Chromatic orb is one of the most powerful 1st-level spells in Dungeons and Dragons, with the power to do a whopping 3d8 damage of your choice of acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage at a range of 90 feet. If you’re a 1st-level wizard or sorcerer, you should definitely consider learning this mighty damage dealing spell, especially if you plan on joining the School of Evocation or playing a damage-focused character.
Chromatic Orb’s Competition
How does chromatic orb stack up against other 1st-level damaging-dealing spells available to 1st-level wizards and sorcerers? It has a few rivals for damage-dealing potential, but all come with significant drawbacks.
Burning hands deals 3d6 fire damage in a 15-foot cone. As far as game balance is concerned, D&D’s balancing math assumes that this hits two creatures in an average casting. Assuming one creature succeeds on its Dexterity saving throw and one fails, this deals an average of 15 fire damage. That’s pretty good, but its drawbacks hurt it. If you’re close enough to enemies to cast this spell, you’d better make sure this spell kills them. If it doesn’t, now you’re in the line of fire, and most 1st-level wizards don’t have sturdy enough defenses to take very many counterattacks. Also, fire is one of the most commonly resisted damage types in the game. Your garden-variety kobolds and goblins won’t resist this magic, but there are a handful of low-level foes that easily resist fire, like fiends, oozes, and incorporeal undead like shadows and specters.
Magic missile is a spell in almost every 1st-level wizard’s spellbook, and it’s easy to see why. Its missiles always hit, can be spread across multiple targets, can be fired from long range, and deal hard-to-resist force damage. This spell’s biggest drawback is its relatively low damage output; only an average of 10 damage. This is enough to kill some of the weakest monsters with a single casting, but only enough to inconvenience any creature stronger than challenge rating 1/4 or so.
Ice knife is an attractive spell that can be fired from long range and do some area-of-effect damage. If the spell hits its target, the target takes 1d10 cold damage. Then, regardless of if the attack hits or not, the ice knife explodes, forcing the target and all creatures within 5 feet to succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 2d6 cold damage. Assuming the spell hits and its area-of-effect affects two creatures and one of those creatures succeeds on its saving throw, this spell deals an average of 12 cold damage.
The spell’s damage type, cold, is resisted by many of the same low-level foes that resist fire damage. Fiends and incorporeal creatures laugh at elemental damage like fire and cold.
The Power of Chromatic Orb
Chromatic orb is a single-target damage-dealing spell best used from long range. For wizards and sorcerers, the power to be far away from enemies is a huge boon. When you cast this spell, you make a ranged spell attack against the target. If this attack hits, the target takes an average of 13 (3d8) damage. The type of damage this spell deals can be chosen from a list of five: acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder. This flexibility is chromatic orb’s greatest strength, though its high average damage is impressive, too.
Other high-damage spells like burning hands and ice knife suffer from a restrictive damage type that make them hard to use against certain foes like fiends. Fiends are often resistant or immune to cold, fire, and lightning damage, and with Baldur’s Gate: Descent into Avernus promising some fiend-fighting action, being able to overcome those damage resistances early is a huge boon. In order to get around those resistances, just use acid or thunder damage.
Another treacherously resistant monster type are oozes, and their resistances are hard to predict. Gray oozes are resistant to cold, fire, and lightning, just like fiends—so use acid or thunder! Ochre jellies are weirdly resistant to acid alone, but also immune to lightning—so use fire, cold, or thunder! And black puddings are immune to acid, cold, and lightning, so use fire or thunder!
The reason this flexibility is so important is because the number of spells you can prepare as a 1st-level wizard (or the number of spells you can know as a 1st-level sorcerer) is at a premium. You could learn a different evocation spell dealing a different damage type for every occasion, but chromatic orb allows you to pack all of these different damage types into a single spell, saving your spells prepared list space for more niche spells like detect magic or levitate.
The Cost of Greatness
Chromatic orb isn’t perfect. It comes with one significant drawback: its cost. Unlike most basic evocation spells, chromatic orb has a costly material component. Namely, a diamond worth 50 gp. Fortunately, casting the spell doesn’t consume the diamond—you can use it to cast this spell as many times as you want. Still, 50 gp is a lot to ask a 1st-level character to spend, and you just won’t have this kind of money if you take the equipment and gold offered by your class and background. If you’re a wizard, the Starting Wealth by Class table (in chapter 5 of the Player’s Handbook) starts you off with an average of 100 (4d4 × 10) gp, so this diamond costs half of your starting gold!
