Destructive Wave is a powerful spell in Dungeons & Dragons 5th Edition (5e) that combines both damage and utility, making it an excellent choice for casters who want to leave a significant impact on the battlefield. With its ability to unleash massive force against enemies, Destructive Wave is commonly chosen by clerics and paladins, especially when they need to clear a path through hordes of foes or protect their allies. This article will break down the spell’s mechanics, usage, and the strategic advantages it offers in gameplay.
What is Destructive Wave?
Destructive Wave is a 5th-level evocation spell that allows a caster to create a shockwave of energy, devastating everything in its path. This spell sends out a wave of thunderous force and can also have additional effects depending on the caster’s class and chosen divine power.
Destructive Wave Mechanics
To better understand the spell’s effect, let’s break down its key features:
- Level: 5th
- School of Magic: Evocation
- Casting Time: 1 action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: Verbal and Somatic
- Duration: Instantaneous
- Damage: 5d6 thunder damage (or 5d6 radiant damage for some classes) and potentially causes creatures to fall prone.
When cast, destructive wave 5e targets creatures within a 30-foot radius of the caster. The spell forces all creatures within that area to make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 5d6 thunder damage and is knocked prone. If they succeed on the saving throw, they only take half damage and are not knocked prone.
The damage type and additional effects can vary depending on the class of the caster. For example, a cleric might invoke thunder damage, while a paladin might be able to deal radiant damage instead. This flexibility makes the spell particularly useful across different party compositions.
Strategic Uses of Destructive Wave
Given its power and wide range, Destructive Wave has several strategic advantages and can be a game-changer in many situations. Let’s explore some of the most effective ways to use this spell.
Area-of-Effect (AoE) Damage
Destructive Wave is an AoE spell, which means that it can hit multiple enemies within a 30-foot radius. This makes it particularly effective against groups of enemies that are clustered together. Whether you’re fighting hordes of weak enemies or a handful of stronger foes, the spell’s ability to deal significant damage to multiple creatures at once is invaluable in combat. In crowded battles, Destructive Wave can clear the field of weaker opponents, allowing the party to focus on the more dangerous threats.
Knock Prone
An important feature of Destructive Wave is its potential to knock creatures prone. This status effect can turn the tide of battle, especially against melee enemies. Creatures that are knocked prone have disadvantage on attack rolls, making it much harder for them to hit the party in subsequent rounds. Furthermore, melee attackers have advantage on attacks against creatures that are prone, giving the party’s frontline fighters a major advantage.
When dealing with enemies that rely on their mobility or have powerful melee abilities, knocking them prone can significantly reduce their effectiveness, making them easier to handle in the following turns.
Tactical Crowd Control
Beyond simply dealing damage, Destructive Wave can be a great crowd control tool. The spell forces all affected creatures to make a Constitution saving throw to avoid taking full damage and getting knocked prone. While the threat of damage is often enough to keep enemies at bay, the knock-prone effect helps to limit their mobility and reduce their combat capabilities. When combined with other crowd control effects from party members, it can create a near-immovable barrier to enemy movement.
If the battlefield has been overrun by multiple enemies, especially those who rely on position or concentration, Destructive Wave can disrupt their plans and shift the flow of battle in the party’s favor.
Class Variations of Destructive Wave
The mechanics of Destructive Wave vary slightly depending on which class casts it. Here’s a breakdown of how the spell functions for two of its primary users—clerics and paladins.
Destructive Wave for Clerics
Clerics have access to Destructive Wave as part of their spell list, and it’s often seen as one of their defining offensive spells. Clerics who choose the domain of Tempest or War are particularly fond of Destructive Wave due to the synergy between their class features and the spell’s mechanics.
- Tempest Domain: Tempest Domain clerics gain the Wrath of the Storm feature, which allows them to deal thunder or lightning damage to enemies who hit them with a melee attack. This feature pairs perfectly with Destructive Wave, further enhancing their ability to deal thunder damage and punish enemies who try to engage them in melee combat.
- War Domain: War Domain clerics gain the War Priest feature, which allows them to make an additional weapon attack as a bonus action. This ability can be combined with Destructive Wave to maximize both damage output and battlefield control, as they can deal area damage while positioning themselves strategically.
Destructive Wave for Paladins
For paladins, Destructive Wave is available to those who choose the Oath of Devotion, Oath of Vengeance, or Oath of Ancients. When cast by a paladin, the spell deals radiant damage instead of thunder damage, adding an additional layer of effectiveness, particularly against undead and fiends. Paladins who are focused on dealing large amounts of damage to evil creatures will find this variant of Destructive Wave highly beneficial.
Paladins also have access to Divine Smite, which can further enhance their offensive capabilities. When combined with Destructive Wave, paladins can wreak havoc on multiple enemies while simultaneously laying down substantial single-target damage with their weapon strikes.
Key Considerations When Using Destructive Wave
While Destructive Wave is a powerful spell, it comes with a few drawbacks that players should be aware of:
- High-level spell slot: As a 5th-level spell, Destructive Wave uses a valuable spell slot. Given the limited number of high-level spell slots available to most casters, it’s important to use Destructive Wave strategically rather than relying on it constantly.
- Limited range: With a range of only 30 feet, Destructive Wave requires the caster to get relatively close to the enemy. This can put the caster at risk if not properly supported by allies or when enemies have reach attacks.
- Constitution saving throw: Enemies with high Constitution saves will likely avoid being knocked prone and take half damage. While this doesn’t make the spell useless, it’s important to keep in mind when facing more resilient foes.
Conclusion
Destructive Wave is a potent, area-effect spell that offers high damage output and the added benefit of crowd control through the knock-prone mechanic. It is especially useful in battles with multiple enemies and can provide crucial battlefield control, making it a valuable tool for both clerics and paladins. While its range and resource cost require careful consideration, the benefits of Destructive Wave, when used wisely, can significantly impact the course of combat. Whether you’re clearing out a horde of lesser enemies or knocking down powerful foes, Destructive Wave is sure to leave a lasting impact on any encounter.