Fixing D&D’s Most Boring Spell

When the going gets tough, the tough get FIREBALL! No, seriously. Fireball is one of the most popular and referenced spells in all of Dungeons & Dragons but especially in fifth edition D&D.

Fireball as a spell

While we can’t definitively say that it’s the most popular, fireball is certainly one of them. Also, while narration can make any spell interesting and evocative per encouragement from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything fireball always felt like it craves more flavor. It’s not an un-fun spell or else it wouldn’t be among the most popular. But 5E D&D is starting to show a little age and I thought it could do with an improvement or two.

What is it about the fireball spell that we love so much and how can we make this spell more interesting?

The fireball spell is pretty simple. The text for the spell reads as follows:

A bright streak flashes from your pointing finger to a point you choose within range and then blossoms with a low roar into an explosion of flame. Each creature in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on that point must make a Dexterity saving throw. A target takes 8d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.

The fire spreads around corners. It ignites flammable objects in the area that aren’t being worn or carried.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 3rd.

On paper this spell is overpowered but not glaringly so. It’s accessible when a full spellcaster reaches 5th level because fireball is a 3rd level spell. This means most players who use it gain access to it a quarter of the way along D&D’s track to maximum level. The spell hits a broad area and has the potential for friendly fire — if you’re not a School of Evocation wizard — and the spell wreaks massive destruction by igniting flammable objects in the area. In a nutshell fireball is one of the flashiest spells in D&D.

Why we love fireball

Fireball is a favorite for many players and the bane of many Dungeon Masters. There’s just something so satisfying with shaking that many d6s, then watching them scatter the table. Adding those numbers builds suspense as everyone waits with anticipation for the spell to resolve. It lets characters feel big and epic and it really hits a lot of those classic over-the-top vibes many campaigns thrive upon. Even grittier campaigns embrace this spell as its degree of deadliness far surpasses many others.

The spell is fairly straightforward, making it palatable for newer DMs to handle since the spell is mostly just invoking chaotic destruction. Every murder hobo, dice goblin and power fantasy tripper loves a good dose of chaos.

Fireball feels classic. Iconic, even. It is a spell most don’t have to think about too much before casting since the amount of damage it deals is enough to merit its spell slot. Even if a creature makes its save the spell still does something unless a character has a feature like Evasion. Fireball only gets more efficient with more targets. Narratively this level of destruction works for distractions, overcoming literal barriers and brute forcing through most things to some degree.

It’s no wonder we love the fireball spell so much! The only downside to this potent spell option is also its greatest strength — the sheer, raw destruction left in the wake of its casting.

How to make fireball more interesting

Fireball as a spell is fun and evocative and it really scratches the power fantasy itch. However, the spell isn’t innately super interesting. While some class features from wizards and sorcerers spice things up with more control over the target area or with changing the damage type these are still fairly surface-level additions.

I propose some more nuance to this spell with a few simple additions to make it far more interesting.

Option 1: Concussive Fireball

This option feels like a natural extension of the spell’s theme and spirit.

With this option characters can cast fireball and substitute any number of the fire damage dice for thunder damage dice. Think along the lines of fireworks with explosions that let out a massive BOOM!

Additionally, when a character casts concussive fireball they can choose to roll half of the damage dice and cause any creature who fails its saving throw to also be knocked prone. The caster must specify this alteration before saving throws are made.

Option 2: Frost Fireball

This option feels very video game flavored to me. It also feels right at home in a more anime flavored or cartoon flavored game.

With this option characters can cast fireball and substitute any number of the fire damage dice for cold damage dice as the flames wick to vivid blues, lustrous purples and frosty white.

Additionally, when a character casts frost fireball they can choose to roll half of the damage dice and cause any creature who fails its saving throw to also be petrified for 24 hours. The caster must specify this alteration before saving throws are made.

Option 3: Shrapnel Fireball

With this fireball flavor characters must dodge incoming shrapnel as a consequence of the destruction caused by the spell.

With this option, characters can cast fireball and substitute any number of the fire damage dice for magical piercing damage dice as shards of destroyed objects fly in all directions.

Additionally, when a character casts shrapnel fireball they can choose to roll half of the damage dice and cause any creature who fails its saving throw to bleed, preventing the creature from regaining hit points for the next 10 minutes.

Light ’em up

I’m not going to lie — fireball is a bread and butter spell for any sorcerer or wizard I play. We’ve already discussed why I love this spell and now it’s your turn. Tell me in the comments why you love (or hate) fireball. If you don’t feel strongly about it then let me know why.

Regardless, please drop this post a like and share it if you found it interesting or helpful. Don’t forget to connect with Nerdarchy on YouTube or Facebook. Until next time we hope your D&D games blow up — in fun!

*Featured image — Is there a more iconic D&D evocation spell than fireball? The latest Magic: The Gathering expansion Adventures in the Forgotten Realms brings tons of awesome D&D flavor to the seminal card game. One such card is Farideh’s Fireball, which prompts card floppers to roll a d20 to determine the effects of this terrific spell. In 5E D&D evocation spells manipulate magical energy to produce a desired effect. Some call up blasts of fire or lightning. Others channel positive energy to heal wounds. [Art by Josu Hernaiz]

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