2024 Player’s Handbook | Cold Damage Spell Tier Ranking D&D 5E

[@WolfHreda]

Snilloc's Snowball Swarm can hit multiple targets, but they have to be right next to each other, basically. Since it's a 2nd level spell, I would've liked to see it get a 10 foot radius instead.

[@comradewarners]

Yeah, a 10 foot radius would be a lot better. Now Acid Splash is even better than it lol

[@Wesmin]

@@comradewarners Good Video, one small thing, Acid splash and Snilloc's Snowball swarm are the same, 5ft radius (10 foot diameter across) sphere. Acid splash would need to be cast by a 17th level spellcaster to be higher damage than Snilloc's Snowball swarm. (yeah the snowball swarm is useless at later levels) I do agree with you that The Snowball Swarm is not a great spell, and will LIKELY only hit 1 target, if you're lucky, 2 enemies. If you have paid off the god of luck then MAYBE in some D&D group somewhere in the multiverse some level 3 spellcaster is using Snilloc's Snowball Swarm to hit 4 medium enemies, and dealing 12d6 damage and is a hero, but that is just not happening in 99.99% of circumstances. Even with battlefield manipulation, Telekinesis feat, grappling party members moving enemies, ect, it would be so incredibly difficult to get 4 enemies stacked all up next to each other in a square. I agree with you and won't be picking that spell even though I love cold-damage spells flavor.

[@Wesmin]

Great video thank you for compiling it! I'm already lookin gat your other videos, thanks for being awesome and D&D-related! A few minor points: Investiture of Ice: I think is best for a Sorcerer (Cold Draconic Sorcerer for flavor) but mechanically-wise a Sorcerer can use Quicken Spell to use their action on Investiture of ice to deal damage (but which doesn't count as casting a spell) and then use their bonus action to Quicken Spell on another spell. That way each turn they're dealing this damage AND another spell of damage. PLUS a Sorcerer can use Transmuted spell to get Cold Immunity, but deal FIRE damage with this spell, if you're going up against a creature dealing cold damage and vulnerable to fire damage, that combo is perfect. You're immune to them and dealing double damage to them every turn, then quickening fireballs on their face too if you want. I think this spell is much better in the hands of a Sorcerer than a Warlock. A Warlock with agonizing blast on Eldritch Blast would be dealing 3d10+15 damage by level 11(even more with the right subclass it might be 3d10+19 or even more, but I'll ignore that for now), when they have access to this spell. An average of 30 damage a round for no spell-slot cost, this is 1 spell-slot and then 10 minutes of 4d6'ing, an average of 12 damage a round, or 24 damage a round if you're hitting 2 creatures in the cone every time. you would need to be consistently hitting 3 creatures a round to essentially be 'breaking even' at 36 damage a round, with the downside of using a spell slot, but the upside of having cold immunity. It's just a hard-sell to me if I'm a Warlock, and honestly not great, pretty situation if I'm Sorcerer. This feels like maybe in practice only a Wizard spell "just in case we know we're going to case something we need cold immunity to" and it mostly hangs out in the Wizard's spellbook, but someone like a Sorcerer took up one of their few spells known on it.

[@comradewarners]

I’m glad you enjoyed the video!! I do very much agree with you about the sorcerer! I didn’t think about doing that with quicken spell. For sure best for the rare cases you need cold immunity for sure though. 😄

[@DrenosNDragons]

This was much more interesting than I expected. I’m looking forward to the build.

[@comradewarners]

@@DrenosNDragons I’m glad you enjoyed it! I’m excited for you all to see it! 😄

[@hoopty-westside]

Sorcerous Burst has optional cold damage(!) and if you can crit with Innate Sorcery AND Empowered Spell...could be alotuv d8s as a cantrip, especially later levels 😎

[@comradewarners]

Very true!! I was mostly trying to focus on spells that were specifically built with cold damage in mind, but it really is a great cantrip! I would for sure put it in A tier if it were to be in this video. Also I have an acid damage build video right here and I talk a lot about it in this video! kzbin.info/www/bejne/goe1qWasZbKWmac

[@hoopty-westside]

Or cheat and Transmute EVERY spell to cold damage!!!!;

[@comradewarners]

@@hoopty-westside Sorcerers are sooo good in this book! Lol

[@hoopty-westside]

​@@comradewarners an elf with 1st level in Paladin (heavy armor and Divine Smite) then Sorcerer (at least to level 4) could Quicken Spell True Strike for 2 attacks (Two True Strikes!) in a turn with Innate Sorcery and Elven Accuracy...crit fishin' for sum level 3 Divine Smites ...The Truest Divine Striker Spell Sword!!!

[@Rockclimbingbeta]

Also, chromatic orb, which is probably the best 1st level spell for a "cold" sorcerer not dipping warlock. Armor of agree is better on non blaster melee combatants anyway. Level 2 is probably rimes, and at 3rd level spells I'd just upcast chromatic orb with cold damage and use innate sorcery/seeking/empower to make sure it always hits and bounces