Importance: Low
Type: Defense
Strategy: See protection from cold. It's the same and works for normal missiles like arrows or throwing axes. It does not include lightning, magic missiles, or the like. Since this does infer protection from a normal ranged attack, this is quite valuable under certain circumstances (against a cadre of archers, for example). Since the spell only effects one creature, though, you can only use it for your most valuable characters and only when a ranged attack is very harsh. Otherwise, it is faster to use other spells to end the damage.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Dispel
Strategy: Affecting only opponents, remove magic will strip them of many armor and speed spells. This works well when both you and your enemy have beneficial spells cast, and you only want to strip theirs. Though you can usually simply cast dispel magic out of range of your party but in range of you enemies, there is little use for this spell. However, if needed, it will work without touching your party.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Area damage
Strategy: Dealing one to six hit points of damage per level of the caster, this spell can do a lot of damage. However, since you must cast the spell and wait for it to be triggered by the enemy, it is often necessary to cast an area of affect damage spell that will trigger all the enemies. Once they are aggravated, they can trip the trap. However, this takes considerable planning and can fail, resulting in a messy situation in which you must trip the trap to get by. We advise that you simply stick with a more conventional, potent spell.
Importance: Low
Type: Hindrance
Strategy: The exact opposite of haste, slow decreases the speed of enemies. Casting slow will let you take less hits and have more time to work with the mass of enemies. This is a very efficient spell that is worth casting until it's resisted in the later parts of the game. Until then, it is a must.
Importance: High
Type: Dispel
Strategy: When in a mage battle, casting spell thrust will destroy any level 5 or lower enchantments. If you're in a tough fight against a defended mage, this will work wonders until you reach mages who use primarily enhancements of level 6 or higher. Keep a copy memorized in case a mage shows up.
Importance: High
Type: Touch damage
Strategy: Draining one to six hit points for every two levels of the caster, this can pack a nice punch, with the maximum six to 36 points drained. This can definitely serve as a backup heal for the mage. Just keep in mind that if you need the healing badly enough to use this, it will require stepping into the heat to reap the effects - generally not a good idea. Make sure your mage is protected and use extreme caution. As your hit points are bound to be low when using this spell, a misstep will lead your mage to his death. Be careful with this spell or avoid it entirely!
Importance: Low