Tier Ranking 1st-Level Spells in D&D 5e (Part 1)

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Dungeon Dudes

Dungeon Dudes

Күн бұрын

MONSTERS OF DRAKKENHEIM is 300+ pages of eldritch horror inspired monsters for 5e by the Dungeon Dudes! Coming to Kickstarter March 26th, 2024: www.kickstarter.com/projects/... We start our rankings of all the first level spells in D&D 5e
TIME STAMPS
0:00 - Intro
0:36 - Absorb Elements
3:03 - Alarm
5:57 - Animal Friendship
8:03 - Armor of Agathys
10:21 - Arms of Hadar
12:57 - Bane
15:38 - Beast Bond
18:06 - Bless
20:46 - Burning Hands
22:06 - Catapult
24:01 - Cause Fear
25:47 - Ceremony
27:23 - Chaos Bolt
29:16 - Charm Person
31:06 - Chromatic Orb
33:09 - Colour Spray
35:59 - Command
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Пікірлер: 796
@talongreenlee7704
@talongreenlee7704 8 ай бұрын
Oh no. Ohhhhhhh no. This is gonna take a while.
@ElJefeRules
@ElJefeRules 8 ай бұрын
>first level spells >part 1 >ends at C
@jameshicks1114
@jameshicks1114 8 ай бұрын
Well if we do all the way to ninth level that should take us up to the release of one dnd/5.5/whatever they call it.
@stevenesheim
@stevenesheim 8 ай бұрын
You say "this is going to take a while" like that is a bad thing?
@unboundsoul3582
@unboundsoul3582 8 ай бұрын
8th and 9th level could probably be done in 1 video tho
@jeffreylee3159
@jeffreylee3159 8 ай бұрын
Hell yeah man another fun spell series
@gridlock489
@gridlock489 8 ай бұрын
Now THIS is an ambitious series... and I'll be watching every minute! Spell breakdowns/rankings are so helpful
@wizkid915
@wizkid915 8 ай бұрын
I will be watching every minute as well!! Butttttt on 1.5x speed 😂
@projohn18
@projohn18 8 ай бұрын
Me too😂
@mr.creamy1012
@mr.creamy1012 8 ай бұрын
You mad geniuses..
@jugglejunk
@jugglejunk 8 ай бұрын
1.75x speed for me.
@juicynuggins
@juicynuggins 8 ай бұрын
Cowards in the replies! 0.25 speed. Drag out these videos as long as possible.
@zephyrus339
@zephyrus339 8 ай бұрын
Casting bless has another effect that's not listed in the spell description: It makes the disposition of your party members towards you more positive.
@gonoroad2160
@gonoroad2160 8 ай бұрын
Catapult gets really good once you get better objects to throw (acid, certain poisons, maybe even alchemist fires)
@Holtz
@Holtz 8 ай бұрын
holy water and nets are fun options as well
@jorgh5255
@jorgh5255 8 ай бұрын
Its is also really useful to get items that are on the ground towards you, giving it a lot of utility for a lvl 1 spell that is mostly ment for combat
@nickschile4807
@nickschile4807 8 ай бұрын
@@jorgh5255 This. We had a player with the Sunblade variant in Out of the Abyss get madness from Demogorgon when it attacked a kuotoa village and died trying to fight it. I used Catapult to save the sword after he died >.>
@finaldarkfire
@finaldarkfire 8 ай бұрын
This strat is very DM dependent, but if you use the spell on a net, you've basically got a Net-Gun that you can use to knock flying enemies out of the sky. This is kinda my go-to option for all my Artificers now and it is so much fun when it works XD
@carsonrush3352
@carsonrush3352 8 ай бұрын
I once tied a flask of oil to an alchemist fire and launched them together. I also like this spell with bags of caltrops, ball bearings, or even money (silver hurts werewolves and distracts bandits). I haven't thought of using it on nets yet, but hear me out. Carry a 160 lb metal weight in your bag of holding. Cast reduce on it in preparation for a fight. Run up to your target, and launch the missile straight up over its head. Release concentration, action surge + distant spell on enlarge. Watch 1400 lbs of death land on your target from 90 ft up. Instant siege weapon.
@bradleyrichard9283
@bradleyrichard9283 8 ай бұрын
Quick thing on Alarm: it's a ritual spell and there is no concentration but also no wording that it disappears if you cast it again. You can take a hour, cast it six times, and have a good amount of area covered.
@xySuperManxy
@xySuperManxy 8 ай бұрын
I’m surprised they didn’t call out its interaction with abjurers’ Arcane Ward.
@bradleyrichard9283
@bradleyrichard9283 8 ай бұрын
@@xySuperManxy only interacts if you cast using a spell slot though. Can't use a ritual to boost arcane ward
@xySuperManxy
@xySuperManxy 8 ай бұрын
@@bradleyrichard9283 As far as l can tell (Twitter is near unusable these days for checking rulings) RAW says rituals work, RAI says no.
@MsKeylas
@MsKeylas 8 ай бұрын
Bradley. that is actually how I always used this spell. Used sometime which other characters use for camp preparation to kind of ward of all or most of approach vectors
@zorn3255
@zorn3255 7 ай бұрын
​@@bradleyrichard9283Rules as written you can cast it as a ritual for Arcane Ward. Here is what the Player's Handbook says: "When you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, you can simultaneously use a strand of the spell's magic to create a magical ward on yourself that lasts until you finish a long rest... While the ward has 0 hit points, it can't absorb damage, but its magic remains. Whenever you cast an abjuration spell of 1st level or higher, the ward regains a number of hit points equal to twice the level of the spell." Doesn't say that it has to use a spell slot.
@nowaylikeconwayttv
@nowaylikeconwayttv 8 ай бұрын
Catapult is also useful for scribes wizards, as it gives them access to bludgeoning damage, which has some strong uses that are enemy dependent
@odinulveson9101
@odinulveson9101 8 ай бұрын
Neat idea! I try to get it for my Psi Warrior fighter. Things hit all over the place by mind & magic!
