When playing a magic-user I like to combine spells in clever ways. D&D 5e has plenty of cool spells. So I wondered, what are the best spell combos for D&D 5e?
The best spell combos in D&D 5e often involve some way to immobilize the enemy and then deal damage, or making movement hurt and forcing the enemy to move. There are also many ways to lower saving throws and then use a spell that requires that saving throw.
- Animate Objects Objects come to life at your Command. Choose up to ten nonmagical Objects within range that are not being worn or carried. Medium Targets count as two Objects, Large Targets count as four Objects, Huge Targets count as eight Objects.
- When you do so, you lose one of the animated creatures created by this spell; whether or not the attack landed. When you use this command you can add more objects, each adding a +1 to the damage, causing you to lose them as well. At 11th level the damage becomes 2d4. Glow: The tiny objects begin to swarm and start to emit dim light in a 15ft.
May 11, 2017 As always, in fifth-edition Dungeons & Dragons, it pays to read the rules absolutely literally. For instance, on the facing page of the Monster Manual, the solar’s Multiattack reads, “The solar makes two greatsword attacks” (emphasis mine). It specifies the kind of weapon the solar must use when it attacks more than once on its turn. A Medium object counts as two Small or smaller objects, a Large object as four, a Huge object as eight, a Gargantuan object as sixteen, and a Colossal object as thirty-two. You can change the designated target or targets as a move action, as if directing an active spell. This spell cannot animate objects carried or worn by a creature. SRD Rules Reference for Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition. Check out our other SRD sites! Traveller SRD Swords and Wizardry SRD 5th Edition SRD Dungeon World SRD 13th Age SRD d20HeroSRD The Modern Path SRD d20PFSRD 3.5e SRD GumshoeSRD FateCoreSRD Starjammer SRD OGN Articles Design Finder 2018 Fudge SRD Here Be Monsters d20 Anime SRD PF2 SRD.
But with so many possibilities that’s certainly not the only fun to be had. Instead of spending hours poring over lists of spells, I decided to ask you guys. And here are the best spell combos you came up with:
Low level spell combos
Reduce and Mage hand spell combo
If you are a gnome or halfling, cast reduce to weigh 10 lbs or less. Then cast mage hand to fly you away.
Disguise self and Friends spell combo
Cast disguise self first to change your appearance. Then cast friends to influence an enemy. Right before friends is over, turn a corner and dispel disguise self so the angry enemy doesn’t know it was you who cast friends.
You can also combine disguise self with fog cloud. When enemies attack, cast fog cloud first, then cast disguise self to look like one of the enemies, or minor illusion to create an object to hide in. A great low-level escape plan.
Bane and vicious mockery spell combo
A combo of bane to reduce attacks and saves by 1d4 for up to three creatures, followed by vicious mockery to give disadvantage on the next attack roll. Although it doesn’t deal masses of damage it stops the big damage dealing bad guy from being effective and makes them more vulnerable to magic attacks/abilities.
Find familiar and Command spell combo
Command allows you to disarm an opponent, and an owl familiar can dart in and take the weapon out of reach, possibly even bring it to your party’s fighter.
Grease and Fog cloud spell combo
This is a great way for low level casters to slow down a large group or throw them into confusion. Allowing you to fight stragglers, rather than the full enemy force.
Mid- to high level spell combos
Hold person and Sickening Radiance spell combo
This combo will need two casters. Hold person gives advantage to hit enemies and prevents them from moving. Sickening radiance is a 30ft radius green light that causes halved speed, 4d10 poison damage on a failed Con save AND gives a level of exhaustion with each failed save while inside the aura.
Wall of Force or Force Cage and Sickening Radiance spell combo
Wall of Force/Force Cage keeps enemies penned in (barring Disintegrate). Sickening Radiance gives 100 Con Saves with failure giving a level of Exhaustion (and some damage) unless it’s dispelled.
When using this combo with wall of force set up as a dome, make sure you cast sickening radiance first. Why? pg 204 of the PHB. Under “A Clear Path to the Target: To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind total cover.” It goes on to say that if you target something behind total cover, the spell effect takes place on the near side of the obstruction.
Also, cover is cover even if it’s transparent. “Cover is a physical obstruction, not necessarily a visual one.” And “Unless a spell says otherwise, you can’t cast it at someone or something behind total cover.”This is one of the big mechanical distinctions between Wall of Force and Force Cage. The former prevents casting of most spells through the barrier. The latter allows you to trap a foe and still rain magical hell on them. The combo still works, you just have to lay down Sickening Radiance first, and then wall of force second.
