Bane

Enchantment (Compulsion) [Fear, Mind-Affecting]
Level: Clr 1
Components: V, S, DF
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 50 ft.
Area: All enemies within 50 ft.
Duration: 1 min./level
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes
Description

Other Information

Pros:

Decent duration.

Only affects enemies.

Affects multiple enemies.

Cons:

Area of effect must originate from caster's location.

Tricks/Combos:

Obviously, this spell stacks nicely with fear effects/spells, since it gives enemies a -1 penalty on saving throws against fear effects.

Overall:
Somewhat plain, but a solid 1st level spell. Penalizing your opponents' attack rolls never hurts, and this one has a decent range/area of effect that lets you usually hit a few foes with it. You'll quickly get better spells as you advance in level, but when you're starting out this is often more useful than a single-target buff spell. For example, I would rather penalize multiple enemies with a -1 on attacks then give a single ally a +1 bonus on attacks/damage with Magic Weapon.

Recommended for Clerics?
Yes. In early levels, this is a solid everyday spell to memorize. Everyone has low AC, and enemies usually have low bonuses to hit, so even a -1 penalty can have a decent impact on a battle.

Recommended as a scroll?
No. If you don't have it available, it's not the end of the world. Just do something else.