GAMERS DECIDE - 5e

[Top 15] D&D Most Powerful Spells

girlplaysgames — Thu, 10 Jun 2021 03:33:42 +0000

Is your spellcasting getting a little bland?

Being a spellcaster in D&D can be an amazing experience - spells give you the power to perform feats that would otherwise be impossible. You can shoot fire from your palms, trick your enemies into seeing things that aren't there, or heal your companions' wounds.

But as you gain power as a spellcaster, it might get overwhelming choosing your spells. There are hundreds of available spells in the D&D sourcebooks, and sometimes it's hard to figure out what's worth putting into your repertoire. Often, I find myself going back to the same old spells over and over again.

Hopefully, this article will take some of the guesswork out of it for you. Here are the top 15 most powerful spells in D&D.

15. Foresight

This spell allows you to bestow a willing creature with a temporary look into the immediate future. In essence, this knowledge gives that creature advantage on everything that they could possibly be doing during that spell's duration - making attacks, attempting tasks, or avoiding damage. This spell lasts for 8 hours, essentially making that creature a short-term oracle for an entire day.

Why Foresight is a Great Spell

Foresight is the ultimate buff for your teammates - there's a reason it's a 9th-level spell. If you're expecting some hard fights or tasks ahead, giving someone advantage on literally everything they do is a good way to tip the odds in your favour.

This spell is particularly good if cast on a tank character - fighters, barbarians, or other melee-focused characters who are going to be in the midst of battle can definitely benefit from a little peek into who is going to be swinging an axe at their head a couple of seconds before it happens.

Foresight Details

Sourcebook: Player's Handbook (pg. 244)
Spell Level/School: 9th-level divination
Classes: Bard, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find the spell description here.

14. Clone

Are your players worried about what might happen if their character dies in combat? Resurrection is expensive, and maybe your character is disdainful of clerics or the religion most likely to resurrect them if they suffer a critical failure at an inopportune time.

Clone is the solution for necromancers who have access to a place to keep a huge vessel for their double to grow up in. Essentially, you remove a piece of your flesh, perform the ritual, and let the clone grow in its vessel for 120 days. After it's matured, your soul will automatically transfer into it when you die. If this how Mario gets all those extra lives?

Why Clone is a Great Spell

OK, I can admit that this is a spell that your players might never use. It's expensive (roughly 3000 gold in total for one ritual) and requires your players to have a safe home base to stash their emergency body. However, this is a really good spell to give your villains.

Think about it: the party finally tracks down their big bad and kills him. Problem solved, right? They go about their business, only to discover that, incredibly, the man that they killed is still alive, walking around, and up to his nefarious deeds. This is a great plot point or a way to extend your adventure.

Clone Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 222)
Spell Level/School: 8th-level necromancy
Classes: Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

13. Storm of Vengeance

If you're into raining down vengeance from the heavens on anyone who crosses you, then put this spell in your spellbook. You conjure a huge, churning storm cloud in a 360-foot radius. Every single creature underneath that cloud must make a Constitution saving throw when it appears - that could be an entire battlefield of enemies!

If that weren't already awesome, you can continue to do damage with the storm as long as you're concentrating on it, up to 10 rounds. The cloud conjures acid rain, bolts of lightning, hail, and freezing rain. Nothing and no one is safe from your wrath!

Why Storm of Vengeance is a Great Spell

Honestly, this spell is just a tad overpowered. Doing what is essentially constant damage for ten entire rounds of combat is insane. But it is a 9th-level spell, meaning that you can only cast one per day. It's a last resort trump card for a druid in a tight spot.

Additionally, this spell has a lot of cinematic potential. Imagine your party, pinned between two armies. They're running out of spells, and they fear total obliteration. Then the druid gathers the last of their magic to cast the most powerful spell they know. The storm ravages surrounding enemies, leaving corpses and injured enemies in its wake. That would be a session I would be talking about for the rest of my life.

Storm of Vengeance Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 279)
Spell Level/School: 9th-level conjuration
Classes: Druid
Subclasses: None
Find its details here.

12. Prismatic Wall

Prismatic Wall, or as I like to call it, the Rainbow of Certain Death, is possibly the most colourful way to do serious damage to your enemies in the entire game. You create a beautiful, glowing vertical wall - it can be as big as you want it to be, up to 90 feet long and 30 feet high. It's only an inch thick, but that's no reason to underestimate it.

