Any neat Twinned Spell effects I'm not thinking of?

[MarkVIIIMarc]

I'm finally playing a Sorcerer.

In general what are some unusual effects you all have found for Twinned spells? If I get a Rod of Resurrection would it work? What if I somehow get the ability to cast Reincarnate? Twin Polymorph probably works. Twin Mending doesn't target a creature.....

Have I read this a little differently where it will NOT work with spells that CAN target multiple creatures? AKA Eldritch Blast.


Twinned:
When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn't have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell's level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell's current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren't eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.
Source: PHB, page 102.

[No brains]

A permissive reading of twinned spell can allow you to apply different parameters of the spell to the separate targets. For example, you could twin Dragon's Breath and bestow two different damage types of breath weapon to your targets. Potentially useful for figuring out damage resistances or vulnerabilities.

You can also potentially twin Conjure Celestial/Elemental/Fey, Summon (Whatever), or Infernal Calling. Summoning two creatures can be a major headache when applied right.

[Mastikator]

Divine soul sorcerer get a lot of very neat options. Twinned shield of faith, guiding bolt, healing word, heal, inflict wounds. But also levitate, phantasmal force, haste, greater invisibility, disintegrate
Aberrant mind can twin dissonant whispers

[Burley]

A permissive reading of twinned spell can allow you to apply different parameters of the spell to the separate targets. For example, you could twin Dragon's Breath and bestow two different damage types of breath weapon to your targets. Potentially useful for figuring out damage resistances or vulnerabilities.

You can also potentially twin Conjure Celestial/Elemental/Fey, Summon (Whatever), or Infernal Calling. Summoning two creatures can be a major headache when applied right.

Summoning spells don't have targets. Twinned spell needs to target a creature with an effect.

I'm a fan of Twinning Transmutation buffs. You could bonus action cast Dragon's Breath onto two allies (could target yourself, because it's still not a "self" spell). I'm not sure if you can do two different energy types because you technically have to cast the "same spell," but its up to the DM and how magic works in their head. If it does work that you can change the parameters of the spell during Twinning, you could Enlarge an ally while Reducing an enemy.
Then, there's the ol' stands-by: Haste, Polymorph, Disintegrate (it's not interesting, just really good damage and it was on the Transmutation list. I dare your BBEG to survive 20d6+40 damage. I dare'm.)

[Mastikator]

Summoning spells don't have targets. Twinned spell needs to target a creature with an effect.

I'm a fan of Twinning Transmutation buffs. You could bonus action cast Dragon's Breath onto two allies (could target yourself, because it's still not a "self" spell). I'm not sure if you can do two different energy types because you technically have to cast the "same spell," but its up to the DM and how magic works in their head. If it does work that you can change the parameters of the spell during Twinning, you could Enlarge an ally while Reducing an enemy.
Then, there's the ol' stands-by: Haste, Polymorph, Disintegrate (it's not interesting, just really good damage and it was on the Transmutation list. I dare your BBEG to survive 20d6+40 damage. I dare'm.)

Twinned disintegrate would have to target two creatures. Can't double disintegrate with twinned against the same BBEG.

However you could action surge and cast disintegrate twice against the same target, if you have the spell slots for it.

[No brains]

I was given to understand summoning spells target the creature they are summoning. It's weird that in the primary source books there's only loose mention of target parameters, but online tools can somehow clarify that.

[Mastikator]

Arguably the only twinnable summoning spell available to (divine soul) sorcerers is Planar Ally, it targets a single creature known to the sorcerer.

[Oramac]

Some have already been mentioned, but I'll throw out my favorites for Twin Spell:

- Greater Invisibility: put it on yourself and the monk/fighter/rogue. They get advantage on attacks and you're harder to hit (and thus less likely to lose concentration)

- Haste: same as Greater Invisibility, except this time you put it on the monk AND the fighter. I've done this. It's absolutely insane. Just don't lose concentration.

- Healing Word / Cure Wounds: HW is generally simpler, since it has range, but if you have two people within touch range, Cure Wounds works too.

- Chromatic Orb: Not nearly as optimized as other options, but dang fun to boot.

- Suggestion: useful before you get Mass Suggestion

- Cause Fear: you cause fear.....in two targets. Need I say more?

- Command: This spell is just too fun, especially if you have a lenient DM

[kazaryu]

twinned phantasmal force. make 2 people believe X is happening. could be much more disruptive than just 1, depending on DM.

[Gignere]

I didn’t see the following mentioned.

Level 1: Mage Armor, Gift of Alacrity (Get it through Fey touched or swap for it)
Level 2: Crown of Madness, darkvision, levitate, invisibility
Level 3: fly, gaseous form, intellect fortress, tongues
Level 4: Charm Monster, Dominate Beast, Stone Skin
Level 5: Dominate Person, Enervation, Hold Monster, Immolation, Skill Empowerment
Level 6: Fizban’s Platinum Shield, Flesh to Stone, Mental Prison, True Seeing
Level 7: Power Word Pain
Level 8: Dominate Monster, Power Word Stun
Level 9: Power Word Kill

[PallyBass]

Finger of death can be twinned for double the amount of permanently controled zombies you can get per long rest, though I think sorcerer is not the best for necromancy

[Damon_Tor]

I was given to understand summoning spells target the creature they are summoning. It's weird that in the primary source books there's only loose mention of target parameters, but online tools can somehow clarify that.

