DnD contains excellent amounts of elemental magic, the most iconic being fire. The element of fire is undoubtedly the most useful, creating blazing infernos to consume whole dragons or keep the party warm on a cold night. With the vast array of uses fire possesses, there are also many fire spells with many different uses. This article will show 10 of the best fire spells.
10. Fire Bolt
Fire Bolt is the go-to for any pyromancers or mages who want to deal decent damage from a safe distance without expending a spell slot. Since it is a cantrip, it can be used consistently without any cost.
Fire Bolt also possesses an impressive 120 feet of range and a d10 damage die that increases with levels, both the range and the damage of the cantrip are on the higher end compared to other cantrips. Along with its great offensive capabilities, Fire Bolt can also be used to ignite flammable objects giving it some use outside of combat.
9. Flame Blade
Flame Blade, as the name of the spell suggests, summons a blade of fire in your hands to be used as a weapon. The blade deals 3d6 fire damage and lasts for 10 minutes. While the spell is active, the blade can be dismissed and re-evoked repeatedly. While the blade requires only a bonus action and deals more damage than any other weapon, it still causes a few issues for full spellcasters.
For one, fire is one of the most commonly resistant damage types in DnD, meaning on many occasions, you might end up better off using a good ol’ shortsword over this level 2 spell. This spell can provide a weapon when no weapons are nearby, but while it is in your hands, no other spells can be cast as it is a concentration spell.
Additionally, the description of the spell does not mention that it can be used to ignite flammable objects, leaving an important part of fire to the DM’s discretion. In specific situations, Flame Blade can prove to be a lifesaver, but in most situations, it can be wasted if learned.
8. Hellish Rebuke
Hellish Rebuke, a Warlock-specific spell, is one of the coolest ones out there. This 1st level spell can only be used in response to being damaged; when activated, the creature that made the attack will be surrounded in hellish flames and receive fire damage. In nature, the spell is very simple, “take damage = deal damage”, but beyond the surface, it can provide multiple benefits to the game.
If the spell has been cast once in combat, it could result in the enemies fearing to strike the caster seeing what had occurred. From the spell’s description, the spell is hellish allowing the DM and/or the caster to roleplay it in many cool or horrifying ways. Hellish Rebuke is in most Warlocks’ arsenal of spells, even with their restricted spell slots and spells known, because of how much potential it has.
7. Green Flame Blade
Full spellcasters like the sorcerer and wizard are not the only ones with access to spells. Some like to combine their magical prowess with their weapon skills in combat, and Green Flame Blade is made for precisely that. This cantrip engulfs a weapon of your choice with green fire. When a creature is struck by the engulfed blade, the green flame will erupt outward and target the nearest creature of your choice, dealing some damage to that creature too.
While the casting time of the cantrip is one action, this action includes the attack as specified in the description. This means that it can act as a passive benefit to your fighting without adding any hindrance to planning when to cast it. The cantrip’s effect changes from level 5 onward, now dealing additional damage on the original attack. Overall, this cantrip is amazing, but among spellcasters, it doesn’t find too much use.
6. Heat Metal
Heat Metal suffers from very few restrictions, those being its mediocre range and only a few classes having access to it. Aside from those, this 2nd-level spell can find use almost always and can provide a lot of utility. The spell only has one simple effect: it heats metal, hurting those in contact with it. Until the spell’s duration ends, the spell can be freely recast using only a bonus action.
The target of the spell is any manufactured metal. This includes weapons, armor, or generally anything metallic outside of a mine. While Heat Metal only works against metal, manufactured metal can be found almost everywhere and on everyone, giving it use at all times. Even when the enemies do not possess metals on them, you can just throw something metallic at them and then cast the spell either way. A great use of the spell is disarming a creature by casting it on its weapon, making it drop them or take great deals of damage.
Another great use is to cast it on the armor of an opponent. Armor requires 1 minute to remove, and the target will automatically fail the saving throw and continue to take damage from the spell if recast. Additionally, at the DM’s discretion, the spell can be used to weaken metals. This can be useful for forging on the fly or even weakening the foundation of a structure. Heat Metal has many great uses and very few restrictions, making it a must-have for any class that can learn it.
5. Fire Shield
This 4th-level spell, mainly used by wizards, is very simple but provides great benefits. The spell has two main effects: giving resistance to fire/cold damage and dealing damage to attackers passively. The spell also has a duration of 10 minutes and does not require concentration.
The shield can take one of two forms: either a hot or a cold one. The effects of each are identical but one is for fire damage, and the other is for cold damage. Even when fighting a creature that is resistant to the chosen damage type, you will still gain from using the spell. The simplicity of the spell and the passive effects allow it to be cast mindlessly, making it a solid pick for many wizards.
