Absorb Elements
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 1st-level abjuration
- Casting Time
- Reaction, which you take when you take acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage
- Range
- Self
- Components
- S
- Duration
- 1 round
- Classes
- Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Source
- Xanathar's Guide to Everything
The spell captures some of the incoming energy, lessening its effect on you and storing it for your next melee attack. You have resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn. Also, the first time you hit with a melee attack on your next turn, the target takes an extra 1d6 damage of the triggering type, and the spell ends.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the extra damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
Absorb Elements 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Absorb Elements is currently only available in the 2014 edition.
Absorb Elements popularity
How popular is Absorb Elements? It is one of the most popular spells in the game, but is chosen less than other options when available. This spell may not be the most inspiring but may still be useful.
- Top 10% of all 5e spells
- Top 25% of all level 1 spells
- Top 50% picked level 1 Wizard spell
- Top 50% picked level 1 Sorcerer spell
- Top 50% picked level 1 Artificer spell
- Top 50% picked level 1 Druid spell
- Bottom 50% picked level 1 Ranger spell
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Absorb Elements
Hellish Rebuke 1st-level evocation
Like the target spell, it answers enemy aggression with a burst of damage in retaliation.
Players prefer Hellish Rebuke over Absorb Elements
Armor of Agathys 1st-level abjuration
It also rewards being hit by turning defense into extra damage on the next exchange, just in a colder, longer-lasting way.
Players prefer Armor of Agathys over Absorb Elements
Shield 1st-level abjuration
This is the closest pure self-protection option in the list, since it uses your reaction to blunt incoming harm immediately.
Players prefer Shield over Absorb Elements
Fire Shield 4th-level evocation
Both protect you with elemental resistance and punish foes for striking you in close quarters.
Players prefer Fire Shield over Absorb Elements
Protection from Energy 3rd-level abjuration
It shares the elemental-warding side of the spell, though it lasts much longer and lacks the offensive rider.
Players prefer Absorb Elements over Protection from Energy