Cloud of Daggers 5e [5 Ways to Use the DnD Spell, DM Tips, Rules] - DnD Lounge (2023)

cloud of daggers 5e

Cloud of Daggers is the high damage, small gap "area of ​​effect" spell that can deal massive amounts of pain with the right setup. It is also a spell that is often misunderstood, which we hope will clear up.

So let's look at all the fun ways to bring a Cloud Dagger into your next DnD session, as well as tips for DMs casting the spell.

Who can cast Cloud of Daggers in 5e?

The following classes have Cloud of Daggers on their spell list:

• Bardo
• Magician

• Dry

• Seco

No subclass gets Cloud of Daggers for free.

What does Cloud of Daggers do in 5e?

Cloud of daggers that can affect between 1 and 4 squares (depending on your DM) and deal 4d4 (average of 10) slashing damage to any creature that enters the spell's area for the first time in a turn or starts its turn there.

Cloud of Daggers can last up to 1 minute (allowing for concentration) and can deal damage multiple times per round of combat, but cannot deal damage multiple times in a single turn.

Finally, Cloud of Daggers can be cast upward, dealing an additional 2d4 (average of 5) slashing damage per spell slot above 2nd.

What are the rules for Cloud of Daggers in 5e?

The rules for Cloud of Daggers in DnD 5e are as follows:

• Cloud of Daggers only affects a 5-foot square if your DM determines that the effects fit a grid on the battle map, or 2-4 squares if he doesn't determine that the effects fit the grid.Originally a controversial answer onwise adviceand then encoded inCompendium of wise advice, the game developers left it up to the DMs to decide if AoE effects should "snap" to a grid or not (SAC 16).

  In either case, the space Cloud of Daggers affects is a 5 foot cube, which means it affects the equivalent of 1 tile on a 1 tile = 5 foot battle map. Lazy Artist Rendering:

  OOO
  OXO
  OOO

  Only the X square is affected; all creatures on the O squares are completely safe from Cloud of Daggers.

  However, a DM may allow a player to cast Cloud of Daggers at the intersection of two or even four squares. In this case, Cloud of Daggers would look like this:

  OOO
  80
  OOO

  o

  OOO
  80
  80

  Obviously, this decision has a huge impact on the power of Cloud of Daggers.

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• Cloud of Daggers deals “magical” slashing damage."Magic" damage isn't a technical DnD term, but it's important to note that in order to overcome creatures' resistances and immunities to "non-magical" slashing damage, Cloud of Daggers works.Sage Advice Confirmation.

• Cloud of Daggers doesn't immediately deal damage if cast into a space already occupied by a creature.The Compendium of Sage Advice confirmed that spells like Cloud of Daggers and Moonbeam don't have an immediate effect, but instead "deal damage your enemies on later turns" (SAC 19).

  You definitely don't auto-hit with Cloud of Daggers on your turn when you cast it and again when the enemy's turn starts.

• You can force a creature in Daggercloud's area to deal damage to it immediately (once per turn).The SAC goes on to say that "entering such an area of ​​effect doesn't have to be voluntary... so drop it" (SAC 19).

  In other words, you can deal instant damage to an enemy by throwing them into Dagger Cloud with something likethunder wave. This has its limits, as SAC also reminds us that CoD and similar spells only affect a creature "the first time it enters the area in a turn."

  Of course, there are many turns in a single round of combat, so there is a chance to increase Cloud of Daggers' damage with some clever team play.

• Cloud of Daggers can damage allies (including you).Cloud of Daggers deals damage to "a creature" - the spell text says nothing about hostile or friendly.

• You roll damage for Cloud of Daggers when it actually hits a creature.So when you cast Cloud of Daggers, it won't immediately roll damage dice.

How do I use Cloud of Daggers in 5e?

