Zephyr Strike: Dash ‘n Bash

Usable By: Ranger

Spell Level: 1

School: Transmutation

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: Self

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Components: V

You move like the wind. For the duration, your movement doesn’t provoke opportunity attacks.

Once before the spell ends, you can give yourself advantage on one weapon attack roll on your turn. That attack deals an extra 1d8 force damage on a hit. Whether you hit or miss, your walking speed increases by 30 feet until the end of that turn.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

I complain a lot about ranger spells. It's kind of a running joke at this point. Most are so inefficient and are given to the ranger so late its baffling they exist in the forms they do. Ranger spells are competing with higher level spells other classes get at the same level; those are the features people are using. The best ranger spells like Swift Quiver have effects that work alongside the classes identity to offer up tools that ranger’s can use better than the other classes often could, getting to get a bit more juice for the spell slot. Zephyr Strike is exactly that.

The bulk of the power in Zephyr Strike is the mobility it offers. With Zephyr Strike, you may never want to consider taking the mobile feat. You can go where you want, no penalties, no risks. Zephyr Strike is a tool for the skirmisher fantasy that ranger’s are built to facilitate, and this is actually a tool they can use to successfully reach that fantasy.

On top of moving freely, you get advantage on an attack, a bit of extra damage and a one time free dash. This all adds up to be useful attributes across the board for a fairly low cost. All of this is brought down by it eating your concentration slot and possibly dropping from a stray arrow, but compared against nearly all of the other options available, this is a breath of fresh air.

If it were just free movement, I’d call this spell terrible. If it were just the one time dash, I’d say it was uncastable. If it were just advantage on one attack roll with a single d8 damage, I’d say this spell is useless. With all of their powers combined, I think this spell does enough things you want that having it up in a fight will just feel good. This gives you options, flexibility, and mobility on a martial character. That’s all the stuff you want. If you’re tired of Hunter's Mark, give Zephyr Strike a go on your melee ranger’s. It won’t revolutionize anything, this isn’t some nuts new way to play ranger, but this is something that is actually solid to have access to that you’ll want in some fights.

5e Spells

Zephyr Strike: Dash ‘n Bash