Listen, D&D is full of spells that are tricks OR treats—but a rare few actually manage to be both at once.
There are literally hundreds of spells in D&D. Some are tricks (they befuddle, harm, or otherwise inconvenience someone) or treats (they empower, aid, or otherwise delight someone). Spells like Darkness are typically a trick, while Cure Wounds is a treat.
And in honor of this being Halloween week, it’s time to highlight some of the few spells that are both tricks and treats at the same time. They may not be the most powerful, but they do offer a spellcaster a good deal 9f flexibility in a single package.
Absorb Elements
This is one of the quintessential examples of the kind of spell that both is a boon to its caster and a bane to those who would harm the caster. It’s a simple spell, albeit one out of Xanathar’s Guide to Everything. One of the better ones from the book.
You cast it as a reaction whenever you’re about to take elemental damage, and it grants you resistance to the incoming damage type until the start of your next turn. And already this is a great boon. Depending on your saving throw, you might take as little as a quarter of the damage you otherwise would have. But then on top of that, you gain a burst of Arcane energy that lets you deal an extra 1d6 damage with your next melee attack, making it perfect for any Gish.
Conjure Celestial
A potent spell indeed, and one of the higher level spells out there with the sort of trick and treat flexibility we’re talking about. You conjure forth a pillar of Celestial Light, and when you do so, you get to decide from among whoever is in it just what form that light takes.
For some, you can cause it to radiate down healing celestial light, which restores 4d12 hit points to those you decide to get the healing light. And for those you want to damage instead, there’s searing light, which deals 6d12 damage, save for half, to any you designate. What really makes this great is that you can pick both types of light for different targets in the cylinder, and it lasts ten minutes, dealing its effects again any time someone is exposed to the light again.
Fire Shield
This is as simple a spell as it gets. Cast it, pick a temperature of magical flames to color the spell, and then it’s Resistance for you, flames for your enemies, and jail for 1,000 years for Miette’s mother.
Vampiric Touch
Another classic. This one a Wizard spell that stretches back throughout D&D’s many editions. It is largely unchanged, and it perfectly embodies the spirit of things. First you play a trick (damaging your target for 3d6 with a melee spell attack) and then you treat yourself by healing the same amount.
Silvery Barbs
And then we have one of the most infamous spells in D&D. Silvery Barbs is one of those spells that might make a DM get that twitch in their eye. But, be that as it may, this spell—out of Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos—is one of the strongest tricks and treats in the game.
You twist fate to your liking, making an enemy reroll a successful attack roll or saving throw. Even a critical hit can be turned into a miss with this spell. And then you give yourself or an ally Advantage on their next roll as a bonus treat. It truly is the gift that keeps on giving.
Happy adventuring!
Don’t Miss:
Read more at this site