Top 20 Best 1st-Level Spells in D&D 5e [Ranked]

1st-Level spells, similar to Cantrips, have lower damage and utility but higher ease of use.

These spells are part of the baby steps you’ll take before unlocking some crazy spells at high levels.

Just don’t look over them, as some 1st-level spells can be used throughout the entire game or even modified to work with higher-level characters.

Best 1st-Level Spells 5e

20. Color Spray

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self (15-foot cone)

Components: V, S, M

Duration: 1 round

Groups of enemies can be difficult to deal with, but affecting them with a negative condition can make them much easier to deal with.

Rolling a 6d10 tells the total HP of a creature this spell can affect. Creatures in a 15-foot cone have their HP affected in ascending order from their current HP.

The creature with the lowest current HP is targeted first, and each creature affected is blinded.

Note: Each creature’s HP must be subtracted from the rolled total, then move on to the next lowest HP creature. Creatures must have HP equal to or less than the remaining total to be affected.

This complex spell works extremely well against groups of low HP enemies. After hitting a group of enemies with an AoE spell, Color Spray would be ideal to cast.

19. Ensnaring Strike

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Sometimes charging enemies can be a hassle to deal with all at once, so why not ensnare the strongest one to make things a little easier?

Hitting a creature with a weapon attack makes a bunch of thorny vines appear at the point of impact, forcing the target to make a Strength saving throw or be restrained.

Note: Creatures that are Large or bigger have an advantage on the Strength saving throw.

If restrained, the target will take 1d6 Piercing damage at the start of its turn as long as the spell is active.

Note: Restrained creatures or others close to it can make a Strength check against your spell save DC; if successful, the restrained creature will be freed.

18. Healing Word

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

Healing Word is one of the earliest HP restoration spells you’ll come across, and as a support, it’s worth adding to your spell list.

Choosing a creature, has it regain HP equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier.

Note: Healing Word cannot affect constructs or undead.

While healing is low in the early game, you’re HP will also be low. So having some extra healing doesn’t hurt a party’s survivability.

17. Charm Person

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 hour

Hostile humanoids can make trouble for those different from them, so simply charm them and let their worries fade away with Charm Person.

Attempting to charm a humanoid forces it to make a Wisdom saving throw (with advantage if being fought by you or your party). Failing the save charms them, having it now regard you and your party as friendly acquaintances.

Note: Doing anything harmful to a charmed humanoid ends the charm immediately.

In tense public situations, it’s best to handle confrontation quietly if you do not have the power to take on an entire town’s guards.

16. Faerie Fire

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Faerie Fire is a player’s earliest method to deal with invisible enemies, as they can cause some trouble in the early game.

Objects in a 20-foot cube are outlined with violet, green or blue light. Creatures within the area must successfully complete a Dexterity saving throw or shed dim light in a 10-foot radius.

Note: Attack rolls against affected creatures have advantage (if visible to the attacker). Objects and creatures also can’t benefit from invisibility.

15. Feather Fall

Casting Time: 1 reaction you take when you or a creature 60 feet from you fails

Range: 60 feet

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

Duration: 1 minute

Dying from fall damage is embarrassing and unnecessary, so always have Feather Fall handy in an emergency.

Choosing up to 5 creatures decreases their rate of descent to 60 feet every round. Affecting creatures can land on their feet and take no fall damage.

Note: After landing, the spell will end.

14. Disguise Self

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 hour

Disguising yourself is a convenient way to sneak past guards or avoid detection when entering off-limit areas.

Disguise Self, your armor, clothes, weapons, and other belongings on you. You’ll also have the option to seem 1 foot short or taller and appear fat, thin, or average.

Note: If physically inspected, the illusion won’t hold up. Doing things like making yourself fatter or wearing illusory clothing will have someone’s hand pass straight through the illusion.

13. Absorb Elements

Casting Time: 1 reaction you take when damaged by Thunder, Lightning, Fire, Cold, or Acid

Range: Self

Components: S

Duration: 1 round

Excessive damage will whittle you down over time, but Absorb Elements negates that, turning it into extra damage.

Some incoming damage is captured and stored for your next melee attack; you’ll have resistance to the triggering damage type.

Note: The first time you hit with a melee weapon, the target will take an extra 1d6 damage of the triggering damage type.

12. Heroism

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Sometimes all a soldier needs is some encouragement to make his morale skyrocket.

Touching a willing creature makes it immune to being frightened and gives a temporary boost in HP equal to your spellcasting ability modifier (the HP is given at the start of each of its turns).

Note: Whenever Heroism ends, any remaining HP will be lost.

11. Bless

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

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

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Blessings are much more than hopeful wishes; in D&D, they are cultivated into actual results.

Bless up to 3 creatures, allowing them to roll a d4, add the number to an attack roll, or save a throw.

If you’ve unlocked Bless, activate it whenever there isn’t a better Concentration spell to focus on.

