Cone of Cold

Level 5 Evocation spell available to Sorcerers and Wizards. 8d8 Cold in a 9m cone from your hands, Constitution save for half. It is the big Cold blast at this level, and it is exactly as simple as it sounds.

Spell description: Make a flurry of frost, crisp air, and condensed snow crystals erupt from your hands.

Spell properties

• Damage: 8d8 Cold
• Damage type: Cold
• Range: Self
• Area: 9m (30ft) cone
• Save: CON save (half damage on success)
• Conditions applied: Turns Water surfaces in the cone into Ice.
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Deals an extra 1d8 Cold damage for each spell slot level above the 5th.

How to obtain Cone of Cold

• Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 9
• Circle of the Land Druids (Arctic) and The Fiend and The Hexblade Warlocks at Class level 9
• Bard via Magical Secrets at Class level 10

Source items: Markoheshkir, Scroll of Cone of Cold

When to cast Cone of Cold

Cast it when the enemies are lined up in front of you and Fire is a bad idea. Cold resistance is rarer than Fire resistance, so the fights where Fireball does nothing are the fights Cone of Cold was made for. Devils, fire elementals, most of the House of Hope.

The cone starts at your feet, so the caster has to be close. That is the tradeoff against Fireball’s 18m range. Cast it from the flank or from high ground so you are not standing in the middle of the enemy afterwards.

If there is water on the floor it freezes into ice, and enemies standing on that have to save or fall Prone. Create Water first, then Cone of Cold, is a proper combo when you have a turn to set it up.

Constitution is the save most monsters are best at, so expect half damage more often than you would with a Dexterity spell. Upcasting adds 1d8 per level, which is fine but not exciting.