@veikkovuokila8012
@veikkovuokila8012 8 ай бұрын
You can do a really goofy Scribes wizard build where you pick up a spell that does bludgeoning/slashing/piercing damage at every level, and flavour your spells as ridiculous anime maneuvers with weapons. Like a slashing lightning bolt being a dash through the enemies in the line with a sword, or a bludgeoning fireball being you jumping into the air with a giant hammer and slamming the ground really hard. At the end of which you of course teleport back to your original location because you're just that cool.
@gridlock489
@gridlock489 8 ай бұрын
For players who like to describe their spells in detail then Scribes is very rewarding! Another note is that if you upcast Catapult then you can infuse it with whatever damage types are available at the higher Spell Slot. Catapult becomes a totally new spell if you're dealing Mind Spike's Psychic damage, upcast at 2L... suddenly that rock you're launching phases into something else entirely! If that sparks imagination then Scribes is worth trying
@WilliamTythas
@WilliamTythas 8 ай бұрын
object thrown also takes the same damage so try throwing vials of oil and acid .. now you add that too ..
@Kirk9019
@Kirk9019 8 ай бұрын
​@@veikkovuokila8012I made a Geomancer by taking spells that deal bludgeoning damage at every level (fun fact, the only level of Wizard spells that doesn't have bludgeoning damage is 8th) alongside the Crusher feat. Being able to cast "Rock Barrage" (bludgeoning scorching ray) is SO much fun.
@antimatters6283
@antimatters6283 8 ай бұрын
I've seen Alarm used extensively, such as in Salt Marsh to ward a ship and a dock. I've also seen it used to tell people "When was the vault open" or alert other access to an area. Don't think of it as a burglar alarm, think of it as a trigger: "Is someone in this closed off area I'm interested in?" The one mile range is really useful. This is a great spell for scrolls too.
@groovydude4511
@groovydude4511 8 ай бұрын
Glad Command got an A. To me, the really good use of this spell is upcasting it at higher levels when you are already concentrating on something else. Like a Bard that is already concentrating on Hypnotic Pattern. Don't really have a ton of things you can do with your Action that are going to have a big impact. But, you upcast Command to 2nd level and tell a couple enemies to Grovel, and you waste their whole next turn without breaking concentration. On my Lore Bard I played before Tasha's, I actually took Command as one of my Additional Magical Secrets because I was looking for something to do with my actions that didn't require concentration, as Vicious Mockery was quickly losing its appeal.
@insertname5371
@insertname5371 8 ай бұрын
It should probably be S tbh it blanks a turn and gets you access to some insane utility.
@coombscharlie
@coombscharlie 8 ай бұрын
Commanding an enemy to micturate or defecate would be a fun way of wasting their action (and making their armour uncomfortable).
@kmoustakas
@kmoustakas 8 ай бұрын
Same thing. Both my lore bards had it and used it extensively. THe only downfall is it doesn't work on everything.
@aceofdiamonds2002
@aceofdiamonds2002 7 ай бұрын
My two best uses of Command: In a murder/mystery one shot we had a solid idea of who had done it, but weren’t able to get any solid evidence so we got everyone together in a Zone of Truth and then I cast Command “Confess” on them. The second was a funny situation. We were trapped by the BBEG and I was trying to buy the rest of the party a turn to help us escape so I cast Command “Monologue” on him. The whole table cracked up as the DM voluntarily failed the saving throw 😂
@clossonpoolboy
@clossonpoolboy 7 ай бұрын
My favorite use of Command is "Betray". I haven't had a time yet were the DM didn't have that target attack their own party member. On my Divine Soul, I can upcast or use twin meta magic to get multiple targets for minimal resource use.
@icaruschained
@icaruschained 8 ай бұрын
Alarm fully is a C, very situational, but those latter cases you started talking about are what I’d primarily use it for, especially if you’re a ritual caster. The mental version of it, which has a mile range, is a cheap way to keep tabs on more distant areas of your surroundings. Not just for ambushes, but also to keep yourself from being surprised, and to a degree track movement over distance. You can do things like alarm the door to the guard barracks to monitor comings and goings, alarm the entrance to the dragon’s lair while you’re trying to loot it while the dragon is absent, alarm the front door of a house you’re trying to rob to let you know when the owners get back (same idea, different type of house), if you’re doing defense or investigation alarming an unusual entrance to an area to see if anyone uses it, etc. The spell lasts for eight hours and it alerts you every time a tiny or larger creature interacts with it. The silent, mental version is great if you’re ever in a stakeout or heist or robbery type situation where you want to monitor access points. It definitely is a niche spell, but if you’re running particularly an urban intrigue or heist campaign, definitely might be worth a look.
@scottclowe
@scottclowe 8 ай бұрын
And if the DM says the entrance to the dungeon is more than 20ft wide, you can just cast Alarm twice targeting squares that are next to each other (taking 20 mins instead of 10 as two ritual castings). It's not concentration so you can have as many Alarms active at once as you've cast in the last 8h!
@FurySK
@FurySK 8 ай бұрын
Yeah, I'd be ok with basing it off the campaign and saying that in some campaigns it elevates almost to an A tier in terms of it's utility as a ritual, but can in other campaigns drop to worthless. Content with a low B high c tier rating here, which is kinda where i feel they were aiming for it to be put at the end of their discussion, but kept it C. The difficulty in this tier list is there are a lot of campaign/DM dependent utility on any level of spell almost.
@thebigfriendlygoliath
@thebigfriendlygoliath 8 ай бұрын
1st Level spells are especially hard to Tier rank, since their utility shifts by varying degrees the higher you go - some meh spells get better and become must-haves, and several must-have spells get crummy and useless by Tier 2. That said, this is a good start.
