Edition note: This guide targets 2014 5E (legacy PHB-style rules). If your table uses the 2024 Player's Handbook, confirm wording, class lists, and any renamed features before locking a build.
Second-level spells are where 5E casters stop being "cantrip plus Shield" and start shaping the map. The best 2nd-level spells 5E picks are mobility, area control, and action-economy buffs. Guidance here assumes 2014 5E rules.
S-tier mobility and control
Misty Step
Misty Step is a bonus-action 30-foot teleport. Escape grapples, ignore difficult terrain, and reposition without eating your Action. One of the best "slot forever" spells in the game.
Web
Web is the gold-standard area lockdown: restrain, burnable, and devastating against melee packs. Pair with ranged party members.
Spike Growth
Spike Growth turns movement into shredders. Druids and Rangers who can force enemies through it (shoves, dissonant whispers, teleports) win fights for free.
Pass Without Trace
Pass Without Trace is +10 Stealth for the group. Whole adventures change when the party can skip fights or set ambushes.
S-tier action economy
Spiritual Weapon
Spiritual Weapon is bonus-action force damage that does not require concentration. Clerics who stack this with Spirit Guardians later define mid-tier combat.
A-tier staples
| Spell | Role |
|---|---|
| Hold Person | Paralysis on humanoids; auto-crits for melee |
| Invisibility | Scout, escape, setup |
| Mirror Image | Non-concentration defense for squishy casters |
| Silence | Anti-caster bubble; also stealth plays |
| Heat Metal | Armor / weapon hard-counter |
| Moonbeam | Radiant column; shapechangers hate it |
| Blindness/Deafness | No concentration; shreds enemy accuracy |
| Shatter | Thunder AoE vs clustered foes / objects |
| Enhance Ability | Scene-long skill / save support |
Niche winners worth knowing
- Vortex Warp — teleport an ally or foe; huge action-economy swing
- Kinetic Jaunt — personal mobility / disengage package
- Borrowed Knowledge — temporary skill proficiency when the party is stuck
How to spend 2nd-level slots
- Survival first — Misty Step and Mirror Image keep you casting tomorrow.
- Party multipliers — Web, Spike Growth, Pass Without Trace, Spiritual Weapon.
- Single-target locks — Hold Person when the fight is one boss humanoid.
Related hubs
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Misty Step better than Invisibility?
Different jobs. Misty Step is emergency reposition. Invisibility is scouting and setup. Most casters eventually want Misty Step on their forever list.
Web or Spike Growth?
Web restrains (great for ranged parties). Spike Growth punishes forced movement. Terrain and party composition decide.
Does Spiritual Weapon stack with Spirit Guardians?
Yes — Spiritual Weapon has no concentration, so it is the classic Cleric double-dip with Spirit Guardians later.