Casting Deus Ex Machina -- The Platinum Spell Compendium

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"A deus ex machina is a plot device whereby a seemingly unsolvable problem is suddenly and abruptly resolved, with the contrived and unexpected intervention of some new event, character, ability, or object." -- Wikipedia

All the more fitting, then, that we refer to deus ex machina when we talk about a spellcaster's capabilities in D&D 3.5e.  In this game, there is no problem that cannot be effectively resolved without the tactical application of the one perfect spell printed somewhere in the vast sea of 3.5e's supplements -- not even a problem caused by multiple spells.  As such, the very simple goal of this spellbook is to go out, find the best of the best, and organize it here for the use of potential future spellcasters.

Table of Contents -

• Platinum Spells by Source
  
  • Core and SRD
  • Spell Compendium
  • Other Non-Setting Sources
  • Forgotten Realms Sources
  • Other Setting-Specific Sources
• Platinum Spells by Class List
  
  • Bard
  • Cleric
  • Druid
  • Sorcerer/Wizard
  • Assassin and Blackguard
  • Paladin and Ranger
• Platinum Spells... Sometimes
  
  • Spells for Scrolls and Wands
  • Spells for Strongholds
  • Spells for Mundane Tasks
  • Spells for Existing (As Opposed to Casting)

Spell Format

• Spell Name ^Source {School (Subschool) [Descriptor(s)]; Class(es) and Level(s); At-a-Glance Features}
  The basic format for spells will include the information above, plus a short description of the spell's effects and what it's good for here.
• Spell Name ^Source {School (Subschool) [Descriptor(s)]; Class(es) and Level(s); At-a-Glance Features}
  Spells in the first and second sections will be further distinguished by added coloration to the names.  Black names indicate a spell that just does the job, is only a great spell for a limited time, or maybe needs a nudge from metamagic in order to function at it's full potential.  Blue names mean that the spell is a generally good spell to have, and can be amazing in the hands of a specialist.  Purple names are for spells that are simply fantastic, and should likely be in your repertoire if you have even the slightest excuse to put it there in the first place.
  Note that spells in the final section will not be rated on this system.  By their nature, they're not really meant to be competing against one another or the spells in the first two sections for your spell slots on days where it matters.
• Spell Name ^Source {School (Subschool) [Descriptor(s)*]; Class(es) and Level(s); At-a-Glance Features}
  Some spells are old, and not all 3.5e books are well-edited.  As a result, you sometimes get spells that deal Electricity damage without the Electricity descriptor, or a Divination spell that views a remote area but lacks the Scrying subschool.  Such inconsistencies can cause some nonsense to happen when combined with the rules, so I've taken the opportunity to stick in any Subschools or Descriptors that are not RAW and add them to the descriptions of the spells here, denoted by asterisks (*).  Consider these suggestions as opposed to rules.
• Spell Name ^Source {School (Subschool) [Descriptor(s)]; Class(es) and Level(s); At-a-Glance Features}
  At the end of each spell will sometimes be 1-4 icons to quickly note some common spell features.  They are explained here:
  
  • Persistable - The spell can be altered by the Persistent Spell feat.
  • Touch - Many effects are specific to touch spells.  Also, non-instantaneous touch spells can be made Persistable with abilities like the Archmage's Arcane Reach.
  • Ray - Rays are often a preferred form of targeting spells since their failure state is a ranged touch attack roll, which is generally somewhat easier to optimize than a Save DC and also allows these spells to apply secondary effects typically reserved for attacks such as Sneak Attack.
  • Moderate Duration - Spells with moderate duration are often good subjects for Extend Spell, which can then result in you keeping them active for as long as the Party is active.
  • Long Duration - Spells with long durations tend to not need Extending past very low levels or Persisting ever.  Preparing these spells generally means you can rely on having their effect around for the entire day.
  • 48+ Hour Duration - Spells that last multiple days, or are sometimes even permanent.  These are spells that you can have around when it counts, even if you don't prepare them that day.
  • Short Casting Time - Spells that are Quickened for free.  Sometimes they are even cast as Immediate actions.
  • Long Casting Time - Spells with a casting time greater than a full-round action.  These spells cannot be Quickened, and sometimes might not even be spells meant to be cast in battle.

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Reserved for Core and SRD

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Reserved for Spell Compendium

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Non-Setting-Specific Sources

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Detect Weaponry {Divination; Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
If you're not upset with the blatant gaminess inherent to this spell, it's a fairly reasonable method to scout out enemies at low levels.

Impending Stones {Transmutation; Drd 1, Rgr 1}
A reasonable spell to use in place of Entangle in case you're not in an appropriate environment for Entangle to work.  Entangle is better, but keep the spell description of this one around.

Secret Weapon {Illusion (Glamer); Asn 1, Brd 1, Blk 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
A useful low-level spell to sneak weapons around.  The Hide bonus makes it extremely difficult for enemies to frisk you and get your weapons.

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Benediction {Abjuration; Clr 2, Pal 2; Touch, Long Duration}
While the spell lasts, you get a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws that explicity stacks with all other bonuses, including other luck bonuses.  The spell can also be discharged to grant a reroll of most d20 rolls, which just makes it stupid good.  Considering the level and the duration, getting a wand might not be a bad idea.

Door of Decay {Conjuration (Teleportation); Clr 5}
You know that one, really cool thing that really bad Blood Mage PrC does?  This does that, except with undead creatures (including incorporeal undead like shadows, which just makes those things even more ridiculously useful).  Dread Necromancers can learn this spell through advanced learning, and probably should.  This spell almost takes a hit from not being able to bring along allies, but a Portable Hole solves that issue nicely.

Footsteps of the Divine {Transmutation; Clr 3; Persistable}
Depending on your deity, gives you either a new movement mode or a ridiculous bonus to your base speeds.  You can choose the effects offered by other deities, but that reduces the duration of the spell (not a huge deal, generally).  It's never quite as good as Fly is for Sorcerers/Wizards, but you have some nice versatility AND it's Persistable.

Forest Eyes {Divination (Scrying); Drd 3; Long Casting Time}
Clairvoyance is one of the first Scrying spells a spellcaster can expect to employ, but it does have a number of limitations.  This trades one such limitation of short range for the requirement that a large, living plant be near the scrying location.  Beyond that, everything amazing about Clairvoyance applies here.

Light of Wisdom {Abjuration [Good]; Clr 3; Short Casting Time}
I'll be honest, I don't know how useful this spell is as written.  That said, if you could somehow, in any way, strip off that [Good] descriptor or stick this on an Arcane list, then this becomes a spell that increases your REBUKING level by 1/3 your caster level.  With divine caster level shenanigans, that's a huge boost to the number of creatures you could potentially command.

Lore of the Gods {Divination; Clr 2; Long Duration}
This combined with Collector of Stories gives you a pretty potent Knowledge Devotion roll.  Can also be used by Arcivists with their class abilities to pretty solid effect.  If you don't worship a Deity that grants Knowledge, then it might not be worth only a +5 bonus.

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Arcane Fusion {Universal; Sor 5}
Almost automatic.  The only thing holding this spell back is the fact that by the time you're 10th level, 1st-level spells are mostly going to be utility.

Arcane Fusion, Greater {Universal; Sor 8}
Definitely automatic.  With this version, the lower spell can be anything up to 4th-level, which includes a lot of spells that are always useful.

Arcane Turmoil {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 2}
Targeted Dispel Magic (probably with a maximum CL bonus to the level check of +10, possibly uncapped), and if the enemy is a spellcaster then they have to make a Will save or lose a high-level spell.  A little more situational than standard Dispel Magic, but a very strong spell regardless.

Dawnburst {Evocation [Light]; Sor/Wiz 1}
Basically counters Invisibility before Invisibility comes into play, as well as dealing nicely with mundane darkness effects.  High up there on the list of spells Warmages should grab with advanced learning due to it being a very rare utility-oriented Evocation spell that just so happens to deal with something really important to Warmages.

Deafening Blast[/color] {Evocation [Sonic]; Brd 3; Permanent}
No-save deafness for 1 round in a Fireball-sized area, which is basically a guaranteed -4 penalty on Initiative for any enemies not acting in the surprise round.  Could, potentially, also disrupt any spells the enemy casts in that first round.  In the hands of anyone other than the Bard, this is kind of a win-harder spell, but the Bard's spell list is not built with too many encounter-ending spells.  This will, however, give the characters that DO have encounter-ending spells a much better chance of getting those off before the enemy even acts.

Dimension Jumper {Conjuration (Teleportation); Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time, No ASF, Persistable}
For those who think that flying is for plebeians, or that Freedom of Movement is a silly crutch and want a superior method of evading various impediments to movement.  There is also a Greater version of this spell, but it's hard to say that it's actually better than this one.  Either way, it's certainly not worth the 9th-level slot it takes up.

Enduring Scrutiny {Divination; Asn 3, Brd 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3; 48+ Hour Duration}
At first I was going to suggest this as a thematic spell, but the more I think about it the more interesting it becomes as an information-gathering spell.  Furthermore, it's on some lists that tend to be really lacking in that department, increasing it's value even more for those classes.  By all means, pick this up and get creative with it.

Heart of Water {Transmutation [Water]; Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
The primary effect of this spell is a long-duration Water Breathing effect, which is, itself, nice.  The ridiculous part is the swift-action discharge effect the spell has, whereby you gain Freedom of Movement for a round per level.  There's also a tertiary benefit that you get Light Fortification if you have another "Heart of" spell active, but the only one that's really even worthwhile is Heart of Earth, and that one has limited usefulness.

Magic Savant {Divination; Brd 2; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
A spell that goes an extraordinarily long ways towards breaking UMD, the one skill that doesn't need to be broken any more.  Grants a +4 bonus on UMD checks and gives you skill mastery with UMD, which is like a net benefit of a +13 bonus to your UMD skill given that reliable, repeated use is often just as valuable as any minor bonuses.

Near Horizon {Divination; Asn 2, Rgr 2; Short Cast Time, Persistable}
Removes range penalties from ranged attacks, lasts 3 rounds.  Might never come into play in 99% of campaigns, though, unless you're using one of those ranged weapons with a really short range increment like Daggers or Javelins.

Otiluke's Suppressing Field {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 4; Long Casting Time, Long Duration, Persistable}
A low-level variation on Antimagic Field.  It's a powerful, albeit limited effect that benefits greatly from creative applications.  You should make use of this.

Smoky Confinement {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 6; Permanent}
A simple Fortitude Negates save-or-lose.  The difference here is that the spell doesn't actually kill the victim, it captures them, which can be all kinds of valuable for any number of reasons, and can also be used by DM to introduce characters.

Steal Summoning {Conjuration (Summoning); Sor/Wiz 6; Short Casting Time}
A cute trick, but not action efficient at all. If you have a method of concentrating on a spell without burning your standard actions then it's more worthwhile, but more likely this is going to come from some kind of trap.

Touch of Vecna {Necromancy [Evil, Fear]; Sor/Wiz 5; Permanent}
Deals minimal negative energy damage and afflicts the target with the shaken status if they're not immune to Fear effects.  The reason this spell gets a blue rating is because of the effect on a failed Fortitude save: Permanent paralysis.  This effect is also not subject to fear immunity, so with a failed save and a victory you can actually take the target alive.

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Disobedience {Abjuration; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
Gives you many of the most important features of Mind Blank, only from a much earlier level.

Evacuation Rune {Conjuration (Teleportation); Bard 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Long Duration}
If nothing else, Teleport for Bards.  For Wizards, you can do interesting, different shenanigans than with Teleport.  In either case, it's a Swift Action, so if you need to get out of some place fast then this can work just fine.

Scry Location {Divination (Scrying); Brd 5, Clr 7, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 6; Long Casting Time}
Scrying, no save.  Also, if you want to scry on something, as opposed to someone, then this spell will do that.

Spore Field {Transmutation; Drd 1, Rng 2}
A solid battlefield control spell for the Druid level.  Slows down enemies, and forces enemies that move through the area to make a *lot* of Fortitude saves or take not-insignificant penalties on multiple die rolls.  The only issue is that Druids have a ton of these.

