The world ofDungeons and Dragonsis full of different spells to strike your fancy. Most of them have a modest area of effect that only affects, at most, a radius of a few dozen feet. However, as you get into higher levels of magic, your options expand.
Most players will have limited use of the spells in this list, but they’restill great for DMs. From utility to massive carnage, there are all sorts of possibilities at your disposal. We’ve arranged them from largest to smallest AoE for easier browsing.
6Hallucinatory Terrain
4th Level Illusion
Hallucinatory Terrain isa great utility spellfor DMs to set up a boss lair. On the player side, it’s an indispensable part of any illusionist’s spellbook. On both sides, it’s a wonderful opportunity to showcase your roleplaying and narration skills.
Like most illusions in Dungeons & Dragons, the illusory environment created by Hallucinatory Terrain doesn’t hold up to touch. However, you’re able to still make the area look, sound, and smell exactly the way you want. We’re not sure if it could also taste the way you want, so that bit might be left to DM discretion.
5Storm of Vengeance
9th Level Conjuration
We’ll admit that while Storm of Vengeance has an impressive area of effect, that might be the only impressive thing about it. On the one hand, the theatrics of this spell seem solid on paper. Assuming you may maintain concentration that long, Storm of Vengeance allows you to create different weather effects for ten whole rounds,adding layers of complexityto a combat encounter.
Realistically, you’ll probably be using your hard-earned spell slot for something less likely to backfire. As a concentration spell, Storm of Vengance is easily broken by taking any amount of damage, so you probably won’t get your money’s worth. Perhaps it’s best to reflavor this spell as a lair effect, rather than have it cast by an actual character.
4Forbiddance
6th Level Abjuration
Forbiddance is a great spell for high-level adventurers who want to fortify their keep. It’s only available to clerics, so if your party doesn’t have one, be prepared to pay a pretty penny to hire an NPC cleric to do the job. You also have the ability to set a password to your location, warding off all but a few.
The spell only lasts for one day, but can become permanent if performed every day for a month. This makes it useful for DMs, who can easily say that a temple, castle, or other location has had the spell preemptively cast at some point in the past. Probably the most useful feature is the ability to make certain types of creature take damage when they enter your sanctuary. Want to make devils burst into flames in your church? You can!
3Mirage Arcane
7th Level Illusion
In many respects, Mirage Arcane is like a souped-up Hallucinatory Terrain. The area of effect is expanded to an entire mile radius, making it perfect for dungeon crawls or high-level illusionist antics. Entire biomes can be created using this spell, so if you want to make a truly magical boss lair, look no further.
Perhaps the biggest improvement Mirage Arcane has over other illusion spells is its ability to hold up to touch. The only way to discover the illusion is to have access to True Seeing or perform a more thorough investigation. You can also watch as illusory items taken from the area immediately disappear, giving away the deception.
2Control Weather
8th Level Transmutation
Control Weather is pretty much exactly what it says on the tin. You control everything about the weather within a five mile radius of yourself, from the precipitation to the temperature and wind speeds. You’ll need to keep a view of the sky for this spell to work. It’s also concentration-based, which means you’ll miss out on other spells in your repertoire if you opt for this.
Still,it’s a great spellfor high-level casters who want to make their enemies' lives a living hell. If you’re the DM, you can give it to a support caster who works for your campaign’s BBEG. If you’re a player, you probably won’t prepare this spell unless you already have some sort of highly specific plan you want to set in motion.
1Skywrite
2nd Level Transmutation
Skywrite is an interesting spell. At the cost of a second-level spell slot, you can write a message in the sky that’s visible to anyone and everyone. It has practically zero uses in a typical D&D combat scenario, but it’s perfect for adding more flavor to social encounters. From marriage proposals to advertising to ruining a duke’s reputation, the world is yours.
There are a few limits to this spell’s utility. While the message lasts for twenty-four hours, you might want to check the weather before casting it. Gusts of wind and precipitation can end the spell’s effects early. There’s also no way to conceal the message from anyone, so verify its contents are something you don’t mind becoming public information.
