I am wondering how to do what I would have thought were pretty basic spells in Terrinoth. Is the Utility spell time just not fully fleshed out or maybe it's more magic-light that I was thinking...

For example, teleport? Seems a bit too much for an Easy Utility Arcana check.

Or the equivalent of the D&D Alarm spell... a basic ward. I guess that would be a Barrier type?

Or any type of illusion

It just seems like those should be pretty common. But maybe I'm magic is less powerful in Terrinoth than I'm thinking...

You should check out the Expanded Player's Guide, which adds three more spell types (Mask [illusions], Predict, and Transform). It also covers teleporting.

Utility should be reserved for simple utilities, like DnD's mage hand, light, etc. It should theoretically replicate the effects of a number of simple tools, but nothing overly complicated. Alarm could also be utility, provided it has a rather simple application.

On 9/25/2020 at 12:06 PM, dlw32 said:

For example, teleport? Seems a bit too much for an Easy Utility Arcana check.

There are three talents in the EPG that deal with teleporting, two of them are tier 4 and the other tier 5. Well, the tier 5 talent is an improved of one of the tier 4s.

• Flicker Step , tier 4, spend three advantage or one triumph from an Arcana check to teleport to any location within long range.
• Teleportation , tier 4, once per session can make a Daunting (DDDD) Arcana check to teleport to any location your character knows about on the same world. Setbacks added for taking along passengers. Upgrading the check if the target location is on a different world or plane of existence.
• Teleportation (Improved) , tier 5, ranked, can make teleportation "beacons" (2x ranks) that is only an Average (DD) check to teleport to and no added setback for passengers.

On 9/25/2020 at 12:06 PM, dlw32 said:

Or the equivalent of the D&D Alarm spell... a basic ward. I guess that would be a Barrier type?

That sounds like a narrative use of the Barrier spell, yes. Or you could Conjure a protective/vigilant entity. It could go either way, really, but Barrier is closer to the source material, since there's no way to interact with the alarm spell besides dispelling it.

Utility spells are weak spells. That's why they don't have additional effects. They shouldn't cause damage or be much more than narrative in effect. If you pick up my Timmoran's Tome though, on Drive thru, you'll find over 300 spell customizations including some new additional effects, even for spell types in the EPG and Scott's Zynnythryx's Guide.

I've actually wondered what the intent is for situations where spellcasting in general is more difficult. Do you still have a Utility spell with an increased or upgraded difficulty?

By the rules, no. If a Utility spell should have an increased difficulty, then it ceases to be a utility spell, and would fall under the other types.