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

It isn’t uncommon for Fighters to become spellcasters, or at least partly become one.

Most Fighters who want to pick up spellcasting will turn to the Eldritch Knight Archetype or multiclass into Warlocks or Wizards to unlock greater spells.

However, whatever direction they go, they will need spells, powerful ones. So here are a few spells to help Eldritch Knights or ordinary Fighters who’ve multiclassed into spellcasting classes!

Best Fighter Spells 5e

20. Shatter (2nd-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 feet

Components: V, S, M (one chip of mica)

Duration: Instantaneous

You choose a point where a sudden, loud, and painful ringing noise appears. Each creature within a 10-foot radius takes 3d8 Thunder damage if they fail the Constitution save.

Shatter deals some decent AoE damage, and the fact that it’s Thunder is even better. Even though you have a poor save DC, trading a 2nd-level spell slot for decent AoE damage isn’t bad.

19. Leomund’s Tiny Hut (3rd-level Evocation [Ritual])

Casting Time: 1 Minute

Range: Self (10-foot-radius hemisphere)

Components: V, S, M (one small crystal bead)

Duration: 8 Hours

A 10-foot immobile force dome appears out of nowhere, fitting nine Medium creatures and keeping those who weren’t within the range when the spell was cast out. The inside of the dome remains comfortable and dry for the entire 8 hours, no matter the weather outside.

Leomund’s Tiny Hut isn’t a conventional Fighter spell, but each campaign is different, so if you know you’ll need to rest on the way there and the path is treacherous, this is a great spell.

Not only that, but it can also act as a great defensive spell if you have enough time to set it up.

18. See Invisibility (2nd-level Divination)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V, S, M (a small sprinkling of powdered silver or a pinch of talc)

Duration: 1 Hour

For 1 hour, you see invisible objects and creatures as if they were visible to you.

If you can get your hands on this spell and you know you’ll be facing some invisible enemies, then take it. You won’t have any other way to deal with invisible enemies anyway.

17. Wall of Fire (4th-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 120 feet

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

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Create a wall of fire standing on a solid surface within 120 feet of you. It can be a ringed wall (20ft high, 20ft diameter, 1ft thick) or a normal wall (60ft long, 20ft high, 1ft thick).

Wall of Fire is a great area control option, and the fact that it deals damage to enemies means it can be used offensively and defensively.

Even if your save DC is low, you can still take Wall of Fire. Just be careful of its Concentration and the fact that it uses a 4th-level spell slot.

16. Shadow Blade (2nd-level Illusion)

Casting Time: 1 Bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Weave shadows to great a sword of solidified darkness dealing 2d8 Psychic damage on hit and having thrown properties.

If compared to another finesse weapon like a rapier, it deals 1d8 damage more, and the fact that it deals Psychic damage is even better, as not many creatures resist that damage type.

Another advantage of Shadow Blade is that it can be thrown, and its advantage, when used in darkness/dim light, means you won’t have to worry about fighting in the dark.

15. Fire Shield (4th-level Evocation)

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.

Fighters have a lot of roles, but one of their main roles is Defender, so if you don’t want the monsters to feel the same pain you do, cast Fire Shield and see how they like being burned on each of their attacks.

Having Fire Shield active and being a Defender is like getting paid twice. You do your job and help the party, but you get paid again when you deal extra damage to the bugger that hit you!

14. Warding Wind (2nd-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

A strong, 20-mile-per-hour wind blows around you in a 10-foot radius, lasting until the spell comes to an end.

Having difficult terrain surrounding you makes it easier to keep enemies close.

The fact that it lasts for up to 10 minutes also means it can get you through many fights; the only problem is keeping the Concentration up.

13. Misty Step (2nd-level Conjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Bonus action

Range: Self

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

You are briefly surrounded by silvery mist, then teleported to a visible, unoccupied space 30 feet away.

Misty Step is great overall, as it works well offensively and defensively, but at some point, it becomes a bit lackluster, and when that happens, you can always change it out as you get Arcane Charge.

If you aren’t playing an Eldritch Knight, it’s worth keeping Misty Step, as it’s just such a versatile spell.

12. Booming Blade (Evocation Cantrip)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self (5-foot radius)

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

Duration: 1 Round

Brandish a weapon and make a melee attack against one creature within 5 feet of you. If it hits, and the target moves 5 feet before the spell ends, it takes 1d8 Thunder damage.

Booming Blade is the perfect spell for a Fighter who wants his enemies to stay close to him. Even though the damage is decent at best, the fact that it provides so much value as a Cantrip makes the spell stand out.

Note: It can become even better if you can use War Magic in combination with Booming Blade.

11. Burning Hands (1st-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Self (15-foot-cone)

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

Thin sheets of flames shoot from your fingertips, dealing 3d6 Fire damage to each creature in a 15-foot cone if they fail a Dexterity save.

Burning Hands is another low-level spell that provides a lot of value for its cost. The AoE damage is a lot for a 1st-level spell, and even though it deals Fire damage, it can still handle hordes of enemies if used correctly.

I’d recommend Burning Hands to highly aggressive Fighters who like to take on multiple enemies simultaneously.

10. Sickening Radiance (4th-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 120 Feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

Faint green light spreads within a 30-foot-radius sphere on a point you choose, dealing 4d10 Radiant damage and causing 1 level of Exhaustion to affect a creature stepping into the area.

Sickening Radiance is difficult to use, as 4d10 Radiant damage for a 4th-level spell can look underwhelming.