Spymaster's Coin {Divination (Scrying); Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Duration}
A really potent scrying spell for the level with the added bonus that it works in a way that promotes and rewards creativity with the spell.

Wand Modulation {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 3; Short Cast Time}
The power of this spell is that it enables you to get multiple castings of any 3rd-level or lower spell, given the appropriately-leveled wand.  It's not efficient in any way whatsoever, but it has all the versatility you could want.

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Adoration of the Frightful {Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF}
Mass Charm Monster as a level three spell.  Yes, it's one minute per level instead of one day per level, but it comes at level THREE.

Arcane Spellsurge {Universal; Sor/Wiz 7; Persistable}
Auto-Quicken all spells.  Yes, you can't choose to cast standard action spells as a standard action under the effects of this spell, but there are plenty of great spells out there that cast as either a full-round action or require a full-round casting time.  Sorcerers can even, simply apply a +0 metamagic to a spell to bump it back up to a standard action.  Really, there isn't an actual drawback to using this spell, and it's not hard at all to reap impressive benefits.

Dragoneye Rune {Universal; Sor/Wiz 2; Permanent, Touch}
The subjects of this spell become exceptionally easy for you to follow with Scrying spells, and three times per day you can determine their location if they're on the same plane as you, all for a second-level spell.  A truly outrageous information-gathering spell for the level.

Eyes of the Oracle {Divination; Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6; Persistable}
I think this spell is what the writers of Celerity were going for, only not ridiculously OP.  While under the effects of the spell, you can ready an action regardless of having taken earlier actions, and you only discharge this spell's effect if you actually take the readied action.

Ferocity of Sanguine Rage {Transmutation/Divination; Asn 4, Sor/Wiz 3; Persistable}
You gain half your caster level as a bonus to melee damage rolls for a round per level.  The True Strike effect is bad, don't use it, but this spell is good alternative for characters that don't want to rely on Power Attack for dealing damage.

Hoard Gullet {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration, Persistable}
It takes a special kind of Wizard to make use of this spell, but if you are one such Wizard then this is a neat 1st-level spell that never truly becomes obsolete.

Mark of the Enlightened Soul {Transmutation [Good]; Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time}
I've got a soft spot for the Planar Wizard 10 Substitution level.  Effects like this spell, Planar Wizard 10, Spell Focus [Good], and more quickly add up to some truly profound spell save DC's.

Primal Hunter {Transmutation; Drd 2, Rgr 1, Sor 2; Long Duration}
Only useful for non-Wildshape Rangers, Sorcerers have Alter Self and Druids get Wild Shape very soon after they get this.  Having this active at the same time as Primal Instinct will net you Uncanny Dodge, which is also a nice bonus for Rangers.

Primal Instinct {Transmutation; Drd 3, Rgr 2, Sor 3; Long Duration}
Again, only for Rangers (although even Wildshape Rangers should like this one).  Gives a nice Initiative bonus, but Sorcerers really have no reason to look at this.  Druids don't have as many initiative boosters, so if you don't need the 3rd-level slot, this might be a nice spell to pick up.

Touch of the Blackened Soul {Transmutation [Evil]; Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time}
I've got a soft spot for the Planar Wizard 10 Substitution level.  Effects like this spell, Planar Wizard 10, Spell Focus [Evil], and more quickly add up to some truly profound spell save DC's.

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Combat Readiness {Divination; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Touch, No ASF}
This spell is really all about the initiative boost, and if your character has access to a better initiative boost spell like Nerveskitter then, clearly, you should go with that.  This is still an option, though, I suppose.

Engulfing Terror {Conjuration (Creation); Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Casting Time}
Summons a gelatinous cube, which will basically murder anything with weak Fortitude saves if it gets close enough.  The lack of control over the cube really limits the versatility of the spell compared to summoning spells, but the raw power is intensely brutal, particularly in confined areas or tight formations of smaller creatures.

Yochlol Blessing {Transmutation [Chaotic, Evil]; Clr 4}
A real pain to be able to cast, but if you have the capability then you absolutely should go for it.  This spell gives the subject no less than 8 primary natural weapons and an array of smaller, defensive bonuses.  It's fantastic, but it also is cursed with the Drow component, so actually being able to cast this spell is exceedingly rare.

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Alibi {Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Short Casting Time, 48+ Hour Duration, No ASF}
Memory modification, albeit limited, with instantaneous duration.  The wording implies that the caster has a significant amount of control over the content of the memory, but if it conflicts with the memories of others, then the spell could backfire.  Might not be as good as Charm Person with a conservative reading, but might eclipse that spell with a liberal one.

Friendly Fire {Abjuration; Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time, Long Casting Time, No ASF}
At a minimum, ranged attack immunity for 1 attack if cast as an immediate action, 1 round/level if cast as a full-round action, or for a day if persisted, given that you can target squares with ranged attacks (even if you normally would only do such a thing vs. invisible enemies).  If there's a hostile target within 30' of you, then you waste the actions of anyone shooting at you and potentially cripple or kill enemy targets without action.

Phantasmal Injury {Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3}
Single-target Slow, mostly, but with longer range and in a much more interesting school.  Slow is probably better for your typical Batman wizards, but any amount of Illusion specialization and this spell should merit an extended look.

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Demon Wings {Transmutation [Evil]; Blk 3, Demonic Domain 3; Long Duration, Persistable}
An alternative to the Fly spell that gives you a slower fly speed for a much longer duration.

Demoncall {Divination [Evil]; Blk 2, Demonic Domain 2; Short Casting Time}
Solid spell, obviously for use with Knowledge Devotion.  Stick it in a Wand for best effect, because you’re going to be using it frequently and there are no CL-dependent components to the spell.

Embrace the Dark Chaos {Transmutation [Chaotic]; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8; Permanent}
One of two spells which enable the tactic known as the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle, which is somewhere between extremely useful and horribly, horribly broken.  This is one of those spell combinations that I’ll leave to other guides/lists to fully flesh out, but know that it's really good.

Inner Beauty {Transmutation; Brd 4; Long Duration}
There is only one use of this spell that really makes sense, and that’s as a long-term self buff by a Charisma-based caster.  It lasts 10 minutes per level all on it’s own, so with a bolstered CL and Extend Spell it can last all day.  By itself it’s probably not worth the setup, but keep it in mind if you’re going to get a lot of long-duration spells every morning.

Shun the Dark Chaos {Transmutation [Chaotic]; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8; Permanent}
The second of the two spells which enable the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle.  See Embrace the Dark Chaos for further input.

Slime Wave {Conjuration (Summoning); Clr 7, Drd 7, Ooze Domain 7}
Green Slime is in the PHB, go look at it.  The amount of Constitution damage this spell is capable of, especially against larger targets, is just obscene, and it targets Reflex saves that said large targets tend to not do so well.  Note that FCI came out after Spell Compendium, so this seems to be an update to the slightly inferior version in that book.  That said, if SC is allowed, but FCI isn’t, then this is still a great spell to have.

Vision of Entropy {Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]; Brd 2, Entropy Domain 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
With one failed save the target is weakened, with 2 it’s out of the fight, and it must make these Will saves every single round.  The iterative probability makes this a really powerful spell, and the -2 penalty to saves given by the Shaken condition makes the descent to Panic and, eventually, unconsciousness even faster.

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Investiture of the Orthon {Transmutation [Evil, Investiture]; Blk 4, Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5}
Blocks enemy teleportation with no save, and is probably the only such effect on the Blackguard spell list.  The "sonic shield" is also an interesting ability, since fire shield's two main drawbacks -- personal range and useless against creatures with Resist Fire 20 -- do not apply here.  That said, even though this spell does something unique and powerful and does it well, it's rarely a thing that's going to win encounters for you, it's a spell that's going to take a winning encounter and make you win them harder.

Investiture of the Spined Devil {Transmutation [Evil, Investiture]; Blk 1, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
At low levels, damage spells can be really good if they do enough damage.  This one does enough, especially since every action beyond the first required to do said damage is being taken by a big, stupid fighter or a halfling trapmonkey that otherwise wouldn't be contributing nearly as much to a fight.  Great to prepare until Scourge of Force gets up there in damage potential, and might always warrant a preparation from Blackguards.

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Alter Fortune {Divination; Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
The higher-op your game is, the better this spell becomes.  Iterative probability note that even with a 5% failure chance, you've got a really good shot at failing after a dozen-or-so attempts.  However, 2 consecutive failures out of the same number of attempts is practically unheard of.  Well worth the pittance of Experience it costs to cast.

As the Frost {Transmutation [Cold]; Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7; Persistable}
This spell is, basically, a slowing aura.  In order to take full advantage of this spell, you probably want to be a gish.  That way, you can Persist this spell, giving yourself the Outsider type and a Slowing aura, and then use Polymorph to assume nice, big outsider forms to increase the effective area the slowing aura covers.

Bigby's Helpful Hand {Evocation [Force]; Sor/Wiz 1; Persistable, Long Duration}
This little hand gives a variety of nifty, little bonuses.  You get the benefit of an Aid Another check on Craft, Disable Device, and Open Lock checks, something similar to the Quick Draw feat, and a lesser form of the Floating Disk spell all in one, plus it's Persistable and lasts for 1 hour/level otherwise.  Who says Evocation is useless?

Bigby's Warding Hand {Evocation [Force]; Sor/Wiz 2}
An all-around mobility debuff at a level where they're not very common.  Note that this spell doesn't offer a saving throw, but rather requires Strength checks to overcome the Hand.  As a result, this is the perfect spell for catching thieves or small vermin... like Kobolds.

Black Karma Curse {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
Instantaneous, so it's not blocked by Prot: Evil, and targets a Will save, so creatures with high damage output and low saves are extremely vulnerable.  If the target just took an action with a high Power Attack penalty, this could easily one-shot it.

Blade Brothers {Abjuration; Brd 2, Clr 2}
This is a great spell at low levels when you're not going to have the gear you need to overcome a weak saving throw.  Cast this spell on two characters with different strong saves, such as one with strong Fortitude saves and weak Will saves, and another with weak Fortitude saves and strong Will saves.  When one of them gets hit with a spell targeting their weak save, they can trigger this effect and get a significantly better shot at avoiding the saving throw.

Blinding Color Surge {Illusion (Glamer); Sor/Wiz 2}
A neat variation on the old-hat Invisibility, that in addition to giving you invisibility can potentially blind another creature for the benefit of your allies.

Lesser Celerity {Transmutation; Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Short Casting Time}
Lesser Celerity is mostly fine.  The Celerity that comes in at level 4 is a campaign smasher, and should be avoided as part of a gentleman's agreement between you and the DM.

Chain Dispel {Abjuration; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8}
The ultimate in Dispel Magic spells.  Everything that Dispel Magic and Greater Dispel Magic can do, this one does better, so keep an eye out for it at higher levels.

Cloud of Knives {Conjuration; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Persistable}
A very efficient spell in terms of dealing damage and, to some extent, preserving action economy.  If you want a free attack every turn, then you can even persist this spell.  Note that this spell gains significant benefit from abilities like Warmage Edge or metamagic feats that add rider effects like Fell Weaken or Fell Drain.

Crown of the Grave {Necromancy; Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
The only "Crown" spell worth mentioning because it actually does something as it's base effect.  For 1 hour per level, the target of this spell can use the Command spell on an undead creature, presumably with the save DC matching that of this spell.  In an undead-heavy campaign, this will be useful.

Crushing Grip {Evocation; Sor/Wiz 4; Long Casting Time}
Long casting time, single target, Fortitude negates, SR: Yes?  Yeah, this spell manages to be good in spite of all that.  The spell applies a -2 penalty to everything and penalizes the creature's move speed if it bypasses SR as soon as the spell starts.  If the SR check fails, then it appears that you don't spend ANY action whatsoever to cast the spell.  Then, at the start of your next turn, your target has to make a Fortitude save, with a -2 penalty, or be Paralyzed for 3 rounds.  Forget Phantasmal Killer, this is my single-target Save-or-Lose of choice at this level.

