Spells with Unique Areas
H
ere is a list of different (or at least less
common) shapes for area effects for spells in
D&D. Some are fairly broad and can have
many applications, while others are stupid
and weird and no one in their right mind
should use them. That being said, feel free to
do so!
Each description includes verbiage and suggestions for
use, as well as a sample spell.
Cross
“a #-foot radius cross”
“two, perpendicular #-foot long lines centered on a point”
“four #-foot long radial lines emanating from a point
equidistant from one another.”
The cross shape works very well at both small and large
radii, as it is uniquely restrictive.
Sample: Splay of Thorns
3rd-level transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: S, V, M (a seed)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You toss a small seed at a point on the ground within 60
feet, where knots of thorny vines spring forth into existence.
The vines form a series of four 20-foot long walls each 90
degrees from the other, centered at that location. The cross-
shaped thorny barriers are 5 feet high and thick.
Each creature in the thorns' area must make a Dexterity
saving throw. Each creature takes 6d6 piercing damage on a
failed save or half as much on a success.
The barriers are not impassable, but creatures must spend
3 feet of movement for every 1 foot moved through the
thorns. Creatures that opt to do so take 3d6 piercing damage
for every 5 feet moved through the thorns.
The thorns disappear when the spell ends.
Starburst
“a #-foot radius starburst”
“four, perpendicular #-foot long lines centered on a point”
“eight #-foot long radial lines emanating from a point.”
To have any meaningful effect, a starburst should have a
minimum radius of 20 feet. Any shorter than that, and it
might as well be a circular effect. If you want more even-
looking radii, you can have diagonals only travel 15 feet for
every 20 feet the cardinal radii reach.
Sample: Prismatic Starburst
7th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (40-foot radius starburst)
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
Your body glows with arcane radiance before emitting eight
rays of different colored light. Each ray is a 40-foot long, 5-
foot wide line that emanates radially in a circle around you,
each ray equidistant from the other.
Each creature within the area of this spell must make a
Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 12d6 damage on a
failed save or half as much on a success.
Each ray deals damage of a different type depending on its
color. You may choose the color of each ray when you cast the
spell but each color must be represented. See the damage
types below.
Red. fire damage.
Orange. acid damage.
Yellow. lightning damage.
Green. poison damage.
Blue. cold damage.
Violet. psychic damage.
Black. necrotic damage.
White. radiant damage.
A creature whose space is hit by multiple lines takes the
same amount of damage, divided evenly between all damage
types of the lines hitting them.
Vortex
“a vortex centered on a point that begins at a #-foot radius
and ends at a #-foot radius.”
"a #-foot radius circle centered on a point with a #-foot radius
safe zone at its center."
This could also be called a torus or annulus, but vortex
seemed more useful from a spellcasting standpoint. A vortex
acts like a circular area-of-effect, but with a dead zone at its
center as the magic orbits the area.
This dead zone should be around 5 or 10 feet in radius to
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 make it fairly easy to keep track of during gameplay. Make
sure the vortex is relatively thick to make it easier to notice
when someone enters or leaves its area.
The vortex is useful for ongoing effects or spells that want
to keep people out or trap people in the vortex’s center. Make
sure your spell only affects a creature “the first time they
enter the vortex during each of their turns or if they start their
turn there” to prevent shenanigans. Also be careful with
wording that the spell doesn't damage them when it appears
and also at the start of their turn, double-dipping into the
spell's damage potential at no cost.

Sample: Wave of Magma

Sample: Whirlwind of Scree
4th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (a 20-ft vortex with a 10-ft interior)
Components: S, V
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You conjure a vortex of pebbles and stones that spin wildly
around you. The stones form a vortex centered on you that
goes out to a 20-foot radius with a 10-foot radius safe zone at
its center. The vortex moves with you and disappears when
the spell ends.
Each creature that ends its turn within the vortex or enters
its area for the first time each turn must make a Dexterity
saving throw. The creature takes 4d8 bludgeoning damage on
a failed save or half as much on a successful save.
6th-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 120 feet
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
With a wave of your hand, you conjure a 20-foot wide, 15-
foot tall wave of magma that travels for 40 feet in a direction
of your choice from a point within range. The magma doesn't
flow around solid obstacles unless they are destroyed by the
magma's damage.
Each creature in the path of the magma must make a
Dexterity saving throw or take 10d6 fire damage. Creatures
that succeed at this save take half this damage and can use
their reaction to move up to their movement speed towards
the nearest space outside of the wave's path.
The magma persists, coating the ground in liquid rock.
Creatures that end their turn in the area the wave traveled or
enter it for the first time on each of their turns take 5d6 fire
damage. After 1 minute, the magma cools into stone.
Path
“a #-foot long path.”
“a series of # 5-foot cubes emanates from a point within
range and travels in a sequential, unbroken line along a path
you designate.”

