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Part of an ongoing series of 5e (2014)<\/strong> Rules notes.<\/a>\u00a0 See the end of the post for notes on 5.5e (2024)<\/strong> rules.<\/span><\/em><\/p>\nI won’t say that\u00a0Call Lightning<\/em> is an overrated spell, but it’s a spell that sounds a lot more cool and flexible and awe-inspiring than it actually turns out to be when you try to play with it (properly). It comes across as an alternative to Fireball <\/em>for Druids, also a 3rd Level Conjuration, but it most certainly is not.<\/p>\n Let’s start with the description<\/a>.<\/p>\n Range: 120 feet<\/p>\n A storm cloud appears in the shape of a Cylinder that is 10 feet tall with a 60-foot radius, centered on a point you can see within range directly above you. The spell fails if you can\u2019t see a point in the air where the storm cloud could appear (for example, if you are in a room that can\u2019t accommodate the cloud).<\/p>\n When you cast the spell, choose a point you can see under the cloud. A bolt of lightning flashes down from the cloud to that point. Each creature\u00a0within 5 feet of that point\u00a0must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d10 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning in this way again, targeting the same point or a different one.<\/p>\n If you are outdoors in stormy conditions when you cast this spell, the spell gives you control over the existing storm instead of creating a new one. Under such Conditions, the spell\u2019s damage increases by 1d10.<\/p><\/blockquote>\n This one is a bit more complex than it seems,\u00a0and<\/i> it “suffers” by having had its text significantly updated some time into the 5e era; a lot of websites discussing the spell (from when 5e first launched) do not<\/i> have the spell described correctly . The original text got confusing about the height of the cloud.<\/p>\n So, you need to be in a room or area that has\u00a0at least ten feet of clearance<\/b> (to accommodate the height of the cloud). As an example, my kitchen\/family room ceiling is only 8 feet high. So this will be most useful out of doors<\/strong>, in tall caverns, or in Intentionally Impressive Rooms (throne rooms, cathedrals, etc.).<\/p>\n (I have seen suggests that if the room is only 10 feet high then the area concerned is all in cloud and thus can’t be seen into. That effect is not explicitly called out, and, frankly, gets into complications I’d rather avoid. If I were to do it, rather than blocking vision I’d make the area into a Dim situation, impacting Perception checks in and out, but not much more).<\/p>\n The rules indicate the room\/space must accommodate the cloud<\/strong>. That means an interior room has to be\u00a0not just tall enough, but wide enough<\/a> to accommodate a 60-foot radius, i.e.,\u00a0120 feet wide<\/b>.<\/p>\n The cloud gets centered on a point no more than 120 feet away (a grid intersection, not a square, if you are playing on a grid), and as noted, has a radius of 60 feet.<\/p>\n On each turn, the caster can choose a point (again, a grid intersection, not a square), and\u00a0everyone in a 5-foot radius of that point (i.e., the four squares around that intersection)<\/a>\u00a0get zorched. The point can be anywhere under that 60-foot radius cloud, and can be moved around (as an Action) each turn. (I would rule that any area to be zorched must be under the cloud.)<\/p>\n It’s a Concentration spell, so you can keep it going for up to 10 minutes, or until someone figures out you’re the one doing it and starts trying to break your concentration.<\/p>\n I mean, this doesn’t\u00a0have<\/em> to be a competition … but, frankly, the subject is going to come up.<\/p>\n Call it anecdata, but during a 2\u00bd year weekly campaign, our Druid had an opportunity to cast Call Lightning <\/i>maybe … twice? Whereas our Sorcerer let loose with a Fireball at least every second or third session.<\/p>\n That said, if the opportunity does arise, and if it’s thematically proper to the character,\u00a0Call Lightning<\/em> can be a ton of fun to cast.<\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/i.makeagif.com\/media\/12-27-2022\/dn5EAk.gif\")
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Call Lightning<\/em> vs. Fireball<\/em><\/h1>\n
Advantages of Call Lightning<\/em><\/h5>\n
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Advantages of Fireball<\/em><\/h5>\n
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Any changes in 5.5e?<\/span><\/h1>\n
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<\/a>Maybe.<\/span><\/p>\n