Dimension Step {Conjuration (Teleportation); Sor/Wiz 3}
A solid chessmaster spell, allowing your allies to re-position themselves in an ideal formation for dealing with a rough or complex encounter, or to get multiple allies out of a physically immobilizing effect like a web spell.  Two levels up is a similar spell called Dimension Shuffle that also allows you to reposition your enemies, but a Will save negates it for each of them, and negated saves with that spell can really foil whatever plans you have.

Dragonshape {Transmutation (Polymorph); Sor/Wiz 9; Short Casting Time}
You lose your spellcasting while this spell is up, but if you have good enough long-term buffs then that's not a serious obstacle.  This is a beast of a melee form, and actually makes being a gish kinda silly since it replaces just about all of your combat statistics (even BAB).

Greater Electric Vengance {Evocation [Electricity]; Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time}
This is a unique spell.  As an immediate action, you blast someone who strikes you in melee for some notable, but not all that great, Electricity damage, made better that it doesn't offer a save against the damage.  The save comes in against the secondary effect: a 1 round daze.  The timing of this is such that if someone hits you with their first attack of a full-round of attacks, you can interrupt their iterative attacks if they fail their Fortitude save and save yourself a ton of damage.

Swift Etherealness {Transmutation; Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time}
This is the earliest level at which you get to jump over to the Ethereal Plane if you're a Sorcerer, Wizard, or Beguiler.  Clerics can use Plane Shift, but then they have to cast it again to come back.

Evard's Menacing Tentacles {Transmutation; Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Persistable}
A surprising addition to the Druid list, Evard's Menacing Tentacles give you two extra natural weapons and two extra attacks of opportunity a round, which is a very nice buff for anyone that jumps into melee.

Halt {Transmutation; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF, Short Casting Time}
Very similar, but slightly inferior to Hesitate.  Notable because it's on the Duskblade spell list, in a much more popular school, and has only a verbal component.

Hesitate {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
A slightly stronger version of the Slow spell, allowing only a single move action each round, but this one is single-target and allows a new save each turn (with a swift action).  This one also is cast as an Immediate Action, which is what's really earning it it's spot on this list.

Hunter's Eye {Divination; Rgr 2; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
You gain 1d6 Sneak Attack per 3 caster levels.  This is a favorite among Unseen Seers that gain sneak attack progression, full spellcasting, and a boost to divination caster levels, as well.  That said, unless you have a solid caster level with this spell, you're probably not getting much out of it unless you Persist it.

Increase Virulence {Transmutation; Asn 2, Brd 2, Blk 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Casting Time}
A cheap +2 to the save DC of a poison.  If you use poisons, seek this spell out.

Kelgore's Grave Mist {Conjuration/Necromancy [Cold]; Sor/Wiz 2}
Absolutely brutal spell, but seriously needs some commas in there.  I assume that only the cold damage is repeated with each round, but it's possible that both the fatigue and cold effects are applied every round, which would make this spell completely ridiculous for the level.

Legion of Sentinels {Illusion (Shadow); Sor/Wiz 3}
This spell is devastating against critters with low AC.  If you take, for example, a 6th-level Beguiler throwing this down with a medium-sized creature in the center, that creature will provoke no less than 12 attacks of opportunity if it attempts to leave the area of effect.  Each of these attacks of opportunity will be at a +8 bonus on the attack roll, and deal 1d8+2 damage.  That kind of damage potential is really incredible, and is just begging to get stacked with other AC debuffs or, dare I say, Warmage Edge.  Can also be Sculpted to custom tailor your own special field of death.

Linked Perception {Divination; Drd 2, Rgr 1; Persistent}
Excellent candidate for Persistent Spell, made all the better with larger parties.  If, for example, you were in a party of 5 characters (totally typical), and each of those characters had some manner of familiar or animal companion (not typical, but can still be the case in high-OP parties), then each character in the area will benefit from a +20 untyped bonus to Spot and Listen checks.

Greater Mirror Image {Illusion (Figment); Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
Simply incredible spell, giving you the defensive power of a Mirror Image spell as an immediate action.  Don't think that because it's personal range and that it regenerates images that it might be a Persist candidate, because it isn't.  Mirror Image is just too easy to defeat if you have the right tools at your disposal.  The surprise factor is what keeps this in the books of high-level Wizards.

Overwhelm {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Sor/Wiz 6}
It's tough listing this because immunity to it is becoming increasingly common at this time, but at the same time this is another solid method of incapacitating an enemy without killing it, just make sure the target has taken at least 1 point of nonlethal damage before hitting it with this spell.

Ray of the Python {Evocation; Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3}
The name says Ray, and there's talk about a Ray in the description, but it's not actually a Ray spell.  It's just a single-target, save-negates debuff, but is actually a really nifty all-purpose debuff that hits a save that's often the weak point for targets it has the greatest impact on.  The first effect is that the target can't make more than one attack each round, so no full attacks, no snap kick, none of that.  Second is that the target can't make attacks of opportunity, which is great for opening up a vulnerability in a defensive formation of giant brutes.  The last feature is that if the a creature affected by this spell fails the initial save, they get more saving throws to suppress the effect temporarily, but still have to contend with it for the full minute.

Scattering Trap {Conjuration (Teleportation); Sor/Wiz 3}
Every chessmaster Wizard has to try this just once: Sculpted Scattering Trap, preferably in an enclosed area.  The effect is bound to be hilarious.  Aside from that, it's an alright method to putting hazards in the way of chargers, potentially interrupting their charge and ruining their action.  That said, there are some lower-level spells that just plain block charging that are less risky.

Seeking Ray {Evocation [Electricity*]; Sor/Wiz 2}
Until you hit CL 7, this spell is strictly superior to Scorching Ray in every way.  Afterwards, it's almost certainly worthwhile to pick up a Lesser Quicken Rod and use it to do a little extra damage while helping setup another Ray attack.

Stifle Spell {Abjuration; Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4; No ASF, Short Casting Time}
If you are not a dedicated counterspell Wizard, then stick to this spell for whatever counterspelling needs you may have.  The Concentration check DC of this spell is not hard, but it's not guaranteed to work, either.

Trollshape {Transmutation (Polymorph); Sor/Wiz 4; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
Solid polymorph spell.  Gishes should stick with the usual Polymorph, while Wizards should pick up this spell specifically if they want to mix it up a little in melee.  Don't worry about being squishy, the temp HP and natural troll defenses are enough to keep you in one piece while this spell is in effect.

Vertigo Field {Illusion (Phantasm); Sor/Wiz 3}
Excellent arcane method for creating difficult terrain, making it harder for other creatures to get around something such as a chain tripper without provoking attacks of opportunity.  There are some other gravy effects here, too.

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Create Trap {Conjuration (Creation*); Kobold Domain 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Cast Time, Long Duration}
First, let’s be serious about how you use this spell.  You will ONLY create a Fusillade of Darts with this spell.  One volley of darts has a potential for 20 damage to a creature, more with critical hits, so it’s really a very good spell at lower levels for that fact alone.  If you manage to re-set the trap and get it sprung again, then you’re getting way more than you paid for from a 1st-level slot.

Ghostly Tail {Evocation [Force]; Sor 1; Long Duration, Persistable}
Gives you a force tail attack that deals pretty good damage with attacks of opportunity.  A prime choice for gishes or Kobolds to make use of.  If you have the Dragonblood subtype, you get a really impressive damage bonus on top of everything else.

Gnome Blight {Conjuration (Creation); Sor/Wiz 2}
Unlike Cloud of Bewilderment, this spell provides a significant fog bank for blocking vision, and covers a very large area.  However, sickened isn’t quite as bad of a condition as nauseated, but the -2 penalty to saves provided by the sickened condition can then allow for a follow-up spell that incapacitates the victim completely.

Greater Mighty Wallop {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
Long duration buff that substantially boosts the damage output of a bludgeoning weapon.  Note that this can be cast on natural weapons, as well, so long as they include a Bludgeoning component, including slams, bites, tentacles, and wings.  Well worth the cast.

Power Word Nauseate {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Sor/Wiz 6}
Power Word spells are, generally, not good.  That said, this is one of the few worth mentioning.  Nauseated is an incredibly debilitating condition, second only to the even more brutal Dazed and Stunned conditions.  There are a couple of conditions under which this spell can be used effectively: on a big, ugly thing that just took a round of hits from your front-liners, or on a caster that doesn’t have immunity to Mind-Affecting.  If it hits something with less than 150 HP, you’re trading standard actions (which tends to be in the party’s favor, as they often have more actions).  If it hits something with less than 100 HP, then it’s likely a sitting duck waiting for the BSF to finish it off.

Power Word Pain {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Sor/Wiz 1}
Personally, I don’t like this spell.  It has a lot of damage potential, which is why it’s listed, but don’t be surprised if that potential isn’t realized, because it just takes far too long for that damage to come about.

Sticky Floor {Conjuration (Creation); Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
Many comment about how Grease is a great spell even into higher levels, but I personally think that this spell is marginally superior at higher levels since it doesn’t rely on your opponent having a terrible Balance modifier to disable them, it’s just a straight Reflex save or don’t move.

Summon Aspect of Bahamut {Conjuration (Summoning) [Good*]; Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7; Long Casting Time}
A concentration spell, but you generally need to throw a 9th-level spell to summon a beast this bad.  What’s more, this creature has some uncommon Knowledge mods for the level you pick this spell up, so in a pinch you can use it as a pseudo-Divination if you really needed to, although there are some much lower-level spells that offer comparable knowledge resources.

Tail Slap {Evocation [Force]; Sor 2; Persistable}
Persistable buff that gives you a “standard action” touch attack, noted because it’s explicitly stated, not because it’s some kind of code.  Normally this wouldn’t bring it up to the level of a typical lightsaber spell, but it actually deals quite a lot of damage (d6/2 levels) and has an interesting rider effect where you can knock back your enemies quite a considerable distance when you first cast the spell.  If you’re Dragonblooded, then you can do it any time you attack with the tail.

Wings of Cover {Evocation [Force]; Sor 2; Short Casting Time}
This spell is not to be used against melee combatants, since it just ruins one attack in their routine.  Instead, this spell is meant to block targeted spell attacks.  The bonus you gain against area attacks is significant, too, since you have improved cover (+4 on Reflex saves and Improved Evasion).  There is potential for this spell to be extraordinary, in that Dragonblooded characters can protect adjacent allies as well.  Now, I’m not too sure that’s a great idea in the first place since it’s just asking for your party to get Fireballed, but the spell is effective enough that it might not be a bad idea to bait the Fireball with a tight formation, throw down this spell, and then negate most-to-all of the damage with it’s bonuses.

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Forgotten Realms Sources

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Dweomer Vortex {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF, Long Duration}
A versatile and effective low-level defense against enemy mages.  Also an effective spell to compliment targeted Dispels.  If your character is a specialized Dispel Magic user, then you can follow up a targeted Dispel Magic with the swift-action activation of Dweomer Vortex to take out any spells you might have failed to get rid of with your Dispel Magic attempt.

Mystic Shield {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 8; Touch, Long Casting Time}
Quite possibly the most powerful defensive spell in the game.  Completely immunizes the subject against 6th-level and lower spells from outside sources, but doesn't interfere with your own buffs.  Also negates the magical properties of weapons used against you.  If you're incorporeal, then you basically become immune to weapon damage, too.  The only downside this spell has, at all, is that it's a touch range spell, but getting some sort of Arcane Reach ability is worthwhile just to have this spell persistable.

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Eberron Sources

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Devastating Smite {Transmutation; Blk 1, Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time}
A nice, little damage boost for Smiters, particularly when combined with damage multipliers and/or smite abilities that don't scale off Paladin or Blackguard levels such as the Ordained Champion ability or Killoren racial smite.

Instant of Power {Transmutation; Brd 1, Drd 1, Rgr 1; Short Casting Time}
A +4 bonus on a saving throw isn't as good as a reroll, but it's not bad and rerolls tend to not be available at level 1.

