Faerie Fire: Get Your Glow On

Usable By: Artificer, Bard, Druid

Spell Level: 1

School: Evocation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V

Each object in a 20-foot cube within range is outlined in blue, green, or violet light (your choice). Any creature in the area when the spell is cast is also outlined in light if it fails a Dexterity saving throw. For the duration, objects and affected creatures shed dim light in a 10-foot radius.

Any attack roll against an affected creature or object has advantage if the attacker can see it, and the affected creature or object can’t benefit from being invisible.

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

Faerie Fire evokes a sense of mystical, tricksy flames. I think more than any other 1st level spell, I’ve seen Faerie Fire confuse or confound new players. A lot of people assume it does damage, but alas, it is simply an area of effect worse frighten effect that will rarely be usable for any other reason. Faerie Fire is just barely not enough to justify casting. I wouldn’t recommend it.

A 20 ft. cube is a decent area. You can probably reliably hit four or more creatures at once with this kind of effect. The total effects you're getting, the absolute ceiling, is advantage on attacks against the affected creatures and turning them visible from invisible. Do you know what also gives you advantage on attack rolls against a creature? Almost every single condition you have access to at this point!

Color Spray blinds up to 6d10 hit points worth of creatures; you get advantage on attacks against blinded creatures and they have disadvantage on their own attack rolls! Entangle can restrain creatures in the same area, providing, once again, advantage on attacks against them, and imposing disadvantage on their attack rolls! Plus, Entangle comes with difficult terrain and the potential to waste enemy actions entirely as they work to break free from the restraints!

I’m not here to advocate for Color Spray; the spell isn’t particularly compelling on its own, but I do think it’ll often be as good if not a little better than Faerie Fire. That doesn’t bode well for Faerie Fire. A lot of people will try it out, cast it once, then never cast it again. Concentration is a tall order for this effect even at 1st and 2nd level. You just have better things to do with your action than this. You need more than advantage on one or two attack rolls to justify the cast.

Faerie Fire is the kind of spell you want to get incidentally for free. It’ll be potentially invaluable when it comes to revealing Invisible threats, but that isn’t going to be anywhere close to the majority of enemies. You don’t want to learn or prepare a spell that’s entire goal is to beat specifically invisible creatures; it's why I can’t really recommend See Invisibility. If you’re getting some neat, fun features from a subclass or a race that just happens to also give you access to Faerie Fire, though, it's a pretty meaningful upside.

Faerie Fire can’t really compete with other 1st level spells, but is fine to get alongside other goodies. Ultimately, you have better ways, even at 1st level, to use your concentration or offer allies advantage on attack rolls than this. I’d advocate for using one of those instead, and stumbling into Faerie Fire when desperately combing your sheet for ways to reveal the Invisible creature wreaking havoc in the tavern.

5e Spells

Faerie Fire: Get Your Glow On