Spiritual weapon and Wall of force spell combo
It’s basically a blender. Create a dome with wall of force and use spiritual weapon to… blend.
Polymorph and Power word kill spell combo
First use polymorph to choose a creature with less than 100 HP. Then use power word kill to kill the creature. Remember. Power word Kill does NOT deal damage. It kills the creature. That’s why this combo works.
Move earth and Lightning bolt spell combo
Create a trench, go in and blast at will. This combo works with pretty much any ray spell, especially if it requires concentration, as you will gain partial (to total) cover.
Bestow curse and Bigby’s hand spell combo
Bestow Curse using a 5th or higher slot doesn’t require concentration; the curse is that Str saves and checks at disadvantage. Crushing Hand version of Bigby’s means that the target must make a grapple check (at disadvantage) to avoid damage.
Also, enemies waste their turn doing nothing and they take an extra d8 damage on melee. (I think, might be all) attacks so punching them to death works well too. Keep them distracted, unable and beat them to death if you can’t crush em.
Hex and Scorching ray spell combo
This combo delivers three 3d6 attacks with each casting. Cast hex the first then follow it up with scorching Ray to add an extra d6 each time one of your rays hits. At higher levels, it puts out something like 15 d6 if they all hit.
Animate Objects Attack Of Opportunity
Of course, If you cast hex, the only other spells you can cast during that turn are cantrips. Another fun method is Melf’s Minute Meteors. If you can cast it off before battle – even better.
Round 1: Bonus action (Hex) + Cantrip or Attack of your choice
Round 2: Hexblade’s Curse (if Hexblade Warlock) Melf’s Minute Meteors (send 1-2 after them with extra hex damage… both hexes)
Round 3+ Use bonus action to send more meteors and you can also cast more spells, cantrips, or attacks for the majority of the rest of combat.
Hex also stacks with Crown of Stars.which can be cast up to an hour before and puts out some nice damage as well.
Death ward and Magic jar spell combo
This is a contentious one, but certain readings of death ward and magic jar can lead to a fun combo: have death ward cast on you, set up a magic jar and its target, succeed on the body swap, then trigger the death condition of death ward (you want to leave the range of the jar and your original body), the death ward triggers but because you’re out of range of your original body, you still remain in the target’s body (permanently). ending the spell with the death condition is the contentious part; if you’re out of range, do you return to your original body or not? If you’re okay with the permanent bodyswap, you can spice it up with true polymorph: find your target (dragon, archdevil, etc.), true polymorph them into a humanoid form to qualify them for magic jar, continue as above, have true polymorph dispelled once your body swap completes…presto change-o!
Storm sphere and Web spell combo
Cast Storm sphere for difficult terrain, damage every round, and lightning. Then cast web to hold the enemies in place.
Beacon of hope and Any healing magic spell combo
Auto full heal per healing done. Works with potions and spells.
Sleep and Fireball spell combo
Because they fall asleep first and then… You know, fire.
Demiplane and Wish spell combo
Have some random items and a Scroll of Plane Shift (backup spellbook is probably recommended if you’re a wizard). Best done during downtime.
First, cast Demiplane, enter, place random items (+spellbook), and scroll. Next, cast Wish (Clone), exit demiplane. Do this all again tomorrow.. and the next day.. and the next day.. Probably a good 3-5 times for safety measures depending on how dangerous the world really is.
When you gain a new level, do it all over again! In 120 days your first clone will be online. Of course, if you level up and die… it is DM’s discretion whether you go to your last created clone or the first one, so you may lose a level, but you’re essentially immortal.
Spike growth and Thorn whip spell combo
Put an area of effect damage zone around the enemy – then drag them thru it. You can replace thorn whip with any movement spell such as compulsion, dissonant whispers, etc.
Spiritual Weapon and Toll the Dead spell combo
Use spiritual Weapon to do the initial damage to pump up toll the Dead on the first turn. On the second turn, you can repeat the combo, or cast other spells while using your bonus action to attack with spiritual Weapon all without concentration.
Heat metal and Mage hand spell combo
Use heat metal to superheat a doorknob, then mage hand to knock on the door. KEVIN!!!
Slow and Fireball/Flame Strike spell combo
Slow gives enemies disadvantage on the dex saves they have to make with fireball/flame strike.