Wave
“a #-foot wide, #-foot tall wave that travels for # feet in a
direction of your choice from a point within range.”
A wave is exactly what it sounds like, a big tidal wave of
whatever the spell is hurtling toward your enemies.
Be sure to mention if this wave travels around objects,
which it may or may not. Creatures behind cover could gain
advantage on Dexterity saving throws or potentially be
immune to the spell’s effects at your discretion. Each 5-foot
width of the wave stops when it hits an impassable hazard,
such as a wall or a pit (though it may fall down the pit).
A path is a mutable line spell. You can shape it however you
wish, and each creature along it will be affected. It's a bit
more powerful than a regular line spell, as it is essentially like
an evocation wizard using Sculpt Spell to make it only harm
certain creatures. Keep this in mind when designing spells.
If you make this trail follow a creature, you might call it a
trail instead.

UNIQUE SPELL SHAPES

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Sample: Crawling Fire
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
You point your finger at a location within range, where a
short-lived, raging fire elemental springs into existence. The
elemental races along a path traced by your finger, setting
everything it touches ablaze before disappearing back to its
native plane.
The elemental carves a 60-foot long path along a
sequential, unbroken line you designate. Each creature along
the line must make a Dexterity saving throw, taking 2d6
damage on a failed save and no damage on a success. The
fire ignites flammable objects it passes through.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
slot of 2nd level or higher, it deals an additional 1d6 fire
damage for each spell slot above 1st.
Explosion
“a five-foot wide line emanates from you out to a maximum of
# feet. The first creature the line hits must make a saving
throw. If they succeed, the line continues to travel until it hits
another creature and repeats this process until the line
reaches its maximum distance or until a creature fails a
saving throw. When a creature fails a saving throw against
the line effect, the line expands out to a (30-foot cone facing
the same direction originating from the creature)/(20-foot
radius sphere centered on the creature).”
This is a line that terminates in a sphere or cone once it hits a
target. You can apply different effects to the line and burst or
keep them the same.
Since there are two saving throws, keep in mind it is
possible for the creature that fails the save against the line to
succeed against the burst's save. You can add in a clause to
account for this or just keep it in mind. There is also a
potential for the burst to never go off, so account for that if
you wish.
Sample: Death Bomb
8th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (see text)
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
A glowing skull made of magic screams forth from your
finger until it hits a creature that cannot resist its call to
death. Then it erupts in an explosion of negative energy.
The skull travels in a line emanating from you out to a
maximum of 60 feet. The first creature the line hits must
make a Constitution saving throw. If they succeed, the
creature takes 2d8 necrotic damage and the line continues to
travel until it hits another creature and repeats this process
until the line reaches its maximum distance or until a
creature fails a saving throw.
When a creature fails a saving throw against the line effect,
the line explodes out to a 20-foot radius sphere centered on
the creature. Each creature in this new area must make a
new Constitution saving throw, taking 10d8 necrotic damage,
taking half as much damage on a success. The creature that
failed their save against the line effect automatically fails this
save and takes an additional 2d8 necrotic damage.
Semicircle
“a #-foot radius semicircle radiating from a point in a
direction you choose.”
Use this as essentially a very wide conical spell as it has a
direction and a point of radiation.
Sample: Burst of Icicles
3rd-level conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30-ft semicircle)
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
You swipe your hand in a wide arc, firing magical icicles
out in a 30-foot radius semicircle centered on you. Each
creature in the spell's area must make a Constitution saving
throw, taking 4d8 cold damage and 1d8 piercing damage on a
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 failed save or half as much on a success. Each creature that
fails their save is also restrained by ice until the start of your
next turn.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
slot of 4th level or higher, it deals an additional 1d8 cold
damage for each spell slot above 2nd.
Arc
“a 30/60-foot long, 15/30-foot wide arc emanating from a
point in a direction you choose.”
This is essentially a thinner version of a conical spell. You
can’t make it too short otherwise it just becomes a line.
Although you can choose any values you want, these
multiples of 3 and 5 are easier to apply when the game
already has 30 and 60-foot cones.
Sample: Jet of Steam
