A storm cloud appears in the shape of a cylinder that is 10 feet tall with a 60-foot radius, centered on a point you can see within range directly above you. The spell fails if you can’t see a point in the air where the storm cloud could appear (for example, if you are in a room that can’t accommodate the cloud).
When you cast the spell, choose a point you can see under the cloud. A bolt of lightning flashes down from the cloud to that point. Each creature within 5 feet of that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d10 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one. On each of your turns until the spell ends, you can use your action to call down lightning in this way again, targeting the same point or a different one.
If you are outdoors in stormy conditions when you cast this spell, the spell gives you control over the existing storm instead of creating a new one. Under such conditions, the spell’s damage increases by 1d10.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th or higher level, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 3rd.
This spell would break the game if any class could have it. I mean, bard can kinda do it, but this spell is just so op that if it wasn't restricted, they'd have some serious rebalancing to do.
Thanks to Guildmasters Guide, Izzet members of any casting class can now access this spell with the Izzet Guild Background.
Is this spell as useless as I think it is? You create a storm cloud than you can call lightening down directly below it... can't the enemies just, you know, move like 20 feet in any direction and now the spell no longer useful? You can't even couple it with spells that hold people in place because its concentration....
The spell has 60 feet radius,the cloud itself appears above you. So no,they can't just move 20 feet in any direction,they'd have to move 60 feet away from it,which might be bit hard for them to figure out considering how it's a cloud in the sky and most creatures,including other spellcasters don't really know the specifics of the spell. Also if you cast it during a storm the enemies would basically have no idea that you're controlling a specific point in the storm rather than the whole thing. It's a fantastic spell if you know how to use it,it's the only 3rd level spell that can potentially deal 300d10 damage to multiple creatures during it's full duration so depending on your situation this might be the only spell you cast per combat.
it is a 10 foot tall cloud with a 120 foot diameter. that's at least a turn or two of straight running to get out.
You can effectively destroy a section of city or a castle in 10 minutes with this spell
Any reason for storm sorcerers to not have access to this?
what is the dex save for this spell?
As with all Save spells, the DC to beat is the spellcasters' Save DC.
If you are a wizard, sorcerer, or arcane fighter/rogue looking for a similar effect to this, check out Storm Sphere: https://www.dndbeyond.com/spells/storm-sphere
It is slightly less powerful (4d6 at 4th level vs. 4d10, only against one target at a time, and only for one minute), but it has a few advantages:
The 100ft height requirement was removed in errata.
Thunder stuck
Great way to unsuspectingly pick off guards in a town.
Does the cloud move with the caster or is it stationary after being summoned?
The cloud is 120' across in any direction. Not too many PC's or monsters have that kind of movement, even over 2 or 3 turns. In essence, you light up a circle with a radius of 60' on the ground. You can hit anyone you want to who is inside that circle, which will take up most battle maps. Casting outside in a storm is even scarier--you literally take control of the weather and Thor-slap your enemies to the Nine Hells while your party looks on in horror, all thinking to themselves about the times they made jokes about nature and Druidic voodoo. Jokes on them though, because you can just swing your Big Druid Energy around and smite people like a GOD.
tl;dr - my favorite low-level Druid spell in 5e, be a God. Make your enemies kneel and beg for mercy after witnessing the sheer mass of your fury.
Is a 120 feet area...
There seems to be a lot of confusion as to how this spell works. With the errata changing the striking distance from "in range" to "under the cloud", doesn't that mean the striking range is 60ft radius not 120ft?
(Call Lightning (p. 220). In the
first paragraph, “100 feet” is now
“within range.” In the second para-
graph, “within range” is now “under
the cloud.”)
ADF,
When you cast the spell, you must pick a point overhead within range (120 ft). That point must also have room to fit the dimensions of the cloud (cylinder 10 ft tall with 60 ft radius) or it fails. After it is called, the strikes may be at any point under the cloud which you can see. There is no real "striking range" other than being "a point you can see under the cloud"
Its a 120 ft diameter cylinder, so it'll be pretty hard for enemies to get out of reach, and just because you can't concentrate on hold spells doesn't mean you can't grapple a creature or have your teammates do it for you.
Anyone within 5 feet gets struck, so anyone grappling the target would also get hit.