The spell’s main selling point is its duration, large AoE, and, most importantly, Exhaustion. In other words, if you can get Sickening Radiance to affect multiple enemies for an extended period of time, there’s no way they’re surviving.

You’ll be trying to exhaust enemies to death, which is entirely possible, as reaching level 6 Exhaustion will instantly kill an enemy.

Even if the Exhaustion doesn’t do the trick, there’s still the damage being done at the same time, so if you can use Sickening Radiance correctly, it can become a game-changer as a Fighter, especially in combination with other spellcasters.

Note: Your main issue will be getting your hands on it, as it uses a 4th-level spell slot.

9. Polymorph (4th-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 60 feet

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

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

You transform a visible creature within 60 feet into a new form with a CR equal to or less than the creature’s CR.

If you have a 4th-level spell slot available and you don’t need any more damage, then consider taking Polymorph.

The value you can get from using Polymorph creatively is far greater than most 4th-level spells. Just be careful of shapechangers and creatures with high Wisdom when using it against unwilling targets.

8. Fly (3rd-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (one wing feather from any bird)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

The touched creature gains a flying speed of 60 feet until the spell ends.

Having flight when the enemy doesn’t already put you at a massive advantage, but if used when enemies also don’t have any ranged options, the tables are turned entirely in your favor with fly.

If you don’t have access to early flight, then you should definitely consider taking Fly, as it has too many creative uses to shy away from.

7. Absorb Elements (1st-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Reaction, taken when you are dealt Acid, Cold, Fire, Lightning, or Thunder damage

Range: Self

Components: S

Duration: 1 Round

Absorb Elements catches some incoming damage, lessening its effects (giving resistance to the damage type) and storing it for your next melee attack (next melee attack deals 1d6 “triggering” type damage).

As a Fighter, you don’t have too many options for protection against non-weapon damage, but by getting Absorb Elements, that weakness falls away.

Another plus that Absorb Elements has is that it only takes a reaction, so you can rest easy knowing that your action economy stays unaffected.

Note: Just be sure to handle the threat quickly, as it can eat away at your spell slots!

6. Protection from Evil and Good (1st-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S, M (powdered silver and iron, or holy water, consumed by the spell)

Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

One willing creature you touch becomes protected from certain types of creatures: Undead, Fiends, Fey, Elements, and Aberrations.

Protection from Evil and Good is one of the best defensive spells you can get your hands on.

Its relatively long duration and protection against many types of creatures found in your journeys make it even more attractive.

5. Fireball (3rd-level Evocation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 150 feet

Components: V, S, M (sulfur and a tiny bit of bat guano)

Duration: Instantaneous

A bright streak flashes from your finger to a point you choose, exploding in a 20-foot radius and dealing 8d6 Fire damage to creatures that fail a Dexterity save within the radius.

There’s not much to say about Fireball except that it deals an excessive amount of damage when you can unlock it.

The fact that it deals so much damage and is also AoE makes it so powerful that there’s no reason not to take it, even if you already have enough damage.

4. Enlarge/Reduce (2nd-level Transmutation)

Casting Time: 1 Action

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S, M (one pinch of powdered iron)

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You cause a creature or object within 30 feet of you to grow smaller or larger for up to 1 minute, gaining benefits.

Even though Enlarge/Reduce gives you some of the best buffs as a Fighter, affecting your shoves and grapples with the advantage on Strength checks, it kind of messes with your action economy.

Another issue is that it doesn’t last too long, so you can’t cast it beforehand to mitigate the action economy issue. In other words, use Enlarge/Reduce at your own risk, and maybe leave it to another spellcaster if there’s no other choice.

3. 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

With Find Familiar, you gain the service of a spirit familiar in the form of an animal you choose.

There are a lot of great familiars to choose from, one of the best being the Owl, with its Flyby ability.

It also serves as a great familiar to use when scouting or keeping watch at night.

2. Shield (1st-level Abjuration)

Casting Time: 1 Reaction, taken when hit by an attack or targeted by Magic Missile

Range: Self

Components: V, S

Duration: 1 Round

Gain protection from a magical force, giving you +5 to AC, including the triggering attack (Magic Missile also deals no damage to you).

There’s no better defensive spell for Fighters than Shield. The +5 to AC, costing only a spell slot and taking a reaction, means it’s basically a free AC bonus.

You won’t even have to get the Defensive Duelist feat.

1. Silvery Barbs (1st-level Enchantment)

Casting Time: 1 Reaction, taken when a visible creature within 60 feet of you succeeds on an attack roll, saving throw, or ability check

Range: 60 feet

Components: V

Duration: Instantaneous

Magically distract a creature, forcing it to reroll a d20 and use the lower roll. You also choose a visible creature within 60 feet and give it advantage on the next saving throw, ability check, or attack roll within 1 minute.

Silvery Barbs is the best spell for a Fighter; the only problem is that it gets a bit complicated to use at times.

The ability to have a creature reroll a d20, essentially mitigating their roll if they score lower than previously scored, and also being able to give any other creature advantage on a saving throw, ability check, or attack roll is just insane.

Just keep in mind that you’ll eventually run out of spell slots, and you can only use it once per turn, as you only get one reaction. Even then, the spell remains exceptional and has the potential for some great moments in combat.

Final Thoughts

Though Fighters are inherently melee-focused, the spells mentioned above can serve as powerful alternatives or combinations for melee fighting.

Just because Fighters are predominantly melee doesn’t mean they can’t or shouldn’t have magic intermingled with their normal abilities.

I argue that having magic as a Fighter, especially if your party doesn’t have a lot of magic, can only benefit you and those around you!

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