When a creature attempts to pass through the wall, it must pass through seven separate layers, each a different colour of the rainbow. Each layer has a different effect and has a different specific method to destroy it.

Why Prismatic Wall is a Great Spell

This is a great spell for both player characters and NPCs. It's pretty unique and adds interesting mechanics to combat. It can do a ton of damage, especially to creatures that are too dumb to avoid or destroy it, or aren't dexterous enough to make the saving throws against each layer's effects.

I also really love this spell for its capacity to become a dungeon puzzle. Figuring out how to dispel each layer can be a fun task for players who can't cast this spell yet (and thus don't know its mechanics).

Prismatic Wall Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 267)
Spell Level/School: 9th-level Abjuration
Classes: Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

11. Forcecage

Got an enemy that's been annoyingly slippery? Why not trap them in an immovable magical cube? That's the whole idea behind Forcecage. You create a magical box that blocks outside magic, interferes with teleportation and interplanar travel, and extends into the Ethereal Plane to further prevent escape.

You can keep your unfortunate prisoner in their magical box for up to an hour, or until they manage to pass a Charisma save to teleport out. Notably, you can't attack them while they're in there, but you can keep them right where you want them.

Why Forcecage is a Great Spell

I really like this spell because of its utility. Interrogating an uncooperative NPC? Put them in an inescapable box. Apprehending a master criminal known for picking locks? Put them in an inescapable box. Mad at your bard for seducing everything that isn't nailed down? Time out in an inescapable magical box.

It's a pretty expensive spell, but you could easily give it to an NPC to use against your players if they're constantly getting out of simpler traps.

Forcecage Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 243)
Spell Level/School: 7th-level evocation
Classes: Bard, Warlock, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

10. Time Stop

You know that trope in animated movies when the really hyper character drinks something caffeinated and starts moving so fast that time stops around them? This is that effect but in spell form. Unfortunately, you have less control than the animated characters do while under this effect, but you can still use it to your advantage.

Maybe you need time to set a trap underneath an enemy or dodge an attack that might knock you unconscious. Maybe you just need a split second to yank an ally out of imminent danger. However you use it, stopping time might just be the trump card you need to get out of a tight spot.

Why Time Stop is a Great Spell

Manipulating time and space is a big deal, but using it to occasionally tip the scales in your favour can be really fun. This spell has a lot of potential to be used in creative ways by cunning players. When given to an NPC, it can really throw a monkey wrench into a party's well-laid plans. However you slice it, it's one of the most interesting utility spells out there.

Time Stop Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 283)
Spell Level/School: 9th-level transmutation
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

9. Animate Objects

You need some quick minions, but you don't have any organic material around. You are, however, in a house filled with furniture and small objects. A minute later, you have up to 10 friends that can help you in battle or guard you against threats.

Animate Objects works a lot like other minion-creating abilities and spells, with the notable difference that it can be used on pretty much anything, provided that the object isn't magical and isn't being worn or carried by a creature.

Why Animate Objects is a Great Spell

Firstly, it's pretty powerful for a 5th-level spell. The ability to make servants out of anything you have lying around can make dungeon-delving a completely different ball game. Giving the spell to an NPC can put your players in a sticky situation where anything around them could become an enemy. Talk about a creepy dungeon!

Animate Objects Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 213)
Spell Level/School: 5th-level transmutation
Classes: Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Clockwork Soul (Sorcerer), Eldritch Knight (Fighter), Forge (Cleric)
Find its details here.

8. Arcane Eye

If you need to keep an eye on something - or someone - then this spell is for you. You create an invisible eye hovering in the air for up to an hour. This eye transmits visual information to you, and you can use an action to move it.

Why Arcane Eye is a Great Spell

This spell is powerful in a different way than some of the others - it essentially allows you to spy on things undetected. This is a game-changer, especially in campaigns that involve espionage or diplomacy quests. It's more definite than scrying, and the eye is undetectable to anyone other than the caster.

The best part? It's only a 4th-level spell, so it's well within the grasp of your party members earlier in the campaign than most of the other spells on this list.

Arcane Eye Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 214)
Spell Level/School: 4th-level divination
Classes: Artificer, Wizard
Subclasses: Aberrant Mind (Sorcerer), Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter), Knowledge (Cleric), Swarmkeeper (Ranger), Seeker (Warlock)
Find its details here.