Magic circle and Hunger of Hadar spell combo
Magic circle to Trap a valid Target and then hunger of Hadar it to mess it up. Magic circle lasts for 1 hour and hunger of Hadar is concentration.
Animate Objects and Crusaders Mantle spell combo
Ten floating daggers dealing 1d4+4 piercing and 1d6 radiant per round as long as they are near the paladin, and requiring no action or bonus from the caster.
Animate dead and cloudkill spell combo
Send your small army of zombies over to grapple your targets, then drop a cloudkill on top of them. Sure, they’ll probably kill the zombies eventually, but it’ll be a serious slog to get free of all those grapples.
Wall of force and Leomund’s tiny hut spell combo
Wall of Force as a dome or wall blocking almost any enemy from getting to them (except teleportation) lasts 10mins. The wizard starts casting Leomund’s Tiny Hut for 1 minute, lasts 8 hours. Within the Hut, the wizard can take a relaxing minute to cast teleportation circle. The perfect escape plan for a party of multiple casters.
Blink and Haste spell combo
Blink and haste go well together as a means of being nearly untouchable. Simply having double your speed higher armor class and a 50% chance of not being there to be hit, is great to have.
Conjure woodland beings and Polymorph
First, conjure 8 pixies. Then the pixies all cast polymorph. Either increase your party strength or diminish enemies.
Reduce and Web
Make your enemy smaller to lower movement. Then cast web. Like a fly in a… Oh, I guess that’s not a metaphor.
Prismatic wall and Reverse gravity
Cast prismatic wall as a sphere in the air. Then cast reverse gravity. If there is nothing to grab on to, there is no save for Reverse Gravity.
Creatures pass through the bottom of the sphere, go inside, then pass through the top. That’s 14 layers. Then you stop concentration on Reverse Gravity and drop them back through.
Let them hit the ground and Reverse Gravity again, though most things would be dead, stone, or in another dimension. This combo can solo the Tarrasque.
D&D 5e combos that use three spells or more
Transmute stone to mud, Slow, and Fireball spell combo
First, transmute stone to mud which cuts movement speed. Then cast slow to further cut movement speed and AC. Then cast fireball for lots o damage. Best done by a group so you can get in as much damage as possible.
Create water and Shape water and Prestidigitation spell combo
Cast create water first to make water. Then cast shape water to freeze said water. Finally, cast prestidigitation to flavor said ice. BAM! Infinite on demand snow-cones! Open up your snow cone shop, and conquer the world franchising!
Conjure elemental, Magic circle, and Planar binding spell combo
Cast conjure elemental then magic circle around the elemental you summoned and immediately break concentration and start casting planar binding. Total casting time 1 hour and 2 minutes and you have an elemental bound for 24 hours (or 10 days if you use a 6 level slot) with no need for concentration.
Charm, Dimension Door, and Slow Fall spell combo
Dnd 5e Players Handbook Pdf
Dimension Door has a stipulation that you can bring a willing addition with you. Charm them so they trust that you’re simply “taking them for a ride”. Teleport them 500 feet in the air, let them go, and cast slow fall on yourself. Extra added benefit: if you’re still in combat and you slow fall when you’re closer to the ground such as 50-100 feet, you can keep blasting the enemy while you’re still in the air out of the reach of melee attacks.
Contingency spell, Otiluke’s resilient sphere, and Death ward spell combo
This three spell combo is triggered instantly. Cast resilient sphere as a contingency spell. Make the contingency when death ward triggers. Instead of getting KO’d, you are in a protective shell at 1 hp. It earns a lot of style points and you can do all sorts of creative plays from the shell in addition to healing up and/or casting a high level false life. Or you can roll yourself away from the threat in your hamster ball…. your choice really.
Time stop and x4 delayed fireball spell combo
Finish by turning away and not looking at the explosion. Then do a heroic walk away from the explosion.
Final thoughts
Casting more than one spell takes multiple rounds. The longer plans take to carry out, the more time enemies have to ruin your combo. There are a couple ways to minimize this problem.
- Cast time stop first. Of course, this requires yet another high level spell.
- Cast contingency to trigger a spell and cast the other spell immediately after the first triggers.
- Cast a quickened spell.
- Get a simulacrum of yourself.
- Cast a combo with another spell caster. This requires teamwork and a bit of planning during spell selection. And it is also in the spirit of this cooperative game, but somehow rarely achieved.
Of course, if players can use these combos, so can DMs. Don’t be surprised if you find your clever combos gain popularity with your enemies.