Here are some ideas on how to use Cloud of Daggers in your next DnD session:

1. Combine it with push/pull effects.This is the real secret sauce for taking Cloud of Daggers from a “meh, decent damage in one hit” spell to an absolute source of monstrous pain. Some examples of pairing with Cloud of Daggers, yourself, or other party members include:

   • of the sorcerermystical explosioninvocations:Using Hadar's Grasp and/or Repelling Blast can ensure that you can unleash Daggercloud's damage over multiple rounds of combat, as long as the spell and your allies are strategically placed. And it's a hack, so it's easily replicable.

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   • thorn whip

   • thunder wave

   • lightning bait

   Even just idiots (armorMastering someone's feat?) can make mixing bad guys easy with your glorious Cloud of Daggers.

2. pair withGrab.Throwing Cloud of Daggers around your party fighter is a great way to guarantee high amounts of spell damage. What makes the grapple so special is the ability to freely move the grappled creature, back and forth in the blade blender.

   Aside from the ability for a creature to break free from the grip, this is a much more direct way to get multiple CoD damage procs than the push/pull method, which depends a bit on how the monster moves and how far it moves. in each turn. .

3. Combine with other effects that restrict movement.spells likehold the personmiRedit can do a decent job of accomplishing the same thing that the grappling hook does: ensuring that a creature takes multiple rounds of damage from one cast of the spell.

   Additionally, there are also various conditions that can reduce a target's movement to 0, effectively granting multiple instances of CoD damage. These conditions are:

   • incapacitated

   • paralyzed

   • content

   • Stunned

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   • unconscious

   Any spell or effect that causes these conditions (especially over multiple rounds) can cause Cloud of Daggers to deal silly amounts of auto damage.

4. Block narrow paths.Creating dangerous terrain not only has to be for incredible damage, but it can also be used to control the battlefield. Closing off escape routes, creating “rock and hard place” scenarios, and creating unique file groups can help exhaust your enemies' options.

5. Beware of allies.Dangerous terrain is a double-edged sword, so make sure you don't trap allies the same way CoD is used to trap enemies. Of course, if you put your friend in an awkward situation, you can lower your concentration at any time (even on his turn).

Is Cloud of Daggers 5e a good spell?

Yes, Cloud of Daggers is a good spell in DnD 5e and can be a great spell with the right character build and/or party composition. The guaranteed damage is always great, and the no-save-no-attack nature of Cloud of Daggers is undeniably attractive for that alone.

But that's not why players choose Cloud of Daggers: they do so because they have a group that works with a playstyle that creates opportunities to trigger Cloud of Daggers multiple times per round of combat.

If you don't have a squad that's up for this kind of shenanigans, we'd suggest skipping Cloud of Daggers for a more direct blast spell.

Cloud of Daggers 5e DM Dicas

We left GMs with quite a choice to make (or more accurately, Jeremy Crawford did) by determining that Cloud of Daggers affects between 1 and 4 tiles. For me, I think Cloud of Daggers is a good enough spell when it only affects 1 tile, and therefore I don't see the need to (somehow) arbitrarily buff a perfectly balanced spell.

Furthermore, from a purely practical perspective, whohellhe wants to deal with discovering every single AoE spell now that none of them fit into a grid. This isn't just a headache for the DM; it's a narrative-killing, time-consuming nuisance for the other players who have to watch you pop the tape measure every time someone wants to throw Fireball.

But that's just my two cents: upgrading to hit two tiles doesn't break the game, and I've also heard the solution to reduce damage by 1/4 if you let it hit four tiles. This pleases me and essentially changes the spell to allow for more utility, which is almost never a bad thing.

Cloud of Daggers 5e Spell Plain Text

Dagger Cloud:(2nd level conjuration, 60 feet, concentration, up to 1 minute, V/S/M (one glass splinter)) Place spinning daggers in a 5 foot cube. A creature takes 4d4 slashing damage when it enters the spell's area for the first time in a turn or begins its turn there. | +2d4 damage per space level above 2nd.