7. Disintegrate

Move over, Thanos; someone else is going to start snapping. This spell does exactly what the name implies - it does a ton of damage, and if that damage reduces the target to 0 HP, they disintegrate into dust. It can be used on creatures, inanimate objects, or magical creations like the Wall of Force spell. Any creature killed by this spell can only be brought back by True Resurrection or Wish. Good luck with that.

Why Disintegrate is a Great Spell

This spell is ridiculous for a 6th-level spell. This is the kind of spell that ruins boss fights and can derail an entire campaign. But, when in the hands of a responsible player, it can be really useful. Because remember, you don't just have to cast it on your enemies - you can cast it on objects and magical barriers as well.

If your party wants to get into a building, and they aren't worried about being subtle about it, then Disintegrate will do the trick. If they're trapped inside a magical barrier, then Disintegrate might just save their lives. And you can also reduce that annoying NPC to a pile of dust if you want.

Disintegrate Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 233)
Spell Level/School: 6th-level Transmutation
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

6. Simulacrum

If you daydream about being able to have D&D adventures with Frosty the Snowman, I highly recommend you look into this spell. You create a duplicate of a beast or humanoid that you're touching - this duplicate is made out of snow or ice, but it appears the same as the original creature.

After you've created it, the simulacrum exists until it drops to 0 hit points or you cast the spell again. So, if you play your cards right, you can make a whole new party member!

Why Simulacrum is a Great Spell

This spell has so much potential. While it is pretty expensive to cast (what powerful spell isn't?) it can be a game-changer. First of all, the spell's description never states that the creature you're duplicating must be alive. Second of all, the simulacrum has all of the same stats as the creature you duplicated, with the notable exception that it has half of the original creature's maximum health and it can't regain expended spell slots. So, for example, if you kill a powerful NPC or lose a comrade in battle, you could theoretically make a copy of them.

You could also use this spell as emotional blackmail for your players - for example, an evil NPC uses it to make a copy of one of the party's dead friends to use against them later. Just in case you wanted to traumatize your players.

Simulacrum Spells

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 276)
Spell Level/School: 7th-level illusion
Classes: Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

5. Power Word Kill

This one does exactly what it says on the box - you speak an ancient word of power that causes your target to drop dead, provided they have less than 100 hit points when you cast the spell. While the effect might seem a little anticlimactic compared to an epic boss battle, there's definitely something satisfying about the idea of telling the enemy you've been chasing to drop dead and having them listen.

Why Power Word Kill is a Great Spell

If this was anything other than a 9th-level spell, I would say that it was too powerful. However, because it can only be cast once per day, it becomes more of a last resort or a flourishing power play, depending on how your character feels about casting it.

Additionally, there is no description of what the power word actually is, meaning that you can tailor this cinematic moment to your needs. It can be serious, awe-inspiring, sarcastic, or ridiculous, depending on the character casting it.

Power Word Kill Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 266)
Spell Level/School: 9th-level enchantment
Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

4. Sunburst

If you're fighting an army of demons or undead, or perhaps just an annoying vampire, why not smite them with the power of the sun? Sunburst creates a huge flash of brilliant sunlight, blinding everything in a 60-foot radius that fails a Constitution save. It also does a huge amount of damage - 12d6, to be exact. Dud anyone get dipping sauce for this extra crispy vampire?

Why Sunburst is a Great Spell

This spell is a really good AOE spell for fighting anything that is vulnerable to radiant damage - which is a lot of creatures that D&D parties will commonly be fighting. I really like that it also debuffs enemies.

On top of all that, it's one of the few spells on this list that is available to Druids - we're a class-inclusive operation here, folks.

Sunburst Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 279)
Spell Level/School: 8th-level evocation
Classes: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

3. Fireball

If D&D had a "Greatest Hits" album, this spell would be the first track. You know it, you love it - 8d6 of fire damage hurtling at the faces of all the enemies within a 20ft sphere. This is Fireball, the spellcaster's Chanel No. 5.

Why Fireball is a Great Spell

All jokes aside, this is one of the most accessible spells on our list. It's only 3rd level, making it readily available to your players right off the hop. It also scales with the level of spell slot that you use to cast it - a 9th-level Fireball would do a whopping 14d6 of damage, killing all but the toughest enemies caught in its wake.

