D&D is a world of many possibilities. Players have many different expectations from this endless list, but one thing is common in most, enemies must be destroyed. And thus here we have a list of fifteen amazing spells to get you your victory!
15. Fire Bolt
Fire Bolt is great because it’s a cantrip which means unlimited casts, and also as you level up the damage increases from its initial 1d10. Even if you’re out of everything, you’ll still have Fire Bolt.
Fire Bolt details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:fire-bolt
14. Melf’s Minute Meteors
In my opinion, an underrated spell that we don’t often get to see out on the field. Melf’s Minute Meteors gives you as stated in the name, meteors flying above your head, small ones. You can keep them up to ten minutes and throw up to two of them during each of your turns at your enemies.
Why is it great? Like mentioned above, you have ten minutes to decide when to throw your meteors, which is an advantage since most battles last much shorter than that. Only downside is you cannot have another concentration spell active.
It’s also 2d6 fire damage on a failed Dex save per meteor, or half that on a success. If you use a higher spell slot you gain 2 meteors per each above 3rd level, maxing out at 18 meteors, which is technically 36d6 damage, 4d6 or half per turn, consistent. Not that you would use a 9th level slot, but still.
Melf’s Minute Missiles details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:melfs-minute-meteors
13. Magic Missile
Magic missile is great because first of all, it never misses. Except when the other side is immune. It’s force damage, and very few creatures have immunity or resistance to force damage on 5e.
Lastly, you are able to spread out your damage instead of focusing on one enemy, and each slot higher than 2 grants you an additional missile worth of 1d4+1 damage when you choose to cast from a higher spell slot..
Magic Missile details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:magic-missile
12. Disintegrate
Disintegrate is a great spell, to get rid of an enemy for good. 10d6+40 damage on a failed save turns them and everything they wear into dust. Creatures killed this way can only be brought back with a true resurrection or wish spell.
Disintegrate is great because while it is a save or suck spell which means nothing happens when they save, it’s really powerful when they indeed do fail their saves. The spell can also be used to destroy objects. Or, I guess, well. Disintegrates them.
Disintegrate details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:disintegrate
11. Scorching Ray
Scorching ray is great because as a 2nd level spell, it starts you off with a total of 6d6 damage, which is considerably powerful to come out of a level 3 wizard or level 4 sorcerer’s hands. Like with magic missile, the spell gives you the option to split your damage amongst targets if you wish.
For each spell slot above 2nd, you gain one more ray, more damage. One of the most important spells for sorcerers.
Scorching Ray details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:scorching-ray
10. Vitriolic Sphere
It’s a 4th level spell that can do 15d4 damage in total when cast from its normal spell slot. Any evocation spell that isn’t a fire spell is a bonus, considering resistances and immunities.
The spell first deals 10d4 damage on a failed dexterity save, then 5d4 for more the next turn. If they succeed, half the 10d4 and no residual damage. 20-foot radius is a great control area though.
Vitriolic Sphere details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:vitriolic-sphere
9. Fireball
Why is it great? 8d6 damage as a level 3 spell! For each slot above 3rd, one more 1d6! Destroy the wildlife and plants around! And even if they are dexterous enough to escape the full blast, they’ll still eat half of it.
Fireball details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:fireball
8. Lightning Bolt
Lightning bolt does the same damage, 8d6, as fireball. But there are some key differences. First of all it is lightning damage and we all know by this point that fire is the most common damage resistance in D&D. So you’ll likely have a higher chance of hurting creatures with lightning bolt.
Second of all, while fireball is concentrated in a 20-foot radius, enveloping foe and friend alike, lightning bolt goes in a line which can be as long as 100ft. Either can be more fitting depending on your enemies’ formation, though it’s likely easier to pick who’s going to get hurt with a line than a circle.
Of course, as most other spells, each higher spell slot means 1d6 more damage.
Lightning Bolt details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:lightning-bolt
7. Eldritch Blast
Here’s why. It’s first of all, the most customizable cantrip in existence. With eldritch feats and multiclassing into Warlock, most casters can have access to it. It is a cantrip, so unlimited casting, and does 1d10 force damage when unmodified. Also the beams increase in number as you level up, meaning more damage.
Not only that, but you won’t need to worry about being out of range with its 120ft range.
Eldritch Blast details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:eldritch-blast
6. Cloudkill
It’s a poisonous vapor that spreads out to a 20-foot radius, and can last up to 10 minutes. If you’ve got your enemies cornered, it’s extremely powerful. The damage is 5d8 but again, it’s poison damage so less creatures will have resistance, and you can always choose to cast it at a higher level if you wanted to.
Cloudkill details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:cloudkill
5. Ice Storm
From a 300ft distance! This spell is so high up on our list because it deals two different types of damage, bludgeoning and cold. One of them ought to hurt.
2d8 bludgeoning and 4d6 cold damage at first, the bludgeoning damage can be increased by casting at higher spell slots. It also makes the terrain difficult, which works in the way of area control, slowing down enemies coming your way.
Ice Storm details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:ice-storm
4. Cold of Cone
Cold of cone is great for a few reasons. It’s a 60-foot cone, capable of affecting many creatures at once. One a failed constitution save the creatures take 8d8 cold damage, and half on a success. One of the rare spells where we see the 8-sided dice used for damage. And of course, it increases in damage with every spell slot higher than 5th.
Cold of Cone details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:cone-of-cold
3. Delayed Blast Fireball
Delayed blast fireball is great on its own with a 12d6 base fire damage, but its greatest strength comes from the delaying property. For each turn it cooks, 1d6 more damage is added to when it detonates. If you are a sorcerer you can double that one minute duration, which gives us a total of 24d6 fire damage when detonated.
It’s perfect because not only you can delay it and order your allies to get away from the blast radius, you get to increase its damage while waiting. You can ambush enemies, use it as a trap, or in battle to wait for the perfect moment to detonate it.
If you want to go even further, you can cast it at higher spell slots for even more damage.
Delayed Blast Fireball details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:delayed-blast-fireball
2. Sunburst
Sunburst explodes in a 60-foot radius, and deals 12d6 radiant damage. A rare type, which means it’s highly unlikely for creatures to have resistance against it. Not only that but they are all also going to get blinded for 1 minute on a failed save, rendering them useless for a huge portion of the battle if not the rest.
Sunburst is one of the most trusted and powerful spells of a cleric against undead, as undead and oozes have a disadvantage on their saving throws.
Sunburst details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:sunburst
1. Meteor Swarm
A 9th level spell, meteor swarm deals 20d6 fire *and* 20d6 bludgeoning damage on a failed save. 40-foot radius, and even a successful dexterity save only halves the damage. A power show that brings destruction and death, giving you the power of a demi-god.
Meteor Swarm details: http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/spell:meteor-swarm
