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

5th-Level spells, along with 4th and 6th-level spells are considered mid-level spells.

Therefore, 5th-level spells are the tunnel leading up to some of the most complex and powerful spells in the entire game.

Within this tunnel, there are a variety of different spells that will have spellcasters adapting to use them or expertly weaving them into their existing spell list.

Best 5th-Level Spells 5e

20. Hold Monster

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

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

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Powerful enemies cannot be taken down easily but can be put to sleep just as easily as others.

Choose a creature you can see. That creature is forced to make a Wisdom saving throw, succeed, or be paralyzed.

Note: Hold Monster does not affect Undead.

19. Telekinesis

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Whether you’re lifting keys to exit your jail cell, lifting a boulder onto someone’s head, or flying with a bathtub, Telekinesis can do it all.

Exert your will over one object or creature you see within range. Your target, whether it is a creature or object, will be affected in different ways.

Creature

• Move a Huge or smaller creature, making an ability check using your spellcasting modifier with the Strength check of the creature. If you succeed, the creature can be moved up to 30 feet in any direction.
• Maintain your telekinetic hold by repeating the ability check again.

Object

• Move an object weighing up to 1,000 pounds up to 30 feet in any direction.
• Objects carried or worn force you to make an ability check using your spellcasting modifier with the Strength check of the creature. Succeeding tears the object away, letting you lift it up to 30 feet in any chosen direction.
• Manipulate objects by opening a door, using a simple tool, or retrieving an item.

18. Teleportation Circle

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: 10 feet

Components: V, M (rare inks and chalks infused with precious gems worth 50 GP, which the spell will consume)

Duration: 1 round

Though less efficient than ordinary Teleportation, having a permanent Teleportation Circle can be useful in a base of operations.

Draw a 10-foot-diameter circle linking your location to a permanent teleportation circle in your plane of existence.

Note: Teleportation circles are most common in large temples, guilds, or similar important places.

17. Reincarnate

Casting Time: 1 hour

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (rare unguents and oils worth a minimum of 1,000 GP, which the spell will consume)

Duration: Instantaneous

Even after death, reincarnation is possible, although it might be more “foreign” than before!

Touch a creature that hasn’t been dead for more than 10 days, calling its soul if it is willing. Reincarnate creates a new body, but with the catch of having to roll a d100 to choose a new race for the body.

Note: Even though the resurrection doesn’t bring back your old body, being able to resurrect creatures from a hair is incredible.

16. Immolation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Immolation uses fire to do what it does best…KILL.

Target a creature, forcing it to make a Dexterity saving throw, succeed or take 7d6 Fire damage (half if failed).

At the end of the target’s turns, it’ll repeat the saving throw or take 3d6 Fire damage.

Note: The creature also sheds bright light in a 30-foot radius and dim light for another 30 feet.

15. Greater Restoration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (diamond dust worth at least 100 GP, which the spell will consume)

Duration: Instantaneous

When afflicted by an ailment, simply use Greater Restoration.

Touching a creature, imbuing it with positive energy, reducing its exhaustion level by one.

Note: You can also choose to end an effect (petrified or charmed), a curse or attunement to a curse, a reduction of the target’s ability score, or an effect reducing the HP of the target.

14. Enervation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Pure necromantic energy doesn’t just imbue its targets with death but also steals their life essence!

Force a creature to make a Dexterity saving throw, succeed, or take 4d8 Necrotic damage. Dealing damage with this spell lets you regain HP equal to half of the Necrotic damage taken by the creature.

Note: Enervation is a perfect spell for life-draining fanatics.

13. Destructive Wave

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Self (30-foot radius)

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

Paladins, while known for their durability, also have access to powerful destructive spells.

Strike the ground, choosing creatures within 30 feet to successfully complete a Constitution saving throw, or then take 5d6 Thunder damage and 5d6 Radiant or Necrotic damage (choose), and be knocked into prone.

Note: Destructive Wave is an incredible AoE spell for Paladins and is one of their best damaging dealing/utility spells.

12. Danse Macabre

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

A necromancer with all its soldiers can never have enough, even if the soldiers only last a few encounters.

Pierce up to 5 Small or Medium corpses with black tentacles, having them stand up and become undead.

You’ll choose between the undead becoming a skeleton or a zombie, and using a bonus action lets you issue them all a command.

Note: Even though there are spells that provide permanent animated dead, having a backup, even for an hour, lets you bolster your current forces without having to repeat normal reanimating spells.

11. Geas

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: 60 feet

Components: V

Duration: 30 days

Commanding creatures to do your bidding or disallowing them from partaking in others makes Geas an excellent spell for hostages or captives.

Place a command on a creature you see, forcing it to carry out certain services and refrain from others.

The creature must successfully complete a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by the spell, taking 5d10 Psychic damage every time it disobeys your direct instructions.

