Thunderwave

A
Damage

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

See all Damage spells →
 spell that blasts nearby foes with thunder, hitting
multiple creatures

Thunderwave 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 →
 and
shaping the battlefield

Thunderwave is a Battlefield Shaping spell. Battlefield Shaping spells alter terrain, create obstacles, introduce hazards, and affect enemy positioning.

See all Battlefield Shaping spells →
 by driving them back.

2024 Rules
Level & School
1st-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
Self (15-foot cube)
Components
V, S
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
Source
Player's Handbook (2024)

You unleash a wave of thunderous energy. Each creature in a 15-foot Cube originating from you makes a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 Thunder damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage only.

In addition, unsecured objects that are entirely within the Cube are pushed 10 feet away from you, and a thunderous boom is audible within 300 feet.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 1.

2014 Rules
Level & School
1st-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
Self (15-foot cube)
Components
V, S
Duration
Instantaneous
Classes
Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard
Source
Player's Handbook (2014)

A wave of thunderous force sweeps out from you. Each creature in a 15-foot cube originating from you must make a Constitution saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes 2d8 thunder damage and is pushed 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't pushed.

In addition, unsecured objects that are completely within the area of effect are automatically pushed 10 feet away from you by the spell's effect, and the spell emits a thunderous boom audible out to 300 feet.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Thunderwave 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

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

Thunderwave popularity

How popular is Thunderwave? It is one of the most popular spells in the game, and is often chosen over other options when available. This spell is a proven favourite among spellcasters.

Read about how this popularity data is calculated.

Spells similar to Thunderwave