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MAGIC
In combat, or just prior to it, defensive spells such as Chant, Bless and Strength Of One are extremely useful when you’re unsure what kind of offensive action would be appropriate. Haste is also excellent as it speeds up not only your party’s movement, but their attacks as well. Spells like these which affect all the party require each member to be within a certain distance from the target, so make sure the party is together when casting it. Sanctuary is also useful, as it allows the caster to act like an invulnerable spotter.
To combat high-level enemy mages, always have a Dispel Magic available to negate spells such as Confusion and Fear, although casting Miscast Magic is a better way of crippling them. If you can get close, cast Minor Globe Of Invulnerability which prevents any magic being cast. This will leave them virtually helpless against attacks by your fighters. To tackle really tough fighters, the Monster Summoning spells or Animate Dead will slow them down while you rain arrows and more spells down on them.
Of the offensive spells, one of the most powerful and useful is Fireball. It has a long range and causes a wide radius of damage, but for this reason can also affect your own troops. It is particularly useful when you know an enemy is just out of visual range; they will sometimes work out where the fiery burning is coming from, though, and come over to investigate. Aganazzar’s Scorcher is also a useful spell (so the dual-purpose Wand of Fire is a favourite) but it really demands that the caster be in the front line as the resulting two-foot corridor of flame can hurt your own team.
The lower-level spells all become more powerful when cast by a higher-level mage, so don’t discount them. Chromatic Orb and Melf’s Acid Arrow are two favourites, but there are several others which are equally useful. Larloch’s Minor Drain is also useful, as it steals hit points temporarily and gives them to the caster. While spells such as Invisibility, Mirror Image and Dimension Door may sound attractive, in practicality your mages will be under less threat than your warriors, leaving them free to use directly offensive spells. Invisibility Purge, however, is essential for revealing otherwise-invisible mages.
Healing spells are vital, and a Cleric or Druid is really essential to provide these. Use that character primarily as a healer, with all the first-level slots devoted to Cure Light Wounds. Cure Serious Wounds is a fourth-level spell, so you’ll have to manage with the first-level spell for quite a while. Another non-combat spell you’ll find useful is Clairvoyance, which allows you to see terrain and buildings above ground. This is particularly handy when in Baldur’s Gate as you can then use the map to quickly identify buildings and work out where you are going.
Wands are extremely useful, and you should get into the habit of using them. They are pretty expensive, but allow you to repeatedly cast some very useful spells. The Fire Wand is very useful, as is Monster Summoning (some might say these two are essential). If you can master it, the Lightning Wand can be devastating against large groups, and the Wand of Fear can buy you a great deal of time and can often work against high-level enemies. Experiment with giving wands to different members of your party, as Rangers, Thieves and Clerics can all use certain wands.