Note: Just be careful of spells like Remove Curse, Greater Restoration, or Wish, as they can easily cancel the dominion you hold over the creature.

10. Scrying

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (one focus, like a silver mirror, font killed with holy water or crystal ball, worth at least 1,000 GP)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Even with limited information, seeing the position of a creature allows you to spy on it excessively. This is where Scrying comes in.

Choosing a particular creature on the same plane of existence as you lets you hear and see it. The creature must successfully complete a Wisdom saving throw or be observed by you.

Note: Some creatures want to be observed, so be careful of these creatures, as they might set traps for you.

9. Far Step

Casting Time: 1 bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

When in danger or caught off guard, simply teleport away and get ready for a counter-attack.

Teleport up to 60 feet to an area unoccupied and within your sight.

Note: On subsequent turns, you can spend a bonus action and teleport the same way again.

8. Dominate Person

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Taking control of humanoids can prove extremely powerful, especially when controlling powerful figures like nobles or royalty.

Target a humanoid, forcing it to make a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed. If charmed, you can either control it with simple commands or control it precisely.

Note: Be careful of the target taking damage, as it’ll have to make a new Wisdom saving throw each time, leaving the possibility of the spell ending.

Using Dominate Person on powerful figures within a kingdom can give you exceptional advantages, especially if you were upcast this spell, having it last longer.

7. Negative Energy Flood

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, M (one broken bone and a square of black silk)

Duration: Instantaneous

While Necromancers may simply raise zombies from the dead, others prefer making the kill and transforming that corpse into their newest soldier.

Force a creature to complete a Constitution saving throw, succeed, or take 5d12 Necrotic damage (half if successful).

Killing a target with this spell raises the corpse as a zombie at the start of your next turn, leading to it attacking whichever person it’s closest to.

Note: You can use Negative Energy Flood to provide temporary HP to your undead minions!

6. Creation

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (one tiny piece of matter that’s the same type of the item you plan on creating)

Duration: Special

Artificers can use materials from Shadowfell to create wonderfully useful items for an entire party.

Using materials from Shadowfell, create vegetable matter or nonliving objects like crystals, wood, or edible food.

Note: Even though you can only produce a 5-foot cube of material, this spell can still be used to solve financial problems, solve hunger or create simple weapons.

5. Seeming

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: 8 hours

Infiltration is key if you aim for low resistance, and disguising an entire party is easy if you use Seeming.

Change the appearance of any number of willing creatures, creating an illusory appearance to fool others.

Note: Do not be inspected, as if the inspector succeeds the Intelligence (Investigation) check, you’ll be caught.

4. Wall of Force

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S, M (one pinch of powder made by crushing a clear gemstone)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Protecting a party is easy if a spellcaster uses this invisible force wall.

Create an invisible wall of force with a 10-foot radius sphere or ten flat 10-foot-by-10-foot panels.

Note: The wall of immune to all damage and cannot be dispelled by Dispel damage. Just look out for a Disintregrate spell, as those can destroy the wall instantly.

3. Hallow

Casting Time: 24 hours

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (incense, oils, and herbs worth a minimum of 1,000 GP, which the spell will consume)

Duration: Until dispelled

Battles can have various enemies with different abilities, but by using Hallow, you rule out many different effects and conditions they might throw at you.

Imbue a 60-foot radius area with holy or unholy power. The area provides bonuses against particular creatures, barring them from entering and making you invulnerable to some negative conditions.

2. Steel Wind Strike

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 30 feet

Components: S, M (one melee weapon worth at least 1 SP)

Duration: Instantaneous

Steel Wind Strike combines high damage, excellent damage type, and excessive visual effects to create the perfect show-off spell.

Choosing up to 5 creatures and making a melee spell attack deals 6d10 Force damage on a hit.

Note: You’ll vanish for a brief moment while casting this spell, showing yourself 5 feet from a target of your choice after the strikes are complete.

1. Synaptic Static

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 120 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

If you want a simple spell offering damage with various negative conditions affecting enemies, then Synaptic Static is the spell for you.

Choosing a point makes Psychic energy explode in a 20-foot radius. Affected creatures must make Intelligence saving throws, succeed (taking half damage), or take 8d6 Psychic damage.

Note: If the creature fails its save, it also means it must roll a d6, subtracting the number from its ability checks and attack rolls.

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

Final Thoughts

Even though 5th-level spells aren’t seen as a group of monumental change or power increase, it’s safe to say that it still houses some amazing spells.

Players of all kinds will be able to find spells that effectively deal with immediate issues or deal with long-term discrepancies.

These powerful abovementioned spells will help you solve at least one of your problems!

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 4th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 6th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 7th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 8th-Level Spells 5e
• Best 9th-Level Spells 5e