@isaacgraff8288
@isaacgraff8288 8 ай бұрын
A subtle thing with Catapult is that it deals damage to the target and itself. So if you have a jar of Alchemist Fire, "drop it accidentally" and then catapult it at someone, the jar will shatter as it smashes into something. Which which also gives some options for things like a bag of ball bearings or caltrops, however that is up to the DM's discretion
@the_last_ballad
@the_last_ballad 7 ай бұрын
I mean, it takes one action to cast and is instantanious, so it would be reasonable to just give the thing a toss into the air(no particular target, so rolling shouldnt be needed) then piledrive it into someone rather than "accidentally dropping it".
@malcolmrowe9003
@malcolmrowe9003 8 ай бұрын
I would that the value of certain spells would vary depending on whether you are a preparation spellcaster who can choose their spells for the day or a known spells caster who is pretty much stuck with those spells permanently.
@ilonafleischer924
@ilonafleischer924 8 ай бұрын
Ceremony is a great example of this. Clerics and paladins both prepare spells, and it's a spell that you'll probably know ahead of time that you're going to use it, so just prepare it on those occasions.
@TopTierKnees
@TopTierKnees 8 ай бұрын
Armor of agathys on a conquest pally is a solid use of a slot. They're already terrifying walking tanks, and now they're terrifying walking tanks that hurt you if you try to stop them. Really works with their whole aesthetic too.
@Bummer873
@Bummer873 8 ай бұрын
The thing with Ceremony is that there are uses, and you're not trapped with it. That's the case with all the cleric, druid and paladin spells. Whereas, Arcane casters minus wizards are kind of locked in when choosing spells.
@sarahdawson9380
@sarahdawson9380 4 ай бұрын
Agree! I’ve used Ceremony a few times in role playing situations and love the weight it can give to campaign or character turning points.
@NachostheXth
@NachostheXth 8 ай бұрын
I'd like to point out that Cause Fear scales nicely since the debuff is relevant at all levels of play, unlike colour spray or sleep, and a level 1 spell that can cripple a strong creature is good value
@ninjasquirrels
@ninjasquirrels 8 ай бұрын
Sleep is one of the best in my opinion, whatever or whoever you cast it on doesn’t get any saving throws and it doesn’t give a 💩about legendary/lair actions etc. It demands some meta gaming, I realize this but, it’s great for those of us who keep track on damage done to the BBEG’s and it’s minions etc. As long as your DM calls out your “bloodied” targets, it’s amazing. Just upcast it to whatever it needs to be and voila, it’s that easy. EDIT: If you play a Aberrant sorcerer it’s even better, put it on your Psi list and use it to great effect in “out of combat” situations. Not only can you now “collect” all sorts of BBEGs in your basement but, now you can also use it to make NPCs everywhere your thing…just cast Disguise Self to turn yourself into any of the NPCs you have “put to Sleep”, even better with the Actor feat.
@ceilinh6004
@ceilinh6004 8 ай бұрын
My party figured out a way to use alarm to help party members to communicate when we split the party. We put together what basically amounts to pocket telegraphs so that we can communicate via morse code. We did have to learn morse code (or at least have a cheat sheet handy) though, b/c our DM makes us literally spell everything out in code. He was annoyed that he couldn't think of a reason we wouldn't be able to do it. 😂
@Albatross0913
@Albatross0913 8 ай бұрын
Props to that dm tho, instead of just saying no he said yes with a catch
@sarahmanalapan8443
@sarahmanalapan8443 8 ай бұрын
More details its 20 foot square so how did it fit in your pocket? Deets.
@ruga-ventoj
@ruga-ventoj 8 ай бұрын
​@@sarahmanalapan8443well the spell says Door, Window, or area no larger than 20 feet cubed. Doesn't say anything about door or window size. So get a toy door like a lego door frame and ward that. Boom, your door morse code tool is made.
@adambielen8996
@adambielen8996 8 ай бұрын
@@sarahmanalapan8443 Alarm wards a set entrance or an area up to 20 square feet. So you could alarm a door or window without also warding the area inside the building. Or in this case just a pouch.
@lunatickgeo
@lunatickgeo 8 ай бұрын
I have a soft spot for Catapult. I was playing a diviner and I ended two separate encounters by killing the lead wizards of each encounter by using portent to make them fail their saving throws. Since we were low-level, they didn't have high HPs and were killed by the spell. Catapult has never been as effective since but at the time, I felt so powerful.
@NtheMan
@NtheMan 8 ай бұрын
5:53 I will say that one thing I think raises Alarm’s utility is that it’s not concentration, and I don’t see anything in the description that prevents you from having more than one alarm active at once, which could drastically raise the area you can cover with it, especially since you can cast it as a ritual. Whether or not that works for you will depend on DM interpretation of course. Something my artificer did, utilizing that interpretation, was to alarm the woods AROUND the camp instead of the camp itself. That might not stop a fireball flung at you but it DID alert me to the abishai that were invisibly spying on our camp that night.
@MsKeylas
@MsKeylas 8 ай бұрын
actually it is intended to work that way. The more time you spend on it, the more alarms you have
@kraven2144
@kraven2144 8 ай бұрын
I can see why you waited on this series so long, an ambitious undertaking... but I am VERY excited to see where this goes!
@mikecarson7769
@mikecarson7769 8 ай бұрын
Wow, every spell by level and in alphabetical order???? This series will be epic! I already can imagine rewatching different parts for the discussions of specific spells
@mellowtron1166
@mellowtron1166 8 ай бұрын
Oh man, this is going to be a long video series. Looking forward to all its episodes!!! Edit: I'm happy that Kelly mentioned how Burning Hands saved Pluto in the first Dungeons of Drakkenheim episode.
@badmojo0777
@badmojo0777 8 ай бұрын
Treantmonk has a great series on spell brerakdwn and rrankings, whilke your waiting for the next episode of this one
@jaddriscoll
@jaddriscoll 8 ай бұрын
The potion version of animal friendship is very good if you know you'll be encountering a lot of beasts, because it lasts for an hour and lets you cast the spell at will. I bought one off hand in a Tales from the Yawning Portal campaign, and sessions later I managed to bypass an entire room of encounters because every enemy was a beast and I could see them before they could see me.
