So, in this project I aim to consolidate all the spells listed, at first, in the SRD into a list of Tiers, very much inspired by JaronK's original Tiers. This list of Tiers can have any number of potential uses and I have several ideas myself. I hope to come to a consensus with other members of the forum on, first of all, the descriptions of the six Tiers, and second of course, the placement of individual spells within the designated Tiers. So, read through, analyze, critique, evaluate, do what you've gotta do to help me make this as useful and relevant as I can.
Spells will be placed in the Tiers with consideration given to the level at which they are obtained, not necessarily their relative power level before or after spells of that level are available to cast, though spells that remain potent or useful for significant levels after they become available will certainly be given special consideration.
I am familiar with several of the most common tricks and abuses, however I am quite sure there are many more subtle tricks with which I am woefully ignorant, so keep that in mind and be sure to point things out as you see them especially in the case that you think such a trick might raise a spell by one or more tiers.
As usual optimization (or fumblingly inept play) can raise (or lower) a spell's Tier placement. Your mileage may vary.
Spells marked with a ? are spells for which I am very unsure of their Tier placement. Help would be appreciated.
Eventually I will probably use color-coding to note spells on the "high end" or "low end" of their respective tiers if we can agree on initial placements. Hopefully, I'll even expand this to other lists of spells someday.
The Tiers
Tier 1 - These are spells which are capable of directly solving encounters all by themselves and worse, are applicable in a diverse set of encounters.
Spells[spoiler]
Dominate Monster?,
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Tier 2 - These spells also directly solve encounters, but not quite so often or are not nearly as versatile.
Spells[spoiler]
Alter Self (Abberration/Outsider), Astral Projection?, Baleful Polymorph, Banishment, Binding, Black Tentacles, Blasphemy?, Mass Charm Monster, Circle of Death, Cloudkill, Color Spray, Contingency, Deep Slumber, Destruction, Dismissal, Dispel Chaos/Evil/Good/Law, Dominate Person,
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Tier 3 - These are spells will not normally solve an encounter by themselves, but can be useful as a potent attack or versatile utility.
Spells[spoiler]
Acid Fog, Alter Self (Other), Animal Growth, Animal Shapes, Animate Dead, Antilife Shell, Antipathy, Arcane Mark?, Awaken?, Bestow Curse, Blindness/Deafness, Blink, Break Enchantment, Cause Fear, Charm Monster, Chill Touch, Clairaudience/Clairvoyance, Cloak of Chaos, Clone, Commune?, Confusion, Contact Other Plane?, Control Winds, Create Undead, Create Greater Undead, Creeping Doom?, Dancing Lights, Darkness, Daze, Death Ward, Deeper Darkness, Demand, Desecrate, Detect Magic, Dimension Door, Dimensional Anchor, Dimensional Lock, Discern Location, Disguise Self, Disintegrate, Dispel Magic (+Greater), Divine Power,
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Tier 4 - These spells can seem to be potent or useful but they are generally not versatile and can often be shut down or marginalized.
Spells[spoiler]
Acid Arrow, Acid Splash, Alarm, Animal Trance, Animate Objects, Animate Plants?, Antimagic Field, Arcane Eye, Arcane Lock?, Arcane Sight, Bear's Endurance (+Mass), Blade Barrier, Bless Weapon, Blur, Bull's Strength (+Mass), Burning Hands, Call Lightning?, Call Lightning Storm?, Cat's Grace? (+Mass), Chain Lightning, Charm Animal, Charm Person, Chill/Heat Metal, Clenched Fist, Greater Command, Command Plants, Command Undead, Cone of Cold, Lesser Confusion, Consecrate, Control Water?, Control Weather, Crushing Despair, Mass Cure X Wounds?, Daze Monster, Death Knell, Delay Poison, Delayed Blast Fireball?, Detect Evil, Detect Thoughts, Dictum, Displacement, Disrupting Weapon, Divine Favor, Dominate Animal, Doom,
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Tier 5 - These are spells that are generally too weak or too marginalized to be much more than a waste of resources.
Spells[spoiler]
Aid, Air Walk, Align Weapon, Analyze Dweomer?, Greater Arcane Sight, Augury, Bane, Barkskin, Bless, Bless Water, Blight, Calm Animals, Calm Emotions, Chaos Hammer, Command, Commune with Nature?, Comprehend Languages, Contagion?, Control Plants, Control Undead?, Create Water, Crushing Hand, Cure X Wounds, Darkvision?, Daylight, Deathwatch, Detect Animals or Plants, Detect Chaos/Good/Law, Detect Poison, Detect Scrying, Detect Secret Doors, Detect Undead, Discern Lies, Disrupt Undead,
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Tier 6 - These are spells that fail, in just about every way imaginable, to produce any relevant effect.
Spells[spoiler]
Animal Messenger, Animate Rope, Antiplant Shell*, Atonement, Changestaff, Continual Flame, Create Food and Water, Curse Water, Detect Snares and Pits, Diminish Plants, Divination*, Dream,
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*As written the spell doesn't actually do anything.