Shatter: Shatter? I Hardly Knew Her.
Usable By: Bard, Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Spell Level: 2
School: Evocation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Duration: Instantaneous
Components: V, S, M (a chip of mica)
A sudden loud ringing noise, painfully intense, erupts from a point of your choice within range. Each creature in a 10-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Constitution saving throw. A creature takes 3d8 thunder damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. A creature made of inorganic material such as stone, crystal, or metal has disadvantage on this saving throw.
A nonmagical object that isn’t being worn or carried also takes the damage if it’s in the spell’s area.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 2nd.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Shatter is iconic in D&D at this point largely due to the quantity of class options that have access to it. Bards, sorcerers, warlocks, wizards, tempest domain clerics, and two artificer specialties all get access to this simple 3d8 10 ft. radius sphere of death.
And that’s basically all it is at most tables. A 3d8 aoe damage spell at 2nd level. It's probably slightly worse than an up-cast Burning Hands, but can be done from a safer area and with more control over what gets hit.
Where Shatter gets interesting is at tables with rich descriptive environments. “A nonmagical object that isn’t being worn or carried also takes the damage if it’s in the spell's area” can constitute basically everything. Floors, windows, weapons, traps, walls, you name it; if it's in Shatter’s area, it's getting damaged by it. 5e doesn’t have the most robust rules for objects and their hit points, which often results in this just feeling like an AOE damage spell. If you or your DM dives into it, though, this spell can radically change a fight by altering the environment with 3d8 points of destruction. Dealing 3d8 damage to a brigand while breaking the floor below them can add some free bonus damage to the fifteen foot fall into debris they’ll be facing. Better yet, Shatter the cord holding up a fancy, heavy chandelier and smash whatever's below it!
If you’re looking for a decent damage spell for a 2nd level slot, some classes will have better tools than Shatter, but classes like bards don’t really so this will do a good enough job at filling that role. If your aim is to cause property damage and break the establishment down brick by brick, Shatter is exactly the right tool for you.
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