@robintalibart6241
@robintalibart6241 8 ай бұрын
Something about Command that tends to fly under the radar is that it doesn’t involve the Charmed condition, so enemies resistant or immune to Charm effects don’t get to apply that against Command. I also feel like there’s a potential meme build combining the Poisoner feet with Commanding people to drink, but that’s neither here nor there.
@CivilWarMan
@CivilWarMan 8 ай бұрын
A build where Cause Fear really shines is a Conquest Paladin with a Warlock dip, because it's another way to apply Frightened, the fear does not break on damage so Aura of Conquest doesn't end the condition, and while Wrathful Smite's better for frightening a single target because it is way stickier, upcasting Cause Fear allows you to target additional creatures. In situations where you want to frighten multiple creatures, but they aren't positioned in a way where you can catch them all in the Fear spell's cone, upcasting Cause Fear can be a good substitute.
@Screechingtrumpet
@Screechingtrumpet 8 ай бұрын
One of my favorite situations in using Command was when we were fighting multiple giant eels who surrounded and grappled our Swashbuckler on low hp. After trying to figure out how to get him out alive I went with a single second level command: Cannibalize
@justinfarrugia4620
@justinfarrugia4620 8 ай бұрын
Catapult is great for an subtle spell assassin sorcerer. A rock just flew out of nowhere and struck the prince as he was walking around the town, while the sorcerer watches from the crowd on the opposite side
@ArcaneChipmunk
@ArcaneChipmunk 8 ай бұрын
I have seen Command be used for 'Disrobe'. Which made the AC of their opponent a whole lot easier to hit and depending on the armor takes a while to take off.
@QRzTallmidget
@QRzTallmidget 8 ай бұрын
So as a Bard who had Slow and Bane, I was impressed by how useful Bane was overall in comparison to Slow which sorta does the same thing, except they can roll to make the save again. That reroll for the save has proven to be Slow downfall, and so I had gotten ride of that spell can just kept Bane.
@PierreKT792
@PierreKT792 8 ай бұрын
Ceremony : it's useless, but as a Cleric or Paladin, you don't have a limit to spells known, so no big deal, you can prepare it if you know you'll use it the next day and forget about it otherwise
@Leighzer
@Leighzer 8 ай бұрын
This is going to be sooo helpful since I have almost no experience with choosing spells, especially for full casters. I would really love it if you guys finished the ''Everyone splays a...'' series, because it's so fun and interesting to theorise how a single class can fill multiple niches.
@thomasstyan2066
@thomasstyan2066 8 ай бұрын
I think command is underrated as a control spell. Command word flee may provoke an opportunity attack, or even multiple opportunity attacks. As the enemy will use dash to escape, they probably will need to use their action and movement to return, which takes the enemy out of the fight for two whole rounds. If upcast to second level , and if both enemies fail, for the cost of one action and one second level spell, you may have taken two enemies out of the fight for two rounds.
@RocKaFella57
@RocKaFella57 8 ай бұрын
Armor of Agathys on a Barblock is incredible. You only need one level of barbarian too.
@michaelsackett4410
@michaelsackett4410 8 ай бұрын
With alarm, it's important to remember that you can cast it multiple times to cover more ground. A great way to burn left over 1st level spells or use ritual caster.
@NachostheXth
@NachostheXth 8 ай бұрын
Chromatic orb notably only costs 1 known spell for sorcerers while giving excellent element coverage. If you can hit vulnerabilities it's also quite good value even for a few levels after first and arguably does some nice utility like damaging locks etc
@odinulveson9101
@odinulveson9101 8 ай бұрын
Agree. For funz, quicken chaos bolt and cast chaos orb. Later twin chaos orb for extea chaos if also wild sorcerer. Though I prefer draconic sorcerer with GEM ancestries! Hey WotC, you forgor that in the Fizban bookie!
@Hyde_Hill
@Hyde_Hill 8 ай бұрын
@@odinulveson9101 Can't cast 2 leveled spells in one turn my friend. So no quicken Chaos bolt and then orb in same turn.
@M9Seradon
@M9Seradon 8 ай бұрын
If you actually use components when spellcasting Chaos Bolt is significantly easier to slot in as a Sorc since Chromatic Orb requires a diamond worth at least 50gp on your person. It's not impossible to get the diamond early on, but for most players Orb and Bolt will have lost most of their value when you can afford it. ...also if you haven't been following the UAs, Sorcs are set to get Sorcerous Burst which is basically a better chromatic orb in cantrip form so there'll be even less of a reason to grab it next year
@NachostheXth
@NachostheXth 8 ай бұрын
@@M9Seradon Oh wow! I completely forgot about the material cost, and I didn't think a 1st level spell could be that costly
@Erikkeerik
@Erikkeerik 8 ай бұрын
I honestly dont understand why anyone would pay a spell slot to to damage on an attack roll to a single target that a martial could do with a single attack. Chromatic orb is just strictly worse than magic missle, disregarding the component. Chaos bolt is even worse. I would rate both as C-tier, at best.
@adolfodef
@adolfodef 8 ай бұрын
07:20 [Animal Friendship] This spell would be a great choice as a first level feat (via "Magic Initiate" ) for a non-spellcaster low level NPC. | A farmer or a soldier sometimes needs that "certainty" that even Expertise on the Animal Handling skill can not provide (a mere +4 on a nat1 roll). -> At least once per day, it knows that it will work. An emergency override on an otherwise wild/panic behavior.
