Thunderwave

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

Thunderwave

Level 1 Evocation Spell

Release a wave of thunderous force that pushes away all creatures and objects.

Range: Melee (1.5m) AoE: 5m (17ft) cube

Action Level 1 Spell Slot

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.