The game of Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition would not be as popular as it is without the magic systems built into the game. Spells are a pillar of fun for many adventures and act as the backbone for many classes.
Whether you throw damaging fireballs at your foes every turn or apply a single buff to allies for the duration of an encounter, your spell usage will dictate the action economy not only for you but for your teammates, NPCs, and enemies as well. Spells are also quite powerful the higher in levels you grow, and every spell has some sort of use, be it damage, support, or utility.
However, most spells are also actions, meaning anything extra a caster wants to do in a turn will have to be relegated to bonus actions. While this is fine, those who want to fight with weapons as well as spells will want to consult this article, as we are going to be covering the best bonus action spells in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition.
1. Shield of Faith (1st Level)
For 10 minutes, Shield of Faith will grant a +2 bonus to the target’s Armor Class. This spell only costs a level 1 spell slot making it available from the start of the campaign for those able to pick up the spell.
As it is a bonus action, it can safely be used before or after your own action, making it flexible for self-casting based on if you decide to put yourself near an enemy or not. The spell’s ranged component makes it great for supporting allies too.
Lastly, as an added mini-bonus, those that multiclass into Warlocks or Sorcerers do not need to worry about the forced upcast, as Shield of Faith can only be used at the 1st level. This beginner spell will always be a welcome tool in any Cleric or Paladin’s kit.
2. Healing Word (1st Level)
Healing Word can realistically be your main healing spell for an entire campaign if you solely focus on casting in your bonus action. The spell heals a small amount of 1d4 but adds on your spellcasting modifier, and upcasting adds additional 1d4s for each level above 1st.
Early on, this spell will be a lifesaver and in later levels, the spell will become an effective way to top off health without resting or for preserving your spell slots. Like most of the spells on this list, the bonus action aspect combined with being able to self-cast makes this great for strategizing based on the outcome of your own attacks or actions.
3. Spiritual Weapon (2nd Level)
Keeping in line with casting spells as bonus actions to keep up action economy, Spiritual Weapon creates a spectral force weapon of any shape and form.
The weapon acts independently from you, meaning it gets its own health, initiative roll, and actions in each turn. You can essentially get two different turns in a single round for the cost of one bonus action. Clerics can get an extra boost of flavor in their Spiritual Weapon when choosing a god that has a signature weapon.
4. Mass Healing Word (3rd Level)
Works the same as Healing Word but can target multiple creatures at once. The main reason for taking this spell is if you find yourself healing multiple targets at once often enough, so you can replace the regular Healing Word spell to save room. However, if you play as the main healer of your party, running both together is completely viable.
5. Hex (3rd Level)
Before we begin, it is important to note that Hex is available much earlier than 3rd level. However, the spell goes from being good to amazing when upcast from the 3rd level and beyond, so it will be counted as a 3rd-level spell.
Hex is a great bonus action spell that amplifies your other damaging effects as well as your party member’s damaging effects. Hex is an automatic success upon casting, meaning no saving throws or spell checks. When a hexed target takes damage, it takes an additional 1d6 necrotic damage from Hex.
At 3rd level, this spell can be maintained for up to 8 hours, allowing casters to use Hex well before an encounter to plan ahead and make fights easier.
6. Blight (4th Level)
Blight gets an honorable mention on this list, being our only 4th-level spell slot pick. While it is normally an action, Sorcerers gain access to Quickened Spell- a metamagic ability that allows Blight to be used as a bonus action instead of an action.
Blight deals high damage on failed saving throws and half the result on successful saving throws, with the added effect of draining moisture from the target, granting an advantage on magical plants and automatic kills on nonmagical plants.
Quickened Spell Sorcerers can take a plethora of spells and make them bonus actions, so if Blight does not suit your role, other 4th-level spells can still be made of use. Blight is just among the most damaging options for the tier.
7. Holy Weapon (5th Level)
Holy Weapon is one of those spells that roleplay heavy Clerics or Paladins are likely to take if it fits their stories. It should also be treated as an expensive class bonus action rather than a spell.
That is, Holy Weapon should be cast as much as possible with how great this spell is. First, it imbues a weapon you touch with holy power, illuminating it and increasing its damage by 2d8 radiant damage with every strike.
If you choose to end this spell before its duration, you may opt to unleash a burst of radiance, dealing 4d8 damage to creatures of your choice and blinding them. Considering Clerics and Paladins love their weapons as well as their holy abilities, this spell is a must-pick for most players in this category.
8. Heal (6th Level)
Another healing spell, Heal does exactly what you would expect it to do. It heals. This spell recovers a flat 70 health for the target, with an additional 10 health added for each level this is upcast above 6th, granting a maximum of 100 health healed when cast.
This spell also cures the target of blindness, deafness, and any diseases, whether these are inflicted magically or naturally. As with most healing spells, constructs and undead are unaffected. Being able to cast this spell as a bonus action makes it a top-tier choice for any Cleric or Druid hoping to play an important role in supporting their party.
9. Blade of Disaster (9th Level)
Blade of Disaster is the strongest bonus action spell in the game. Upon casting, you create a planar rift in the very fabric of reality, blade-shaped and 3 feet long. On creation and once per bonus action, you may move the rift in range of a creature and make two melee spell attacks with the blade.
The damage roll is 4d12; however, critical hits either triple the base damage or triple the amount of dice you roll (12d12) depending on how your table handles critical hits.
Additionally, a critical hit is registered as a natural 18 or higher rather than a natural 20, giving increased odds of landing a critical hit and dealing massive damage. Blade of Disaster is one of those spells that you almost certainly pick, especially if trying to only use bonus action spells.
10. Class Abilities
When talking about the best bonus action spells in Dungeons and Dragons 5th Edition, one cannot neglect the magical abilities that are not exactly spells. A Monk’s unarmed strikes, a Barbarian’s rage, and a Bard’s bardic inspiration are all examples of bonus actions that utilize magic in some form.
All of these examples are unique to their classes, but they are also what make these classes so powerful- without any of them, the mentioned classes would be mediocre and flavorless.
With each of them, the mentioned classes are uniquely equipped to handle various situations that the rest of the party may struggle to deal with at any given moment. So while we list a variety of bonus action spells, do not forget to use your class’s unique abilities as spells as well.
Conclusion: Top Bonus Action Spells
This concludes our list of the best bonus action spells in 5e Dungeons and Dragons. The list is not quite as exhaustive as others, but it is still complete and has many options for all types of players and class sets. Properly utilizing bonus actions will make your action economy feel much better and give you an overall much higher impact on the battlefield.
Your teammates will appreciate the extra damage output or healing and support that come from your bonus actions while still maintaining a respectable amount of damage on your own without the spells. Depending on how smart or spiteful enemy NPCs are, you may even find yourself being targeted more often than others at your table.
This is a sign that you are doing everything right, and your teammates will surely back you up and keep you alive just as much as you keep them alive. With all this in mind, it is time for you to pick your bonus action spells and carve a name for yourself in the multiverse that is Dungeons and Dragons.