Is Wraithform a useful spell?

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Should I consider taking it? I've never seen a scroll of it in game so I'd have to pick it at creation. Is it worth a thought? This one seems like "just one for the books" & not used?

 

The Wraithform spell is actually a new addition to bg2 in the enhanced edition - in the original baldur's gate (and in bg:ee) you can find it in the catacombs underneath candlekeep once you return there in chapter 5 (one of the mercenaries down there that attack you carries it.) it was then cut from the original baldur's gate 2, but the enhanced edition restored the spell. I can't seem to recall any place where you'd be able to find a scroll for it though.

The spell is pretty great for any kind of arcane caster that also has proficiency in melee fighting - for the duration of the spell your casting is disabled but you can not be hit by normal weapons, only by weapons of +1 or greater and spells. However, keep in mind that in bg2, a lot of the enemies you meet later on carry magical weapons.
You also gain +25% magic resistance which should stack with any magic resistance you already have.

In other words - it's great to have in bg1 -though only available quite late unless you are lucky enough to get it of randomized loot drops (iirc i remember someone finding it on a doppelganger in durlag's keep)
in bg2, the spell only has limited use so you might as well grab something more useful, especially if you are running a pure caster.

 

I've never found it to be useful, not even in BG1.

 

The fact you find it so late in a playthrough means it has only limited use - i find it useful because i usually run my characters through bg1 twice before exporting them to bg2. If you add it through console from the start on a fresh playthrough you might get more use from it then you normally would.

 

TBH, it's only marginally useful regardless of circumstances. Unless you're playing an x/mage multiclass, it's gonna be a wasted spell slot for the most part. Even if you are playing a melee-focused caster, it's just not a very good tactic in the vast majority of cases.