10. Chromatic Orb

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S, M (a diamond worth at least 50 GP)

Duration: Instantaneous

Dealing damage is essential, but remember, the damage type you deal damage with is just as important!

Make a ranged spell attack and choose between Thunder, Poison, Lightning, Fire, Cold, or Acid damage. A 4-inch-diameter sphere of the chosen damage type will appear, dealing 3d8 damage if it hits an enemy.

Note: While Chromatic Orb itself isn’t very powerful. Being able to choose from so many different damage types make this a versatile spell.

9. Goodberry

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

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

Duration: Instantaneous

Whether you need a tiny HP restoration or are hungry, Goodberry is just what you need.

A maximum of 10 magical berries appear in your hand. Using an action lets you eat 1 berry, restoring 1 HP and providing enough nourishment for the entire day.

Note: Goodberries lose their magical properties after 24 hours.

8. Entangle

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Groups of enemies can easily overwhelm a party, so try stopping them in their tracks with Entangle.

Vines in a 20-foot square sprout from the ground, turning the area into difficult terrain. Creatures in the area must successfully complete a Strength saving throw or then become restrained by the plants.

Note: Restrained creatures can still use an action and make a Strength check against your spell save DC to break free.

Entangle works best against groups of low STR creatures, as high STR creatures will easily succeed on STR-based ability checks.

7. Hex

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S, M (one petrified eye of a newt)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Stronger enemies are a pain to deal with, so simply Hex them!

Cursing a creature means you deal an extra 1d6 Necrotic damage to it every time you hit it. You also choose one ability, and the creature has a disadvantage on ability checks made with that ability.

Note: Be careful of Remove Curse spells as they end Hex.

You can choose to use a bonus action to curse a new creature if the current creature drops to 0 HP.

6. Sleep

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S, M (rose petals, a cricket, and one pinch of fine sand)

Duration: 1 minute

Dealing with low-level minions is paramount to defeating their master.

Sleep affects creatures in ascending order based on their current HP after rolling a 5d8 to determine how much of their HP can be affected.

A creature’s HP will be subtracted from the total 5d8 HP until no more creatures have less than or equal to that HP. All affected creatures will be charmed and put into a magical slumber.

5. Find Familiar (Ritual)

Casting Time: 1 hour

Range: 10 feet

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

Duration: Instantaneous

Having an animal companion can make battles easier and long journeys shorter.

With Find Familiar, you’ll choose between various different animals as your spirit familiar.

The familiar lasts until dismissed or drops to 0 HP. It’ll also act independently, communicate telepathically up to 100 feet, and deliver touch spells.

Note: You’re not allowed more than one familiar at a time.

4. Chaos Bolt

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Having access to some of the most powerful damage types can change a battle’s outcome. Chaos Bolt does just that.

Making a ranged spell attack lets you deal 2d8 + 1d6 damage to a target (using one d8 to determine damage type.

Note: Damage types are Thunder, Psychic, Poison, Lightning, Force, Fire, Cold, and Acid.

Rolling the same number on both d8s jumps to another creature (you choose) and makes a new attack roll. This means another double can make the spell jump yet again.

3. Detect Magic (Ritual)

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Dangerous magicians could be within your range without your knowledge, so detect them.

You can sense magic presences within 30 feet of you. Using an action reveals a faint aura around the object or creature exuding magic, also learning its school of magic.

Note: The spell is blocked by 3 feet of wood, 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, or a thin lead sheet.

2. Magic Missile

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

In some situations, targeting more than one creature is very beneficial. You can do that with Magic Missle.

Create 3 darts of magical force. A dart can target a creature of your choice, dealing 1d4 + 1 Force damage.

Note: The darts strike simultaneously and can target 1 creature or several of your choice.

1. Identify (Ritual)

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (an owl feather and a pearl worth at least 100 GP)

Duration: Instantaneous

D&D has too many items to name, so having a spell to identify them will be useful throughout the game.

Touch an object while casting, learning its properties, whether magic-imbued or magical.

Note: You’ll also learn how to use it if it requires attunement to be used, how many charges remain (if there are any), and if it’s under the effects of a spell (and what the spell’s name is).

Items created by spells and the spell that created them will also be identified.

You can also touch a creature, learning what spells affect it, if there are any.

Full List of 1st Level Spells in D&D 5e

Final Thoughts

Even though 1st-level spells aren’t all that exciting, learning about all the possibilities a low-level spell can have opens many doors.

There are various utility spells (along with a few damaging spells) like Identity or Eldritch Blast that will be useful even after you’ve unlocked end-game (7th to 9th-level) spells.

You might also be interested in the following:

• Best Cantrips 5e
• Best 2nd-Level Spells 5e
• Best 3rd-Level Spells 5e
• Best 4th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 5th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 6th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 7th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 8th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 9th-Level Spells 5e