They say the best defense is a good offense. And these are five of the best (offensive) buff spells in D&D. Cue the power up music.
Teamwork makes the dream work in D&D. And nowhere is that more apparent than in D&D’s buff spells. They’re capable of handing out powerups to even the lowliest of NPCs.
The right buff can make all the difference. They can power up your attacks, give you the strength to carry on, and with the right combos, can turn your damage dealers into the fantasy equivalent of a tactical nuke. At least that’s how it is with offensive buffs. They will help you pour on the damage. But if you want to be made of sterner stuff? That’s a different list.
Bless
One of the only spells likely to make the list as one of the best offensive and defensive buff spells, Bless is an absolute blessing. Pick up to three of your friends (including yourself) and they get a d4 to add to any attack roll or saving throw. It lasts a minute and can make the difference between success and failure. The only real downside to it, is that it takes your concentration slot.
Polymorph
Polymorph is still one of the best combat buff spells out there. It’s worth the wait, because with it, you can absolutely transform a fight. You pick a comrade, then turn them into something potent a CR 7 (or higher) Beast that can start laying waste with the actions of that stat block but the personality (and willpower) of your ally.
It expands your battlefield capabilities, because suddenly you have, say, a Giant Ape on your side, who has two attacks that hit for 3d10 + 6 damage each, and who has 168 temporary hit points that last for an hour or until they’re gone. Polymorph is a huge “turn the tide” type buff spell.
Divine Favor
Time for Paladins to get in on some of the best buff spell action. Paladins have almost exclusive access to Divine Favor, which got a huge buff in 5.5E. It’s one of a rare few minute-long spells that doesn’t take concentration. And it also only takes a Bonus Action to cast, so you can still make your normal attacks with it.
Sure, all you’re getting is “only” 1d4 extra damage per attack, but that adds up real quickly. Especially since it takes so little out of you. Stack it with some of the other spells on this list and you’ll be doing a ton more damage – especially since after you cast it, you can still absolutely cast other spells, including Concetration spells (like your Smites).
Conjure Minor Elementals
This is an extraodrinary damage buff spell. It’s limited in range – only affecting targets within a 15-foot emanation of you. But any attack you make against a creature within that 15-foot range does an extra 2d8 acid, cold, fire, or lightning damage (you choose) PER ATTACK. Combo that with something like a Scorching Ray that lets you make multiple attacks, and suddenly this adds up to 6d8 extra damage, minimum.
And that’s just the base version. This spell was so potent, they had to nerf it after it came out. And it STILL scales very well, dealing an extra 1d8 per spell slot above 4th you use to cast this spell. If you want a damage buff, this is it.
Haste
Finally, we come to haste. Haste frequently tops the lists of best buff spells in D&D, and with good reason. This spell gives anyone a whole extra action on their turn.
Anyone taking the Attack action gets the most out of it. Fighters gain an extra attack. Rogues can use their hasted action to make an attack, their regular action to ready another attack for up to two sneak attacks per round.
But anyone will be happy to have an extra dash, disengage, hide, or use an object action regardless, as well as the bonus AC and to Dex saves.
What tops your list as the best buff spells in D&D?
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