Shape Water: Freeze, Flow, and Flourish

Usable By: Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard

Spell Level: 0 (cantrip)

School: Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Duration: Instantaneous

Components: S

You choose an area of water that you can see within range and that fits within a 5-foot cube. You manipulate it in one of the following ways:

You instantaneously move or otherwise change the flow of the water as you direct, up to 5 feet in any direction. This movement doesn’t have enough force to cause damage.

You cause the water to form into simple shapes and animate at your direction. This change lasts for 1 hour.

You change the water’s color or opacity. The water must be changed in the same way throughout. This change lasts for 1 hour.

You freeze the water, provided that there are no creatures in it. The water unfreezes in 1 hour.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have no more than two of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.

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Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

As far as the cosmetic spells go, Shape Water might be the best mechanically. This is a spell that has basically one practical use effect and three dedicated to presentation, but man, freezing a five foot cube of water has all kinds of useful applications.

The cosmetic goodies attached to Shape Water are what you’d expect. Changing the opacity and color of the water for an hour can lead to little deceptive tricks, but ultimately is going to be a way you’ll bring a cohesive palette to your character’s presentation. Animating water into shapes is great for storytelling. It can convey some information clearly over language barriers or grab attention for a bit, but again, this isn’t mainly a feature you’re looking to use dungeon delving. Changing the flow of water is a bit interesting, but messy. It can buy you time to just tread in heavy rapids, or keep another creature from immediately going over a waterfall. These situations are so rare that it can be tricky to find uses cosmetically to highlight your neat waterbending tricks.

Cosmetic goodies are neat and all, but don’t really put this spell on the map for me. What DOES is ice creation. Turns out having a tool that turns any moderate sized pool of water into a solid object has a whole bunch of neat uses. Five foot large cubes are big, and this spell gives you up to two of them. Up on a high area? Drop them down on creatures below! Need to climb a moderately tall wall? Get a five or ten foot boost with some ice stairs! Have a need for rest from a grueling swim? May I offer you an ice raft in this trying time? Sometimes just having a solid cube can do some neat things, and it being made of a slippery texture that melts over time can pop up more often than you’d think as a useful element to it.

While Control Flames, Mold Earth, and Gust all have some mediocre utility, I think Shape Water is an excellent tool even for characters outside the elementalist archetype. This is a spell I regularly consider on characters as a third or fourth cantrip, and while you don’t need it on anyone, having access to it can lead to some epic surprising moments and opportunities where you’d least expect them. Its limitations are clear. It won’t radically change how you play the game. It's a solid cantrip option to consider, and can lead to some wacky plans involving gigantic ice cubes. Sign me up!

5e Spells

Shape Water: Freeze, Flow, and Flourish