Ice Storm
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- 4th-level evocation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- 300 feet
- Components
- V, S, M (a mitten)
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Classes
- Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2024)
Hail falls in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high Cylinder centered on a point within range. Each creature in the Cylinder makes a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d10 Bludgeoning damage and 4d6 Cold damage on a failed save or half as much damage on a successful one.
Hailstones turn ground in the Cylinder into Difficult Terrain until the end of your next turn.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The Bludgeoning damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above 4.
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 4th-level evocation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- 300 feet
- Components
- V, S, M (a pinch of dust and a few drops of water)
- Duration
- Instantaneous
- Classes
- Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2014)
A hail of rock-hard ice pounds to the ground in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within range. Each creature in the cylinder must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 2d8 bludgeoning damage and 4d6 cold damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
Hailstones turn the storm's area of effect into difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the bludgeoning damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 4th.
Ice Storm 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Ice Storm popularity
How popular is Ice Storm? It is a commonly found spell in the game, and is often chosen over other options when available. This spell is a reliable addition to any spellbook.
- Top 25% picked level 4 Wizard spell
- Top 50% of all level 4 spells
- Top 50% of all 5e spells
- Top 50% picked level 4 Sorcerer spell
- Top 50% picked level 4 Druid spell
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Ice Storm
Cone of Cold 5th-level evocation
This is another instantaneous, multi-target cold-damage spell available to druids, sorcerers, and wizards.
Players prefer Cone of Cold over Ice Storm
Insect Plague 5th-level conjuration
The spell reaches 300 feet and covers an area with repeated group damage while strongly influencing where creatures can safely stand.
Players prefer Ice Storm over Insect Plague
Erupting Earth 3rd-level transmutation
Its instantaneous area attack deals bludgeoning damage and reshapes the battlefield, making it a lower-level counterpart.
Players prefer Ice Storm over Erupting Earth
Tidal Wave 3rd-level conjuration
A broad, instantaneous blast of bludgeoning damage, it serves a very similar crowd-damaging role for the same core classes.
Players prefer Ice Storm over Tidal Wave
Storm Sphere 4th-level evocation
Both are 4th-level evocations that create a distant area of bludgeoning weather damage against groups of enemies.
Players prefer Ice Storm over Storm Sphere
Otiluke's Freezing Sphere 6th-level evocation
It is a high-level, long-range area blast dealing cold damage to multiple creatures, with a related effect that can alter the battlefield.
Players prefer Ice Storm over Otiluke's Freezing Sphere