Knight Unburdened {Transmutation; Blk 1, Pal 1; Long Duration, Touch}
The big reason medium and heavy armors suck is because they slow down your move speed.  This spell negates that specific penalty.  Not purple because it ONLY removes that movement speed penalty, and doesn't do other things like allow you to use abilities like Armored Mage and Evasion is heavier armors.

Predator's Cry {Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting, Sonic]; Drd 2, Rgr 2; Short Casting Time, No ASF}
Save-or-lose covering a massive area, castable as a swift action.  Only drawback is that it's only effective against animals.

Protective Interposition {Conjuration (Teleportation); Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time, Touch}
You and one ally swap positions via teleportation as a swift action.  The key to maximizing your effectiveness with this spell is to prepare it with a caster that has considerable reach.

Swift Ready {Conjuration (Summoning); Asn 2, Brd 2; Long Casting Time, Long Duration}
Get one or two hand-held items and your armor readied in one swift action.  It's a reasonable spell if you have a favorite weapon that you might have some difficulty retrieving or a heavy suit of armor you need to be able to don quickly but don't necessarily want to wear all the time.

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Dream Spirit {Conjuration (Creation); Sor/Wiz 3; Long Casting Time}
At all levels, incorporeal creatures can flat win encounters, and this spell summons an incorporeal creature without having the [Evil] descriptor, which is pretty rare.  Make sure to extend this spell at higher levels so that the summoned creature actually lasts long enough to kill things.

Other Setting-Specific Sources

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Bard Spells

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Alibi ^EoE {Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Short Casting Time, 48+ Hour Duration, No ASF}
Memory modification, albeit limited, with instantaneous duration.  The wording implies that the caster has a significant amount of control over the content of the memory, but if it conflicts with the memories of others, then the spell could backfire.  Might not be as good as Charm Person with a conservative reading, but might eclipse that spell with a liberal one.

Combat Readiness ^DotU {Divination; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Touch, No ASF}
This spell is really all about the initiative boost, and if your character has access to a better initiative boost spell like Nerveskitter then, clearly, you should go with that.  This is still an option, though, I suppose.

Detect Weaponry ^City {Divination; Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
If you're not upset with the blatant gaminess inherent to this spell, it's a fairly reasonable method to scout out enemies at low levels.

Instant of Power ^FoW {Transmutation; Brd 1, Drd 1, Rgr 1; Short Casting Time}
A +4 bonus on a saving throw isn't as good as a reroll, but it's not bad and rerolls tend to not be available at level 1.

Secret Weapon ^City {Illusion (Glamer); Asn 1, Brd 1, Blk 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
A useful low-level spell to sneak weapons around.  The Hide bonus makes it extremely difficult for enemies to frisk you and get your weapons.

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Blade Brothers ^PHB2 {Abjuration; Brd 2, Clr 2}
This is a great spell at low levels when you're not going to have the gear you need to overcome a weak saving throw.  Cast this spell on two characters with different strong saves, such as one with strong Fortitude saves and weak Will saves, and another with weak Fortitude saves and strong Will saves.  When one of them gets hit with a spell targeting their weak save, they can trigger this effect and get a significantly better shot at avoiding the saving throw.

Increase Virulence ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Asn 2, Brd 2, Blk 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Casting Time}
A cheap +2 to the save DC of a poison.  If you use poisons, seek this spell out.

Lesser Celerity ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Short Casting Time}
Lesser Celerity is mostly fine.  The Celerity that comes in at level 4 is a campaign smasher, and should be avoided as part of a gentleman's agreement between you and the DM.

Magic Savant ^CM {Divination; Brd 2; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
A spell that goes an extraordinarily long ways towards breaking UMD, the one skill that doesn't need to be broken any more.  Grants a +4 bonus on UMD checks and gives you skill mastery with UMD, which is like a net benefit of a +13 bonus to your UMD skill given that reliable, repeated use is often just as valuable as any minor bonuses.

Swift Ready ^FoW {Conjuration (Summoning); Asn 2, Brd 2; Long Casting Time, Long Duration}
Get one or two hand-held items and your armor readied in one swift action.  It's a reasonable spell if you have a favorite weapon that you might have some difficulty retrieving or a heavy suit of armor you need to be able to don quickly but don't necessarily want to wear all the time.

Ray of the Python ^PHB2 {Evocation; Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3}
The name says Ray, and there's talk about a Ray in the description, but it's not actually a Ray spell.  It's just a single-target, save-negates debuff, but is actually a really nifty all-purpose debuff that hits a save that's often the weak point for targets it has the greatest impact on.  The first effect is that the target can't make more than one attack each round, so no full attacks, no snap kick, none of that.  Second is that the target can't make attacks of opportunity, which is great for opening up a vulnerability in a defensive formation of giant brutes.  The last feature is that if the a creature affected by this spell fails the initial save, they get more saving throws to suppress the effect temporarily, but still have to contend with it for the full minute.

Spymaster's Coin ^CS {Divination (Scrying); Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Duration}
A really potent scrying spell for the level with the added bonus that it works in a way that promotes and rewards creativity with the spell.

Vision of Entropy ^FC1 {Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]; Brd 2, Entropy Domain 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
With one failed save the target is weakened, with 2 it’s out of the fight, and it must make these Will saves every single round.  The iterative probability makes this a really powerful spell, and the -2 penalty to saves given by the Shaken condition makes the descent to Panic and, eventually, unconsciousness even faster.

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Adoration of the Frightful ^DM {Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF}
Mass Charm Monster as a level three spell.  Yes, it's one minute per level instead of one day per level, but it comes at level THREE.

Alter Fortune ^PHB2 {Divination; Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
The higher-op your game is, the better this spell becomes.  Iterative probability note that even with a 5% failure chance, you've got a really good shot at failing after a dozen-or-so attempts.  However, 2 consecutive failures out of the same number of attempts is practically unheard of.  Well worth the pittance of Experience it costs to cast.

Deafening Blast ^CM {Evocation [Sonic]; Brd 3; Permanent}
No-save deafness for 1 round in a Fireball-sized area, which is basically a guaranteed -4 penalty on Initiative for any enemies not acting in the surprise round.  Could, potentially, also disrupt any spells the enemy casts in that first round.  In the hands of anyone other than the Bard, this is kind of a win-harder spell, but the Bard's spell list is not built with too many encounter-ending spells.  This will, however, give the characters that DO have encounter-ending spells a much better chance of getting those off before the enemy even acts.

Disobedience ^CS {Abjuration; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
Gives you many of the most important features of Mind Blank, only from a much earlier level.

Enduring Scrutiny ^CM {Divination; Asn 3, Brd 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3; 48+ Hour Duration}
At first I was going to suggest this as a thematic spell, but the more I think about it the more interesting it becomes as an information-gathering spell.  Furthermore, it's on some lists that tend to be really lacking in that department, increasing it's value even more for those classes.  By all means, pick this up and get creative with it.

Phantasmal Injury ^EoE {Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3}
Single-target Slow, mostly, but with longer range and in a much more interesting school.  Slow is probably better for your typical Batman wizards, but any amount of Illusion specialization and this spell should merit an extended look.

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Greater Mirror Image ^PHB2 {Illusion (Figment); Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
Simply incredible spell, giving you the defensive power of a Mirror Image spell as an immediate action.  Don't think that because it's personal range and that it regenerates images that it might be a Persist candidate, because it isn't.  Mirror Image is just too easy to defeat if you have the right tools at your disposal.  The surprise factor is what keeps this in the books of high-level Wizards.

Inner Beauty ^FC1 {Transmutation; Brd 4; Long Duration}
There is only one use of this spell that really makes sense, and that’s as a long-term self buff by a Charisma-based caster.  It lasts 10 minutes per level all on it’s own, so with a bolstered CL and Extend Spell it can last all day.  By itself it’s probably not worth the setup, but keep it in mind if you’re going to get a lot of long-duration spells every morning.

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Dimension Jumper ^CM {Conjuration (Teleportation); Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time, No ASF, Persistable}
For those who think that flying is for plebeians, or that Freedom of Movement is a silly crutch and want a superior method of evading various impediments to movement.  There is also a Greater version of this spell, but it's hard to say that it's actually better than this one.  Either way, it's certainly not worth the 9th-level slot it takes up.

Evacuation Rune ^CS {Conjuration (Teleportation); Bard 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Long Duration}
If nothing else, Teleport for Bards.  For Wizards, you can do interesting, different shenanigans than with Teleport.  In either case, it's a Swift Action, so if you need to get out of some place fast then this can work just fine.

Scry Location ^CS {Divination (Scrying); Brd 5, Clr 7, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 6; Long Casting Time}
Scrying, no save.  Also, if you want to scry on something, as opposed to someone, then this spell will do that.

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Cleric Spells

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Detect Weaponry ^City {Divination; Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
If you're not upset with the blatant gaminess inherent to this spell, it's a fairly reasonable method to scout out enemies at low levels.

Devastating Smite ^FoW {Transmutation; Blk 1, Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time}
A nice, little damage boost for Smiters, particularly when combined with damage multipliers and/or smite abilities that don't scale off Paladin or Blackguard levels such as the Ordained Champion ability or Killoren racial smite.

Protective Interposition ^FoW {Conjuration (Teleportation); Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time, Touch}
You and one ally swap positions via teleportation as a swift action.  The key to maximizing your effectiveness with this spell is to prepare it with a caster that has considerable reach.

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Benediction ^CC {Abjuration; Clr 2, Pal 2; Touch, Long Duration}
While the spell lasts, you get a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws that explicity stacks with all other bonuses, including other luck bonuses.  The spell can also be discharged to grant a reroll of most d20 rolls, which just makes it stupid good.  Considering the level and the duration, getting a wand might not be a bad idea.

Black Karma Curse ^PHB2 {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
Instantaneous, so it's not blocked by Prot: Evil, and targets a Will save, so creatures with high damage output and low saves are extremely vulnerable.  If the target just took an action with a high Power Attack penalty, this could easily one-shot it.

Blade Brothers ^PHB2 {Abjuration; Brd 2, Clr 2}
This is a great spell at low levels when you're not going to have the gear you need to overcome a weak saving throw.  Cast this spell on two characters with different strong saves, such as one with strong Fortitude saves and weak Will saves, and another with weak Fortitude saves and strong Will saves.  When one of them gets hit with a spell targeting their weak save, they can trigger this effect and get a significantly better shot at avoiding the saving throw.

Cloud of Knives ^PHB2 {Conjuration; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Persistable}
A very efficient spell in terms of dealing damage and, to some extent, preserving action economy.  If you want a free attack every turn, then you can even persist this spell.  Note that this spell gains significant benefit from abilities like Warmage Edge or metamagic feats that add rider effects like Fell Weaken or Fell Drain.

Lore of the Gods ^CC {Divination; Clr 2; Long Duration}
This combined with Collector of Stories gives you a pretty potent Knowledge Devotion roll.  Can also be used by Arcivists with their class abilities to pretty solid effect.  If you don't worship a Deity that grants Knowledge, then it might not be worth only a +5 bonus.

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Adoration of the Frightful ^DM {Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF}
Mass Charm Monster as a level three spell.  Yes, it's one minute per level instead of one day per level, but it comes at level THREE.

Alter Fortune ^PHB2 {Divination; Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
The higher-op your game is, the better this spell becomes.  Iterative probability note that even with a 5% failure chance, you've got a really good shot at failing after a dozen-or-so attempts.  However, 2 consecutive failures out of the same number of attempts is practically unheard of.  Well worth the pittance of Experience it costs to cast.

Crown of the Grave ^PHB2 {Necromancy; Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
The only "Crown" spell worth mentioning because it actually does something as it's base effect.  For 1 hour per level, the target of this spell can use the Command spell on an undead creature, presumably with the save DC matching that of this spell.  In an undead-heavy campaign, this will be useful.

