Top 20 Best 4th-Level Spells in D&D 5E [Ranked]

The 4th-level unlocks some noticeable spells like Find Greater Steed and Polymorph, which are very iconic spells within the community.

To be honest, there isn’t much special about this group of spells except for the few powerful spells you’ll want to keep until the end game.

Even with its average spell choices, this group does a good job of giving players an insight into what upcoming higher-level spells will be like.

Best 4th-Level Spells 5e

20. Blight

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

The creature unlucky enough to be targetted by Blight is filled with deathly energy, draining its moisture and vitality.

Target 1 creature, forcing it to make a Constitution saving throw, succeed, or take 8d8 Necrotic damage (half as much on a successful one).

Note: Blight has no effect on constructs and undead.

Magical plants and plant creatures make the saving throw with disadvantage. Blight also deals maximum damage.

Note: Using Blight against a normal plant just has it wither and die.

19. Confusion

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S, M (three nut shells)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Twist their minds, influence their actions, blind them from their allies, and use their own will to grasp victory.

All creatures in a 10-foot-radius sphere are forced to complete a Wisdom saving throw or be affected by the spell.

Affected creatures must roll a d10 at the start of each turn, which determines their behavior for that turn.

Effects range from:

– Moving in a random direction

– Not moving and taking no action

– Making a melee attack against a randomly determined creature within its reach

– The creature acts and moves normally

Note: Upcasting this spell can prove to be quite powerful as it increases the sphere’s radius by 5 feet.

18. Compulsion

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Compel those who stand before you; make them run without control of their own body.

Creatures you choose that can see and hear you are forced to make a Wisdom saving throw. Failing results in the creature being affected by the spell.

Use a bonus action to choose the horizontal direction each affected creature must move (it must move as far as possible) in its next turn.

Note: Creatures immune to being charmed will automatically succeed on the saving roll.

17. Freedom of Movement

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

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

Duration: 1 hour

Traps, spells, or curses all have options to restrain movement, but not with Freedom of Movement.

Touching a willing creature means its movements become unaffected by difficult terrain, reductions in speed, spells, and the conditions paralyzed or restrained.

Note: You can spend 5 feet of movement to break free from nonmagical restraints like being grappled.

16. Locate Creature

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (one forked twig)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Looking for your comrade, family member, or long-lost love? Locate Creature can find them!

Describing or naming a familiar creature lets you sense the direction of its location if it’s within 1,000 feet of you. It also shows the direction of movement if the creature is moving.

Note: You can also locate specific creatures near you, like humans, although only up to 30 feet away.

15. Stone Shape

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (some soft clay, roughly worked into the desired shape of the stone object)

Duration: Instantaneous

Even castles made of stone cannot stand the test of gravity when challenged!

Touching a stone object of Medium size, no more than 5 feet in all dimensions, lets you form it into a suited shape.

Note: You can make small passages through walls, meaning if given enough time, you can make entire buildings collapse.

14. Banishment

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, M (one item distasteful to the target)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Struggling with a powerful enemy while dealing with the lesser rabble can be frustrating, so simply send it away, even if only for a while.

Choose one creature to make a Charisma saving throw, succeed, or be banished.

Note: Banishing creatures to a different plane than yours can result in the creature being banished indefinitely (if the spell’s time runs out).

13. Charm Monster

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 hour

The creature under your spell thinks not of you as its enemy, now it thinks of you as its friend.

Attempt to charm one creature, forcing it to complete a Wisdom saving throw (with advantage if being attacked by your party). If it fails, it becomes friendly to your party but knows you charmed it.

12. Giant Insect

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Even in the deepest darkest caves, insects can be found, infused with magic and used as powerful war machines to win battles. Giant Insect is a powerful spell in your arsenal.

Choose from different insects, turning them into giant versions of their previous size, and have them obey your verbal commands.

Note: You can transform 1 scorpion, 3 spiders, 5 wasps, or 10 centipedes. The numbers of other creatures depend on the DM.

11. Polymorph

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, M (one caterpillar cocoon)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

The hungry wolf turns from a feared predator to a sheep, one of its prime sources of food. Oh, what irony!

With Polymorph, turn a creature into a new form, with its CR being equal to or less than its previous form.

Note: Unwilling targets must make a Wisdom saving throw or be morphed.

Be careful of using Polymorph on shapechangers, as they instantly succeed on the Wisdom saving throw.

10. Find Greater Steed

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

A Paladin shall not travel without his loyal steed, as it isn’t just a companion but a true friend.

Summon the spirit of a mount, taking the form you choose it to. You can choose from normal mounts like a dire wolf or rhinoceros or flying mounts like a griffon or pegasus.

