Non Concentration Blasting - Druid Edition

[nickl_2000]

So what leveled spells can a Druid cast that do damage and don't require concentration?

I've found my Moon Druid (level 10 Druid/2 Ranger), at the end of the day, has a boatload of spell slots left due to Elemental Shaping and long concentration spells. So, what spells can I put in there to use up some of those slots without requiring concentration?

[clash]

Specifically for blasting spells you have limited options but there are still a few good ones:
Thunderwave,
Erupting Earth (Elemental Evil)
Tidal Wave (Elemental Evil)
Blight
Ice Storm

[nickl_2000]

Specifically for blasting spells you have limited options but there are still a few good ones:
Thunderwave,
Erupting Earth (Elemental Evil)
Tidal Wave (Elemental Evil)
Blight
Ice Storm

Thanks! How do you feel about Ice Knife? Is that worth it?

[clash]

Ya Ice Knife can be good as well. It does less damage then thunderwave but much better range

[th3g0dc0mp13x]

I intentionally left out land only spells.

Lvl 1
-Ice Knife
-Thunderwave

Lvl 2
-None

Lvl 3
-Erupting Earth (This should be your bread and butter 3d12+1d12 20' cube. other spells are bigger but this one is great for most encounters.)
-Tidal Wave

Lvl 4
-Blight
-Ice Storm

Lvl 5
-None

Lvl 6
-Bones of the earth

Lvl 7
-Firestorm

Lvl 8
-Sunburst

Lvl 9
-None

[MaxWilson]

So what leveled spells can a Druid cast that do damage and don't require concentration?

I've found my Moon Druid (level 10 Druid/2 Ranger), at the end of the day, has a boatload of spell slots left due to Elemental Shaping and long concentration spells. So, what spells can I put in there to use up some of those slots without requiring concentration?

Does it have to be blasting?

There are some good non-concentration defensive/utility spells you can cast on your party:

Plant Growth!!!
Longstrider
Goodberry
Protection From Poison
Speak With Plants
Dispel Magic
Planar Binding

Situational but maybe useful ones include:

Darkvision
Locate Animals or Plants + Animal Friendship/Awaken
Freedom of Movement (combo with spells like Evard's Black Tentacles/Web from other PCs to create friendly terrain for super-tough fights)

[nickl_2000]

Does it have to be blasting?

There are some good non-concentration defensive/utility spells you can cast on your party:

Plant Growth!!!
Longstrider
Goodberry
Protection From Poison
Speak With Plants
Dispel Magic
Planar Binding

Situational but maybe useful ones include:

Darkvision
Locate Animals or Plants + Animal Friendship/Awaken
Freedom of Movement (combo with spells like Evard's Black Tentacles/Web from other PCs to create friendly terrain for super-tough fights)

I can handle the battlefield control piece and use many of these spells, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the damage dealing spells. I always, always have Dispel Magic prepared. It's way to good not to have it ready.

[MaxWilson]

I can handle the battlefield control piece and use many of these spells, I just wanted to make sure I wasn't missing the damage dealing spells. I always, always have Dispel Magic prepared. It's way to good not to have it ready.

Okay. Erupting Earth, Blight, Ice Storm, and Flame Storm are as good as it gets for instantaneous druid blasting, I'm sorry to say, unless I'm forgetting something from Xanathar's.

[PeteNutButter]

This thread made me realize Druids don’t get Flame Strike in this edition. In 3.5e druids got the spell a spell level earlier than everyone else making them able to flame strike before the cleric but now they don’t even have it. Odd.

To comment on the actual topic. Erupting Earth is my nemesis. I cast that spell at 5th level and do like 12 damage all day. The math on it isn’t bad, just my anecdotal experience has been painful. Feels like it’s begging for a sorcerer’s empower but sorcerers have fireball...

Blight is pretty solid, but sucks being a con save. Ice storm is another sightly weaker fireball, probably the best AoE you have.

[gloryblaze]

I quite like erupting earth as a Druid blasting spell - druids don't get a lot of options, so having a flexible spell that scales well with level is great. One complaint about a lot of high level blasting spells in other classes (like Ice Storm) is that they're just worse than upcasting Fireball/Lightning Bolt, but Erupting Earth is unique in that when you upcast it, it actually catches up to and eventually outpaces FB/LB. Also, very few things resist magical bludgeoning damage.



Level
Fireball
Erupting Earth


3
28 (8d6)
19.5 (3d12)


4
31.5 (9d6)
26 (4d12)


5
35 (10d6)
32.5 (5d12)


6
38.5 (11d6)
39 (6d12)


7
42 (12d6)
45.5 (7d12)


8
45.5 (13d6)
52 (8d12)



I'm assuming you would never burn your 9th level slot on a straight blast outside of maybe Meteor Swarm, but just for reference, Erupting Earth VIII (52) or IX (58.5) beats out both Fireball IX and also Psychic Scream, both of which do 14d6 (49) damage, although obviously Psychic Scream has a strong rider and an instakill/resurrection prevention effect to tip the scales in its favor.