So as we all know, nearly all the spells have been hit by several nerf bats, but they are certainly not now equally bad, and I would like to start a discussion on spells that actually are good in their current form and that have surprised you in a positive way in or out of play, or found to be staples.
I will start with Illusionary object (level 1): Like all "true" illusion spells, they are DM dpendant, but this spell is actually buffed a great deal from previous 1.st level illusion spells. DM may still ignore your illusions or always respond them with a seak action even if the NPCs have no reason to believe it is an illusion, but if you have a DM that actually likes to work with you on illusions, this spell is very strong. It has a huge area and range and the things you can create with it are endless 40 foot long and 20 feet high walls dripping with animated acid, illusionary boats and even small ships, houses, huge boulders, etc. The hightened options are also good.
Illusionary creature (level 1) is another contender, I think. The dmg. options are lol, but A 20 foot dragon might be enough to scare an entire village away, you can create an avatar of someone god and even impersante with it, etc.
Last, I will mention summon monster 1 (Animated broom). SOme dmg, more hp than other options, save for a slow effect. This could be a stable for lvl 1-2 wizards, I think.
