Dungeons & Dragons gives players the ability to cast a wide variety of spells, most as an action or bonus action. However, even the most seasoned player might not realize there are some that can be used as a reaction. Having the right reaction ability can sometimes make all the difference in combat, so having some of these spells on hand could be crucial in a tough battle.
There aren’t very many reaction spells in Dungeons & Dragons 5th edition. However, each new sourcebook has added more, and there are currently nine reaction spells for players to choose from. When a player uses their reaction, they are able to take an action during the enemy’s turn. For a melee character, that will usually take the form of an attack of opportunity, but there are some brilliant options available for DnD’s powerful spellcasters or spellcasting subclasses. Here are the best reaction spells for players to keep an eye out for.
Limited Incoming Damage In D&D With Absorb Elements
Absorb Elements is a first-level spell available for Artificers, Druids, Rangers, Sorcerers, and Wizards. This spell can be used when hit by an attack that deals elemental damage. Players can use Absorb Elements to reduce some of the damage (either acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder) to only take half the damage.
What makes Absorb Elements a great spell is that once cast, players can take the elemental damage type and use it for their next melee attack. That target will then take 1d6 of that elemental damage on top of the weapon’s regular damage. If that wasn’t enough, Absorb Elements also makes the player resistant to the DnD elemental damage type until the start of their next turn.
Smooth Over Any Gaffs In D&D With Gift Of The Gab
Every adventuring party has had a moment where one of them says the wrong thing to the wrong NPC, and chaos ensues. That can be fixed with Gift of the Gab, which was added in the Acquisitions Incorporated sourcebook and is a very useful but situational spell. Available for Bards and Wizards, this second-level enchantment spell is perfect for player characters who tend to put their foot in things.
When cast, Gift of the Gab erases the last six seconds from the target’s memories. The spell has a material component of two gold and affects any number of creatures within five feet of the spellcaster. While Gift of the Gab doesn’t have a ton of utility for DnD tactical tabletop combat, it is perfect for interrogations or those moments when a party member has really said the wrong thing.
Take The Worry Out Of High Places In D&D By Preparing Feather Fall
Feather Fall, like Gift of the Gab, is an extremely useful but situational spell in Dungeons & Dragons. Players can often overlook this spell as it doesn’t relate directly to combat, but Feather Fall is one of those spells where players will be glad they have it when they need it. This first-level spell is available for Artificers, Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards and is a must if the party is planning to go anywhere remotely high.
Feather Fall triggers when the player or an ally falls and allows the caster to choose up to five creatures within a range of 60 feet. Feather Fall slows the rate of descent to 60 feet per round, which can make what would otherwise be a deadly fall survivable. This DnD spell is found in the Player’s Handbook and ends when the targets land safely or after one minute.
Hellish Rebuke Is The Only Offensive D&D Reaction Spell
Hellish Rebuke is a first-level Warlock spell and the only reaction spell that primarily deals damage. Hellish Rebuke can be used when a Dungeons & Dragons player has been taken damage from an attack by a creature within 60 feet that they can see. The enemy must make a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d10 fire damage, or half as much on a success.
Hellish Rebuke does great damage, and the damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot above first level. Previously all Tieflings had Hellish Rebuke as a feature, where they could cast it at third level once a day. However, since Mordenkainen’s latest DnD book, Tome of Foes, updated the Tielfing bloodlines, only the Asmodeus bloodline still has this excellent reaction spell.
Banished D&D Enemies Through Time With Temporal Shunt
Introduced in Explorer’s Guide to Wildemount, Temporal Shunt is one of the highest reaction spells available in Dungeons & Dragons. This powerful spell is only available for Chronurgy Wizards as Temporal Shunt is a Dunamancy spell. Temporal Shunt is a seriously cool spell that throws enemies through time when they attack the player or an ally.
When cast, the target must make a Wisdom saving throw or be banished to a different point in time which causes their attack to miss or, in the case of enemy spellcasters, a spell to be wasted. At the start of its next turn, the target will reappear and doesn’t remember the spell being cast or where they were.
As a mid-level Transmutation DnD spell, Temporal Shunt can target one additional creature for each spell slot above fifth level, but all targets must be within 30 feet of each other. Temporal Shunt has a crazy range of 120 feet which is twice the range of Counterspell, meaning rival spellcasters could be powerless to stop players from banishing them through time. However, Temporal Shunt is limited to only one Wizard subclass, which is why it doesn’t rank higher on this list.
Stop Incoming Attacks With D&D’s Best Known Reaction Spell
Sometimes the best spells are the most simple, and Shield does exactly what it sounds like. Shield is a first-level spell available to Sorcerers, Wizards, Hexblade Warlocks as well a few other subclasses. By no means a new DnD spell Shield creates a magical barrier that stops incoming attacks by upping the player’s AC by five.
One of the best parts of Shield is that players can wait until after the DM has revealed their rolls to decide whether to use it. This means that if an attack will be more than their AC plus five, then they don’t waste a spell slot. Shield blocks melee and magical attacks, including magic missiles, until the start of the casting player’s next turn.
Silvery Barbs Is An Incredibly Powerful D&D Reaction Spell
Silvery Barbs has been considered a controversial spell since its introduction in Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos. This first-level spell is available for Bards, Sorcerers, and Wizards and is seen as overpowered by many players and DMs. Some DMs have even banned this DnD spell from their tables, but if players are still allowed to use it, then it is a brilliant reaction spell to have.
Silvery Barbs allows the casting player to force an enemy within 60 feet to reroll their attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. There is no saving throw for them to make, and they must take the lower roll. This makes Silvery Barbs great for canceling critical hits on party members.
What makes Silvery Barbs so overpowered is that it also allows the casting player to give another creature or themselves advantage on its next attack roll, saving throw, or ability check. This makes Silvery Barbs not only impose disadvantage on enemies but gives allies advantage. Not far to see why it evoked such strong feelings from DnD players and DMs and prompted house rules to be set.
Stop Enemy D&D Spellcasters In Their Tracks
Counterspell is one of those spells that can drastically change the course of a battle. Available for Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards, this third-level spell interrupts an enemy’s spell casting. Counterspell can mean the difference between life and death at higher levels when facing powerful spellcasters.
If the target’s spell is third level or lower the spell automatically fails for spells higher than fourth level, an ability check must be made. Players must use their spellcasting ability modifier against a DC of ten plus the spell’s level. At fourth level and higher, Counterspell interrupts spells equal to the level it is cast at automatically. So fifth-level Counterspell will stop fifth level and lower spells. While there are reaction spells that do more damage or have more features, Counterspell’s ability to alter a battle cannot be rivaled, making it easily the best Dungeons & Dragons reaction spell.
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