Tired of your spells missing their targets?
Is your DM constantly using Legendary Resistances to avoid taking full damage on their precious monsters?
Or, worse, do you suspect they may be fudging saving throws behind that damn DM screen?
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Well, there are a few damage dealing spells in 5e that hit no matter what. No spell attack roll. No saving throw to take half damage. These ones just hit, and some of them hit hard.
Use a combination of these spells to land hits every. single. turn. to whittle down that big baddie’s HP without worrying about flubbing a spell and doing nothing more with your turn than being a squishy liability.
Here are seven damage-dealing spell that will land no matter what:
Magic Missile
Well obviously we have to start with the list’s inspiration. While a well-timed Shield spell does have the ability to deflect these dastardly little darts, it’s not too difficult for a front-liner to bait out an opportunity attack to ensure that the target doesn’t have a reaction to use.
Sure, d4s might feel a little weak, but 3d4+3 that will definitively hit isn’t bad for a first level spell, all things considered.
Cloud of Dagger
Place this bad boy on top of your target and watch the whirling blades get to work. It’s essentially dropping a nightmare booby trap straight out of a SAW movie down onto them, without any chance for them to dodge out of the way.
Bonus points if they’re grappled, paralyzed, or otherwise incapacitated in anyway so that they have to stick around for multiple rounds of spinning stabs.
Heat Metal
Sure, this one is dependent on whether or not your target is carrying metal (or encased in it) but if it works, it works well.
2d8 for every round that the creature is touching the transmutated metal is deadly, especially when you start cooking that knight in shining (red hot) armor alive. Did you know it takes five freaking minutes to take off heavy armor in D&D? Yeah. That’s only 50 rounds — though I guess the spells duration is only for a minute, but still, that’s potentially 20d8 worth of damage from one 2nd level spell. Not bad at all.
Spike Growth
Now this one requires the target in question to move in order to take damage, so it’s not exactly a sure thing, but it definitely doesn’t require and attack roll or saving throw.
Plus you can pop up a field of Spike Growth centered around the enemy melee fighter, so unless they want to be completely useless all fight, they’ll have to wade their way through knee deep thorns to get within striking distance of anyone.
A pretty decent way to get some distance between you and a pursuer, as well.
Branding Smite
Okay, okay, I know we said that these spells wouldn’t require attack rolls, but hear us out here. While Branding Smite may require you to land a hit before you can even cast it, there’s no worry about this extra magic damage hitting once you decide to spend the spell slot.
Definitely worth having if you’re hack and slashing up front and want to lay down as much damage as possible.
Banishing Smite
I mean if we’re putting smites on here you know we need to include Banishing Smite. That extra 5d10 force damage can make or break a fight, and the fact that they can’t even save to stop from being banished (if they’re at lover than 51 hp, that is) is the cherry on top.
Power Word Kill
Your target has fewer than 100 hp? Oh. They’re dead then. That’s all. No attack roll. Definitely no saving throw. They’re just dead. lol.
Think we missed any damage-dealing spells that can’t be avoided? Let us know in the comments below!
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