Expeditious Retreat: Don’t Let the Door Hit Your Ass on the Way Out
Usable By: Artificer, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level: 1
School: Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Self
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Components: V, S
This spell allows you to move at an incredible pace. When you cast this spell, and then as a bonus action on each of your turns until the spell ends, you can take the Dash action.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
D&D is the perfect place to do incredibly dumb things. The best part about doing said dumb things usually is the disasterous consequences that they result in. When you’re way in over your head (having lit the tavern on fire and are being hunted by that shadowy figure you openly mocked) may I recommend Expeditious Retreat!
For just a bonus action to cast and a measly 1st level spell slot, you can be doing the rogue thing of moving fast. Early in the game, when you’re just dipping your toes into magic, it can feel like a tall order to use your precious spell slots on something you can just do by spending an action. That being said, sometimes you will really need to get moving. This can let you dash twice in a turn and disengage and dash in the same turn. When your goal is to live, and a monster is smashing your face in with a greatsword, being able to continue sprinting away and forcing it to sprint after you can be the difference between an untimely death and escape. It also can just make you the fastest creature alive at 1st level; moving, dashing, and dashing can help you outpace the majority of things you’re dealing with in the lowest tier of play.
As you get into the upper tiers, it can be hard to justify using your concentration for this kind of effect. It really helps that it's just so cheap to have at the ready, and lets you use your action for cantrips or other decent actions. This is the kind of effect you’ll be really happy you prepared once or twice an adventuring arch, and as it only is eating a 1st level slot, will routinely come to the rescue when you’ve spent too many higher level resources. It’ll pop out after something breaks your conjuration concentration and you suddenly find yourself alone inside a swarm of evil doers trying to smash you to smithereens.
I really wish this could be cast on your buddies, but as is, Expeditious Retreat is excellent. It may seem innocuous, but it has a genuinely powerful effect in the lowest tiers. As the game goes on, having such a cheap means to disengage/dash or dash/dash is just so convenient. If you can squeeze it onto your sheet, I’d recommend taking this.
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