Footsteps of the Divine ^CC {Transmutation; Clr 3; Persistable}
Depending on your deity, gives you either a new movement mode or a ridiculous bonus to your base speeds.  You can choose the effects offered by other deities, but that reduces the duration of the spell (not a huge deal, generally).  It's never quite as good as Fly is for Sorcerers/Wizards, but you have some nice versatility AND it's Persistable.

Hesitate ^PHB2 {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
A slightly stronger version of the Slow spell, allowing only a single move action each round, but this one is single-target and allows a new save each turn (with a swift action).  This one also is cast as an Immediate Action, which is what's really earning it it's spot on this list.

Light of Wisdom ^CC {Abjuration [Good]; Clr 3; Short Casting Time}
I'll be honest, I don't know how useful this spell is as written.  That said, if you could somehow, in any way, strip off that [Good] descriptor or stick this on an Arcane list, then this becomes a spell that increases your REBUKING level by 1/3 your caster level.  With divine caster level shenanigans, that's a huge boost to the number of creatures you could potentially command.

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Yochlol Blessing ^DotU {Transmutation [Chaotic, Evil]; Clr 4}
A real pain to be able to cast, but if you have the capability then you absolutely should go for it.  This spell gives the subject no less than 8 primary natural weapons and an array of smaller, defensive bonuses.  It's fantastic, but it also is cursed with the Drow component, so actually being able to cast this spell is exceedingly rare.

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Door of Decay ^CC {Conjuration (Teleportation); Clr 5}
You know that one, really cool thing that really bad Blood Mage PrC does?  This does that, except with undead creatures (including incorporeal undead like shadows, which just makes those things even more ridiculously useful).  Dread Necromancers can learn this spell through advanced learning, and probably should.  This spell almost takes a hit from not being able to bring along allies, but a Portable Hole solves that issue nicely.

Swift Etherealness ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time}
This is the earliest level at which you get to jump over to the Ethereal Plane if you're a Sorcerer, Wizard, or Beguiler.  Clerics can use Plane Shift, but then they have to cast it again to come back.

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Eyes of the Oracle ^DM {Divination; Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6; Persistable}
I think this spell is what the writers of Celerity were going for, only not ridiculously OP.  While under the effects of the spell, you can ready an action regardless of having taken earlier actions, and you only discharge this spell's effect if you actually take the readied action.

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Scry Location ^CS {Divination (Scrying); Brd 5, Clr 7, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 6; Long Casting Time}
Scrying, no save.  Also, if you want to scry on something, as opposed to someone, then this spell will do that.

Slime Wave ^SC/FC1 {Conjuration (Summoning); Clr 7, Drd 7, Ooze Domain 7}
Green Slime is in the PHB, go look at it.  The amount of Constitution damage this spell is capable of, especially against larger targets, is just obscene, and it targets Reflex saves that said large targets tend to not do so well.  Note that FCI came out after Spell Compendium, so this seems to be an update to the slightly inferior version in that book.  That said, if SC is allowed, but FCI isn’t, then this is still a great spell to have.

Summon Aspect of Bahamut ^RotD {Conjuration (Summoning) [Good*]; Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7; Long Casting Time}
A concentration spell, but you generally need to throw a 9th-level spell to summon a beast this bad.  What’s more, this creature has some uncommon Knowledge mods for the level you pick this spell up, so in a pinch you can use it as a pseudo-Divination if you really needed to, although there are some much lower-level spells that offer comparable knowledge resources.

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Chain Dispel ^PHB2 {Abjuration; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8}
The ultimate in Dispel Magic spells.  Everything that Dispel Magic and Greater Dispel Magic can do, this one does better, so keep an eye out for it at higher levels.

Embrace the Dark Chaos ^FC1 {Transmutation [Chaotic]; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8; Permanent}
One of two spells which enable the tactic known as the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle, which is somewhere between extremely useful and horribly, horribly broken.  This is one of those spell combinations that I’ll leave to other guides/lists to fully flesh out, but know that it's really good.

Shun the Dark Chaos ^FC1 {Transmutation [Chaotic]; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8; Permanent}
The second of the two spells which enable the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle.  See Embrace the Dark Chaos for further input.

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Druid Spells

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Impending Stones ^City {Transmutation; Drd 1, Rng 1}
A reasonable spell to use in place of Entangle in case you're not in an appropriate environment for Entangle to work.  Entangle is better, but keep the spell description of this one around.

Instant of Power ^FoW {Transmutation; Brd 1, Drd 1, Rgr 1; Short Casting Time}
A +4 bonus on a saving throw isn't as good as a reroll, but it's not bad and rerolls tend to not be available at level 1.

Spore Field ^CS {Transmutation; Drd 1, Rng 2}
A solid battlefield control spell for the level.  Slows down enemies, and forces enemies that move through the area to make a *lot* of Fortitude saves or take not-insignificant penalties on multiple die rolls.  The only issue is that Druids have a ton of these.

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Linked Perception ^PHB2 {Divination; Drd 2, Rgr 1; Persistent}
Excellent candidate for Persistent Spell, made all the better with larger parties.  If, for example, you were in a party of 5 characters (totally typical), and each of those characters had some manner of familiar or animal companion (not typical, but can still be the case in high-OP parties), then each character in the area will benefit from a +20 untyped bonus to Spot and Listen checks.

Predator's Cry ^FoW {Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting, Sonic]; Drd 2, Rgr 2; Short Casting Time, No ASF}
Save-or-lose covering a massive area, castable as a swift action.  Only drawback is that it's only effective against animals.

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Alter Fortune ^PHB2 {Divination; Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
The higher-op your game is, the better this spell becomes.  Iterative probability note that even with a 5% failure chance, you've got a really good shot at failing after a dozen-or-so attempts.  However, 2 consecutive failures out of the same number of attempts is practically unheard of.  Well worth the pittance of Experience it costs to cast.

Engulfing Terror ^DotU {Conjuration (Creation); Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Casting Time}
Summons a gelatinous cube, which will basically murder anything with weak Fortitude saves if it gets close enough.  The lack of control over the cube really limits the versatility of the spell compared to summoning spells, but the raw power is intensely brutal, particularly in confined areas or tight formations of smaller creatures.

Evard's Menacing Tentacles ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Persistable}
A surprising addition to the Druid list, Evard's Menacing Tentacles give you two extra natural weapons and two extra attacks of opportunity a round, which is a very nice buff for anyone that jumps into melee.

Forest Eyes ^CC {Divination (Scrying); Drd 3; Long Casting Time}
Clairvoyance is one of the first Scrying spells a spellcaster can expect to employ, but it does have a number of limitations.  This trades one such limitation of short range for the requirement that a large, living plant be near the scrying location.  Beyond that, everything amazing about Clairvoyance applies here.

Heart of Water ^CM {Transmutation [Water]; Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
The primary effect of this spell is a long-duration Water Breathing effect, which is, itself, nice.  The ridiculous part is the swift-action discharge effect the spell has, whereby you gain Freedom of Movement for a round per level.  There's also a tertiary benefit that you get Light Fortification if you have another "Heart of" spell active, but the only one that's really even worthwhile is Heart of Earth, and that one has limited usefulness.

Primal Instinct ^DM {Transmutation; Drd 3, Rgr 2, Sor 3; Long Duration}
Again, only for Rangers (although even Wildshape Rangers should like this one).  Gives a nice Initiative bonus, but Sorcerers really have no reason to look at this.  Druids don't have as many initiative boosters, so if you don't need the 3rd-level slot, this might be a nice spell to pick up.

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Friendly Fire ^EoE {Abjuration; Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time, Long Casting Time, No ASF}
At a minimum, ranged attack immunity for 1 attack if cast as an immediate action, 1 round/level if cast as a full-round action, or for a day if persisted, given that you can target squares with ranged attacks (even if you normally would only do such a thing vs. invisible enemies).  If there's a hostile target within 30' of you, then you waste the actions of anyone shooting at you and potentially cripple or kill enemy targets without action.

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As the Frost ^PHB2 {Transmutation [Cold]; Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7; Persistable}
This spell is, basically, a slowing aura.  In order to take full advantage of this spell, you probably want to be a gish.  That way, you can Persist this spell, giving yourself the Outsider type and a Slowing aura, and then use Polymorph to assume nice, big outsider forms to increase the effective area the slowing aura covers.

Scry Location ^CS {Divination (Scrying); Brd 5, Clr 7, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 6; Long Casting Time}
Scrying, no save.  Also, if you want to scry on something, as opposed to someone, then this spell will do that.

Slime Wave ^SC/FC1 {Conjuration (Summoning); Clr 7, Drd 7, Ooze Domain 7}
Green Slime is in the PHB, go look at it.  The amount of Constitution damage this spell is capable of, especially against larger targets, is just obscene, and it targets Reflex saves that said large targets tend to not do so well.  Note that FCI came out after Spell Compendium, so this seems to be an update to the slightly inferior version in that book.  That said, if SC is allowed, but FCI isn’t, then this is still a great spell to have.

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Sorcerer/Wizard Spells

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Alibi ^EoE {Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Short Casting Time, 48+ Hour Duration, No ASF}
Memory modification, albeit limited, with instantaneous duration.  The wording implies that the caster has a significant amount of control over the content of the memory, but if it conflicts with the memories of others, then the spell could backfire.  Might not be as good as Charm Person with a conservative reading, but might eclipse that spell with a liberal one.

Bigby's Helpful Hand ^PHB2 {Evocation [Force]; Sor/Wiz 1; Persistable, Long Duration}
This little hand gives a variety of nifty, little bonuses.  You get the benefit of an Aid Another check on Craft, Disable Device, and Open Lock checks, something similar to the Quick Draw feat, and a lesser form of the Floating Disk spell all in one, plus it's Persistable and lasts for 1 hour/level otherwise.  Who says Evocation is useless?

Combat Readiness ^DotU {Divination; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Touch, No ASF}
This spell is really all about the initiative boost, and if your character has access to a better initiative boost spell like Nerveskitter then, clearly, you should go with that.  This is still an option, though, I suppose.

Create Trap ^RotD {Conjuration (Creation*); Kobold Domain 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Cast Time, Long Duration}
First, let’s be serious about how you use this spell.  You will ONLY create a Fusillade of Darts with this spell.  One volley of darts has a potential for 20 damage to a creature, more with critical hits, so it’s really a very good spell at lower levels for that fact alone.  If you manage to re-set the trap and get it sprung again, then you’re getting way more than you paid for from a 1st-level slot.

Dawnburst ^CM {Evocation [Light]; Sor/Wiz 1}
Basically counters Invisibility before Invisibility comes into play, as well as dealing nicely with mundane darkness effects.  High up there on the list of spells Warmages should grab with advanced learning due to it being a very rare utility-oriented Evocation spell that just so happens to deal with something really important to Warmages.

Detect Weaponry ^City {Divination; Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
If you're not upset with the blatant gaminess inherent to this spell, it's a fairly reasonable method to scout out enemies at low levels.

Ghostly Tail ^RotD {Evocation [Force]; Sor 1; Long Duration, Persistable}
Gives you a force tail attack that deals pretty good damage with attacks of opportunity.  A prime choice for gishes or Kobolds to make use of.  If you have the Dragonblood subtype, you get a really impressive damage bonus on top of everything else.

Hoard Gullet ^DM {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration, Persistable}
It takes a special kind of Wizard to make use of this spell, but if you are one such Wizard then this is a neat 1st-level spell that never truly becomes obsolete.

Power Word Pain ^RotD {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Sor/Wiz 1}
Personally, I don’t like this spell.  It has a lot of damage potential, which is why it’s listed, but don’t be surprised if that potential isn’t realized, because it just takes far too long for that damage to come about.

Secret Weapon ^City {Illusion (Glamer); Asn 1, Brd 1, Blk 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
A useful low-level spell to sneak weapons around.  The Hide bonus makes it extremely difficult for enemies to frisk you and get your weapons.

Sticky Floor ^RotD {Conjuration (Creation); Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
Many comment about how Grease is a great spell even into higher levels, but I personally think that this spell is marginally superior at higher levels since it doesn’t rely on your opponent having a terrible Balance modifier to disable them, it’s just a straight Reflex save or don’t move.

