Top 20 Best Barbarian Spells in D&D 5e [Ranked]

Barbarians are one of the last classes you’d think of when discussing spells, but is that really justified?

Whilst Barbarians rage, they cannot cast or concentrate on spells, making their best ability their greatest downfall if you wanted to cast spells.

However, spells can be cast before or after raging (concentration spells you cast on yourself will be canceled), leaving Barbarians with time to fill the gaps with whatever spells they choose.

In other words, buff yourself, help allies, or just get some utility onto the battlefield. Spells can be used for a lot, so get creative with them!

Best Barbarian Spells 5e

20. False Life (1st-level Necromancy)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (distilled spirits or a small amount of alcohol)

Duration: 1 Hour

To start, we have a spell that grants the caster 1d4 + 4 temporary HP for 1 hour.

So, let’s be honest, Armor of Agathys or Aid is better in every regard.

However, since you gain resistance to Slashing, Piercing, and Bludgeoning damage while raging, the temporary HP gained will increase your survivability.

If you aren’t capable of gaining other defensive spells for some reason, then consider taking False Life.

19. Fortune’s Favor (2nd-level Divination)

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, M (one white pearl worth at least 100 GP, consumed by the spell)

Duration: 1 Hour

Fotune’s Favor allows you to dismiss a saving throw, ability check, or attack roll for one target (then roll another d20), and it can also dismiss attack rolls after they’ve been made.

Just reading that, you might think, “Shouldn’t it be ranked higher?” and the answer is no.

The main reason Fortune’s Favor isn’t a must-have is because it belongs solely to the Wizard (Dunamancy) spell list.

Yeah, the Wizard spell list is great, but its abilities (both base and subclass) don’t suit a Barbarian, so only take it if you’re 100% certain you’ll be multiclassing into a Wizard, and you’re fine with the disadvantages it brings.

18. Death Ward (4th-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: 8 Hours

A creature touched by Death Ward will become protected from death for 8 hours.

Death Ward is amazing, and along with boasting some pretty incredible stats, it also lasts 8 hours, enough to last you throughout the entire day in many campaigns.

In other words, cast this bad boy before heading out on a quest, and it’ll stay active until the time runs out, even during rage.

The only downside of Death Ward is that you need a 4th-level spell slot to cast it, which ranks it below many other spells.

17. Freedom of Movement (4th-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (one leather strap, bound around the arm or similar appendage)

Duration: 1 Hour

Freedom of Movement allows unaffected movement through difficult terrain, spells, and certain magical effects. The target also cannot be Paralyzed or Restrained, escaping from grapples by using 5ft of movement, and it gains no movement or attack penalties underwater.

As a Barbarian, Freedom of Movement allows you to escape many scenarios where you become caught up in fights or spells, and without it, your party would’ve been under attack.

Once again, the looming problem of a 4th-level spell slot makes this spell a bit more difficult to obtain, but if you have one, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to spend it on Freedom of Movement.

16. Gift of Alacrity (1st-level Divination)

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: 8 Hours

Touching a willing creature lets it add 1d8 to Initiative rolls.

Adventurers underestimate how important initiative is, especially to a class like the Barbarian, who wants to deal as much damage as quickly as possible.

Just keep in mind that you’ll probably already have an advantage on Initiative because of your high Dexterity, but with Gift of Alacrity added, it makes rolling for Initiative effortless.

The only issue is that it belongs to the Wizard (Dunamancy) spell list discussed earlier in the guide.

15. Plant Growth (3rd-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Action or 8 Hours

Range: 150 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Plant Growth either grants immediate crown control effects or long-term botanical benefits.

Barbarians don’t benefit much from crowd-control spells. Still, the nifty thing about Plant Growth is that it disadvantages movement without having the affected creatures roll a saving throw or requiring Concentration.

What you’ll essentially be doing when you cast Plant Growth is taking advantage of your monstrous movement range, reducing enemy movement range, and slaughtering them when they can’t move far enough.

14. Feather Fall (1st-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Reaction, taken when you or a creature within 60 of you falls

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, M (a piece of down or a small feather)

Duration: 1 Minute

Feather Fall makes a falling creature descend at 60 feet per round, taking no fall damage if it lands before the spell ends.

Feather Fall is a spell that is better to have and not use than to need and not have.

The only problem is that the spell will be useless if you start falling while raging. In those cases, you can either stop your rage with a Bonus action or wait for your rage to stop before casting Feather Fall.

13. Longstrider (1st-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (one pinch of dirt)

Duration: 1 Hour

Touching a creature increases its speed by 10ft until Longstrider ends.

Barbarians are inherently fast, and when coupled with a spell like Longstrider that only emphasizes how fast Barbarians can be, you’ll start to see some pretty interesting results.

In fact, casting Longstrider as a Barbarian will allow you to use it offensively and defensively, catching enemies off guard who didn’t know how far you could move.

Another plus is that the spell lasts for 1 hour and is without Concentration, so you can cast it before you rage, and it’ll stick.

12. Cure Wounds (1st-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Touching a creature recuperates 1d8 + spellcasting ability modifier HP.

Cure Wounds is a standard healing spell among many classes, but as a Barbarian, you’ll want to take this spell if you’ll multiclass into a spellcasting class.

The stats are fine, and the spell is only 1st-level, so you don’t expend a lot, but if you’re considering multiclassing into a spellcaster for a few levels, then Goodberry would be a better option.

11. Find Steed (2nd-level Conjuration)

Casting Time: 10 Minutes

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Summon a spirit taking the form of an unusually intelligent, loyal, and strong steed, forming a long-lasting bond with it.

If you’re multiclassing in a Paladin for only a few levels, then getting Find Steed is an obvious choice.

Having a permanent companion that acts as an additional player character is exceptional.