4. Fire Storm
With this 7th-level spell, you can cover whole streets with flame, burning everything and everyone within. The spell summons ten sheets of flames, each covering 10-foot cubes, for a total of 40 blocks (200 square feet), and can be cast from 150 feet away. The only restriction of the spell is that the 10-foot cubes must be placed next to each other, but their order does not matter.
Once the spell is cast, any creatures within its massive area of effect will receive 7d10 fire damage. This high amount of damage and a large area of effect make it a great tool for fighting in most environments, including closed spaces, as long as you don’t target yourself or your allies. The main use of the spell is to target large groups of enemies and whittle them down or kill them, but with its high damage, it can be used for single-target damage if no better choice is available.
3. Investiture of Flame
Investiture of Flame is a 6th-level spell that can act as an improved Fire Shield spell. In effect, it is almost identical to Fire Shield with the added ability to use your action to attack with a line of fire. The spell passively grants immunity to fire and resistance to cold damage, can be used to produce light, and damages any creatures that dare to get near you. The new attacking action that comes with the spell also deals 4d8 damage and requires a saving throw, meaning it is a hit every time.
While it has many advantages, it requires concentration to cast and thus, while the spell is active, no other spells can be cast, but it has a duration of 10 minutes. Investiture of Flame comes with so many benefits that once you can pick it up, you shouldn’t let go.
2. Fireball
One of, if not the most famous spells of DnD, Fireball is also one of the strongest fire spells in the game. Even WOTC has stated that the spell’s damage is higher than it should be. The spell creates an explosion of fire dealing 8d6 fire damage to anyone caught within it and igniting flammable objects.
The spell has a good range of 150 feet, allowing the caster to remain far, and the explosion itself is quite large too, covering a 20-foot radius sphere. Among all the other benefits, Fireball can be picked up early in a campaign, at level 5, and can be upcast to deal even more damage and remain as one of the best spells. An all-around great spell that can deal with both groups of enemies or single-target damage and is a cult classic.
1. Meteor Swarm
The peak of fire spells and large-scale destruction, Meteor Swarm summons four meteors over a mile radius range, each twice the size of a Fireball and dealing 20d6 fire and 20d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature within the impact zone, even behind cover. The spell has many strengths: it can be cast instantaneously and has one of the largest ranges out of all offensive spells, along with the ability to deal an immense amount of damage to possibly hundreds of targets.
Much like Fireball, the main issue the spell has is that it can hit allies near the explosion. However, the spell is often not a good choice for close combat but rather for destroying entire cities. This destructive spell is definitely one of the coolest spells in the game, even outside of the fire spells.
Summary table and conclusion on best 5e fire spells
Whether you want to deal damage from a safe distance with Fire Bolt or get up close and personal with Flame Blade, there is a spell that will fit your playstyle. With these five spells in your arsenal, you’ll be able to channel the power of fire to overcome any challenge that comes your way.
Here is a useful table to quickly find the info you need while playing
Sure, here’s the merged table:
| Spell Name | Level | Main Effect | Secondary Effect | Restrictions |
| Fire Bolt | Cantrip | Deals damage from a safe distance; ignites flammable objects | None | None |
| Flame Blade | 2nd-level | Summons a blade of fire to be used as a weapon | None | Concentration; fire resistance common in DnD |
| Hellish Rebuke | 1st-level | Deals damage to the attacker | Makes enemies fearful of striking the caster; Warlock-specific | None |
| Green Flame Blade | Cantrip | Engulfs a weapon with green fire, dealing damage to the nearest creature | Deals additional damage on higher levels | None |
| Heat Metal | 2nd-level | Heats metal, dealing damage to those in contact with it | Can only target manufactured metal; only a few classes have access to it | None |
| Fire Shield | 4th-level | Gives resistance to fire/cold damage; deals damage to attackers passively | Duration of 10 minutes; wizard-specific | None |
| Fireball | 3rd-level | Creates an explosion of fire dealing 8d6 fire damage to anyone within a 20-foot radius sphere | Ignites flammable objects | Can hit allies, range of 150 feet, and can only be cast by sorcerers, wizards, and light domain clerics |
| Investiture of Flame | 6th-level | Passively grants immunity to fire and resistance to cold damage, deals damage to creatures that get near the caster, and can be used to attack with a line of fire | New attack action deals 4d8 damage and requires a saving throw | Requires concentration, cannot cast other spells while active, duration of 10 minutes, can only be cast by druids and wizards |
| Fire Storm | 7th-level | Summons ten sheets of flame, each covering 10-foot cubes for a total of 40 blocks and deals 7d10 fire damage | Requires 10-foot cubes to be placed next to each other. | Can potentially hit allies, targets only creatures in the area of effect, and can only be cast by druids and wizards |
| Meteor Swarm | 9th-level | Summons four meteors that deal 20d6 fire and 20d6 bludgeoning damage to any creature within a mile radius range | Instantaneous casting, large range, can deal damage to many targets | Can potentially hit allies, requires a clear line of sight to the target area, and can only be cast by sorcerers and wizards |