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Bigby's Warding Hand ^PHB2 {Evocation [Force]; Sor/Wiz 2}
An all-around mobility debuff at a level where they're not very common.  Note that this spell doesn't offer a saving throw, but rather requires Strength checks to overcome the Hand.  As a result, this is the perfect spell for catching thieves or small vermin... like Kobolds.

Black Karma Curse ^PHB2 {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
Instantaneous, so it's not blocked by Prot: Evil, and targets a Will save, so creatures with high damage output and low saves are extremely vulnerable.  If the target just took an action with a high Power Attack penalty, this could easily one-shot it.

Blinding Color Surge ^PHB2 {Illusion (Glamer); Sor/Wiz 2}
A neat variation on the old-hat Invisibility, that in addition to giving you invisibility can potentially blind another creature for the benefit of your allies.

Cloud of Knives ^PHB2 {Conjuration; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Persistable}
A very efficient spell in terms of dealing damage and, to some extent, preserving action economy.  If you want a free attack every turn, then you can even persist this spell.  Note that this spell gains significant benefit from abilities like Warmage Edge or metamagic feats that add rider effects like Fell Weaken or Fell Drain.

Dragoneye Rune ^DM {Universal; Sor/Wiz 2; Permanent, Touch}
The subjects of this spell become exceptionally easy for you to follow with Scrying spells, and three times per day you can determine their location if they're on the same plane as you, all for a second-level spell.  A truly outrageous information-gathering spell for the level.

Gnome Blight ^RotD {Conjuration (Creation); Sor/Wiz 2}
Unlike Cloud of Bewilderment, this spell provides a significant fog bank for blocking vision, and covers a very large area.  However, sickened isn’t quite as bad of a condition as nauseated, but the -2 penalty to saves provided by the sickened condition can then allow for a follow-up spell that incapacitates the victim completely.

Increase Virulence ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Asn 2, Brd 2, Blk 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Casting Time}
A cheap +2 to the save DC of a poison.  If you use poisons, seek this spell out.

Investiture of the Spined Devil ^FC2 {Transmutation [Evil, Investiture]; Blk 1, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
At low levels, damage spells can be really good if they do enough damage.  This one does enough, especially since every action beyond the first required to do said damage is being taken by a big, stupid fighter or a halfling trapmonkey that otherwise wouldn't be contributing nearly as much to a fight.  Great to prepare until Scourge of Force gets up there in damage potential, and might always warrant a preparation from Blackguards.

Kelgore's Grave Mist ^PHB2 {Conjuration/Necromancy [Cold]; Sor/Wiz 2}
Absolutely brutal spell, but seriously needs some commas in there.  I assume that only the cold damage is repeated with each round, but it's possible that both the fatigue and cold effects are applied every round, which would make this spell completely ridiculous for the level.

Lesser Celerity ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Short Casting Time}
Lesser Celerity is mostly fine.  The Celerity that comes in at level 4 is a campaign smasher, and should be avoided as part of a gentleman's agreement between you and the DM.

Seeking Ray ^PHB2 {Evocation [Electricity*]; Sor/Wiz 2}
Until you hit CL 7, this spell is strictly superior to Scorching Ray in every way.  Afterwards, it's almost certainly worthwhile to pick up a Lesser Quicken Rod and use it to do a little extra damage while helping setup another Ray attack.

Spymaster's Coin ^CS {Divination (Scrying); Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Duration}
A really potent scrying spell for the level with the added bonus that it works in a way that promotes and rewards creativity with the spell.

Tail Slap ^RotD {Evocation [Force]; Sor 2; Persistable}
Persistable buff that gives you a “standard action” touch attack, noted because it’s explicitly stated, not because it’s some kind of code.  Normally this wouldn’t bring it up to the level of a typical lightsaber spell, but it actually deals quite a lot of damage (d6/2 levels) and has an interesting rider effect where you can knock back your enemies quite a considerable distance when you first cast the spell.  If you’re Dragonblooded, then you can do it any time you attack with the tail.

Vision of Entropy ^FC1 {Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]; Brd 2, Entropy Domain 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
With one failed save the target is weakened, with 2 it’s out of the fight, and it must make these Will saves every single round.  The iterative probability makes this a really powerful spell, and the -2 penalty to saves given by the Shaken condition makes the descent to Panic and, eventually, unconsciousness even faster.

Wings of Cover ^RotD {Evocation [Force]; Sor 2; Short Casting Time}
This spell is not to be used against melee combatants, since it just ruins one attack in their routine.  Instead, this spell is meant to block targeted spell attacks.  The bonus you gain against area attacks is significant, too, since you have improved cover (+4 on Reflex saves and Improved Evasion).  There is potential for this spell to be extraordinary, in that Dragonblooded characters can protect adjacent allies as well.  Now, I’m not too sure that’s a great idea in the first place since it’s just asking for your party to get Fireballed, but the spell is effective enough that it might not be a bad idea to bait the Fireball with a tight formation, throw down this spell, and then negate most-to-all of the damage with it’s bonuses.

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Adoration of the Frightful ^DM {Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF}
Mass Charm Monster as a level three spell.  Yes, it's one minute per level instead of one day per level, but it comes at level THREE.

Alter Fortune ^PHB2 {Divination; Brd 3, Clr 3, Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
The higher-op your game is, the better this spell becomes.  Iterative probability note that even with a 5% failure chance, you've got a really good shot at failing after a dozen-or-so attempts.  However, 2 consecutive failures out of the same number of attempts is practically unheard of.  Well worth the pittance of Experience it costs to cast.

Crown of the Grave ^PHB2 {Necromancy; Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
The only "Crown" spell worth mentioning because it actually does something as it's base effect.  For 1 hour per level, the target of this spell can use the Command spell on an undead creature, presumably with the save DC matching that of this spell.  In an undead-heavy campaign, this will be useful.

Dimension Step ^PHB2 {Conjuration (Teleportation); Sor/Wiz 3}
A solid chessmaster spell, allowing your allies to re-position themselves in an ideal formation for dealing with a rough or complex encounter, or to get multiple allies out of a physically immobilizing effect like a web spell.  Two levels up is a similar spell called Dimension Shuffle that also allows you to reposition your enemies, but a Will save negates it for each of them, and negated saves with that spell can really foil whatever plans you have.

Disobedience ^CS {Abjuration; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
Gives you many of the most important features of Mind Blank, only from a much earlier level.

Dream Spirit ^SoS {Conjuration (Creation); Sor/Wiz 3; Long Casting Time}
At all levels, incorporeal creatures can flat win encounters, and this spell summons an incorporeal creature without having the [Evil] descriptor, which is pretty rare.  Make sure to extend this spell at higher levels so that the summoned creature actually lasts long enough to kill things.

Dweomer Vortex ^AEoS {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF, Long Duration}
A versatile and effective low-level defense against enemy mages.  Also an effective spell to compliment targeted Dispels.  If your character is a specialized Dispel Magic user, then you can follow up a targeted Dispel Magic with the swift-action activation of Dweomer Vortex to take out any spells you might have failed to get rid of with your Dispel Magic attempt.

Enduring Scrutiny ^CM {Divination; Asn 3, Brd 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3; 48+ Hour Duration}
At first I was going to suggest this as a thematic spell, but the more I think about it the more interesting it becomes as an information-gathering spell.  Furthermore, it's on some lists that tend to be really lacking in that department, increasing it's value even more for those classes.  By all means, pick this up and get creative with it.

Engulfing Terror ^DotU {Conjuration (Creation); Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Casting Time}
Summons a gelatinous cube, which will basically murder anything with weak Fortitude saves if it gets close enough.  The lack of control over the cube really limits the versatility of the spell compared to summoning spells, but the raw power is intensely brutal, particularly in confined areas or tight formations of smaller creatures.

Evard's Menacing Tentacles ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Persistable}
A surprising addition to the Druid list, Evard's Menacing Tentacles give you two extra natural weapons and two extra attacks of opportunity a round, which is a very nice buff for anyone that jumps into melee.

Ferocity of Sanguine Rage ^DM {Transmutation/Divination; Asn 4, Sor/Wiz 3; Persistable}
You gain half your caster level as a bonus to melee damage rolls for a round per level.  The True Strike effect is bad, don't use it, but this spell is good alternative for characters that don't want to rely on Power Attack for dealing damage.

Greater Mighty Wallop ^RotD {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
Long duration buff that substantially boosts the damage output of a bludgeoning weapon.  Note that this can be cast on natural weapons, as well, so long as they include a Bludgeoning component, including slams, bites, tentacles, and wings.  Well worth the cast.

Halt ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; No ASF, Short Casting Time}
Very similar, but slightly inferior to Hesitate.  Notable because it's on the Duskblade spell list, in a much more popular school, and has only a verbal component.

Heart of Water ^CM {Transmutation [Water]; Drd 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Duration}
The primary effect of this spell is a long-duration Water Breathing effect, which is, itself, nice.  The ridiculous part is the swift-action discharge effect the spell has, whereby you gain Freedom of Movement for a round per level.  There's also a tertiary benefit that you get Light Fortification if you have another "Heart of" spell active, but the only one that's really even worthwhile is Heart of Earth, and that one has limited usefulness.

Hesitate ^PHB2 {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Clr 3, Sor/Wiz 3; Short Casting Time}
A slightly stronger version of the Slow spell, allowing only a single move action each round, but this one is single-target and allows a new save each turn (with a swift action).  This one also is cast as an Immediate Action, which is what's really earning it it's spot on this list.

Legion of Sentinels ^PHB2 {Illusion (Shadow); Sor/Wiz 3}
This spell is devastating against critters with low AC.  If you take, for example, a 6th-level Beguiler throwing this down with a medium-sized creature in the center, that creature will provoke no less than 12 attacks of opportunity if it attempts to leave the area of effect.  Each of these attacks of opportunity will be at a +8 bonus on the attack roll, and deal 1d8+2 damage.  That kind of damage potential is really incredible, and is just begging to get stacked with other AC debuffs or, dare I say, Warmage Edge.  Can also be Sculpted to custom tailor your own special field of death.

Phantasmal Injury ^EoE {Illusion (Phantasm) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]; Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 3}
Single-target Slow, mostly, but with longer range and in a much more interesting school.  Slow is probably better for your typical Batman wizards, but any amount of Illusion specialization and this spell should merit an extended look.

Ray of the Python ^PHB2 {Evocation; Brd 2, Sor/Wiz 3}
The name says Ray, and there's talk about a Ray in the description, but it's not actually a Ray spell.  It's just a single-target, save-negates debuff, but is actually a really nifty all-purpose debuff that hits a save that's often the weak point for targets it has the greatest impact on.  The first effect is that the target can't make more than one attack each round, so no full attacks, no snap kick, none of that.  Second is that the target can't make attacks of opportunity, which is great for opening up a vulnerability in a defensive formation of giant brutes.  The last feature is that if the a creature affected by this spell fails the initial save, they get more saving throws to suppress the effect temporarily, but still have to contend with it for the full minute.

Scattering Trap ^PHB2 {Conjuration (Teleportation); Sor/Wiz 3}
Every chessmaster Wizard has to try this just once: Sculpted Scattering Trap, preferably in an enclosed area.  The effect is bound to be hilarious.  Aside from that, it's an alright method to putting hazards in the way of chargers, potentially interrupting their charge and ruining their action.  That said, there are some lower-level spells that just plain block charging that are less risky.

Vertigo Field ^PHB2 {Illusion (Phantasm); Sor/Wiz 3}
Excellent arcane method for creating difficult terrain, making it harder for other creatures to get around something such as a chain tripper without provoking attacks of opportunity.  There are some other gravy effects here, too.

Wand Modulation ^CS {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 3; Short Cast Time}
The power of this spell is that it enables you to get multiple castings of any 3rd-level or lower spell, given the appropriately-leveled wand.  It's not efficient in any way whatsoever, but it has all the versatility you could want.