@Shaderox
@Shaderox 8 ай бұрын
I like catapult because it's a rare occasion with an offensive spell that has utility uses too, and strange interactions. -Probably the only spell that can be used with Twinned Spell metamagic to attack the same target twice. -the keeps going thing they mentioned in the video if the initial target dodges it. -launch vials of stuff, caltrop, knifes or whatever else you happen to be carrying around in your "ammo bag" -can be used to get an item to where you need it to be. (grappling hook tied to a rope is a common for me, think my DM might have a fetish for "how to get a rope to the other ledge" puzzles.... or maybe it's a phase?) -while not by RAW, i think there's a strong argument for letting monks (and the magic item(s) with the same effect) catch the projectiles if they stand behind a target that dodged -some other stuff i probably don't think of in the moment, but it's a lot more interesting spell than the typical "make a spell attack, roll 3d8damage, no other effects or interactions"
@justsomeguy9555
@justsomeguy9555 8 ай бұрын
Re: Catapult - would love to show y'all how that spell can break encounters. Bear in mind, it's a 60' range of the spell itself, with 90' targeting distance. So if they're 150' feet away... you can hit 'em with a free rock or sea shell or bit of debris that does 3d8 damage. Marty's Battlemaster with Disarming attack + Catapult makes the enemy's weapon a deadly threat to them if they drop it... or if they dodge it, now they have to spend time chasing it down. Catapult has a higher damage output potential than most 1st level spells, better range than most 1st level spells, and can be upcast to deal more damage. Unlike Guiding Bolt, for example, Catapult can be used to target an item behind your enemy (and slightly to the side) to hit them from behind, which can complicate their DEX save. Y'all might be underestimating this one.
@CaptBlackjack22
@CaptBlackjack22 8 ай бұрын
Ceremony is great as a free spell for clerics. Love being able to give a proper burial to certain NPCs or to give a blessing off to a young and eager soldier. One of the best for RP things
@michaelpaul5438
@michaelpaul5438 7 ай бұрын
Catapult can be a lot of fun, especially as a sorcerer with subtle spell. Between him and the bard they had a fake exorcism racket going, with a "poltergeist" throwing stuff around the house. We also used it to start a fight between some goblins, having them blame each other over who is throwing rocks at whom. A highlight was when the bard persuaded both our party and some enemies to put down their weapons so we could talk things out, only to have the sorcerer catapult the leader's weapon into the bushes.
@Leif47
@Leif47 8 ай бұрын
I can't wait for Colby to eventually take a spell that you guys gave a D or C rank and make a build around using that spell lol
@ala5530
@ala5530 8 ай бұрын
My personal favourite use of Catapult is a bag of caltrops (which can themselves be coated in something, for evil measure), or a bag of ball bearings. The 3d8 bludgeoning is nice, but the big advantage is it locks down an enemy and reduces their movement when the bag bursts and an area is covered in small spiky bits of metal, or 1000 iron balls. I should note that Command is limited to stuff that will not directly cause harm to the target (so Autodefenestrate wouldn't work unless the window was open, and they have Feather Fall or similar). It's definitely a solid A-tier spell though, if for no other reason than you're locking down an enemy for a round while they obey your command. Don't count on anything past those initial 6 seconds. That said, this is a brilliant spell for giving your party a set-up turn, and if you hit on the right command, this can be a fight winning spell. My personal best was using the command 'Monologue' on a major villain (we thought he was the BBEG for a one-shot, turns out he was being mind-controlled, and the Command just let him get it all out, and eventually surrender. Granted, the Vengeance Paladin then organised his fellow victims into a lynch mob, as mind-control or not, he had still served up his neighbours for decades of torture...).
@brandonskoubo5176
@brandonskoubo5176 8 ай бұрын
Our artificer uses alarm creatively to great effect. Most recently, he put it around the band of my signet ring when we needed to split the party. So it became a long distance communication device: if you get in trouble, slip this ring on your finger and we'll come running to help you!
@MrCytoplasm
@MrCytoplasm 8 ай бұрын
Chaos Bolt is built to be used in tandem with Empowered Spell. The spell arcs to another foe if you match the d8's and Empowered Spell allows you to reroll a number of dice equal to your Cha. Modifier. I've played with a guy that arced Chaos Bolt into 3+ enemies several times in each fight we had.
@TheRealMuckluck
@TheRealMuckluck 8 ай бұрын
But even then, you're spending a sorcery point for a 12.5 % chance to ricochet to a second target. Imho, that's pretty expensive, especially considering I could spend 2 sorcery points and a BA to quicken a spell, and just cast chromatic orb and firebolt. I would have enjoyed chaos bolt a lot more if it had had a much higher chance of bouncing (that tapers off with each bounce), but also a small chance to fail completely. Something like ... Roll 1d8 + 1d8 + 1d6 First d8 determines damage type, second d8 determines amount of damage from that type, d6 determines amount of damage from a fixed type (magical piercing damage). If both d8s roll an odd or both roll an even number, the spell bounces to a second target within 30 feet of the first, and you roll again. On your second roll, if all three dice roll an odd or all roll an even number, it bounces to a third target. On the third roll, if both d8s roll the same number, the spell bounces to a fourth target. On the fourth roll, if all three dice roll the same number, it bounces to a fifth target (max). If you ever roll a 1 on the d6, you discard the current target (even if it's the first one), and the spell ends (damage to prior targets is still applied normally). At higher levels: For every 2 spell levels beyond 1st, the damage of the type determined by the d8 roll increases by 1d10, the magical piercing damage by 1d4, and the bounce range increases by 10 feet. If that seems too weak, consider letting it hit the same target twice, as long as bounces to a second target in between, if you upcast it to at least 3rd or 5th level. Potentially a lot of bounces, especially using empowered spell, but effect and damage is truly chaotic. Plus, you have to admit that you've always wanted to roll 1d10 + 1d8 + 1d6 + 1d4 for spell damage :p
@MrCytoplasm
@MrCytoplasm 8 ай бұрын
@TheRealMuckluck It's true that there are more consistent ways to deal solid damage, but in terms of 1st level spells, nothing has as much potential as Chaos Bolt. For example, you could also cast Chaos Bolt with quickened spell (with or without Empowered) and get the same output as chromatic orb and firebolt, trading a d8 for a d6 and gaining the chance it bounces 7 times.
