Chain Lightning

A
Damage

Chain Lightning is a Damage spell. Damage spells focus on dealing harm to enemies.

See all Damage spells →
 spell that chains lightning between
multiple targets

Chain Lightning is a Multi Target spell. Multi Target spells have an area of effect or can explicitly target multiple allies or enemies.

See all Multi Target spells →
, blasting foes and objects clustered near one strike.

2024 Rules
Level & School
6th-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
150 feet
Components
V, S, M (three silver pins)
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Sorcerer, Wizard

You launch a lightning bolt toward a target you can see within range. Three bolts then leap from that target to as many as three other targets of your choice, each of which must be within 30 feet of the first target. A target can be a creature or an object and can be targeted by only one of the bolts. Each target makes a Dexterity saving throw, taking 10d8 Lightning damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. One additional bolt leaps from the first target to another target for each spell slot level above 6.

2014 Rules
Level & School
6th-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
150 feet
Components
V, S, M (a bit of fur; a piece of amber, glass, or a crystal rod; and three silver pins)
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Sorcerer, Wizard

You create a bolt of lightning that arcs toward a target of your choice that you can see within range. Three bolts then leap from that target to as many as three other targets, each of which must be within 30 feet of the first target. A target can be a creature or an object and can be targeted by only one of the bolts.

A target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 10d8 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, one additional bolt leaps from the first target to another target for each slot level above 6th.

Chain Lightning 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

Effectively the same spell. The 2024 version is reworded but functions identically.

Spells similar to Chain Lightning

  • Lightning Bolt 3rd-level evocation

    Both are evocation spells that deal heavy lightning damage in a line or chained form and are core offensive options for sorcerers and wizards.

  • Delayed Blast Fireball 7th-level evocation

    This is a high-level area-damage evocation that occupies the same tactical space as a big, slot-expensive burst spell used to hit multiple foes at once.

  • Otiluke's Freezing Sphere 6th-level evocation

    A sixth-level evocation that, like this spell, delivers large multi-target elemental damage from range and scales with slot level.

  • Sunbeam 6th-level evocation

    Sunbeam is a sixth-level evocation that hits multiple enemies and provides repeated powerful elemental strikes from the caster's range.

  • Fire Storm 7th-level evocation

    Though a level higher, Fire Storm is a large-scale evocation that lets casters shape multiple bursts of elemental damage across the battlefield.