Type: Summoning
Strategy: Working like any other summoning spell, this spell adds nothing new to the crowded summoning circle of magic. Summoning carrion, which are not powerful or have many hit points, this spell is, in fact, worse than most other available summoning spells.
Importance: None
Type: Missile damage
Strategy: Chain lightning is simply extraordinary. Arcing from enemy to enemy, dealing damage that gets higher as you level up, there isn't much not to like here. As an added bonus, even if the targets make their saving throws, they are still hit for good damage. Usable whenever a group of two or more enemies is present, chain lightning is a must for the later portions of the game. Simply cast it on one enemy and watch as the rest get hit in order.
Importance: High
Type: Summoning
Strategy: This spell is the same as the lesser version, just with a normal elemental summoned. These are increased in every way: more health, more damage, and, most importantly, more helpful. The same casting length problem is still an issue, and the greater forms of elemental summoning are still vastly superior.
Importance: Low
Type: Summoning
Strategy: This spell is the same as the lesser version, just with a normal elemental summoned. These are increased in every way: more health, more damage, and, most importantly, more helpful. The same casting length problem is still an issue, and the greater forms of elemental summoning are still vastly superior.
Importance: Low
Type: Summoning
Strategy: This spell is the same as the lesser version, just with a normal elemental summoned. These are increased in every way: more health, more damage, and, most importantly, more helpful. The same casting length problem is still an issue, and the greater forms of elemental summoning are still vastly superior.
Importance: Low
Type: Other
Strategy: Acting like a time-released capsule, this spell will cast one spell preselected by you once a chosen condition is met. For example, you can have a defensive spell cast on yourself once your hit points reach a certain level. Or, you can have an offensive spell cast when an enemy comes into range. Most of all, though, contingency can serve as a time saver and a nuance remover that will take away the pain of having to cast a defensive spell every time a battle starts. There are simply millions of different ways to use this spell. The use is entirely up to the caster and, hence, so is its value.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Hindrance, area damage
Strategy: Working the same way as stinking cloud, death fog creates a solid fog that deals eight points of damage each round to all creatures in the fog. The eight points of damage per round is definitely nice, but killing all summoned creatures gives it a nice niche all to itself. Since you won't be running into truly summoned, not gated, creatures too often in the later portions of the game, its use does wear off. A side effect is that it kills all summoned creatures. Otherwise, it works exactly the same as the aforementioned stinking cloud.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Area Damage
Strategy: Working marvelously against a group of moderately difficult enemies, death spell will instantly kill all enemies that fail their saving throw and have less than eight hit dice of hit points. Usually, whenever any group attacked our party, this was our lead spell. When it doesn't fail, it easily kills half the enemies.
Importance: Moderate
Type: Missile damage
Strategy: Though instantly killing the target if it fails its saving throw, disintegrate has one key flaw. Some or all the target's weapons are destroyed. Though the spell can work against some of the most difficult monsters, assuming their throws fail, the point of using it in a tough battle is negated, as the loss of such great loot is simply unacceptable.
Importance: Low
Type: Missile damage
Strategy: Working almost exactly like disintegrate, this spell will turn the target into stone. Once the target is turned to stone, one hit will destroy it. However, like disintegrate, all the target's possessions will be turned to stone as well. That is simply unacceptable.
Importance: Low
Type: Defense
Strategy: This spell is exactly like minor globe of invulnerability, except this one prevents levels 1 to 4 from penetrating. The same strategies apply as well.
Importance: Low