5e spells don't have a target line. If a target line is added by a third party (roll 20 does this IIRC) that's not an official rule source. It's often not entirely clear which creatures are supposed to be considered the targets of certain spells.

[No brains]

5e spells don't have a target line. If a target line is added by a third party (roll 20 does this IIRC) that's not an official rule source. It's often not entirely clear which creatures are supposed to be considered the targets of certain spells.

It's weird. I've complained before about how sometimes it seems like the community is reinventing wheels for 5e, but this is something that does need a definitive fix.


Arguably the only twinnable summoning spell available to (divine soul) sorcerers is Planar Ally, it targets a single creature known to the sorcerer.

This could be fun for a bunch of reasons! Just at face value, getting two 'outsiders' to do one or two things can be a huge boon. Then you get into DM roleplaying stuff. Will two creatures agree on one 'price' being enough for both of them? Will the creatures try to outbid each other? Perhaps the creatures are hostile to each other and one or both might just leave? Most amusing of all is if hated rivals just ignore the plea for aid and just rock em' sock em' right there. Might still be a useful distraction in the right circumstances.


twinned phantasmal force. make 2 people believe X is happening. could be much more disruptive than just 1, depending on DM.

This might be the gold one for it's weirdness and low spell level. Phantasmal Force is screwy enough on its own, but changing/ keeping parameters on the spell can make it really weird. Naturally it makes an illusion more convincing if more people can see it, but having creatures see and react to different things that seem to occupy different points in space could be a game changer. Make a whole squad paranoid that mimics or other stealthy creatures are all over the place.

[Chronos]

Quoth Oramac

- Haste: same as Greater Invisibility, except this time you put it on the monk AND the fighter. I've done this. It's absolutely insane. Just don't lose concentration.
Even better on the paladin and the rogue, or maybe the barbarian. Monk and fighter are both based on making a whole bunch of attacks, so one more isn't as big a deal. Paladin, rogue, and barbarian all get their damage from doing a lot with each attack, so an extra attack means a lot more.

- Cause Fear: you cause fear.....in two targets. Need I say more?

Eh, Cause Fear isn't all that strong an effect: It's just the Frightened condition, without forcing them to flee or anything like that. And it already has multitargeting built into its upcasting. Tasha's Hideous Laughter is much stronger, for the spell slot.

[Oramac]

Even better on the paladin and the rogue, or maybe the barbarian. Monk and fighter are both based on making a whole bunch of attacks, so one more isn't as big a deal. Paladin, rogue, and barbarian all get their damage from doing a lot with each attack, so an extra attack means a lot more.

Eh. Sneak Attack is once per turn, so it doesn't benefit the rogue at all. Barb is ok, and paladin can smite more, but that uses a pretty limited resource. OTOH, a monk making 5 attacks at 5th level is ridiculous. Add in a fighter with 3+ attacks and you get some serious throughput. I've done it many times. It's bonkers. There's a reason my wife's monk is nicknamed "The Finisher". :smallbiggrin:


Eh, Cause Fear isn't all that strong an effect: It's just the Frightened condition, without forcing them to flee or anything like that. And it already has multitargeting built into its upcasting. Tasha's Hideous Laughter is much stronger, for the spell slot.

That's fair.

[Sorinth]

Ice Knife is a weirdly written spell that technically allows you to hit multiple creatures in an AoE while still maintaining the single target restriction of twinned spell.

[Damon_Tor]

Ice Knife is a weirdly written spell that technically allows you to hit multiple creatures in an AoE while still maintaining the single target restriction of twinned spell.

Again the weasely language of what counts as a "target" may or may not allow for this. Crawford has said on Twitter that Ice Knife cannot be twinned "because it affects more that one creature." If we take that at face value, than anything affected by a spell can be considered targeted by it. Crawford's tweets aren't RAW, but they are the best source we have for RAI.

[Chronos]

Quoth Oramac:

Eh. Sneak Attack is once per turn, so it doesn't benefit the rogue at all.
Sneak Attack being once per turn decreases the utility, but not by as much as you'd think. You can attack on a different turn by readying an action. Granted, that uses your reaction, too, a reaction that could have been used for Uncanny Dodge, but even without readying, the extra attack is insurance against a miss.

Your turn would go something like this: First, use your haste action for a single attack (one of the options given in the spell). If you miss with that attack, then use your regular action for another attack (and keep your reaction for whatever). If you hit, use your regular action to ready an attack (this is an option, because you can do anything with your regular action), with the trigger being something that's sure to happen, like the next character in the initiative order doing anything.

Speaking of reactions, by the way, while Dissonant Whispers can be twinned, it isn't the best choice for it. The big draw of Dissonant Whispers is when you have an enemy next to one or more party members who do a lot of damage per melee hit, to give each of them an opportunity attack. But your party members don't get any more opportunity attacks if you twin it. So if you have two enemies next to your barbarian and paladin, or whatever, instead of doing one dose of psi damage and two big hits, you're doing two doses of psi damage and two big hits: Considerably less than double.