Level
2nd
Casting Time
1 Action
Range/Area
120 ft.
Components
V, S
Duration
Instantaneous
School
Evocation
Attack/Save
Ranged
Damage/Effect
Fire
You create three rays of fire and hurl them at targets within range. You can hurl them at one target or several.
Make a ranged spell attack for each ray. On a hit, the target takes 2d6 fire damage.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3rd level or higher, you create one additional ray for each slot level above 2nd.
That's because you make attack rolls as part of the spell. Technically, it involves attacks, and it an action, but it is not an "attack action". There is the basic "attack" action, and the "cast a spell" action. This is casting a spell that involves attack rolls. Other spells like guiding bolt or chromatic orb would show up in the same area, and it's grouped there so that you can see your +to hit and ranges for different attacks, though to-hit would be the same for all of your spell attack usually, unless you picked up a spell attack from a different class through multiclassing or a feat.
When I first read the spell name I thought it was going to be a focused beam. After reading the spell description, I found it kinda hard to visualize firing three beams at a time. Now I imagine this spell as swirling streams of flame.
Scorching Ray is the spell i always am kinda 'meh' on when suggested. possibly up to 6d6 isn't bad and the 120 if damn nice however if even one of those miss, the slot is wasted; also if you don't have the fire adopt feat to make sure you don't end up doing less damage then a cantrip, it is still a gamble that could be replaced with Dragon's Breath, Aganazzar's Scorcher, Flaming Sphere, or Sniloc's Snowball Swarm
I have a player who likes to use this spell but D&DBeyond only rolls for one of the attacks. Is there a way to have it do three attack rolls when the spell is cast?
Each individual "ray/bolt" is an individual attack once the spell is cast. Think of it akin to 3 rapid fire crossbow shots from a fighter using Extra attack (ignoring loading property here for simplicity). Just because one bolt misses doesn't mean the rest do. If you miss one, the other two still have a chance to hit as normal.
Magic can be stored in certain magic items. I.e gauntlets
yes becuase it is an attack roll, if you cannot see a target you have to guess where they are and if you guess right you make the attack at disadvantage, and if the target has cover the cover apples, do not go arround thinking this would allow you to shoot a scorching ray on a enemy behind a wall (since they would have full cover and the attack would automatically miss)
I love this spell because it involves fire ad it can knock out multiple opponents at once.
Do you choose all attack targets and then roll for each ray? Or can you choose a target, roll for a ray, and choose another target?
Edit: this answered my question.
https://www.dndbeyond.com/sources/phb/combat#MakinganAttack
I was trying to figure this out, and decided on casting the first one like normal, and casting the successive ones using the -i tag, which ignores the spell restrictions (doesn't use a spell slot)
It is a ranged spell attack. Sight gives you a regular attack. No sight gives you disadvantage and you have to choose a point to target.
I try to like this spell but it's hard. I think the reason might be that I keep having it on classes (artillerist, circle of Wildfire) that give bonuses that just scale terribly on it. As artillerist, I could cast Scorching Ray for three attacks and add a d8 to one of the ones that land, or I could cast Shatter and add the d8 to everything in the AoE. Assuming average damage, three targets, and one misses/one saves, that's 18.5 total damage from Scorching Ray and 45 total damage from Shatter.
Even if all three rays hit and all three enemies make the save vs Shatter its still averaging 25.5 vs 27 damage dealt. The only places Scorching Ray really wins are multiple weak enemies spread out (sometimes; 2d6 doesn't reliably take them out either) or like someone else said, trying to break concentration. If it worked like Magic Missile where the damage was simultaneous, it would feel a lot better.
this spell is pretty good if casted at 9th level
Hello you all,
I have found a spell scroll: scorching ray. I'm a Nature Cleric can i equip and use this spell? and if so, how do i add it in my character page op DND beyond?
PS: i'm new to this all, sorry for asking.
Regards,
Natasha
Like Liu Kang from MK
does it work like magic missle then all three go to one then it gets 6d6? if so thats great
May I introduce you to Clockwork Soul MotM Bugbear using literally any casting of scorching ray
Ah yes… Firebending
Would Silvery Barbs cause the caster to reroll all 3 ranged attack rolls? Or just one?
Scorching Ray shouldn't require an Attack Roll. It's literally the same spell as Magic Missile. Both are Evocation, have a range of 120ft, require Verbal and Somatic components, and are Instantaneous, and have the same At Higher Levels rule!