Unleashing the Fury: Maximizing Damage with Witch Bolt in DND 5e

Witch Bolt is a spell in 5th edition Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) that allows casters to unleash a bolt of lightning upon their foes. It is found in the Player's Handbook and is classified as a 1st-level evocation spell. The spell requires verbal and somatic components, meaning the caster must speak incantations and make specific hand gestures to cast it. When casting Witch Bolt, the caster must make a ranged spell attack against a target within range. If the attack hits, the target takes 1d12 lightning damage. This damage can increase as the caster levels up, reaching a maximum of 5d12 at higher levels.

This damage can increase as the caster levels up, reaching a maximum of 5d12 at higher levels. What makes Witch Bolt unique is its ability to sustain the lightning connection with the target. As long as the caster maintains concentration, they can use their action on subsequent turns to automatically deal damage to the target without needing to make another attack roll.

Holger Rune is faster than Usain Bolt on the first ten meters

Pretty amazing…
I know that most of you only speak Danish, but here you go:

Runes træner blæst bagover: 'Aldrig set noget lignende'

threehandedbackhand

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TheNachoMan

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Deleted member 798069

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Also, David Ferrer said Rune moves better than anyone he's ever seen on clay other than Nadal.
The best athlete on planet earth.

threehandedbackhand

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Sampras-Bruguera 1993

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accidental

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insideguy

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The Fedfather

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Purestriker

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Pretty amazing…
I know that most of you only speak Danish, but here you go:

Runes træner blæst bagover: 'Aldrig set noget lignende'

Purestriker

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Deleted member 798069

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Deleted member 798069

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TheNachoMan

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The Fedfather

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Hood_Man

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InsuranceMan

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Purestriker

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alexio

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nachiket nolefam

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ChrisRF

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True, but still it's surprising. I would have thought the "bad start" was only in comparison to other world class sprinters.

mahatma

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If that is true, that's incredible even if we consider Usain Bolt as a slow starter. And in tennis you gotta run only this much before you make a turn for another run.

Kralingen

Talk Tennis Guru

Bolt doesn’t start to hit his top speed though, he starts to open his legs up by the 15th meter or so and then smokes everyone from the 40-100m portion of the event

The Fedfather

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NoleFam

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norcal

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norcal

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I remember watching 'Superstars' way back in the day. The tennis stars (Borg etc) got smoked by football players in the 100 yard dash. Like embarrassed level smoked.

It would be the same today.

BeatlesFan

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Also, David Ferrer said Rune moves better than anyone he's ever seen on clay other than Nadal.
The best athlete human being on planet earth.

Fixed it for ya.

Rune really needs to be addressed as Saint Holger from now on.

BeatlesFan

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Here's Holger with Usain Bolt in Monte Carlo.

insideguy

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Im sure there are athletes all over the world who are faster in 10 meters than bolt. That and a cup of coffee will get you a cup of coffee.

nachiket nolefam

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Here's Holger with Usain Bolt in Monte Carlo.

CHillTennis

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Purestriker

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That’s Tyson Gays time, +2 slower, second place and at the time a world record. Tyson would crush Rune in 10 meters and he couldn’t even keep up with Bolt.

World Athletics | 100 Metres - men - senior - outdoor

Midaso240

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Yeah, not too much of a surprise if elite tennis players/basketball/football players are quicker off the first ten. Bolt was never the quickest starter, it took him a while to wind up and then flew past everyone else usually with ease

Chanwan

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True, but still it's surprising. I would have thought the "bad start" was only in comparison to other world class sprinters.

I need to see some serious data to believe this BS tbh. How did they measure it? Was it from a starting block? Electronic timing? Compared to which Bolt start? I call BS.

Cause you are correct, he's slow on the first meters compared to the very, very best. Not a random tennis player

marc45

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Bambooman

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True, but still it's surprising. I would have thought the "bad start" was only in comparison to other world class sprinters.

esvc

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Kralingen

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Backspin1183

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mental midget

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not to take anything away from rune (he's fast!) but most if not all sprinters are ahead of bolt 10 meters into the 100, 200. that's why they run the full race. and at full speed bolt ran faster, in all likelihood, than any person who has ever walked the earth. kind of a cool record.

tennis3

Professional

Bolt doesn’t start to hit his top speed though, he starts to open his legs up by the 15th meter or so and then smokes everyone from the 40-100m portion of the event

Correct. No human can run at 100% for 100 meters. So no sprinter runs at 100% at the start of the race.

The technical perfection that goes into a 100 meter race is staggering. Probably second only to the 110 hurdles, which must be absolute technical perfection

That’s Tyson Gays time, +2 slower, second place and at the time a world record. Tyson would crush Rune in 10 meters and he couldn’t even keep up with Bolt.

The sustained lightning damage remains at 1d12 per turn, even if the caster reaches higher levels. The advantage of Witch Bolt is that it allows casters to deal consistent damage over time without expending additional spell slots or making additional attack rolls. This can be particularly useful against enemies with high hit points or multiple targets. However, Witch Bolt does have its limitations. It requires concentration, meaning the caster cannot sustain the connection if they cast another concentration spell. Additionally, the spell has a range of 30 feet, which means the caster must be within close proximity to the target for it to be effective. Furthermore, if the target moves out of range, the connection is lost, and the spell ends. Overall, Witch Bolt is a versatile evocation spell that offers sustained damage potential. It can be an effective choice for casters looking to deal consistent damage over time, especially against single targets. However, its limitations in terms of range and concentration should be taken into consideration when deciding whether to use it in a particular situation..

Reviews for "Mastering the Arcane: Improving Witch Bolt in DND 5e"

1. Jane - 2 stars - I was really excited to try out the Witch Bolt spell in my D&D campaign, but I ended up being disappointed. The damage output was underwhelming, especially considering the concentration requirement and the spell slot it requires. Additionally, the spell's range is quite short, which limits its usefulness in many combat situations. Overall, I found the Witch Bolt to be underpowered and not worth the spell slot it occupies.

2. Mike - 3 stars - While Witch Bolt has its moments, I found it to be a very situational spell that often didn't live up to its potential. The initial damage is decent, but the ongoing damage is often lackluster compared to other spells of the same level. Furthermore, maintaining concentration on this spell can be challenging, especially if you're targeted by enemies. I would recommend considering other spells that offer more versatility and consistent damage output.

3. Sarah - 2 stars - I had high expectations for the Witch Bolt spell, but unfortunately, it fell short for me. The spell's range limitation makes it difficult to use effectively, especially in larger combat scenarios. Additionally, the fact that the damage is solely dependent on maintaining concentration makes it a risky choice. I found that there are other spells in the same level that offer better damage potential and utility, making Witch Bolt a subpar option in my opinion.

Everything You Need to Know About Witch Bolt in DND 5e