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Crushing Grip ^PHB2 {Evocation; Sor/Wiz 4; Long Casting Time}
Long casting time, single target, Fortitude negates, SR: Yes?  Yeah, this spell manages to be good in spite of all that.  The spell applies a -2 penalty to everything and penalizes the creature's move speed if it bypasses SR as soon as the spell starts.  If the SR check fails, then it appears that you don't spend ANY action whatsoever to cast the spell.  Then, at the start of your next turn, your target has to make a Fortitude save, with a -2 penalty, or be Paralyzed for 3 rounds.  Forget Phantasmal Killer, this is my single-target Save-or-Lose of choice at this level.

Friendly Fire ^EoE {Abjuration; Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time, Long Casting Time, No ASF}
At a minimum, ranged attack immunity for 1 attack if cast as an immediate action, 1 round/level if cast as a full-round action, or for a day if persisted, given that you can target squares with ranged attacks (even if you normally would only do such a thing vs. invisible enemies).  If there's a hostile target within 30' of you, then you waste the actions of anyone shooting at you and potentially cripple or kill enemy targets without action.

Greater Mirror Image ^PHB2 {Illusion (Figment); Brd 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
Simply incredible spell, giving you the defensive power of a Mirror Image spell as an immediate action.  Don't think that because it's personal range and that it regenerates images that it might be a Persist candidate, because it isn't.  Mirror Image is just too easy to defeat if you have the right tools at your disposal.  The surprise factor is what keeps this in the books of high-level Wizards.

Mark of the Enlightened Soul ^DM {Transmutation [Good]; Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time}
I've got a soft spot for the Planar Wizard 10 Substitution level.  Effects like this spell, Planar Wizard 10, Spell Focus [Good], and more quickly add up to some truly profound spell save DC's.

Otiluke's Suppressing Field ^CM {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 4; Long Casting Time, Long Duration, Persistable}
A low-level variation on Antimagic Field.  It's a powerful, albeit limited effect that benefits greatly from creative applications.  If you're into

Touch of the Blackened Soul ^DM {Transmutation [Evil]; Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4; Persistable, Short Casting Time}
I've got a soft spot for the Planar Wizard 10 Substitution level.  Effects like this spell, Planar Wizard 10, Spell Focus [Evil], and more quickly add up to some truly profound spell save DC's.

Stifle Spell ^PHB2 {Abjuration; Clr 4, Sor/Wiz 4; No ASF, Short Casting Time}
If you are not a dedicated counterspell Wizard, then stick to this spell for whatever counterspelling needs you may have.  The Concentration check DC of this spell is not hard, but it's not guaranteed to work, either.

Trollshape ^PHB2 {Transmutation (Polymorph); Sor/Wiz 4; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
Solid polymorph spell.  Gishes should stick with the usual Polymorph, while Wizards should pick up this spell specifically if they want to mix it up a little in melee.  Don't worry about being squishy, the temp HP and natural troll defenses are enough to keep you in one piece while this spell is in effect.

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Arcane Fusion ^CM {Universal; Sor 5}
Almost automatic.  The only thing holding this spell back is the fact that by the time you're 10th level, 1st-level spells are mostly going to be utility.

Dimension Jumper ^CM {Conjuration (Teleportation); Brd 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time, No ASF, Persistable}
For those who think that flying is for plebeians, or that Freedom of Movement is a silly crutch and want a superior method of evading various impediments to movement.  There is also a Greater version of this spell, but it's hard to say that it's actually better than this one.  Either way, it's certainly not worth the 9th-level slot it takes up.

Evacuation Rune ^CS {Conjuration (Teleportation); Bard 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Long Duration}
If nothing else, Teleport for Bards.  For Wizards, you can do interesting, different shenanigans than with Teleport.  In either case, it's a Swift Action, so if you need to get out of some place fast then this can work just fine.

Greater Electric Vengance ^PHB2 {Evocation [Electricity]; Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time}
This is a unique spell.  As an immediate action, you blast someone who strikes you in melee for some notable, but not all that great, Electricity damage, made better that it doesn't offer a save against the damage.  The save comes in against the secondary effect: a 1 round daze.  The timing of this is such that if someone hits you with their first attack of a full-round of attacks, you can interrupt their iterative attacks if they fail their Fortitude save and save yourself a ton of damage.

Investiture of the Orthon ^FC2 {Transmutation [Evil, Investiture]; Blk 4, Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5}
Blocks enemy teleportation with no save, and is probably the only such effect on the Blackguard spell list.  The "sonic shield" is also an interesting ability, since fire shield's two main drawbacks -- personal range and useless against creatures with Resist Fire 20 -- do not apply here.  That said, even though this spell does something unique and powerful and does it well, it's not a thing that's going to win encounters for you, it's a spell that's going to take a winning encounter and make you win them harder.

Touch of Vecna ^CM {Necromancy [Evil, Fear]; Sor/Wiz 5; Permanent}
Deals minimal negative energy damage and afflicts the target with the shaken status if they're not immune to Fear effects.  The reason this spell gets a blue rating is because of the effect on a failed Fortitude save: Permanent paralysis.  This effect is also not subject to fear immunity, so with a failed save and a victory you can actually take the target alive.

Swift Etherealness ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Short Casting Time}
This is the earliest level at which you get to jump over to the Ethereal Plane if you're a Sorcerer, Wizard, or Beguiler.  Clerics can use Plane Shift, but then they have to cast it again to come back.

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Eyes of the Oracle ^DM {Divination; Clr 6, Sor/Wiz 6; Persistable}
I think this spell is what the writers of Celerity were going for, only not ridiculously OP.  While under the effects of the spell, you can ready an action regardless of having taken earlier actions, and you only discharge this spell's effect if you actually take the readied action.

Overwhelm ^PHB2 {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Sor/Wiz 6}
It's tough listing this because immunity to it is becoming increasingly common at this time, but at the same time this is another solid method of incapacitating an enemy without killing it, just make sure the target has taken at least 1 point of nonlethal damage before hitting it with this spell.

Power Word Nauseate ^RotD {Enchantment (Compulsion) [Mind-Affecting]; Sor/Wiz 6}
Power Word spells are, generally, not good.  That said, this is one of the few worth mentioning.  Nauseated is an incredibly debilitating condition, second only to the even more brutal Dazed and Stunned conditions.  There are a couple of conditions under which this spell can be used effectively: on a big, ugly thing that just took a round of hits from your front-liners, or on a caster that doesn’t have immunity to Mind-Affecting.  If it hits something with less than 150 HP, you’re trading standard actions (which tends to be in the party’s favor, as they often have more actions).  If it hits something with less than 100 HP, then it’s likely a sitting duck waiting for the BSF to finish it off.

Scry Location ^CS {Divination (Scrying); Brd 5, Clr 7, Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 6; Long Casting Time}
Scrying, no save.  Also, if you want to scry on something, as opposed to someone, then this spell will do that.

Smoky Confinement ^CM {Transmutation; Sor/Wiz 6; Permanent}
A simple Fortitude Negates save-or-lose.  The difference here is that the spell doesn't actually kill the victim, it captures them, which can be all kinds of valuable for any number of reasons, and can also be used by DM to introduce characters.

Steal Summoning ^CM {Conjuration (Summoning); Sor/Wiz 6; Short Casting Time}
A cute trick, but not action efficient at all. If you have a method of concentrating on a spell without burning your standard actions then it's more worthwhile, but more likely this is going to come from some kind of trap.

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Arcane Spellsurge ^DM {Universal; Sor/Wiz 7; Persistable}
Auto-Quicken all spells.  Yes, you can't choose to cast standard action spells as a standard action under the effects of this spell, but there are plenty of great spells out there that cast as either a full-round action or require a full-round casting time.  Sorcerers can simply apply a +0 metamagic to a spell to bump it back up to a standard action.  Really, there isn't an actual drawback to using this spell, and it's not hard at all to reap impressive benefits.

As the Frost ^PHB2 {Transmutation [Cold]; Drd 7, Sor/Wiz 7; Persistable}
This spell is, basically, a slowing aura.  In order to take full advantage of this spell, you probably want to be a gish.  That way, you can Persist this spell, giving yourself the Outsider type and a Slowing aura, and then use Polymorph to assume nice, big outsider forms to increase the effective area the slowing aura covers.

Summon Aspect of Bahamut ^RotD {Conjuration (Summoning) [Good*]; Clr 7, Sor/Wiz 7; Long Casting Time}
A concentration spell, but you generally need to throw a 9th-level spell to summon a beast this bad.  What’s more, this creature has some uncommon Knowledge mods for the level you pick this spell up, so in a pinch you can use it as a pseudo-Divination if you really needed to, although there are some much lower-level spells that offer comparable knowledge resources.

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Arcane Fusion, Greater ^CM {Universal; Sor 8}
Definitely automatic.  With this version, the lower spell can be anything up to 4th-level, which includes a lot of spells that are always useful.

Chain Dispel ^PHB2 {Abjuration; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8}
The ultimate in Dispel Magic spells.  Everything that Dispel Magic and Greater Dispel Magic can do, this one does better, so keep an eye out for it at higher levels.

Embrace the Dark Chaos ^FC1 {Transmutation [Chaotic]; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8; Permanent}
One of two spells which enable the tactic known as the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle, which is somewhere between extremely useful and horribly, horribly broken.  This is one of those spell combinations that I’ll leave to other guides/lists to fully flesh out, but know that it's really good.

Mystic Shield ^AEoS {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 8; Touch, Long Casting Time}
Quite possibly the most powerful defensive spell in the game.  Completely immunizes the subject against 6th-level and lower spells from outside sources, but doesn't interfere with your own buffs.  Also negates the magical properties of weapons used against you.  If you're incorporeal, then you basically become immune to weapon damage, too.  The only downside this spell has, at all, is that it's a touch range spell, but getting some sort of Arcane Reach ability is worthwhile just to have this spell persistable.

Shun the Dark Chaos ^FC1 {Transmutation [Chaotic]; Clr 8, Sor/Wiz 8; Permanent}
The second of the two spells which enable the Dark Chaos Feat Shuffle.  See Embrace the Dark Chaos for further input.

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Dragonshape ^PHB2 {Transmutation (Polymorph); Sor/Wiz 9; Short Casting Time}
You lose your spellcasting while this spell is up, but if you have good enough long-term buffs then that's not a serious obstacle.  This is a beast of a melee form, and actually makes being a gish kinda silly since it replaces just about all of your combat statistics (even BAB).

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Assassin Spells

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Alibi ^EoE {Illusion (Phantasm) [Mind-Affecting]; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Short Casting Time, 48+ Hour Duration, No ASF}
Memory modification, albeit limited, with instantaneous duration.  The wording implies that the caster has a significant amount of control over the content of the memory, but if it conflicts with the memories of others, then the spell could backfire.  Might not be as good as Charm Person with a conservative reading, but might eclipse that spell with a liberal one.

Combat Readiness ^DotU {Divination; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Touch, No ASF}
This spell is really all about the initiative boost, and if your character has access to a better initiative boost spell like Nerveskitter then, clearly, you should go with that.  This is still an option, though, I suppose.

Secret Weapon ^City {Illusion (Glamer); Asn 1, Brd 1, Blk 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
A useful low-level spell to sneak weapons around.  The Hide bonus makes it extremely difficult for enemies to frisk you and get your weapons.

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Increase Virulence ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Asn 2, Brd 2, Blk 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Casting Time}
A cheap +2 to the save DC of a poison.  If you use poisons, seek this spell out.

Near Horizon ^CM {Divination; Asn 2, Rgr 2; Short Cast Time, Persistable}
Removes range penalties from ranged attacks, lasts 3 rounds.  Might never come into play in 99% of campaigns, though, unless you're using one of those ranged weapons with a really short range increment like Daggers or Javelins.

Swift Ready ^FoW {Conjuration (Summoning); Asn 2, Brd 2; Long Casting Time, Long Duration}
Get one or two hand-held items and your armor readied in one swift action.  It's a reasonable spell if you have a favorite weapon that you might have some difficulty retrieving or a heavy suit of armor you need to be able to don quickly but don't necessarily want to wear all the time.