This is a bit tricky. If you’re a wizard and roll the average starting gold, you’ll only have enough for your diamond and your spellbook, since both cost 50 gp. You don’t want to go adventuring naked, or without an arcane focus. In order to make this really work for you as a wizard, you’ll need just a little bit extra. 110 gold should do, so a slightly above-average roll will work. If you’re a creating a new wizard and roll at least 110 gp of starting wealth, use this equipment list to outfit your character:
- Small diamond for chromatic orb (50 gp)
- Spellbook, for recording your all-important spells (50 gp)
- No armor (use mage armor instead)
- A staff as an arcane focus (which Jeremy Crawford rules can be used as a quarterstaff in combat!) (5 gp)
- Traveler’s clothes; can’t go adventuring naked! (2 gp)
- Ink pen; no need for ink yet, since you’ll need special arcane ink to scribe spells in your spellbook anyway (2 cp)
That’s just over 107 gp worth of gear. If you roll your starting wealth and get 100 gp or under, or just don’t want to take that chance, consider waiting until you complete an adventure or two. Hopefully you’ll have gained a few extra gold pieces from those adventures, and you can buy a 50 gp diamond in town. If you take the starting gear from your class and background and choose the [background]Noble[/background], you’ll only need to get 25 more gp to afford that diamond.
Things are a bit different if you’re a sorcerer. You only get an average of 70 (3d4 × 10) gp to start, but without that 50 gp spellbook to buy, you can get your 50 gp diamond, a staff as an arcane focus, traveler’s clothes, and an explorer’s kit for all your basic adventuring gear, all for just 67 gp. However, as a sorcerer, you have access to one spell that gives chromatic orb a run for its money—one that wizards will never be able to learn.
The Power of Chaos Bolt
Chaos bolt, a sorcerer-exclusive spell introduced in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, is powerful enough to make chromatic orb look like small potatoes, especially because it doesn’t force you to buy a pricy material component. When you cast this spell, you make a ranged spell attack against the target—and with a range of 120 feet, you have 30 feet more range than chromatic orb. If this attack hits, the target takes an average of 12 (2d8 + 1d6) damage. This attack can deal any type of energy damage, except for radiant or necrotic, based randomly on whichever numbers turn up on the d8s you rolled for damage. You get to choose which number you like best.
However, if the numbers on the d8s turn up doubles, the spell jumps to a new target, potentially doubling your damage. If those d8s from the new bolt turn up doubles, it jumps again, and keeps jumping until it stops showing double d8s. You don’t have control over what damage type this spell deals, which can make it troublesome for dealing with damage-resistant fiends or undead, but the potential for the chaos bolt to leap to a new target is tantalizing.
If you’re a sorcerer and just want to choose starting gear or grab a potion of healing with your starting wealth rather than buying an expensive diamond, chaos bolt may be your best option.
Is Chromatic Orb Right for You?
If you have the money, you can’t go wrong learning chromatic orb. Its single-target damage is practically unrivaled among 1st-level spells, and its flexibility allows you to prepare it as your only damage-dealing spell, giving you room for more interesting utility spells. If money is tight, consider waiting until you’ve completed a few adventures and gained some gold, and then buying its requisite material component.
Have you ever used chromatic orb in D&D? What’s your favorite damage-dealing spell at low levels? Let us know in the comments!
James Haeck is the lead writer for D&D Beyond, the co-author of Waterdeep: Dragon Heist and the Critical Role Tal'Dorei Campaign Setting, the DM of Worlds Apart, and a freelance writer for Wizards of the Coast, the D&D Adventurers League, and Kobold Press. He lives in Seattle, Washington with his partner Hannah and their animal companions Mei and Marzipan. You can find him wasting time on Twitter at @jamesjhaeck.
Great article for me and my daughter! She is trying this spell out in The Curse of Strahd...allows me to play with the spell effects because of the unique location. Now, where to find a diamond in Barovia!?!
James Haeck, you sir, are AWESOME!