@Mara-ig3st
@Mara-ig3st 8 ай бұрын
Alarm comes into its own in the right campaign. We're a two player party in Ravenloft, so quite often we're sleeping in a room rather than out in an open field. For times we are out in a field, our Warlock can cast Tiny Hut as a ritual. Alarm is our more subtle option for when casting a 10 foot radius impenetrable dome would raise some eyebrows in town. So far it's caught people coming to kill us twice, and a ten foot cube (or multiple instances of Alarm cast as a ritual) can cover most or all of a room. Since it can be ritual cast, we've also used it as part of a defensive setup. We had to protect a farm and had a couple of hours of warning that enemies were on the way, but we didn't know which direction they'd be approaching from or whether they might split up and attack from multiple directions. We cast multiple instances of Alarm in strategic places where we thought enemies would be most likely to pass. An hour of casting gave us six instances of Alarm, and it's a good size at a twenty foot cube (big enough to cover an entire road, hallway, or trail) and lasts for eight hours. It did exactly what we needed it to do. They walked (well, floated- they were mindflayers) right through one of the Alarm spells, giving us time to set up an ambush.
@ignisword44
@ignisword44 8 ай бұрын
I love animal friendship. I was recently in a campaign as a monk/druid multiclass playing basically drunk russian spiderman. Our group came across 2 hellhounds guarding a door that we needed to get past. We tried to make a friendly aproach but the hounds attacked us first and I brought 1 away from the group and kept it occupied while they group dispatched the other. I then cast animal friendship on the hellhound and offered it some of my jerky. I then made friends with the firepuppy and now the drunk russian had a pooch that breathed fire who he gave vodka and taught to belch fireballs as a trick.
@stephenburley4581
@stephenburley4581 8 ай бұрын
Little note on the strength of Command that goes regularly overlooked. Carry a spare shield around with you, and use Command on spellcasters with the command word "Don". If they fail the save, they have to put on the shield, loosing a turn, disabling Mage Armour, and if they aren't proficient with it (note, creature stat blocks are only proficient with equipment that is referenced in their stat block, so unless they were already wearing a shield, they won't be) they are rendered unable to cast spells until removing the shield. Doffing a shield takes an entire action, meaning you effectively double the duration for how long this locks an opponent down. This turns command into a spellcaster slaying spell, even at high levels. One of the best uses for your first level spell slots in the late game (there's few things that feel better than burning through a legendary resistance with a first level spell slot).
@stratdaddy713
@stratdaddy713 8 ай бұрын
I LOVE these spell videos you guys put out, it feels like nerding out with your buddies. So good!
@SortKaffe
@SortKaffe 8 ай бұрын
Command might be an S-tier Bard spell even at higher levels, since it's one of only few Bard spells that don't require concentration (in case you don't want your enemies to run away due to Dissonant Whispers, the other must pick). Upcasting it to make several enemies forego their turns is definitely a strong use of an Action while concentrating on your big spell.
@AugustoXRock
@AugustoXRock 8 ай бұрын
Oh wow, this tier list is gonna end by December next year xD
@charlespeet6490
@charlespeet6490 8 ай бұрын
Tip for level 2 divination wizards: take catapult. If you have a low portant, cast it on a line of enemies, make all but the last target in that line roll the saving throw. If all of them somehow make the save, just use that portant on the last one in line. It guarantees your spell slot isn't wasted, and if one of those earlier enemies fails, great, you get to keep your low portant for another spell.
@ADirtyLeviathan
@ADirtyLeviathan 8 ай бұрын
Loved this ! Just finished your cantrips so I could watch these as you release. Looking forward to the next set!
@ThePope1831
@ThePope1831 8 ай бұрын
I hope y’all enjoy doing these cause I love y’all’s takes.
@scottmacdonald6861
@scottmacdonald6861 8 ай бұрын
Favourite use of Catapult: Our wizard 5th Level catapulting a Dragonslayer Arrow into an adult Red Dragon, which failed both saves. The dragon which was built up as this terrifying thing lasted about 9 seconds.
@ab0186
@ab0186 8 ай бұрын
Use catapult with a bag of flour, when it takes 3d8 damage you have a big cloud of flour which a firebolt, torch etc will turn into an accelerant. Also great to use with a missile that missed, though you might owe the Barbarian a new handaxe as it takes 3d8 damage after embedding in the back of someone.
@lonewaer
@lonewaer 8 ай бұрын
Remember that Chromatic Orb has a component cost, which is 50GP.
@jeremywoodman2454
@jeremywoodman2454 8 ай бұрын
Quite the ambitious undertaking! Excellent video, I look forward to seeing more.
@bjsuits
@bjsuits 8 ай бұрын
Catapult + generic bag/mage hand/summons + magic stones&(whatever ammo you can fit in a bag) + upscale = more damage than you would have thought
@ketchuprudy6580
@ketchuprudy6580 8 ай бұрын
I had a player at my table who loved to cast Chaos Bolt and combine it with heightened spell. This combo was amazing and everybody loved it.
@dpjgiii
@dpjgiii 8 ай бұрын
You guys make such great videos, seriously so much info packed into them! ❤️
@AzureIV
@AzureIV 8 ай бұрын
Shield and Absorb Elements are must picks for every spellcaster that can get them somehow.
@SPC49
@SPC49 8 ай бұрын
I love the thumbnail using the student from a practical guide to wizardry book. Loads of nostalgia just on sight.
@jefferydavidson5347
@jefferydavidson5347 2 ай бұрын
Fun use of command: “Betray”
@macdameron9321
@macdameron9321 8 ай бұрын
I love the rating videos you guys do, thanks so much!
@finaldarkfire
@finaldarkfire 8 ай бұрын
Great use of the spell Command: Upcast it to target several of a king's bodyguards and give them the command 'Regicide' Enjoy the chaos XD (seriously though, just look up words ending in -cide and you've got pretty much limitless options)
@sandmanlives3
@sandmanlives3 8 ай бұрын
I am looking forward to this, thanks! I think Command is really good especially to upcast, and I would not have guessed Color Spray would even be a C. Also, now I have more ideas for Alarm which is cool.