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Enduring Scrutiny ^CM {Divination; Asn 3, Brd 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3; 48+ Hour Duration}
At first I was going to suggest this as a thematic spell, but the more I think about it the more interesting it becomes as an information-gathering spell.  Furthermore, it's on some lists that tend to be really lacking in that department, increasing it's value even more for those classes.  By all means, pick this up and get creative with it.

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Ferocity of Sanguine Rage ^DM {Transmutation/Divination; Asn 4, Sor/Wiz 3; Persistable}
You gain half your caster level as a bonus to melee damage rolls for a round per level.  The True Strike effect is bad, don't use it, but this spell is good alternative for characters that don't want to rely on Power Attack for dealing damage.

Blackguard Spells

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Devastating Smite ^FoW {Transmutation; Blk 1, Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time}
A nice, little damage boost for Smiters, particularly when combined with damage multipliers and/or smite abilities that don't scale off Paladin or Blackguard levels such as the Ordained Champion ability or Killoren racial smite.

Knight Unburdened ^FoW {Transmutation; Blk 1, Pal 1; Long Duration, Touch}
The big reason medium and heavy armors suck is because they slow down your move speed.  This spell negates that specific penalty.  Not purple because it ONLY removes that movement speed penalty, and doesn't do other things like allow you to use abilities like Armored Mage and Evasion is heavier armors.

Investiture of the Spined Devil ^FC2 {Transmutation [Evil, Investiture]; Blk 1, Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2}
At low levels, damage spells can be really good if they do enough damage.  This one does enough, especially since every action beyond the first required to do said damage is being taken by a big, stupid fighter or a halfling trapmonkey that otherwise wouldn't be contributing nearly as much to a fight.  Great to prepare until Scourge of Force gets up there in damage potential, and might always warrant a preparation from Blackguards.

Secret Weapon ^City {Illusion (Glamer); Asn 1, Brd 1, Blk 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
A useful low-level spell to sneak weapons around.  The Hide bonus makes it extremely difficult for enemies to frisk you and get your weapons.

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Demoncall ^FC1 {Divination [Evil]; Blk 2, Demonic Domain 2; Short Casting Time}
Solid spell, obviously for use with Knowledge Devotion.  Stick it in a Wand for best effect, because you’re going to be using it frequently and there are no CL-dependent components to the spell.

Increase Virulence ^PHB2 {Transmutation; Asn 2, Brd 2, Blk 2, Sor/Wiz 2; Long Casting Time}
A cheap +2 to the save DC of a poison.  If you use poisons, seek this spell out.

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Demon Wings ^FC1 {Transmutation [Evil]; Blk 3, Demonic Domain 3; Long Duration, Persistable}
An alternative to the Fly spell that gives you a slower fly speed for a much longer duration.

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Investiture of the Orthon ^FC2 {Transmutation [Evil, Investiture]; Blk 4, Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5}
Blocks enemy teleportation with no save, and is probably the only such effect on the Blackguard spell list.  The "sonic shield" is also an interesting ability, since fire shield's two main drawbacks -- personal range and useless against creatures with Resist Fire 20 -- do not apply here.  That said, even though this spell does something unique and powerful and does it well, it's not a thing that's going to win encounters for you, it's a spell that's going to take a winning encounter and make you win them harder.

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Paladin Spells

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Detect Weaponry ^City {Divination; Brd 1, Clr 1, Pal 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Long Duration}
If you're not upset with the blatant gaminess inherent to this spell, it's a fairly reasonable method to scout out enemies at low levels.

Devastating Smite ^FoW {Transmutation; Blk 1, Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time}
A nice, little damage boost for Smiters, particularly when combined with damage multipliers and/or smite abilities that don't scale off Paladin or Blackguard levels such as the Ordained Champion ability or Killoren racial smite.

Knight Unburdened ^FoW {Transmutation; Blk 1, Pal 1; Long Duration, Touch}
The big reason medium and heavy armors suck is because they slow down your move speed.  This spell negates that specific penalty.  Not purple because it ONLY removes that movement speed penalty, and doesn't do other things like allow you to use abilities like Armored Mage and Evasion is heavier armors.

Protective Interposition ^FoW {Conjuration (Teleportation); Clr 1, Pal 1; Short Casting Time, Touch}
You and one ally swap positions via teleportation as a swift action.  The key to maximizing your effectiveness with this spell is to prepare it with a caster that has considerable reach.

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Benediction ^CC {Abjuration; Clr 2, Pal 2; Touch, Long Duration}
While the spell lasts, you get a +2 luck bonus on all saving throws that explicity stacks with all other bonuses, including other luck bonuses.  The spell can also be discharged to grant a reroll of most d20 rolls, which just makes it stupid good.  Considering the level and the duration, getting a wand might not be a bad idea.

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Enduring Scrutiny ^CM {Divination; Asn 3, Brd 3, Pal 3, Sor/Wiz 3; 48+ Hour Duration}
At first I was going to suggest this as a thematic spell, but the more I think about it the more interesting it becomes as an information-gathering spell.  Furthermore, it's on some lists that tend to be really lacking in that department, increasing it's value even more for those classes.  By all means, pick this up and get creative with it.

Ranger Spells

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Impending Stones ^City {Transmutation; Drd 1, Rgr 1}
A reasonable spell to use in place of Entangle in case you're not in an appropriate environment for Entangle to work.  Entangle is better, but keep the spell description of this one around.

Instant of Power ^FoW {Transmutation; Brd 1, Drd 1, Rgr 1; Short Casting Time}
A +4 bonus on a saving throw isn't as good as a reroll, but it's not bad and rerolls tend to not be available at level 1.

Linked Perception ^PHB2 {Divination; Drd 2, Rgr 1; Persistent}
Excellent candidate for Persistent Spell, made all the better with larger parties.  If, for example, you were in a party of 5 characters (totally typical), and each of those characters had some manner of familiar or animal companion (not typical, but can still be the case in high-OP parties), then each character in the area will benefit from a +20 untyped bonus to Spot and Listen checks.

Primal Hunter ^DM {Transmutation; Drd 2, Rgr 1, Sor 2; Long Duration}
Only useful for non-Wildshape Rangers, Sorcerers have Alter Self and Druids get Wild Shape very soon after they get this.  Having this active at the same time as Primal Instinct will net you Uncanny Dodge, which is also a nice bonus for Rangers.

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Hunter's Eye ^PHB2 {Divination; Rgr 2; Short Casting Time, Persistable}
You gain 1d6 Sneak Attack per 3 caster levels.  This is a favorite among Unseen Seers that gain sneak attack progression, full spellcasting, and a boost to divination caster levels, as well.  That said, unless you have a solid caster level with this spell, you're probably not getting much out of it unless you Persist it.

Near Horizon ^CM {Divination; Asn 2, Rgr 2; Short Cast Time, Persistable}
Removes range penalties from ranged attacks, lasts 3 rounds.  Might never come into play in 99% of campaigns, though, unless you're using one of those ranged weapons with a really short range increment like Daggers or Javelins.

Predator's Cry ^FoW {Necromancy [Fear, Mind-Affecting, Sonic]; Drd 2, Rgr 2; Short Casting Time, No ASF}
Save-or-lose covering a massive area, castable as a swift action.  Only drawback is that it's only effective against animals.

Primal Instinct ^DM {Transmutation; Drd 3, Rgr 2, Sor 3; Long Duration}
Again, only for Rangers (although even Wildshape Rangers should like this one).  Gives a nice Initiative bonus, but Sorcerers really have no reason to look at this.  Druids don't have as many initiative boosters, so if you don't need the 3rd-level slot, this might be a nice spell to pick up.

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Reserved for Spells for Scrolls and Wands

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Spells for Strongholds

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Nightmare Terrain ^CM {Illusion (Shadow); Asn 3, Brd 3, Sor/Wiz 4}
The advantage here is the size of the effect.  It's going to be a minimum of 1000 square feet of coverage, shapable via cubes, and in many cases more than that.  The saving throws to resist the entangle effect will probably not be level-appropriate unless you cast this as a Wizard, but you should only cast this as a Wizard if you really, REALLY want what amounts to a really big, Illusion-based Fog spell.

Zone of Peace ^City {Transmutation; Clr 5, Sor/Wiz 5; Long Casting Time, Long Duration}
An interesting environmental hazard for a dungeon.  Throw this in a room with some monsters that use natural weapons and the party will have to roll saving throws to draw their own.

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Halaster's Scrying Cage ^EtU {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 9; Long Casting Time, Permanent}
Blocks all Divination (Scrying) effects cast on targets or locations within the cage.  As an unfortunate side-effect, it also blocks such spells leaving the cage, but that can be worked around.

Halaster's Teleport Cage ^EtU {Abjuration; Sor/Wiz 9; Long Casting Time, Permanent}
Redirects all Conjuration (Teleportation) effects cast from within or into the affected area.  Such effects cast within the cage will cause the target to instead be teleported randomly about the interior of the cage, while attempting to teleport into the cage will cause the caster to teleport to another valid location within the range of their spell, but outside the teleport cage, randomly determined.

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Genius Loci ^CM {Conjuration (Creation) [Air, Earth, Fire, or Water]; Sor/Wiz 9; Long Casting Time, Permanent Duration}
An interesting spell that can set up potentially dangerous encounters, but 17th level spellcasters can enlist the aid of much more dangerous creatures than Elder Elementals.

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Reserved for Spells for Mundane Tasks

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Spells for Existing

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Infallible Servant ^EoE {Necromancy [Evil]; Clr 3, Drd 4, Sor/Wiz 3; Long Casting Time, Long Duration}
A disgusting solution for DM's to the whole "Speak With Dead" can of worms.  I'm sure some player somewhere has pulled off a semi-spectacular stunt with this spell, but probably nothing a well-placed Stinking Cloud couldn't do a lot more effectively, I bet.

Cloak of Khyber ^CoS {Illusion; Sor/Wiz 3; 48+ Hour Duration}
Masks the caster's alignment against any divination spells, but more importantly also prevents True Seeing from revealing the true form of a Shapechanger.

Shadow Shroud ^DotU {Evocation [Darkness]; Clr 2, Sor/Wiz 2; No ASF, Short Casting Time, Persistable}
The spell that lets Vampires walk around in daylight and keeps Drow and Orcs from being dazzled in bright light.  It doesn't actually, specifically protect against Light Sensistivity, but for a second-level spell it really should.

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Animate Infectious Zombie ^CoS {Necromancy [Evil]; Sor/Wiz 4; Permanent}
Animate dead, only it only makes zombies, and said zombies make more zombies.  Any creature that dies while under the effect of the zombie plague rises as a zombie, not just the ones that die from the constitution damage, so it's quite an effective means of wiping out small towns.  Also, keeping some of these in empty rooms in your dungeons will provide a nice, self-renewing resource of uncomplaining, upkeep-free dungeon guards.

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Dominate Vermin ^DotU {Transmutation; Clr 3, Drd 3}
Gives complete mental domination over a mindless vermin creature.  Requires you to be a Drow or worship Lolth to cast the spell (it has the "Drow" component, so spell list shenanigans aren't enough), which is a pretty dumb requirement but whatever.

Shadow Double ^DotU {Illusion (Shadow); Asn 1, Hex 2, Sor/Wix 2; No ASF}
This spell does exactly one thing well: it creates a reasonably hard-to-hit flanking partner for an Assassin to make Sneak Attacks.  It's also dark and shadowy and cool and stuff, and there might be some kind of Shadow Illusion stunt that takes advantage of the Strength damage (although I doubt that part).

Snuff the Light ^DotU {Transmutation; Asn 1, Brd 1, Sor/Wiz 1; Short Casting Time}
Might have made the real list as a cantrip or if it dealt with Light spells.  Simply dousing small, non-magical light sources and suppressing alchemical light sources isn't enough to warrant a 1st-level spell.

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Reserved for Just In Case.

Also, a separate Discussion thread might be made once I get some more progress done here.  Definitely not before, though.