Hello everyone!

What do you guys think of spells like Vampiric Touch or Shocking Grasp? I never use them, ever. Mages usually have low strength so they can't really hit anything. Even if you use a potion or spell, they also have low AC and HP so using the roll to hit spells typically means putting the mage in harms way.

The only time where I actually consider using this is when I recruit Xan. He has a decent strength score and when you combine the Armour spell with his sword (although I think it's classed as a dagger) he makes a pretty solid fighter.

Vampiric Touch does not actually require a to hit roll. The reason I tend not to use it is that, after casting it once, casting it again won't heal you (unless you dispel the first effect or it wears off). This, in particular, makes it unsuitable as a choice for a Sorcerer. Larloch's Minor Drain is much better, as it doesn't have that issue, is ranged, is as good as Magic Missile for disrupting enemy spellcasters (if they don't have Mirror Image up), and (in BG2) is guaranteed to give you 4HP even if the spell fails to affect its target.

Shocking Grasp is inferior to Magic Missile under normal circumstances. However, in BG2, if you put that spell into a Minor Sequencer, shapechange (i.e. with Polymorph Self), and then release the sequencer, you can cancel your form's natural weapons. This allows you to benefit from the Strength and extra Attacks of the chosen form (bears and sword spiders are ideal here) while still using your normal weapons (like that Flail of Ages you got Aerie to equip with the help of the Strength spell).

BG1/BG2 don't handle touch spells well. The spell is spent after a single attack, even if it misses, which is NOT how the spells are supposed to work. Furthermore, since you only have to TOUCH your opponent they aren't supposed to get any armor bonuses, the mage should be rolling against their base AC value. Mages have terrible THAC0, especially at the low levels where most of these spells are useful, so with their implementation in BG1/2 they're a complete waste of a spell. (They work fine in IWD2 though, they're only spent after a successful attack and they bypass armor properly.) You should delete them out of your spellbook entirely. As mentioned, though, vampiric touch isn't actually a "touch spell."

Actually, the trick I mentioned with Polymorph Self relies on the fact that the spell disappears after one attack. It can also be used to remove other magically created weapons, like Melf's Minute Meteors, Flame Blade, Spiritual Hammer, etc.

Of note, Shocking Grasp works differently in Icewind Dale. In the original (what I could call the Classic Edition), I believe that spell is a damage spell with decent range. In the Enhanced Edition, it, like Vampiric Touch, only works at short range (but it always hits due to not being a touch spell).

There actually is one touch spell that can be quite useful in Baldur's Gate 2: Harm, which almost kills the target and *doesn't allow a saving throw*. I have seen a video where the player had a solo Totemic Druid use that spell against the Throne of Bhaal final boss. It works even better for a high level Clieric/Mage; Cast Time Stop, then cast Harm, then attack; under Time Stop, enemies have no chance of evading the attack. (Be aware, however, that said ToB final boss is one of the few enemies immune to Time Stop.) Alternatively, you could put Harm in a Spell Trigger with something like holy Power or Tenser's Transformation (or even just cast Holy Power, then cast Harm) to make Harm likely to hit.

I believe Harm is also one of the methods used to kill bosses in Throne of Bhaal speedruns.

By the way, the video in question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=EFH12kJFI20