@lukeholbrook204
@lukeholbrook204 8 ай бұрын
Alarm can also be cast and in effect multiple times. You can cast it on your party camp area, and cast it again just around yourself, if you don’t trust someone in the party. You can also cast it in front of the door of a place you are staking out. Not arguing with the rating, but it is fairly versatile.
@somebodyoncetoldme8317
@somebodyoncetoldme8317 8 ай бұрын
Oh lord. This series is about to take 2 years
@DungeonDudes
@DungeonDudes 8 ай бұрын
Yup!
@urvidhnarula6362
@urvidhnarula6362 8 ай бұрын
Alarm has an insane number of creative uses. I am playing an artificer and its been my signature spell for nearly all 20 levels. For example, low level rogue scouting ahead and needs to communicate over a long distance and away from line of sight? Alarm the mouth of a small box, and have them set off the Alarm in a code fashion (Morse code, or just simple stuff like one ping = rescue me, two pings = wait, three pings = follow) Need to test the identity of a creature at low levels? Alarm and make the real creature an exception to catch imposters. Need to protect your items from theft? Alarm the mouth of your backpack. It's an easy A-tier spell for me.
@starsapart9311
@starsapart9311 8 ай бұрын
In defense of color spray: I've never willingly taken it or seen it used until it came pre-loaded on my lunar sorcerer. When we were playing at very low levels (1-2), I found myself pulling this spell out nearly every combat and it absolutely saved my life at least three times so far. If you're picking spells, there are definitely stronger spells to pick. But as a freebie, it's been remarkably useful for me and fun for my party and DM, none of whom had ever seen it used before this.
@drewpatterson7917
@drewpatterson7917 8 ай бұрын
Alarm could be used to force yourself to wake up, so if you are going to be fighting enemies that put you to sleep, maybe you could have a familiar or something constantly triggering it away from the battlefield to instantly wake you up.
@TheByerley
@TheByerley 8 ай бұрын
There’s a couple of cool things you can do with alarm. I’ve used it as a panic button, where an npc ally set it off if anyone followed us into the mine for instance. Also, a bit more up to DM discretion, but I also used it on a chest that we needed to locate later but couldn’t actively follow. Whet set off we knew that it was within a mile of us and the general direction which helped our search immensely.
@julius2790
@julius2790 8 ай бұрын
Guys I just watched breakdown of your new Commander fighter subclass and all I can say is...WOW!!!! This is probably the coolest subclass I think I've ever seen. I absolutely love it. The idea of playing a full martial fighter with added social adaptability and party support with NO resource cost is just so, so good. Bravo! Love your content always :)
@kallebuchholz2156
@kallebuchholz2156 8 ай бұрын
For a few weeks, I've been running my first Dungeons of Drakkenheim campaign as a DM. I've given my players a modified Dungeon Dudes standard array. (6 instead of 8 as lowest stat) Now I have 2 caster with -2 in strength saving throws and arms of Hadar seems to be the right spells to mock them a little. Especially this one caster who loves to use his reaction for silvery Barb. ❤
@KatieMaeAndTheLubrication
@KatieMaeAndTheLubrication 8 ай бұрын
Ceremony also has Dedication as an option which adds a a d4 to saves for 24 hours concentration free. This stacks with Bless for a big bonus to saves. Since clerics choose spells daily this is actually a great option before a boss fight once a campaign.
@scrimon9261
@scrimon9261 8 ай бұрын
It's crazy that you guys are still making videos and being enthusiastic about 5e.
@KatouToast
@KatouToast 7 ай бұрын
Good luck Dudes, I hope you're able to rank all spells before the release of the next edition! I hadn't even considered that until Monty mentioned that! Excellent video as always, and I'll be checking out all of these as soon as I can!
@ColinJohnson-hb3jf
@ColinJohnson-hb3jf 8 ай бұрын
Chromatic orb is my all-time favorite low-level damage spell. I never have to worry about resistances or immunities because I can always select a damage type that does its job. Further it can be upcast and therefore it keeps pace with leveling and damage creep.
@quickglove6461
@quickglove6461 8 ай бұрын
My Artificer character always has alarm prepared and always casts it before bed, as a ritual It has helped me detect a certain NPC ally who comes by at night to pick up certain quest items so I can greet him
@RobKinneySouthpaw
@RobKinneySouthpaw 8 ай бұрын
The high level play for an Eldritch night on absorb elements, would be two cast the fireball using war magic, and then upcast absorb elements as reaction and make that extra attack. Hopefully on an enemy vulnerable to fire
@louismcbride4633
@louismcbride4633 8 ай бұрын
Everyone that gets ceremony is a prepared caster and can take it when needed, which keeps it out of D. I use this on my Cleric during downtime all the time to make holy water.
@aidanbender7085
@aidanbender7085 8 ай бұрын
Catapult only throwing objects is worth ignoring when your party wants to have fun. My party polymorphed a young dragon into an octopus and I let them catapult it straight up so it took fall damage when it fell. I ignored the object/creature distinction because the party was so excited about it. They still talk about that four years later.
@_Crunchy
@_Crunchy 8 ай бұрын
BG3 teaches you to look at a lot of spells differently (for various reasons per spell). It taught me that Color Spray is actually really neat ... when it's free to cast. I found that ring that lets you cast it once per encounter and scoffed because I'd still be wasting an action to use it, but with characters having finger empty of rings, equipped it anyway. Color spray me surprised when I ended up actually using it. Bigger bad guy is most of the way dead, but it'll survive the one character's round of attacks I have left before it gets a turn. If it's not going to die anyway, but has HP in color spray range, that's a good defensive move, and pretty much ensures my party can't mess up taking it down next round. Would I actually use a spell slot on it? Almost assuredly not, and I'm even less likely to have it prepared. But I might well be slinging a color spray ring at my players in future games I run.
