by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Necromancy spell available to Clerics. A melee touch for 3d10 Necrotic, the biggest single hit any Level 1 spell can land. A burst option for a Cleric willing to get close.
Spell description: Putrefy a creature with the Necrotic energy filling your hands.
Spell properties
- Damage: 3d10 Necrotic
- Damage type: Necrotic
- Range: Melee (1.5m)
- Attack type: Melee spell Attack Roll
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Inflict Wounds at a higher level deals an additional 1d10 Necrotic damage for each spell slot level above the 1st.
How to obtain Inflict Wounds
- Cleric at Class level 1
- Oathbreaker (Paladin) at Class level 3
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Cleric
- Source item: Blackguard’s Gauntlets
Putrefy a creature with the Necrotic energy filling your hands.
When to cast Inflict Wounds
3d10 is the biggest single hit any Level 1 spell can deal, which makes Inflict Wounds a genuine burst option for a melee-leaning Cleric. Land it and you can delete a low-health enemy or take a huge chunk out of a big one.
The problems are the range and the attack roll: you have to be in melee, and it can miss entirely, which for a fragile Cleric is a real risk. It is a gamble spell, best on a build that is already comfortable up close.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Enchantment spell available to Bards and Wizards. It leaves a creature Prone and helpless with laughter, unable to stand. A single-target hard lock for one slot.
Spell description: Inflict a creature with fits of laughter, leaving it Prone without the ability to get up. At the end of its turn or when it takes damage, the creature can try to shake off the effect.
Spell properties
- Range: 18m (60ft)
- Duration: 10 turns
- Concentration spell
- Save: WIS save
- Conditions applied: Prone and incapacitated, unable to get up.
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Tasha’s Hideous Laughter at higher levels provides no additional benefits.
How to obtain Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
- Bard, Wizard at Class level 1
- The Great Old One (Warlock) at Class level 1
- Draconic Bloodline (Copper, Acid ancestry) Sorcerer at Class level 1
- Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Bard, Magic Initiate: Wizard
Inflict a creature with fits of laughter, leaving it Prone without the ability to get up. At the end of its turn or when it takes damage, the creature can try to shake off the effect.
When to cast Tasha’s Hideous Laughter
It is a single-target hard lock for one Level 1 slot. The victim is Prone and cannot stand, which means it is stuck on the floor taking Advantage attacks from your whole party while its own attacks suffer Disadvantage.
The weakness is that it can shrug off the effect whenever it takes damage, so it works best when you lock down one dangerous enemy and focus the rest of the party elsewhere. It is Concentration and a Wisdom save, so it is a control tool, not a guarantee.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Evocation spell available to Bards, Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards. It deals 2d8 Thunder in a 5m cube and pushes everything 8m away. Devastating with a cliff at your back.
Spell description: Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects.
Spell properties
- Damage: 2d8 Thunder
- Damage type: Thunder
- Range: Melee (1.5m)
- Area: 5m (17ft) cube
- Save: CON save
- Conditions applied: Pushed back 8m.
- Cost: Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Thunderwave at a higher level deals an additional 1d8 Thunder damage for each spell slot level above the 1st.
How to obtain Thunderwave
- Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 1
- Tempest Domain (Cleric) at Class level 1, as a Domain Spell
- Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
- Storm Sorcery (Sorcerer) at Class level 6
- Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, or Wizard
- Source items: Ring of Absolute Force, Thunderpalm Strikers
Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects.
When to cast Thunderwave
Thunderwave is damage plus a big shove: 2d8 to everything in a 5m cube and an 8m push on a failed save. Stand with your back to a ledge, let the enemies close, and blast the whole group off the edge for a Level 1 slot.
The push is the point, so cast it where the terrain does the killing, a chasm, a cliff, a hazard, rather than into open ground. In the right spot it is one of the highest-value Level 1 spells in the game; on flat terrain it is just a small area nuke.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Evocation spell available to Paladins. It adds 2d6 Thunder to a hit and shoves the target 3m, possibly Prone. A control smite that loves a nearby ledge.
Spell description: Your weapon rings with thunder as you strike, pushing your target 3m away and possibly knocking it Prone. If the spellcaster misses the initial Attack, the Spell Slot and Bonus Action are not consumed.
Spell properties
- Damage: 2d6 Thunder plus normal weapon damage
- Damage type: Thunder
- Range: Weapon range
- Save: STR save
- Attack type: Melee weapon Attack Roll
- Conditions applied: Pushed back 3m and knocked Prone on a failed save.
- Cost: Action + Bonus Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Thunderous Smite at higher levels provides no additional benefits.
How to obtain Thunderous Smite
- Paladin at Class level 2
- College of Lore (Bard) at Class level 6 via Magical Secrets
- Bard at Class level 10 via Magical Secrets
- Source item: Cacophony
Your weapon rings with thunder as you strike, pushing your target 3m away and possibly knocking it Prone. If the spellcaster misses the initial Attack, the Spell Slot and Bonus Action are not consumed.
When to cast Thunderous Smite
The push and Prone are the value, not the 2d6. Smite an enemy on a ledge and the 3m shove sends it off the edge, and a Prone target is easy pickings for the rest of your party. It is a control smite dressed up as a damage one.
It costs no slot on a miss, so there is no downside to leading with it, and the Strength save to resist the knockback is one many enemies fail. Line up a cliff or a chasm and this Level 1 slot can end a dangerous enemy outright.
by Claude Helper | Sep 8, 2026 | Spells
Level 1 Divination spell available to Rangers. It marks a quarry for +1d6 on every weapon hit and lasts until Long Rest. The Ranger’s bread-and-butter damage buff.
Spell description: Mark a creature as your quarry to deal an additional 1d6 Slashing damage whenever you hit it with a weapon attack. If the target dies before the spell ends, you can mark a new creature without expending a Spell Slot.
Spell properties
- Damage: 1d6 per weapon attack against the target
- Damage type: Weapon damage
- Range: 18m (60ft)
- Duration: Until Long Rest
- Concentration spell
- Conditions applied: Hunter’s Mark. Extra damage on every weapon hit.
- Cost: Bonus Action + Spell Slot
- Recharge: Per action
Spell upcasting
Casting Hunter’s Mark at higher levels provides no additional benefits.
How to obtain Hunter’s Mark
- Ranger at Class level 2
- Oath of Vengeance (Paladin) at Class level 3
- College of Lore (Bard) at Class level 6 via Magical Secrets
- Bard at Class level 10 via Magical Secrets
- Source items: Grymskull Helm, Hunting Shortbow
Mark a creature as your quarry to deal an additional 1d6 Slashing damage whenever you hit it with a weapon attack. If the target dies before the spell ends, you can mark a new creature without expending a Spell Slot.
When to cast Hunter’s Mark
This is the Ranger’s bread and butter. +1d6 on every weapon hit, and a bow Ranger firing two or three arrows a turn triples that bonus. It lasts until Long Rest and hops to a new target for free when yours dies, so one slot fuels the whole day.
The cost is Concentration, which means it competes with your other Ranger control, and it is doing nothing until you actually hit the marked creature. On an archer build it is close to always-on; on a caster it is not worth the slot.
Range: Melee (1.5m)
Save: WIS save 
AoE: 5m (17ft) cube 
Duration: Until Long Rest 
