Dust Devil

[Segev]

This 2nd level spell does really lousy damage and then only if the enemy chooses to be next to the dust devil at the end of his turn. Or inside it, I suppose; technically, it doesn't even say the "elemental force" summoned occupies/fills/controls the space it's in, and thus doesn't say that other creatures can't share its space. (I would not blame a DM for saying it counts as a hostile creature, though, for purposes of moving through its space.)

If a creature chooses (or is somehow forced) to be within 5 feet of the elemental force at the end of the creature's turn, it makes a strength save vs. 1d8 bludgeoning damage (for half damage), and if it fails the save, is also shoved 10 feet away from the elemental force. (Presumably, if it's in the elemental force's square, the caster chooses the direction.)

In the situational case where debris such as dust or up to loose gravel is present, this spell can, if it moves over it, create a cloud of heavy obscurement in a 10 foot radius around itself. I think that's actually 5 squares on a side, since ten feet from the edges of the five foot square it occupies reaches that far. Maybe with the corners cut off. Perhaps the most interesting bit here is the timing on the cloud of heavy obscurement: it lasts from when the elemental force moves over the debris (so it doesn't count if it just stays put, and thus the caster must spend the bonus action to move it, first) until the start (not the end) of the caster's next turn. This means that a caster's turn starts with no obscurement around, and he can attack, cast spells, etc. with clear sight lines, and then use his bonus action to kick up a cloud of heavy obscurement. As long as he stays in the periphery of the 10 foot radius cloud, he is not within 5 feet of the elemental force and thus isn't subject to the damage, but he is heavily obscured until the end of his next turn.

This could be as good as the blur spell for self-defense, albeit a lot more situational and awkward to use.


So, my question is...is this actually worth its spell slot? Is it worth spending a spell known, a spellbook slot, or a preparation slot to even prepare? Is the battlefield control it offers actually useful? Is the obscurement too situational to be any good? You could use darkness to a similar effect, just stepping out of the radius to attack and then stepping back in.

It seems to me like it isn't, but I kind-of want it to be worth it. It seems "neat."

[tiornys]

This 2nd level spell does really lousy damage and then only if the enemy chooses to be next to the dust devil at the end of his turn. Or inside it, I suppose; technically, it doesn't even say the "elemental force" summoned occupies/fills/controls the space it's in, and thus doesn't say that other creatures can't share its space. (I would not blame a DM for saying it counts as a hostile creature, though, for purposes of moving through its space.)

If a creature chooses (or is somehow forced) to be within 5 feet of the elemental force at the end of the creature's turn, it makes a strength save vs. 1d8 bludgeoning damage (for half damage), and if it fails the save, is also shoved 10 feet away from the elemental force. (Presumably, if it's in the elemental force's square, the caster chooses the direction.)

In the situational case where debris such as dust or up to loose gravel is present, this spell can, if it moves over it, create a cloud of heavy obscurement in a 10 foot radius around itself. I think that's actually 5 squares on a side, since ten feet from the edges of the five foot square it occupies reaches that far. Maybe with the corners cut off. Perhaps the most interesting bit here is the timing on the cloud of heavy obscurement: it lasts from when the elemental force moves over the debris (so it doesn't count if it just stays put, and thus the caster must spend the bonus action to move it, first) until the start (not the end) of the caster's next turn. This means that a caster's turn starts with no obscurement around, and he can attack, cast spells, etc. with clear sight lines, and then use his bonus action to kick up a cloud of heavy obscurement. As long as he stays in the periphery of the 10 foot radius cloud, he is not within 5 feet of the elemental force and thus isn't subject to the damage, but he is heavily obscured until the end of his next turn.

This could be as good as the blur spell for self-defense, albeit a lot more situational and awkward to use.


So, my question is...is this actually worth its spell slot? Is it worth spending a spell known, a spellbook slot, or a preparation slot to even prepare? Is the battlefield control it offers actually useful? Is the obscurement too situational to be any good? You could use darkness to a similar effect, just stepping out of the radius to attack and then stepping back in.