@louiesosa4668
@louiesosa4668 8 ай бұрын
I’m stoked for another big useful series.
@Gargandan
@Gargandan 8 ай бұрын
I love catapult. My artificer would regularly use a flask of oil or a gem of element control as the object thrown. Once I did sneak up on an enemy archmage and used a flask filled with multiple poisons.
@-MCMLXXII-
@-MCMLXXII- 8 ай бұрын
A very clever way to ensure a year's worth of upcoming content. Well done.
@YellowCable
@YellowCable 8 ай бұрын
Absorb Elements is S tier. The fact that the additional effect is useless for spellcasters can be ignored, the main effect is what counts.
@SamFinklestein
@SamFinklestein 7 ай бұрын
I am using Command on an Order cleric to great effect: have Spirit Guardians up, use a Bonus Action (courtesy of the 6th level feature) to cast Command and tell people to Approach. It still costs them their turn, provokes AoO from melee allies next to them, sets them up for taking damage on their next turn as well, and lets me use my action for e.g. cantrips or Dodging to protect my concentration.
@lilnason98
@lilnason98 8 ай бұрын
Oh hell yeah! I'm so excited for this series!
@AwesomeWookiee
@AwesomeWookiee 8 ай бұрын
Armor of Agathys is the poster child for B tier: It is INCREDIBLY OVER-POWERED when you build a build around it with an Earth Genasi, Goliath, Abjurer, Clockwork Sorcerer, or Barbarian dip. It is CERTIFIED DOGS--T on a character that isn't built around it. My 6 hit point wizard doesn't want to get hit ever!
@we444444silvermagnus
@we444444silvermagnus 8 ай бұрын
I’d really like to see community rankings included in this, which I’d love to participate in.
@Gemma_Rashida
@Gemma_Rashida 8 ай бұрын
I CANT BELIEVE YOURE DOING THIS but also this is going to be so helpful to me as I get into my spellcaster era
@jesuscontreras4602
@jesuscontreras4602 7 ай бұрын
Great series, excited for more lengthy videos covering the rest of spells. I do think, as many have commented, that looking at a spell utility based on the level you get it is somewhat weird with low level spells, as using a 1st level spell in high level that can take turns away from enemies is really good. So maybe take into consideration how that spell works in higher levels as well
@masterofstacking5638
@masterofstacking5638 8 ай бұрын
One of my favorite uses of Command is “betray” because regardless of what the enemy chooses to do for that one round, you can really stress the loyalty that enemies feel towards each other mid encounter. Their betrayal may only last one round but the memory and ramifications of it rarely do.
@FaisLittleWhiteRaven
@FaisLittleWhiteRaven 8 ай бұрын
Haven't seen Charm Person used too often personally but there was one bard PC at my table who used it quite a few times to great effect, usually to de escalate situations (she'd charm foes, point blank tell them that she'd done so and then explain in detail how screwed they'd be if they actually fought us and ask why they were attacking, what's their deal etc all in a completely apathetic tone XD) or to infiltrate things like you guys said. She also kinda used it for kidnapping once during one of the rare times I was in the DM seat (was running a 'you guys have to do something big and flashy at X location as a distraction' for my usual PC to do some 'offscreen plot stuff' and to allow the regular DMs to relax a bit) and welp, she got attached to the acolyte she'd charmed while glamor barding the entire store into a riot and decided his cultist higher ups didn't deserve him so cue another cast of Charm Person then her dragging the guy into joining the party's escape from very angry cultist/police types. Cue me suffering the classic 'I have no idea how to RP this guy, he's just a one off NPC' issue for the first time (he kind of got forgotten about by all of us because of a large gap inbetween sessions so er, I just sorta excused his disappearance later as 'my psycho PC traumatized him so he ran away as soon as possible' and her player said 'sounds about right' so... Yeah, fun times)~ XDD Command on the other hand my whole table loved, if only to try out custom orders and see wtf the DMs would have the targeted foes do. I think my fav personal use of it was 'BETRAY' on an ogre; ended up having the guy just stand still for a turn out of sheer 'error' reaction rather than the 'attack your ally' reaction I'd hoped for but was a great moment for getting across that my adorable little tree person cleric/druid was quite a bit more clever and ruthless than it seemed (it was spacy, friendly and couldn't really talk outside of languages no one else knew and a few key words in Common it had practiced so up until that point it had come off as a super cutesy 'I am Groot' style character but the realization it had gone out of its way to practice a word like betray and then intentionally used it in combat like this kinda shocked everyone XD) and still bought my fellow players some relief from getting their teeth kicked in so that was fun. Alas the follow up commands of 'REPENT' and 'FALL' didn't have quite as much RP impact but they still helped so yeah, Command spell great, both for mechanical use and in sheer vibes
@Shraken
@Shraken 8 ай бұрын
If you have a friendly druid with you, I love catapulting magic stones as a sorcerer. 3D8 +1D6 + spellcasting mod of the druids stones is a great way to finish someone off.
@thetowndrunk988
@thetowndrunk988 8 ай бұрын
Whew, talking about the ultimate TDD project of all time. Love the ambition, my dudes
@madbeetle4470
@madbeetle4470 8 ай бұрын
This is wonderfully helpful content as a new player. Looking forward to parts 2 through 200
@cormacphillips2585
@cormacphillips2585 8 ай бұрын
Love the channel guys. You guys info drop amazing hints and tips. You got a great dynamic when discussing topics. Kelly any chance of doing a video where you how all your T-SHIRTs there awesome. 😎
@joshl4751
@joshl4751 8 ай бұрын
Chromatic Orb is not useable at character creation because of the 50 gp costly component (not consumed). It means you're either waiting until level 2+ to take it or having a dead spell and hoping you can find that component.
@endtimer1
@endtimer1 8 ай бұрын
Don't forget to evaluate spells from a DM's perspective as well. Alarm is an S TIER Spell for the mad wizard who wants to know when someone has entered their tower.
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