Note: The mount you choose lasts until it hits 0 HP or is dismissed.

9. Fire Shield

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self

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

Duration: 10 minutes

Fire, often linked to destruction and death, has the ability to protect, keeping the one who summoned it safe yet striking out at those unlucky enough to cross its path.

Flames wrap around your body, creating 10 feet of bright light and dim light for another 10 feet. You can also choose between the shield providing you with resistance to Cold or Fire damage.

Note: Being hit by a melee attack from 5 feet away makes the attacking creature take 2d8 Fire or Cold damage, depending on the type of shield.

8. Arcane Eye

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (a bit of bat fur)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Whether you’ll be infiltrating settlements or merely scouting enemy positions, Arcane Eye remains an invaluable surveillance option.

Create an invisible eye hover in the air. It has normal vision and darkvision for 30 feet and lets you perceive visual information through it.

Note: You can move the eye 30 feet at a time, but it doesn’t have a limit to where it can move; it just can’t pass into other planes of existence. The eye can also pass through holes as small as 1 inch in diameter.

7. Dominate Beast

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

The wilds are full of wild beasts with incredible power, so use Dominate Beast to make one your ally.

Target a beast, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed. If charmed, you can control it using simple commands or precise controls.

Note: Just be careful of the beast taking damage, as the saving throw will have to be made again, and if it succeeds, the spell will end.

6. Ice Storm

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 300 feet

Components: V, S, M (a few drops of water and one pinch of dust)

Duration: Instantaneous

No matter how small, ice storms cause serious damage to all caught up in them.

Ice pounds the ground in a 20-foot-radius and a 40-foot-cylinder. Creatures in the area are forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, succeed (taking half damage), or then take 2d8 Bludgeoning damage and 4d6 Cold damage.

Note: Hailstorms will turn the area of Ice Storm into difficult terrain until your next turn ends.

5. Greater Invisibility

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Greater Invisibility is the ultimate form of stealth, allowing for quick sneak attacks or precise assassinations.

Touching a creature turns it invisible with anything it’s carrying or wearing (as long as it’s attached to the creature).

You don’t have to worry about attack canceling your invisibility, as the spell’s text doesn’t state they do.

4. Wall of Fire

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S, M (one small piece of phosphorus)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Similar to the gates of the Nine Hells, Wall of Fire burns those unlucky enough to pass through its hot walls.

You create a wall 1 foot thick, 20 feet high, and 60 feet long. When created, creatures are forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, succeed (taking half damage) or take 5d8 Fire damage.

Note: You’ll select one side of the wall to deal 5d8 Fire damage to creatures who end their turn within 10 feet of it.

3. Phantasmal Killer

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Do not underestimate nightmares; sometimes, they can appear more real than you realize.

Phantasmal Killer taps into the nightmares of your target creates illusory manifestations of its worst fears.

The target is forced to make a Wisdom saving throw, succeed, or become frightened. It’ll also take 4d10 Psychic damage at the end of its turns while the spell lasts.

Note: In some cases, this spell is enough to put a creature out of commission for a while.

2. Dimension Door

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 500 feet

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

Dimensions are all interlinked with various areas between planes, and traveling between them becomes an easy form of travel for those brave enough.

With Dimension Door, you choose a spot within range, arriving at it exactly as desired. You can visualize, describe or state the distance and direction of the spot for the spell to take you there.

Note: Objects not exceeding your carrying capacity can be taken with you.

Just be very careful of teleporting to a place that’s already occupied, as you’ll take 4d6 Force damage and fail to teleport in that scenario.

1. Evard’s Black Tentacles

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V, S, M (one piece of tentacle from a giant squid or giant octopus)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Dark openings, black as the everlasting universe, form tentacles, damaging and hindering unsuspecting targets.

Black tentacles fill a 20-foot square, periodically turning the ground into difficult terrain.

Creatures entering the affected area the first time or starting there are forced to make a Dexterity saving throw, succeed, or take 3d6 Bludgeoning damage and be restrained.

Note: Creatures already restrained by the tentacles when they start their turn will take 3d6 Bludgeoning damage.

Just be careful of high-strength brutes, as they’ll have an easier time escaping these tentacles.

Full List of 4th Level Spells in D&D 5e

Final Thoughts

Most players don’t really focus too much on 4th-level spells, as there are many 3rd-level spells that are just overall better.

It’s really difficult to top a group (like 3rd-level spells) that is known to provide players with excellent spell choices. Luckily, like every group, players can’t just flat-out ignore these spells because some of them are too overpowered!

You might also be interested in the following:

• Best Cantrips 5e
• Best 1st-Level Spells 5e
• Best 2nd-Level Spells 5e
• Best 3rd-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