Gust of Wind: Wey Hey, Blow the Man Down
Usable By: Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
Spell Level: 2
School: Evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (60-foot line)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components: V, S, M (a legume seed)
A line of strong wind 60 feet long and 10 feet wide blasts from you in a direction you choose for the spell’s duration. Each creature that starts its turn in the line must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed 15 feet away from you in a direction following the line.
Any creature in the line must spend 2 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves when moving closer to you.
The gust disperses gas or vapor, and it extinguishes candles, torches, and similar unprotected flames in the area. It causes protected flames, such as those of lanterns, to dance wildly and has a 50 percent chance to extinguish them.
As a bonus action on each of your turns before the spell ends, you can change the direction in which the line blasts from you.
Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold
You’d be surprised just how effective a strong blast of otherwise harmless air can be. Gust of Wind is a continuous wind turbine, turning a 60x10 ft. line into a one way gale force. Each creature in the line saves or is shoved 15 feet in the direction the wind’s pushing, and you can direct that wind as a bonus action each turn afterwards. Plus, moving through the wind functionally is difficult terrain.
Without considering cooperative elements to empower it, Gust of Wind has a decent use case in a large chunk of environments. Long corridors become nightmares for monsters to move through; dashing through them 30 feet at time means they’re starting multiple turns in the wind just to attempt to get to you, sometimes requiring at least three turns should they fail their saves and get knocked back. In wider open environments, Gust of Wind acts as a shoving tool for a group of creatures to readjust their position in a pinch to get some additional maneuverability. Many environments will have hazards: a 15 ft. shove can knock creatures easily into pits, lava, and traps, and you can keep pivoting it around to push a variety of creatures around. Bridges in particular can be brutal for enemies to cross without risking getting shoved off with a bonus action shift in winds.
To get the most out of Gust of Wind, though, you’ll want to consider pairing it with your other party members' own hazards. Wall effects like Blade Barrier get a lot better when you can shove groups of creatures around. Teaming up with the wizard and your frontline to position a Gust of Wind that shoves in line just above their heads can put enemies in a save or die position. Pass the save or get thrown through the Spike Growth!
Gust of Wind can be extremely rewarding to play with, but isn’t necessarily going to be all that powerful, especially in the mid to upper tiers. Concentration is precious, especially on druids, sorcerers, and wizards, all of which have far more potent options to consider past 3rd level. If you like weaponizing environments and allies abilities in clever ways, and want a toolbox 2nd level spell that can have some fun interactions with creative players and DMs, Gust of Wind is a great option to consider.
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