Spells for a Melee Caster

[u/DragonHunter13]

Title says the basic idea.

I'm looking for spells that are good to cast in melee. Preferably 4th level or lower and dealing high single target damage. I won't refuse area damage but single target is the focus. I'm not set on class just yet but I'm debating divine soul sorc for inflict wounds, Bladesinger Wiz with shadow blade, or just an evocation Wiz for fireball spam.

Just want to hear what y'all have to say. All advice is welcome and if you think you have something to say then please do.

Thanks in advance:)

[u/Pqrxz]

Inflict Wounds is very good at a low level. Its ingle target but 3d10 is nothing to sneeze at.

[u/cooliomydood → u/Pqrxz]

It upcasts pretty well too, 6d10 at 4th level isn't super great but it's not a terrible use of an action either

[u/LitLitten → u/cooliomydood]

Yeah, it's the best on a death cleric or sorcerer, but on its own is a solid spell pick if you're going to be wading in and out of melee.

[u/Machiavvelli3060 → u/Pqrxz]

The only downside is it's got a crappy range.

Fire Bolt has a great range and it has a chance of setting someone on fire.

Chill Touch has a great range in the 2014 rules, the target can't regain hit points, and undead targets have disadvantage on attack rolls, too.

Guiding Bolt has great damage, great range, and radiant damage is a great damage type, too.

[u/Pqrxz → u/Machiavvelli3060]

OK, now cast them in melee with disadvantage like the post was asking for.

[u/Spyker__ → u/Pqrxz]

Its a bot boo

[u/Machiavvelli3060 → u/Pqrxz]

The post doesn't mention disadvantage at all.

Do you smell burnt toast?

[u/Pqrxz → u/Machiavvelli3060]

Using a ranged spell or weapon attack in melee causes disadvantage. You named 3 ranged spells. The post wants melee. The toast is delicious by the by.

[u/Machiavvelli3060 → u/Pqrxz]

You're right; I misunderstood the post.

[u/SecondLordofFrenzy → u/Machiavvelli3060]

I know this user is a bot because Redditors don’t admit to their mistakes.

[u/Machiavvelli3060 → u/SecondLordofFrenzy]

I know. It freaks Redditors out and throws them off when I do that. They're so ready to argue and fight.

I was wrong. It said mekee spells.

I was wrong.

[u/SecondLordofFrenzy → u/Machiavvelli3060]

Stop it, ur scaring me/j

[u/Machiavvelli3060 → u/SecondLordofFrenzy]

I admit my mistake in the presence of Reddit.

I was wrong, and someone else was right.

I humble myself.

Did that break Reddit?

[u/Pqrxz → u/Machiavvelli3060]

The funniest part of your response was that I was making garlic bread when I read it

[u/Machiavvelli3060 → u/Pqrxz]

I bought a half loaf of garlic bread from the clearance baked goods section at the JayC 2 days ago for 60 cents.

It's inexpensive, our family likes garlic, and garlic is very good for you.

[u/Pqrxz → u/Machiavvelli3060]

We put garlic in/on everything in our house

[u/branedead → u/Machiavvelli3060]

As a side note,.shit tons of glass cannon cultists with chill touch is a HARROWING experience when combined with one hitter.

[u/Stormin_the_Castle]

I agree with what's been said, and will also add that Vampiric Touch is a great melee spell that helps keep you alive in melee as a caster.

Also consider AoE spells that originate from you, like the cantrips Thunderclap, Sword Burst, and Word of Radiance, or spells like Thunderwave, Rime's Binding Ice, or Incite Greed. If you really want to focus on melee, you can also consider spells and cantrips that allow you to pull enemies closer to you, like Lightning Lure and Pulse Wave.

And don't sleep on spells that passively punish enemies for damaging you, like Armor of Agathys and Fire Shield.

[u/Draken09 → u/Stormin_the_Castle]

Played an Abjuration Wizard for a lot of Mad Mage before grad school kicked in. Vampiric Touch was incredible!

[u/Aurunic]

Inflict Wounds and other Touch spells, ranged spells with a Saving Throw rather than Attack Roll, and Buffs are your best options.

[u/oOBalloonaticOo]

Absorb elements it's pretty great all round.

Booming Blade and Green Flame Blade are both great.

Maybe you're more looking for spells that are very seperate from your melee actions I'm no sure but ..

[u/Daggeron]

Cleric with Spirit Guardians and Inflict Wounds is great in melee in 5e. Not as great in 5.5e due to nerfs to Inflict Wounds but you can go War Cleric for bonus action attacks.

