Elminster's Effulgent Spheres

A
Damage

Elminster's Effulgent Spheres is a Damage spell. Damage spells focus on dealing harm to enemies.

See all Damage spells →
 spell that turns orbiting spheres into elemental shields or a
bonus action

Elminster's Effulgent Spheres is a Action Economy spell. Action Economy spells grant you more choices on future turns.

See all Action Economy spells →
 blast at range.

2024 Rules
Level & School
6th-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
Self
Components
V, S, M (an opal worth 1,000 GP+)
Duration
1 hour
Classes
Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard

Six chromatic spheres orbit you for the duration. While the spheres are present, you can expend spheres to create the following effects:

Absorb Energy. When you take Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage, you can take a Reaction to expend one sphere and give yourself Resistance to the triggering damage type until the start of your next turn.

Energy Blast. As a Bonus Action, you send one sphere hurtling toward a target within 120 feet of yourself. Make a ranged spell attack. On a hit, the target takes 3d6 Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning or Thunder damage (your choice). Regardless of whether you hit, the sphere is expended.

The spell ends early if you have no more spheres remaining.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The number of spheres incerases by 1 for every spell slot level above 6.

Elminster's Effulgent Spheres 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

Elminster's Effulgent Spheres is a new spell for the 2024 edition.

Spells similar to Elminster's Effulgent Spheres

  • Scorching Ray 2nd-level evocation

    Both create multiple discrete ranged attacks that you fire off over a turn and let you focus elemental damage on chosen targets.

  • Flaming Sphere 2nd-level conjuration

    Like Elminster's spheres, it conjures a magical orb that persists and is used as an extra offensive resource that you manipulate each turn.

  • Spiritual Weapon 2nd-level evocation

    It produces a summoned, autonomous offensive effect that you use with your action economy to make repeat attacks without concentrating.

  • Fire Shield 4th-level evocation

    This spell similarly provides reactive protection tied to elemental damage and also punishes attackers, paralleling the defensive facet of the spheres.

  • Protection from Energy 3rd-level abjuration

    Both offer resistance against specified energy types to reduce incoming elemental damage, matching the spheres' absorb feature in purpose if not timing.