Sunbeam

Level 6 Evocation spell available to Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards. An 18m line of light that does 6d8 Radiant and Blinds everything it touches, and then you get to fire it again every turn for free while you Concentrate. One slot, ten turns of lasers.

Spell description: A beam of brilliant light sears and Blinds all creatures in its path. Until the spell ends, you can recast Sunbeam without expending a Spell Slot.

Spell properties

• Damage: 6d8 Radiant
• Damage type: Radiant
• Range: Self
• Area: 18m (60ft) line
• Duration: 10 turns
• Concentration spell
• Save: CON save (half damage on success)
• Conditions applied: Blinded for 10 turns. While you Concentrate, you can Recast Sunbeam every turn without a Spell Slot.
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Sunbeam at higher levels provides no additional benefits.

How to obtain Sunbeam

• Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard at Class level 11

Source items: The Blood of Lathander, Scroll of Sunbeam

When to cast Sunbeam

Cast it when the enemies are in a line, or can be made to be. Corridors, bridges, and stairs are ideal. Every recast is another 6d8 to everyone in the beam and another Constitution save against Blinded, and the recasts cost nothing but your Action.

Blinded is the real payload. A Blinded enemy attacks with Disadvantage, has its range cut to 3m, and gets hit with Advantage by everyone. Blinding a group of archers or casters shuts them down completely.

Radiant damage is resisted by almost nothing and does extra to a few things, and a caster Concentrating on Sunbeam also emits a 9m aura of sunlight, which triggers Sunlight Hypersensitivity on the vampire spawn and similar.

It is Concentration and the beam starts at you, so positioning matters every turn. The Blood of Lathander gives it to whoever holds the mace, which makes a Cleric or Paladin a surprisingly good Sunbeam user.