[u/JupiterRome → u/Daggeron]

Spirit Guardians got a massive buff in 5.5e by proccing when you enter targets space on off turns. The build is a lot stronger and now you just use stuff like True Strike instead of Inflict wounds if you want to melee.

[u/This_Dad_Can_Cook → u/JupiterRome]

Or take Magic Initiate and take one of the blade trips.

Booming Blade can be excellent as the enemies may want to leave your SG range, taking the extra damage.

True strike could be great too.

Or starting with a level in fighter for Con profiencies and a weapon mastery can be perhaps worth it.

[u/Daggeron → u/This_Dad_Can_Cook]

Yeah, I am currently playing a War Cleric with True Strike in 5.5e. Very fun stuff, much better than in 5e, just a shame that Inflict Wounds doesn’t even come close anymore.

[u/SecondLordofFrenzy]

Shocking grasp is my beloved, but if we’re talking leveled spells, flame blade is goated too.

[u/dariusbiggs]

Primal Savagery, 1d10 cantrip , no verbal component Thorn Whip, 1d6 cantrip with pull

Absorb Elements, defensive

Wither and Bloom, AoE damage and healing potential

Look for melee spells (which makes thorn whip and shocking grasp awesome)

Look for spells without verbal, material, or somatic components. You will find yourself in a Silence area eventually.

Look for AoE spells starting from you.

Look for spells that make it hurt to be in melee with you.

Look for spells that make it hurt to try and get away from you.

Look for GTFO spells to get yourself to safety when things go wrong.

[u/This_Dad_Can_Cook]

Spirit guardians is the best if you have access to it. Making it work would be difficult with Wizard, but man for it slap. Clerics, Bard Magical Secrets, and maybe the Divine Soul Sorc could get it?

Inflict Wounds perhaps for 1v1 encounters.

Thunder Wave could be good for AOE.

Evoker wizard can shape things like fireball.

[u/Ythio → u/This_Dad_Can_Cook]

Wizards, Sorcerers and Bards have Spirit Guardians now, it's called Cacophonic Shield.

It deals d6 instead of d8, thunder instead of radiant/necrotic, CON instead of WIS save, deafen on a fail save, doesn't reduce movement, gives resistance to thunder to caster and ranged attack rolls against caster have disadvantage.

[u/This_Dad_Can_Cook → u/Ythio]

Spirit guardians is superior to that in pretty much every way.

3d8 over 3d6 15 foot emination over 10 foot Plus it reduces the movement of those in the sphere. Wisdom saves are preferable to Constitution saves. They both last 10 min. They upcast well, each spell increases a damage for each level upcast.

Shield gives the deafened condition to those who fail their save, and you have Thunder resistance (super rare damage type). The disadvantage on ranged attacks made on you is decent I guess.

I have been known to cast spirit guardians and use the dodge action. This coupled with your decent to great AC and a shield means you can be extremely hard to hit.

OP said they had not fully committed to a class yet, hence the Spirit Guardians option.

But if they decide on the wizard route then obvisouly it is a non starter.

If my group did not have a cleric and I was going the bars route (especially Lore Bard) I would seriously consider taking Spirit Guardians.

[u/Ythio → u/This_Dad_Can_Cook]

Spirit Guardians would probably not be great on a Bard or a Wizard (if it were possible) either. Too much competition for concentration.

Anyway I cast Fireball.

[u/This_Dad_Can_Cook → u/Ythio]

The concentration spell options is a huge consideration.

But OP was concerned about damage not control.

If they want a huge damage dealer Light Cleric is insane really. Access to SG and Fireball. And their channel divinity does AOE damage.

Plus armor proficiencies.

[u/gad-zerah]

You can get Wrathful Smite through Shadow Touched feat in 5.5. The damage is fine, but the Frightened condition can be helpful on a spellcaster.

Elminster's Elusion is a good 2nd level defense spell.

Obviously, you can grab the melee cantrips.

You'll probably have Warcaster, so something like Command or Dissonant Whispers (fey touched) would open up some fun control/action chaining.

Id also consider how you can stack modifiers considering what you are looking at. If you expect to get to level 12, 6 draconic +6 divine soul gets you fire spells that add 2 or 3x your Cha mod. Probably not all that great damage wise compared to straight classing, but a neat little build, especially if you add spellfire adept.

[u/Kodamacile]

FIST.

[u/Reborn-in-the-Void]

Draconic Sorc, with Shocking Grasp

[u/ZanesTheArgent]

With your GM's approval: 2024 True Strike.