I have not used chromatic orb since early on in the game I am in. I always keep a diamond handy just in case though. I try to think about what we are heading in to and have even brainstormed some ways to use it out of combat. I have heard of people using it to cast acid damage to help eat away at some fallen ceiling that was in their way.
This is the first damage spell cast in Critical roll season 2 and is one of favorites
Ah, Chromatic Orb...a very neat spell, particularly for an "elemental" spellcaster. Had tinkered around with making a color-obsessed, artist character who used Chromatic Orb, along with Prismatic Spray and Prismatic Wall. Fun stuff.
Reminds me of the Cleric's own powerful first-level spell... "Inflict Wounds". That's a nasty little spell...necrotic damage for a d10 roll...if you somehow gain advantage, be very afraid. You can get creative with how the "wounds" are inflicted, too...Critical Role demonstrated a pretty good description, when the character Jester uses it in a bar brawl...on her own companion.
A series of bursting blood vessels...yikes.
Honestly, some of these first level spells are vicious.
If you're talking about empowered evocation you get that at 10th level, not 2nd. That said, it's still a solid choice at 10th because it can be cast with any spell slot and it just keeps adding to the damage per missile.
Honestly though, the fun aspect is a big part of the game too. Some folks like to take chances to hit, or like rolling bigger numbers. Might not be the best from a min/max perspective but 5e is lenient enough to allow people to build for flavor rather than what's objectively best. I wouldn't criticize a player in my group for taking either chromatic orb or chaos bolt.
True Strike, on the other hand...
It's not too rough with Aberrant Dragon mark since it uses your con as the spellcasting modifier, but if you're dipping into sorcerer or magic initiate it'll use charisma as your casting mod. Not the end of the world but unless you're building a charismatic cleric (which would be a blast to RP lol) you might whiff your spell fairly often.
I'm digging your multiclass idea from Cleric to Sorcerer though. Been playing around with the idea of making a storm cleric dragonborn who worships Quetzalcoatl (My DM is very tolerant of getting divinities a little strange). Was planning on taking a level in sorcerer for booming blade and tempestuous magic; until I realized it didn't work on cantrips. Might adopt your plan instead, could be silly. In a good way.
My last sorcerer tried the Ice Knife route with the idea that his White Draconic Bloodline would play nicely with that (eventually.) My DM had ruled that Ice Knife could be Twinned, so I was looking forward to that. Problem with Ice Knife is that the AoE damage is all or nothing. It's not a dex save for half damage. That really ended up taking the shine off that particular apple for me. After far too many resists, I swapped it out for CO and was generally happier with the results.
Nice article.
All very good points on each spell, and highlights why Chromatic Orb is a personal favorite for my Divine Soul sorcerer (alongside Guiding Bolt), and as someone else said, I love to use Twin Spell on it.. But, minor point: Ice Knife's initial damage is piercing, then it explodes for cold damage, as described. Other than that small point, a rather informative spotlight
Magic Missile only has 1 damage roll, and each missile does that damage (you don't roll for each missile) according to Jeremy Crawford, so Empowered Evocation affects Magic Missile's damage for all missiles, and Overchannel makes each one hurt more.
Chromatic Orb has been my go-to first level damage spell for single target. It is also a good candidate for Twinned Spell and Empowered Spell for a Sorcerer.
One note though: The d10 damage from Ice Knife is piercing damage and only the 5’ explosion is cold.
The text being referred to is this "if a spell deals damage to more than one target at the same time roll the damage dice once for all of them".
However, RAW if all the Magic Missiles hit the same target each dice would be rolled separately.
Which means that RAW Empowered Evocation should only be applied once per target.
Ice Knife deals piercing damage, then cold damage.
Magic missiles is a way better spell, you're heavily underselling how much effective damage per round not being able to miss is worth.
Chromatic orb 3d8 is 3*4.5 = 13.5 average damage. Magic missiles is 3d4+3 = 3*2.5+3 = 10.5 average damage. With the added versatility of being able to strike multiple targets.
If you assume that you are level 1 with a casting stat of 16, the best case scenario for chromatic orb at low level, you will have a proficiency bonus of +2 and a total spell attack of +5.
Now let's assume an AC of 15
Chromatic orb = 9/20 * 13.5 + 1/20 * 27 = 7.425 damage.
