Hello magic casters of all shapes and sizes! Welcome to my spellbook and thank you so much for checking out the 14th episode of our first level spell series. Today we’re going to be talking about one of the most iconic sorcerery spells and the only sorcerery spell unique to the sorcerer chaos bolt 5e. As previously mentioned it is only usable by the sorcerer class and through extension anyone else with access to their spell lists.
Looking at you magic initiates and eberron mark users and it is found in the xanathar’s guide to everything handbook which i would highly recommend owning if you don’t already. With that out of the way let’s take a quick look at some mechanics here.
Table of Contents
Mechanics
- Level: 1st
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range/Area: 120 ft
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Instantaneous
- School: Evocation
- Attack/Save: Ranged
- Damage/Effect: Acid (…)
The chaos bolt 5e damage is an impressive 2d8+1d6 damage and an additional 1d6 per each spell slot level above first. The cast time is your standard one action. The range is an impressive 120 feet, the duration is instantaneous. The saving throw there isn’t really one it’s just a range spell attack.
The components are somatic and verbal meaning you have to gesture with one hand and perform an invocation verbally. The school is evocation, the damage type they’re essentially all of them acid, cold, fire, force, lightning, poison, psychic and thunder. And i’ll get into that a little bit later.
That being said, let’s take a quick look at the full description here. So we’re all on the same page and we will get to know how does chaos bolt work 5e. In any case you may also like to read what is the chaos ball spell?
Description
You hurl an undulating, warbling mass of chaotic energy at one creature in range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 2d8 + 1d6 damage. Choose one of the d8s. The number rolled on that die determines the attack’s damage type, as shown below.
1= Acid, 2=Cold, 3=Fire, 4=Force, 5=Lightning, 6=Poison, 7=Psychic, 8=Thunder.
If you roll the same number on both d8s, the chaotic energy leaps from the target to a different creature of your choice within 30 feet of it. Make a new attack roll against the new target, and make a new damage roll, which could cause the chaotic energy to leap again. A creature can be targeted only once by each casting of this spell.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, each target takes 1d6 extra damage of the type rolled for each slot level above 1st.
That is a wordy one but so cool! can you twin spell a chaos bolt? yes I would highly recommend twinning this spell. It will still work if you twin it and i’ll get to that the alternative use section here. So looking at alternative uses. You may also like to read this is bane a good spell 5e.
Alternative Uses
As i mentioned twinning super powerful. Potential to knock down a whole army if you do it. Now that i’m looking at it though, i feel like this might be a double-edged sword. I mean if you break down the wording, if you roll two numbers on the both or if you’re all the same numbers on both d8 and that leaps to a new target.
It doesn’t say it has to be an enemy target. Which is interesting i would leave this up to your DMs discretion but it makes it sound like you have to pick a creature friendly or not. So there’s only one bad guy and he’s already been struck with it. It would have to leap to the nearest creature or to a creature within 30 feet friendly or not. Very interesting….very very interesting.
I do think the damage potential is a little luna chris on this for a first level spell and i would definitely take it if you decide to go with the aberrant dragonmark feat.
Conclusion
That being said, If you have any crazy stories or uses involving chaos bolt i’d really like to hear them down beneath in the comments and i know everyone else checking this article would as well. That being said, i hope you all have a great day and as always happy casting. guiding bolt 5e | witch bolt 5e | fire bolt 5e.