No spell screams “Wizard!” more than the classic fireball. Often the first spell a sorcerer or wizard chooses at 5th level, few spells in the game match the raw damage output and effectiveness of fireball.
A single fireball can destroy large numbers of enemies at once or set an entire forest ablaze. In the too-much-is-never-enough spirit of fireball, here are more ways to destroy your enemies with glorious flame.
New Spells
Keep the home fires burning with these upgrades to the classic.
Heavy Fireball
4th-Level Evocation | Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 70 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny ball of bat guano and a lump of iron)
Duration: Instantaneous (see below)
When you cast this spell, you create a 1-foot-diameter ball of gel-like flame that slips from your fingers and rolls up to 70 feet across the ground before detonating in a 20-foot radius ball of searing flames. A creature caught in the explosion’s radius takes 10d6 fire damage or half that with a successful Dexterity saving throw.
A heavy fireball follows the path of least resistance along its trajectory and can even turn corners as long as its destination is lower than its starting point, making it especially helpful in clearing out nests and burrows. If a heavy fireball travels more than 20 feet across difficult terrain or encounters a barrier such as a wall before reaching its destination, it stops and detonates immediately.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th. In addition, the distance the spell can travel increases by 10 feet for each slot level above 4th.
Fletcher’s Fireball
3rd-Level Evocation | Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 300 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny ball of bat guano and sulfur)
Duration: Instantaneous
This well-known version of the typical fireball spell sacrifices damage in exchange for increased distance. A creature exposed to the 20-foot radius sphere of a fletcher’s fireball takes 5d6 fire damage or half that damage with a successful Dexterity saving throw.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.
Netherflame Fireball
4th-Level Evocation | Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny ball of ghoul bat guano and the ashes of a zombie destroyed by fire)
Duration: Instantaneous
Developed by a particularly heinous necromancer who enjoyed scarring his enemies, netherflame fireball creates a bead of sickly violet flames that streaks out to a point you choose within range before exploding. Each creature in a 20-foot radius takes 4d6 fire damage and 4d6 necrotic damage, or half that damage with a successful Dexterity saving throw. Furthermore, the damage from this spell causes particularly deep burns that cannot be healed by natural healing or rest. Only magical healing allows you to recover from the damage inflicted by this spell.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the fire or necrotic damage (your choice) increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 4th.
Desiccating Fireball
5th-Level Evocation | Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 feet
Components: V, S, M (a tiny ball of bat guano and a vial of sweat)
Duration: Instantaneous
A fiery bolt launches from your fingertips towards a point you choose within range. It then erupts in an intense explosion of heat and flame. Each creature in a 20-foot radius takes 8d8 fire damage or half that damage with a successful Dexterity saving throw. If a creature fails the Dexterity saving throw, it must also make a Constitution saving throw, or the flame leeches the vitality and moisture from its body. An affected creature gains one level of exhaustion and takes a 1d4 penalty on Strength checks until they finish a short rest.
Desiccating fireball is especially devastating to creatures wholly composed of water or similar liquids such as water elementals. These creatures have vulnerability to the fire damage inflicted by this spell unless they are immune to fire.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the fire damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 5th.
New Magic Items
For the fireball lover who has everything, a selection of magic items to enhance the experience.
Canned Fireball
Wondrous Item, Uncommon
This item is a steel can containing 1d3 + 1 soft, sticky gray spheres with a putty-like consistency. Each sphere has AC 12, 1 hit point, and immunity to poison and psychic damage. As an action, you can remove a sphere from the can and place it on a solid surface such as a wall or floor, where it will remain for 1 hour or until it is activated. If nothing activates a sphere within 1 hour, it dries up and vanishes.
If a sphere takes at least 1 point of damage or receives at least 100 pounds of pressure (such as if an enemy treads on it), it rapidly heats up and detonates as a 3rd-level fireball (save DC 11). Any other spheres from a canned fireball within the radius of the original sphere also explode when exposed to the initial blast.
Torc of Fiery Empowerment
Wondrous Item, Very Rare (Requires Attunement by a Sorcerer or Wizard)
This red gold torc has 5 charges. It regains 1d4 + 1 charges each day at dawn.
Whenever you cast a fireball spell or one of its variants while wearing this torc, you can expend a charge from it as a bonus action and reroll any rolls of a 1 or 2 on damage dice. You must take the result of the new rolls. You can also expend 2 charges from the torc as a bonus action to increase the radius of the fireball spell or one of its variants by 10 feet. This does not change any other aspect of the spell.
The post The Wizard’s Playbook: Fireball appeared first on Kobold Press.