First I want to point out that this is a very high AC for low level mobs and at this point magic missiles is better damage wise and has other perks like being able to cast on multiple creatures, ignoring half cover, not needing a high spellcasting stat, and it's cheaper to procure. Not to mention how much your fellow players will love your magic missiles when you get to that one encounter where the dice keep failing and the rock that is magic missiles is all that keeps them going. At sufficiently low AC, you will see benefits from chromatic orb, so its not completely lost.
To be thorough I'd like to perform the calculation for arbitrary AC to find out what the break even point is, how low does the AC need to be for chromatic orb to be better than magic missiles on average, given we ignore the other perks that magic missiles has. Keep in mind this calculation assumes that the AC is no higher than 24 or lower than 6.
(20-AC+5)/20 * 13.5 + 1/20 * 27 = AVG_Damage ( AC ) = x < = > AC = 25 + (27-20x)/13.5
If we set x = 10.5, to find the AC where chromatic orb matches magic missiles in damage:
AC = 25 + (27-20*10.5)/13.5 = 11.44
This means that unless the enemy has an ac of 11 or lower, you are better off using magic missiles if all you care for is average damage. This still misses a lot of the nice perks of magic missiles and is why I have a hard time justifying chromatic orb as a good spell for a low level wizard.
HOWEVER, the real strength of chromatic orb was not even addressed in the article that was supposed to be all about the spell. The real strength and where the spell finds its niche is with the twinned spell metamagic of the sorcerer. You can only use this metamagic if you target a single creature with your spell a single time and as such both magic missiles and burning hands don't benefit. With this metamagic you will see rounds of tremendous burst damage from the sorcerer, one of the mathematically most powerful caster classes in the standard material.
TLDR: James is wrong on this one, you can go wrong with chromatic orb, its single target damage is easily rivalled and outmatched, it's less flexible than its competitors as practically nothing has force resistance. If you want to prepare more utility spells, save money or be more effective, you should not get this spell. If you want to twin giant balls of fire while picturing yourself as a character from Dragonball Z, then you should get this spell.
Great spotlight.
This spell doesn't get enough credit with it's versatility.
Always a pleasure reading your posts James.
I agree. This is why I never pick up Chromatic Orb. I understand it's appeal, but the price, the chance to miss and the use of a precious spell slot really makes it not worth it for me.
Chromatic orb is one of my favorite spells. When I was first getting the hang of the game, I played in a series of one-shots with a Shadow Magic Sorcerer who wound up 1-shotting the baddie-of-the-week with a thunder element natural 20 orb attack, the thing took like 38 damage or so and exploded into a shockwave that coated everyone but my character in a fine misty layer of entrails and gore. Good times.
What, no love for Catapult? 3d8 damage, no verbal component, no focus, and if your opponent saves you can strike a target behind them, and has utility to play keep-away with powerful (usually nigh unbreakable) macguffin. Also, you can launch your projectile around corners, or even strike enemy casters hiding behind meat shields or partial cover so long as your projectile starts behind them. Can also send some disarmed weapons (or spell foci) flying if they're light enough, giving you syngery with your martial allies, allowing a one-two combo with the potential to cripple a BBEGs fighting power with no save and an opposed Athletics check. Bonus points if you kill the necromancer's minion with his own staff. So many shenanigans, so little time.
This article answers all your questions on why this is a good spell. It's elemental versatility allows you to take advantage of damage vulnerabilities as well, providing your character is smart enough to know said vulnerabilities, which is you're playing a Wizard, one of the Knowledge rolls should give you an idea of it without metagaming. So while Magic Missile is easy and quick, Chromatic Orb is a great tactical choice that isn't overcome by Shield, a spell that all squishy casters should have.
This is a nice analysis, and I just wanted to chime in with one more option: Divine Soul Sorcerer can get Guiding Bolt, which is straight-up superior to Chromatic Orb. You do slightly more damage (14 average on 4d6), of a better type (Radiant), going out to 120 feet instead of 90... and the next attack on the target gains Advantage. Add in Twinned Spell and you have a very impressive way to spend your 1st level slots even at later levels.
Granted, only Divine Souls can take it. For everyone else, Chromatic Orb probably has a lot to offer!
Always check with your DM. I disagree on his ruling for dragons breath and chaos bolt. Especially since chaos bolt is a sorcerer exclusive and each instance requires an attack role, with doubles being rare enough.