Also, a little fun fact: according to the spell description, the flames from Fireball can spread around corners. That poor goblin cowering behind the pillar has no chance.

Fireball Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 241)
Spell Level/School: 3rd-level evocation
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Artillerist (Artificer), Eldritch Knight (Fighter), Fiend (Warlock), Four Elements (Monk), Genie (Warlock), Light (Cleric), Zeal (Cleric)
Find its details here.

2. Meteor Swarm

This is the ideal spell for when you're just tired of being in combat with tough enemies. You harness all of your frustration and magical energy to rain meteors from the sky in a 40ft radius. These flaming space rocks both crush your enemies and set them on fire, doing 20d6 each fire and bludgeoning damage. That's gonna leave a mark!

Why Meteor Swarm is a Great Spell

As a DM, I used to hate this spell. It does a ridiculous amount of damage, its radius is huge, and even if a creature succeeds on its Dexterity saving throw, it's still going to get pummelled. I used to stare my sorcerer down at the table whenever they would mention wanting to use it.

But as I've gotten more experience with playing D&D with players who are responsible and passionate, my ire for this spell has faded. After all, it's a fantastic spell for ambushing your enemies, getting the drop on them before they have a chance to hurt you. And it's a 9th-level spell, making it almost impossible for a player to abuse.

Meteor Swarm Details

Sourcebook: Basic Rules (pg. 259)
Spell Level/School: 9th-level evocation
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
Subclasses: Arcana (Cleric), Arcane Trickster (Rogue), Eldritch Knight (Fighter)
Find its details here.

1. Wish

We're all familiar with this one, and we all either love it or hate it. Wish is "the mightiest spell a mortal creature can cast." Essentially, you are allowed to bend reality to your will for a single action - you can use it to recreate another spell, create an object, heal up to 20 people, grant damage resistances or spell immunities, or undo a recent event. Essentially, you become a god for a single moment in time.

Why Wish is a Great Spell

I know a lot of DMs are kind of scared of this spell - after all, it's touted in the community as a spell that lets your players do anything. That's not entirely true - Wish is incredibly powerful and can definitely break a game, but you as the DM have a lot more control over the results than you think.

What I mean is that you don't just have to roll over and allow your players to do whatever they want when they cast Wish. According to the spell's description, you are fully allowed to grant the wish, but with unforeseen consequences or partial failure if you choose.

On top of that, Wish is one of the only spells in the game that has consequences after casting it (unless you're a Wild Magic Sorcerer, of course). Casting spells after casting Wish causes you to take 1d10 damage per spell level and your Strength score drops to 3 for days afterward. If that weren't enough, there's a 33% chance that you'll never be able to cast Wish again after doing it once.

I sort of wish that more spells in D&D were like this - making players weigh the consequences of their spellcasting choices makes for some really interesting roleplaying opportunities and cinematic moments.

Main Image caption:

Spellcasting in D&D can be a blast, especially when you want to cause shenanigans.

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D&D Best Sorcerer Spells For Every Level

ShayRob007 — Mon, 15 Jun 2020 17:44:34 +0000

You’ve chosen your class and donned your armor, now it is time to select the spells that will set you apart from other members of your party, elevating you all to greatness as you triumph over the challenges set forth by your Dungeon Master. Or maybe, you just have a quick one-off you are running that you need a sorcerer build for. Either way, the list below is the best of the best of Sorcerer spells at every level.

Best Sorcerer Cantrips

Best Spell: Blade Ward

Gives you resistance against melee damage dealt with a weapon for one round
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: Self
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Blade Ward Great:

Offers protection
Can be cast as a bonus action if you use the Quickened metamagic option
Because this is a cantrip, you can cast this along with another spell if you change its casting time to a bonus action

Second Best Spell: Mage Hand

An extra hand that can lift ten pounds, wield tools, and obey your commands for up to one minute
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Mage Hand Great:

Will help free you from the darkest of dungeons, by unlocking locks, tripping traps, creating diversions, or helping you in combat
If you pair this with the Telekinetic UA material, your mage hand becomes invisible and can push people around for you
Once cast, you can control the mage hand on bonus actions, freeing you up for other things, like slaying dragons

Best Level 1 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Shield

A +5 bump to your Armor Class as a reaction that lasts until the start of your next turn
Casting time: 1 Reaction
Range: Self
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Shield Great:

Protects you from all damage from Magic Missile
As a sorcerer, you will typically have lower hit points because of your hit die being a d6 so any boost to your AC is imperative to survival

Second Best: Magic Missile

Magical darts that deal 1d4+1 force damage to your opponent no matter what their armor class is
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 120 Feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Magic Missile Great:

Unless the thing you attack reacts by casting the Shield spell, it will take magical force damage instantaneously, without an attack roll or a saving throw
Can be cast at any level, increasing in strength as it grows by adding more darts per level
All darts are autonomous and you can direct them to hit multiple objects or creatures

Best Level 2 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Invisibility

Renders a creature invisible for up to an hour if concentration is maintained
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: Touch
Components: Verbal, Somatic, and Material (an eyelash encased in gum arabic)

What Makes Invisibility Great:

Being invisible gives attacks against you disadvantage
Not being seen gives you advantage on attacks against others
Invisibility is fantastic for things other than combat, like sneaking around in a dungeon, walking through a crowd to pickpocket, or pranking unsuspecting patrons of a frequented tavern

Second best: Mirror Image

Multiply yourself by four by adding three new projections of you to the battle mat
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 1 Minute
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Mirror Image Great:

Having duplicates of yourself is extremely confusing to your opponents
You can have each of your duplicates take one attack for you in battle if you roll high enough
This spell does not require concentration to keep active

Best Level 3 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Haste

Give yourself or a willing creature an extra attack, a +2 bonus to armor class, doubled speed, and advantage on Dexterity saving throws for one minute
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 30 Feet
Components: Verbal, Somatic, and Material (a shaving of licorice root)

What Makes Haste Great:

Increases AC by 2 for the duration
Grants extra melee attack
Gives advantage on Dexterity saving throws
Doubles speed for the duration
Even though you cannot take an action for on turn after haste ends, you can still use your reaction to cast reaction spells to protect yourself from attacks

Second best: Counterspell

Send your opponents a cease and desist by negating their spell with your counterspell
Casting time: 1 Reaction
Range: 60 feet
Components: Somatic

What Makes Counterspell Great:

Automatically works on spells of the same level or lower
You can attempt to counterspell higher level spells
You cast this spell as a reaction, at long range, which means you can protect your friends from sixty feet away

Best Level 4 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Dimension Door

Teleport yourself and another creature up to 500 feet in any direction
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 500 feet
Components: Verbal

What Makes Dimension Door Great:

Being able to blink out to a desired location 500 feet away is a nice feature when you’re running from a monster
Everything is better if you can bring a friend
This can be a fun utility outside of combat at your DMs discretion

Second best: Blight

Necrotic energy drains the moisture and life from a creature of your choice, dealing 8d8 necrotic damage on a failed Constitution saving throw
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Blight Great:

Sucking the life out of the party is great when it’s the opponents’ party
If you are up against a magical plant or plant-based creature, they are at disadvantage on saving throws against the attack and they take maximum damage
This spell can be manipulated with metamagic options to make for some very powerful additional damage potential
You can wither regular plants instantly
Increase the maximum damage by casting this at higher levels

Best Level 5 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Telekinesis

Move things, or creatures, with your mind
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Telekinesis Great:

Trick a giant into thinking you have giant ancestry by using Telekinesis to show your strength as you can lift and move objects up to half a ton
Transport you and your friends across a turbulent river atop a recently chopped tree
Move a huge creature against its will if they fail a strength check up to 30 feet in any direction
Great for crossover characters like Professor X, Phoenix, or Eleven

Second best: Far Step

Once you cast this you can teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied location that you can see on each of your turns
Casting time: 1 Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: Verbal

What Makes Far Step Great:

You can change your location on every turn without using your movement allowing you to stay out of melee or chase down fleeing opponents
Lasts for a minute and can be used again as a bonus action on your next turns until the spell ends

Best Level 6 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Chain Lightning

A lightning bolt erupts and hits a target of your choice, then breaks off and creates three separate additional arcs that attack three separate and additional targets
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 150 feet
Components: Verbal, Somatic, and Material (a bit of fur; a piece of amber, glass, or crystal, and three silver pins)

What Makes Chain Lightning Great:

The potential max damage of this spell is 80 lightning damage on a failed Dexterity saving throw which would nearly kill anything of a challenge rating under 5 in one hit
If you choose the Storm Sorcerer subclass, you will deal extra lightning damage to anyone within ten feet of you when you cast this spell
This spell’s range is so great that you can be safely away from harm when you cast it
The additional arcs’ ranges do not have to be within 150 feet of you, only within 30 feet of another target you hit with the lightning

Second best: Globe of Invulnerability

A barrier surrounds the spot you cast it in and protects you against spell effects for up to one minute
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: Self (10ft radius Sphere)
Components: Verbal, Somatic, and Material (a glass or crystal bead that shatters after it is used)

What Makes Globe of Invulnerability Great:

Mages tend to be weaker, so any form of protection against spells that deal huge magical damage is an essential utility
This automatically protects you against level 5 spells and weaker, even if those spells are cast at higher levels, basically the DND form of camping, which everyone knows is a legitimate strategy
The globe gets more powerful the higher the level you cast it at, blocking spells at one level less than the level it is cast at

Best Level 7 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Finger of Death

This is a direct hit of necrotic damage that can deal a maximum of 7d8+30 damage on a failed save, with a zombie twist! Any humanoid you kill with this spell reanimates as your zombified familiar.
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Finger of Death Great:

Pet Zombie
Huge damage potential
No component requirements means you can cast this once per long rest without restocking your supplies, meaning if you and your DM work it out, you could have an entourage of zombies

Second best: Teleport

This spell allows you to beam you and 8 other willing creatures, or one single object to safety in the blink of an eye.
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 10 feet
Components: Verbal

What Makes Teleport Great:

There is no better way to protect your entire party from immediate death than to instantaneously teleport them away to a “permanent circle” or perhaps a lair that you’ve already established
This can be a fun way to play up the chance aspect of your game if your DM is ready to roll the outcome of emergency teleportations (see the table in the player handbook)
As long as the object fits within a ten-foot cube, you can teleport it to your permanent circle, making looting fun AND easy

Best Level 8 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Dominate Monster

If a monster you target with this spell fails a Wisdom saving throw, it becomes charmed by you for the duration. Once charmed, you can issue commands to it that it will obey to the best of their capability.
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: Verbal and Somatic

What Makes Dominate Monster Great:

Not all monsters are wise, so even though monsters you are engaged with have advantage on their Wisdom saving throws against this spell’s effects, you have a good chance of dominating one mid-combat and bringing it over to your side of the fray
This can be used on all monsters of any size
If you cast this spell at the 9th level, the duration increases to 8 hours
The How To Train Your Dragon potential is here, folks

Second best: Earthquake

Choose an epicenter within 500 feet of you and cause an earthquake with a 100-foot radius area effect that trembles and causes damage to creatures and buildings for up to 1 minute
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 500 feet
Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (a pinch of dirt, a piece of rock, and a lump of clay)

What Makes Earthquake Great:

The ground in the 200-foot diameter of the spell’s effect becomes difficult terrain, halving the movement of your foes
Your spell causes 1d6 fissures to swallow up those who fail a dexterity saving throw
Structures caught in the shake zone are dealt 50 bludgeoning damage when you cast the spell and then again at the start of each of your turns for the spell’s duration

Best Level 9 Sorcerer Spells

Best: Gate

You create a portal between 5 and 20 feet in diameter that persists for up to one minute
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Components: Verbal, Somatic, and Material (a diamond worth at least 5000gp)

What Makes Gate Great:

This portal can link to any plane of existence you choose, so a great way to change the scenery or escape a conflict
Anything can travel through this portal while it is up
You can attempt to summon a creature (controlled by the DM) from another plane and have the portal draw it to you

Second best: Mass Polymorph

Casting this allows you to change the appearance of up to ten creatures to a creature of your choice with a challenge rating equal to or less than half of their level
Casting time: 1 Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (a caterpillar cocoon)

What Makes Mass Polymorph Great:

Whatever creature you polymorph gains temporary hit points equal to that of the creature you chose to turn them into
By the time you can cast this spell, you are a level 17 sorcerer, which means you could turn yourself and 10 other level 17 creatures into a band of young green dragons if your heart desired
Deceit, disguise, and power are the pillars of sorcery and this spell is the quintessential mash-up of those concepts

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Choose the right spells to prevent materializing a basket of kittens when you need to escape a multi-headed dragon.

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