Witch Bolt

Level 1 Evocation spell available to Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. It links you to a target and auto-deals 1d12 Lightning each turn you spend an Action on it. Niche, and demanding of your turns.

Spell description: Call forth a beam of crackling energy and link yourself to the target through an arc of lightning. Each turn, you can activate the arc to automatically deal an additional 1d12 Lightning damage.

Spell properties

• Damage: 1d12 Lightning initial, then 1d12 each turn
• Damage type: Lightning
• Range: 18m (60ft)
• Duration: 10 turns
• Concentration spell
• Attack type: Ranged
• Cost: Action + Spell Slot
• Recharge: Per action

Spell upcasting

Casting Witch Bolt at a higher level increases the initial damage by 1d12 Lightning for each spell slot level above the 1st. The damage on subsequent turns is always 1d12 Lightning.

How to obtain Witch Bolt

• Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard at Class level 1
• Draconic Bloodline (Blue, Lightning ancestry) Sorcerer at Class level 1
• Arcane Trickster (Rogue) and Eldritch Knight (Fighter) at Class level 3
• Granted by features: Magic Initiate: Sorcerer, Warlock, or Wizard

When to cast Witch Bolt

The pitch is guaranteed repeat damage: after the initial hit, you spend an Action each turn to auto-deal another 1d12 with no attack roll. Against a single tough target that keeps you in range, the total damage over several turns is respectable.

The problem is that it eats your whole Action every turn to maintain, and it ends if you move out of range or lose Concentration, so those follow-up turns are turns you cast nothing else. It is a niche pick that shines against one big, stationary enemy and struggles everywhere else.