2nd-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (30-ft long, 15-ft wide arc)
Components: S, V
Duration: 1 round
A thin cone of high-pressure, scalding steam whistles from
your extended finger. Each creature in a 30-foot long, 15-foot
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wide arc emanating from you must make a Dexterity saving
throw. Each creature that fails this save takes 4d6 fire
damage. Creatures take half this damage on a successful
save.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
slot of 3rd level or higher, it deals an additional 1d6 fire
damage, plus 1d6 fire damage for each spell slot above 2nd.
Ricochet
“A 5-foot wide line emanates from you and travels up to # feet.
Each time it collides with at least one creature, the line
makes a 90-degree turn to either the left or right (your choice)
until it has travelled up to its maximum length or hits a solid
surface such as a wall, floor, ceiling, or pillar.”
This shape is more of a process than the others. Its fun to do,
but risky. Unless you plan your spell accordingly, it can be a
real dud.
There are many aspects you can tweak on the spell to
make it more interesting. You can change its length, make it
ricochet off of solid objects (not just creatures), or even force
it to go left or right or choose at random instead of letting the
caster choose.
Sample: Ball Lightning
5th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (120-ft ricocheting line)
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
A ball of electricity surges from your open palm, changing
its path each time it hits a creature.
The lightning ball travels in a 5-foot wide line emanating
from you and travels up to 120 feet. Each time it collides with
at least one creature, the line makes a 90-degree turn to
either the left or right (your choice) until it has travelled 120
feet or hits a solid surface such as a wall, floor, ceiling, or
pillar.
Each creature the ball of lightning hits during its journey
must make a Constitution saving throw. Each creature that
fails its save takes 8d6 lightning damage and is paralyzed
until the start of your next turn. Each creature that succeeds
at their save takes half this damage and is not paralyzed.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
slot of 6th level or higher, it deals an additional 2d6 lightning
damage for each spell slot above 5th.
Helix
“a #-foot wide, #-foot long helix with a wavelength of # feet
emanating from a point in a direction you choose.”
This shape is difficult to explain in the context of the game.
Basically, a helix orbits a line while simultaneously moving
outward. But from the side, it just forms what looks like a
wave. We can use the wave to define the spell's area.
The width here is how far it deviates from its central line,
while the length is how far along that line it travels. Its
wavelength is a bit trickier. This is how far it travels before it
has made one rotation. In less complex terms, it's one hump
in one direction and one in the other direction. Shorter
wavelengths means more undulations and vice versa. Keep
the wavelength within the helix's length so it actually makes it
through a whole wave.
This shape is near impossible to use on-the-fly without a
template handy or unless you want to be very loose with
defining its area.
Sample: Radiant Helix
4th-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (see text)
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
A spiraling helix of radiant light bursts forth emanating
from you. Each creature in a 15-foot wide, 55-foot long helix
with a wavelength of 25 feet must make a Constitution saving
throw. Each creature takes 4d10 radiant damage on a failed
save or half as much on a success. Each creature that fails
this save is also blinded for 1 minute. A blinded creature can
attempt a new saving throw at the end of each of their turns,
ending the condition for itself on a success.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell
slot of 5th level or higher, it deals an additional 1d10 radiant
damage for each spell slot above 2nd.
Spiral
“a 50/100/150-foot spiral emanating from a point in a
direction you choose.”
The spiral is near-impossible to use in-game unless you are
very loose with what counts as a hit or unless you use some
sort of template to track its shape easily. The distance counts
the number of feet it travels, rather than how far away it is
from you.
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 Sample: Spiraling Decay
5th-level necromancy
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (see text)
Components: S, V
Duration: Instantaneous
With a wicked utterance, an undulating ribbon of death
emerges from your mouth and then travels in a 150-foot long
spiral centered on you. At the end of its path, it disappears
with a whisper into the air. Each creature along the ribbon's
path must make a Constitution saving throw, taking 6d8
necrotic damage on a failed save or half as much damage on
a success. Each creature that fails their save is also cursed,
and cannot regain hit points until they complete a short or
long rest or until a remove curse or similar spell is cast upon
them.
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