Blade of Disaster: All of the Blade Sequels

Usable By: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard

Spell Level: 9

School: Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: 60 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V, S

You create a blade-shaped planar rift about 3 feet long in an unoccupied space you can see within range. The blade lasts for the duration. When you cast this spell, you can make up to two melee spell attacks with the blade, each one against a creature, loose object, or structure within 5 feet of the blade. On a hit, the target takes 4d12 force damage. This attack scores a critical hit if the number on the d20 is 18 or higher. On a critical hit, the blade deals an extra 8d12 force damage (for a total of 12d12 force damage).

As a bonus action on your turn, you can move the blade up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see and then make up to two melee spell attacks with it again.

The blade can harmlessly pass through any barrier, including a Wall of Force.

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

Spiritual Weapon is a game changer for clerics. Bonus actions are crucial to character play, they are something you really want if you don’t have it. Not using it each round feels wasteful; why not attack with the Spiritual Weapon and cast Sacred Flame? A bunch of spells follow in its footsteps: Arcane Sword is a hilariously bad example. Blade of Disaster from Icewind Dale: Rime of the Frostmaiden follows the same mechanics, but reimagines it as a 9th level spell for sorcerers, warlocks, and wizards. Instead of getting one attack with a mystical weapon for a bonus action, you get two. Instead of 1d8+wis mod damage, you get 4d12. Plus you crit on 18s, 19s, and 20s with it; seems pretty good, right?

I’m skeptical, but at minimum, it is an intriguing puzzle. Meteor Swarm is dealing 40d6 damage in three massive areas. If you want damage, Meteor Swarm has your back and front loads all the damage at once. 8d12 a round (from two attacks) averages to around 52 bonus damage a round, which is fine, but it would take three rounds of multiple hits for this to match the damage on a failed save from a Meteor Swarm. That’s asking a lot to go right. HOWEVER: the crit multiplier is doubled, and it crits more often. Without advantage, 15% of the time each hit is upgrading from 4d12 to 12d12, tripling its damage. You’re going from 26 damage to 78 in a single hit. That’s a massive swing, and half as much as Meteor Swarm. That means with two crits, which can be on the same turn, this deals single target damage matching Meteor Swarm, and potentially can stick around to deal a lot more damage after that.

If you can get advantage on these attacks, which isn’t too hard of an ask, you’re jumping from a 15% chance of critting up to around a 28% chance of critting with each hit. Over two turns, you’re likely getting one crit, putting our two round damage at 156 damage. Basically, if you’re confident you can get more than two rounds of attacks made with advantage, you can out damage one of the highest damage spells in the game with this against single targets.

While it may not be better than Meteor Swarm, it is a solid version of a 9th level Spiritual Weapon. My top complaint with it is by this time I usually have something to do with my bonus action regularly, and I may not want to shake that up. Summoning spells often eat your concentration and bonus actions, and can have a major impact for smaller slots. Sometimes you’ll even consider up-casting summoning spells to 9th level for more creatures making more attacks, which is likely, but not guaranteed, to deal more per round than this. If you want a simple, powerful bonus action damage option to swing around, Blade of Disaster is a great choice. Not game changing, but very solid.

5e Spells

Blade of Disaster: All of the Blade Sequels