Call Lightning: Let the Sparks Fly

Usable By: Druid

Spell Level: 3

School: Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Components: V, S

A storm cloud appears in the shape of a cylinder that is 10 feet tall with a 60-foot radius, centered on a point you can see 100 feet directly above you. The spell fails if you can’t see a point in the air where the storm cloud could appear (for example, if you are in a room that can’t accommodate the cloud). When you cast the spell, choose a point you can see within range. A bolt of lightning flashes down from the cloud to that point. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d10 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning in this way again, targeting the same point or a different one. If you are outdoors in stormy conditions when you cast this spell, the spell gives you control over the existing storm instead of creating a new one. Under such conditions, the spell’s damage increases by 1d10.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher level, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

A hammer raised to the skies, darkened clouds swirling with the steel clad cleric as a central force of nature: with a crack, the hammer falls, and with it, a blast of lightning, obliterating the incoming force of goblins who dare desecrate the storm god’s shrine.

Harnessing the power of lightning and blasting foes away with it is something many characters crave, and Call Lightning is the 3rd level parallel to Lightning Bolt you’ve got access to when hunting this look. While it isn’t going to necessarily feel like instant murder blasts able to blow away incoming threats, 3d10 in a 5 ft. radius area over and over can somewhat sell the fantasy.

An action for 3d10 damage to a handful of creatures for a 3rd level slot is pretty bad; compared to Lightning Bolt, you’re averaging 17 damage per hit target to bolts 28. Two rounds offers you 34 damage to creatures in a 5 ft. area over two actions which is fine, but you’re also forgoing the potential damage of a different action.

This reads similarly to Vampiric Touch, but isn’t nearly as bad at least. 3d10 in an area is way better than 3d6 to one creature with half damage healed, and some druids and clerics will find this can be the one spell they want to cast to handle an entire encounter without expending a lot of resources. Paired with Spiritual Weapon, you can be dishing out huge amounts of damage round after round to varieties of targets without consuming a ton of slots to do so.

As you get higher and higher level, the amount of times you’ll regularly find you’re running out of spell slots is going to dip, making the practicality of this tank. If you can take a better action for more damage or a higher impact effect, Call Lightning will probably take a back seat. When you get it, for what it offers, I think you can get a decent amount of casts out of this spell and feel powerful doing it.

5e Spells

Call Lightning: Let the Sparks Fly