Note: If you plan on leveling even further into the Paladin class, you should instead go for Find Greater Steed.

10. Fire Shield (4th-level)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (a firefly or a bit of phosphorus)

Duration: 10 Minutes

Straggly, fine flames envelop your person, casting various intensities of light, creating a warm or chill shield, and dealing damage to foes that hit you.

If you already have Armor of Agathys and are considering multiclassing into a Warlock, Fire Shield is perfect.

Fire Shield is alright on its own, but because of the 4th-level spell slot needed to cast it, you’ll need a justification for getting there and combining it with similar spells solves that.

9. Animate Dead (3rd-level Necromancy)

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Range: 10 feet

Components: V, S, M (a piece of flesh, a pinch of bone dust, and a drop of blood)

Duration: Instantaneous

Choosing a pile of Small or Medium humanoid bones spawns an undead servant under your control.

Gaining an undead companion to help protect your party members is a big help, especially given that you’re fast but not fast enough to protect everyone with another companion that changes.

A 3rd-level spell slot is a bit expensive, and if you want to gain more undead followers, upcasting becomes even more expensive.

So, in my opinion, if you’re going a Necromantic Barbarian, Animate Dead becomes more valuable, but if you’re only planning on using it as it is now, try using it whenever you get the chance to get the maximum value.

8. Mirror Image (2nd-level Illusion)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 Minute

Spawn three illusory duplicates of yourself, each illusion mimicking your actions, constantly shifting positions and making it nearly impossible to track the real image.

Barbarians are meant to get hit, so you won’t use Mirror Image to dodge hits. Rather, you’ll use it to initiate misses.

With Mirror Image, enemies will still hit your illusions, but at least they won’t be hitting your party members, and that’s all that you want, nothing more, nothing less.

7. Find Greater Steed (4th-level Conjuration)

Casting Time: 10 Minutes

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Summon a loyal spirit that takes the form of a majestic mount of incredible power and the ability to fly (depending on your choice).

Find Greater Steed is better than Find Steed, without a doubt, and it’s a spell that works so well with a Barbarian that I’m surprised more players haven’t tried to get their hands on the spell.

However, my suspicions were quickly answered, as Find Greater Steed’s biggest weakness is its 4th-level spell slot, so think well before getting Find Greater Steed.

6. Bless (1st-level Enchantment)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (one sprinkling of holy water)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Affected targets (up to 3) may add an additional d4 roll onto an attack roll or saving throw they rolled.

Bless is one of the best low-level buffs in the game, and seeing that the Paladin class fits so well as a Barbarian makes it even more desirable.

Hitting more often with your attack roll or successfully throwing a save with abilities you’re lacking is too good to give up.

5. Warding Bond (2nd-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (one pair of platinum rings worth a minimum of 50 GP each, which you and the target are forced to wear for the duration)

Duration: 1 Hour

Touching a willing creature forms a mystic connection between you two until the spell ends.

Even though both of you take them while under the spell, the fact that the target gains resistance to all damage and you already have many resistances makes the damage laughable.

It also makes staying close to your party members much easier if you’re playing a more defensive Barbarian.

4. Find Familiar (1st-level Conjuration [Ritual])

Casting Time: 1 Hour

Range: 10 feet

Components: V, S, M (10 GP worth of herbs, charcoal, and incense that must be consumed by fire in a brass brazier)

Duration: Instantaneous

Find Familiar gains the service of a spirit familiar in the form of an animal you choose.

Familiars are great at assisting you mid-combat, whether by delivering spells or just wasting an enemy’s attack.

For the most part, you’ll want your familiar to become so annoying that the enemies have no choice but to target it (wasting their attack) or have it assist you with various elements on the battlefield.

3. Aid (2nd-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (one tiny strip of white cloth)

Duration: 8 Hours

Choose up to 3 creatures to increase the HP maximum and current HP by 5 for 8 hours.

Not many spells last 8 hours, and even less without Concentration, so you get a lot of value out of a single 2nd-level spell slot, which affects up to 3 creatures.

Aid stacks with Armor of Agathys, leaving a lot of room for upcasting, and makes you even harder to kill while raging, so there’s no reason not to take it.

Note: It also belongs to various different classes’ spell lists, even the Paladin!

2. Goodberry (1st-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (one sprig of mistletoe)

Duration: Instantaneous

Up to 10 berries appear in your hand, and one berry restores 1 HP, sustains you for a day, but loses its potency after 24 hours.

The best thing about Goodberry is that you get a reason to burn all your leftover spell slots at the end of the day.

So, after adventuring and settling down for the night, make sure to cast Goodberry and supply the entire party with delectable, HP-restoring treats for tomorrow’s adventure.

1. Armor of Agathys (1st-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (one cup of water)

Duration: 1 Hour

Protective magical force protects you, covering your entire figure. An affected creature gains 5 temporary HP, and when hit with a melee attack with the temporary HP, the attack takes 5 Cold damage.

If you multiclass into a Warlock or choose the Magic Initiate feat, you’ll need to take Armor of Agathys.

When combined with your rage, the spell becomes even more powerful, but it works better if you were to also upcast it, so if you can, then do it.

Note: If you decide to multiclass into a Warlock and want to gain absolute power, then take Armor of Agathys.

Final Thoughts

Many adventurers have pondered the idea of a Barbarian becoming a spellcaster or using tools appropriate for a spellcaster.

Luckily, many feats like the Magic Initiate or Ritual Caster make things easier for Barbarians to adopt magical abilities.

Even multiclassing into a Wizard, Sorcerer, or Warlock can do wonders for a Barbarian wanting to become a spellcaster.

So let’s be honest, this decision isn’t optimal, and it’ll make your game more difficult, but it’ll sure be fun!

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