It seems to me like it isn't, but I kind-of want it to be worth it. It seems "neat."
I agree this is by far the best use case for the spell. Is it worth it? It's a lot easier to avoid messing up your other party members with this than with Darkness since it's a fully mobile effect and--as you noted--it automatically turns itself off on your turn. I missed the automatic turnoff the last time I looked at this spell. That aspect in addition to the soft area denial makes it good enough that I think it's sometimes worth using. It's a lot shorter duration than something like Darkness or Fog Cloud so it's definitely not an auto-pick, but if you can expect to regularly get the debris cloud I'd call it a defensible choice.

[Segev]

Darkness is also a fully mobile effect, as long as you cast it on a pebble or a candle or something. Put it on anything that can be covered, and you can even have allies cover and uncover it based on who acts before and after enemies do. It is almost certainly only an object interaction to cover or uncover a thing. Even your familiar could manage to handle it twice per round: once on its turn as an object interaction, and once as a readied action based on the end of an ally's turn before an enemy. Whether that is ideal timing is questionable. But it still has one readied action to contribute while whoever goes right before or right after the enemy can contribute an object interaction.

[Ogun]

Bonus action movable heavy obscurment on demand would rock!
This spell isn't really that.
Are there other spells that actually create this effect?
I can see this as a Druid tactic, considering druids don't get Darkness.
Are there decent wildshapes that get tremorsense?
The soil surface requirements keep this from being useful in nice clean places or in wet places.
I see a thematic encounter for a party involving a giant anthill ruled by a druid...

Could it combo with booming blade, by forcing movement?

[Segev]

Bonus action movable heavy obscurment on demand would rock!
This spell isn't really that.
Are there other spells that actually create this effect?
I can see this as a Druid tactic, considering druids don't get Darkness.
Are there decent wildshapes that get tremorsense?
The soil surface requirements keep this from being useful in nice clean places or in wet places.
I see a thematic encounter for a party involving a giant anthill ruled by a druid...

Could it combo with booming blade, by forcing movement?

Booming blade specifies "willing movement," sadly.

[sandmote]

Booming blade specifies "willing movement," sadly.Booming Blade, then move the Dust Devil next to your target, stopping so your space is inside the cloud. You're heavily obscured as you move away and the target must choose between (a) taking the BB damage and (b) ending its turn next to the Dust Devil.

[tiornys]

Darkness is also a fully mobile effect, as long as you cast it on a pebble or a candle or something. Put it on anything that can be covered, and you can even have allies cover and uncover it based on who acts before and after enemies do. It is almost certainly only an object interaction to cover or uncover a thing. Even your familiar could manage to handle it twice per round: once on its turn as an object interaction, and once as a readied action based on the end of an ally's turn before an enemy. Whether that is ideal timing is questionable. But it still has one readied action to contribute while whoever goes right before or right after the enemy can contribute an object interaction.
Agreed, but putting it on an object means it can only move where something else carries it. Dust Devil avoids that restriction. Perhaps a better wording on my part would have been "independently mobile" to communicate the nuance I had in mind.

[meandean]

Are there decent wildshapes that get tremorsense?Well, earth elementals do, naturally... but as situational as this spell is when you first get it, it's gotta be an even less plausible option when you have up to 5th level spells to play with. Many have blindsight, of course.

[Ogun]

Sandmote, that's better than I imagined.
Is there a best spot to place the Dust Devil, relative to the target?
It can move in any direction.
Especially you're playing a small character, positioning the Dust Devil the right distance above the target should blind them while leaving your vision unhindered.
I think you can do this with Fog Cloud as well, but that spell is static, it can't be moved around.

With or without booming blade, could the threat of damage and forced movement be used to trigger attacks of opportunity?
If you're character is small, your head is 2 to 4 feet lower than that of a medium opponent.
At the end of your turn, park the Devil right above you, with your head just outside of the danger zone.
Medium sized melee opponents within 5 feet will have have to voluntarily trigger an AoO or risk damage and forced movement.
I guess they could crouch instead of moving.
I think this works whether the Obscurment happens or not.

The spell doesn't specify how much material it must pass over to create the cloud of obscurment, so bringing your own is an option.
Dust could mean anything that has been dried and ground down to a fine powder, or maybe not.
Lots of DM discretion involved here