10 Most Frustrating Spells For Dungeon Masters

Dungeons and Dragons puts the world at the fingertips of players. In the ultimate fantasy, players can shape characters who can bend the world to their will through the use of a variety of physical and magical abilities. Whether you want to fly, be able to detect anyone telling a lie, or simply will a pile of gold into existence, there are very few things accomplished players cannot accomplish.

That doesn't mean, However, that every spell is a welcome sight. For Dungeon Masters, those dedicated individuals who craft adventures for the players to undertake, there are some spells which are whispered in hushed tones. Those that they can only wait with baited breath, hoping against hope they won't have their plans immediately ruined for yet again.

But then the inevitable happens. A complex series of situations, hazards, and obstacles laid before the party, guaranteeing an evening of challenging fun is off the table with a few simple spells. Good Dungeon Masters often prepare for such eventualities, but players are often so empowered its unlikely they can defend against all of them.

Here are ten spells guaranteed to keep poor Dungeon Masters up at night, cradling their stuffed Owlbear.

Beginning the list is one of the most situational spells in Dungeons and Dragons, but the role that it fills is almost always that of a drama-killer.

While D&D is often a game of great power, it is possible to use the environment to the game's advantage in order to introduce some difficult survival mechanics. Setting it in a barren desert or a brutal tundra suddenly makes survival a difficult matter.

Shelter, fire, food, and water become far more than simply paying for a night at the local inn: they become a secondary layer of challenge that can become engrossing to players.

And here is where Create Food and Water comes into play. For the cost of a third level spell, players can create either 45 pounds of food or 30 gallons of water. Suddenly, all that struggle, all that clawing for the joy of living another day is utterly extinguished.

The spell similarly can ruin conflicts throughout towns adventurers might encounter. Towns suffering from a drought or a famine need no longer be an issue once someone with the spell rides into the village. In the end, the spell feels like it cheapens the experience of the game rather than enhances it.