Pathfinder 2e: 10 Best Spells On The Arcane Spell List (2024)

There are plenty of reasons to be drawn to the powers of the arcane. Whether you want your character to be a master of spells that twist the mind and warp the body, or you're just tired of the monotony of hitting bad guys with a club. Either way, you have the ability to cast spells now, so grab your wizard robes and your magical staff.

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There are plenty of options for your character on the arcane spell list. You may soon find, though, that sometimes the hardest choices to make in Pathfinder are which spells are best to learn.

10 Massacre

Massacre is a spell with high risk and high reward. Massacre sends out a stifling wave of negative energy, potentially killing anything caught in its path. If any creature caught in its path fails a fortitude save, depending on the results, they take a heavy amount of damage or just die outright.

However, if no creature dies, the spell ricochets back at you and hurts you and anyone near you. A great spell to be used against a large group of weaker enemies, but perhaps used sparingly. Either way, it's a great choice when you reach the right level.

9 Magnificent Mansion

Finding a safe place to rest while traveling can be a pain. You have to make a campfire, set up bedrolls, get a guard rotation going, and potentially fight off wild animals or evil creatures. It's all just a lot of effort for a good night's sleep.

Magnificent Mansion relieves some of those worries. An interdimensional doorway pops up when casting this spell. Inside is a cozy, well-furnished mansion where you and your party can relax and be treated like royalty. It really beats roughing it in the wilderness full of wolves and zombies.

8 Feeblemind

Spells that do damage and potentially kill your enemy are one thing, but a spell that weakens their mind to the point of them being practically useless is something far more horrifying.

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Depending on the outcome of a Will save, the target of this spell can be stupefied to an extreme quantity. This can only be removed with Remove Curse or other similar means. Unless, however, the target critically fails, in which case it is permanent.

7 Disintegrate

A heavy-hitting spell for sure. Disintegrate not only does a severe amount of damage, but if it kills the creature it hits, the creature turns into a pile of ash. That's definitely scarring to see on the battlefield. In addition, it automatically disintegrates any non-magical item it hits, making it great for clearing obstacles or getting rid of pretty much anything you're tired of existing.

6 Dominate

Getting into your opponent's head can be a quick way to win a fight.

Dominate allows you to force a creature to enact a command, assuming they fail a WIll save, and the order you gave them isn't inherently damaging to them. This has a wide array of possibilities, both in combat and role-play. You can stop a creature from attacking, make someone unlock a door for you, or generally make someone look like a fool. Dominate is a great choice no matter which class you choose.

5 Produce Flame

A great utility spell, Produce Flame does exactly what it says. While only a cantrip, this spell allows you to summon a small amount of flame in your hand and attack with it at range or hand-to-hand.

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While it does rather meek damage unless heightened, it has a lot of great uses throughout your adventures. The possibilities are nearly endless; if you need it to be on fire but don't have conventional means of making one, look no further than this spell.

4 Variable Gravity

A spell with many different uses depending on the situation. With Variable Gravity, you get to control how much gravity affects you. Increasing it makes you much harder to knock down or move without your consent, and it also makes it harder for you to move too.

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Decreasing it makes movement far easier, jumping much farther and taking less damage when falling. This is great for both traversal and if you find yourself up against a grapple-heavy enemy.

3 Shrink

Sometimes fighting enemies that are the same size as you isn't all that fun. Thankfully, Shrink can change that. This spell can alter a combat scenario by turning any creature into a Tiny size.

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It's far easier to deal with a deadly monster when they're the size of a mouse. It also comes in handy when one of your adventuring party needs to slip in somewhere they can't reach or needs a little extra help going somewhere unnoticed.

2 Fly

Want to attack your enemies from the air? Need to get a better vantage of the city around you? Maybe you want to avoid the dreadful climb up a ravine? Either way, the Fly spell can help you. Soaring through the air allows your character to complete some amazing feats. Just be careful; without the spell being heightened, it only lasts five minutes.

1 Telekinetic Projectile

Hurling everyday objects at bad guys with the power of your mind never gets old. While not the deadliest spell, Telekinetic Projectile has a lot of utility. Whether you need to move some stuff around to give yourself more cover or you want to chuck a chair at a bandit with magic, this one is a lot of fun. It never seems to get old.

Next: Pathfinder's Most Powerful Monsters