Looking for a Reaction spell like thunderwave

[furby076]

Is there a Reaction spell that behaves like Thunder-wave? It doesn't have to do damage, but pushing a target away that approaches and knocks them prone.

[JNAProductions]

Not in official content, no.

[gooch]

What's the end goal? Is the pushing important, or moving yourself away from the attackers? Or just protecting yourself from said attackers?
Gnomes can avoid AoO using their reaction with the xtge feat, if that's what you're after. Also ruins the day for spell casters relying on a visible target...

[icedraikon]

Spells, I don't think so, however other things? Yes.

The Gift of the Gem Dragon feat has Telekinetic Reprisal: "When you take damage from a creature that is within 10 feet of you, you can use your reaction to emanate telekinetic energy. The creature that dealt damage to you must make a Strength saving throw (DC equals 8 + your proficiency bonus + the ability modifier of the score increased by this feat). On a failed save, the creature takes 2d8 force damage and is pushed up to 10 feet away from you. On a successful save, the creature takes half as much damage and isn't pushed. You can use this reaction a number of times equal to your proficiency bonus, and you regain all expended uses when you finish a long rest."

Artificers have the Repulsion Shield infusion: "The shield has 4 charges. While holding it, the wielder can use a reaction immediately after being hit by a melee attack to expend 1 of the shield's charges and push the attacker up to 15 feet away. The shield regains 1d4 expended charges daily at dawn."

There is the spell Temporal Shunt: "You target the triggering creature, which must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or vanish, being thrown to another point in time and causing the attack to miss or the spell to be wasted. At the start of its next turn, the target reappears where it was or in the closest unoccupied space. The target doesn't remember you casting the spell or being affected by it." But it's from EGW and it's Chronurgy/Graviturgy only.



For teleportation options:

Gnomes have Fade Away: "Immediately after you take damage, you can use a reaction to magically become invisible until the end of your next turn or until you attack, deal damage, or force someone to make a saving throw. Once you use this ability, you can't do so again until you finish a short or long rest."

Archfey Warlock has Misty Escape: "Starting at 6th level, you can vanish in a puff of mist in response to harm. When you take damage, you can use your reaction to turn invisible and teleport up to 60 feet to an unoccupied space you can see. You remain invisible until the start of your next turn or until you attack or cast a spell."



If your DM is okay with homebrew (from Critical Role), there is also Caduceus' Shield of Retribution: "When a creature misses you with a melee attack, you may react to blast with arcane force causing 4d6 force damage. If the creature fails a strength saving throw against your spell DC, it is also pushed back 20 feet."


I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones I can think of right now.

[Kane0]

Hold on im sure i brewed this one a while back

Here we go:
Repulsion
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to being damaged by a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see
Range: Self
Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous

You jump up to five feet away from the attacker. This movement does not provoke an opportunity attack.
The distance you can jump increases by five feet when you reach 5th level (10 feet), 11th level (15 feet) and 17th level (20 feet).

[kazaryu]

Is there a Reaction spell that behaves like Thunder-wave? It doesn't have to do damage, but pushing a target away that approaches and knocks them prone.

i mean, if you go PAM/warcaster then you can cast any single target spell as a reaction when someone gets too close. like dissonant whispers or hideous laughter.

[Crucius]

i mean, if you go PAM/warcaster then you can cast any single target spell as a reaction when someone gets too close. like dissonant whispers or hideous laughter.

Or be a paladin and cast thunderous smite after your action, and save it for the PAM reaction to knock an enemy away.

For PAM/warcaster I recommend Repelling blast warlock, they can do some serious knockbacks.

[animorte]

The Gift of the Gem Dragon feat has Telekinetic Reprisal:
Artificers have the Repulsion Shield infusion:
There is the spell Temporal Shunt:

I'm sure there are more, but those are the ones I can think of right now.
I'll add to this.

Warlock's Eldritch Invocation: Rebuke of the Talisman
Source: Tasha's Cauldron of Everything
Prerequisite: Pact of the Talisman feature

"When the wearer of your talisman is hit by an attacker you can see within 30 feet of you, you can use your reaction to deal psychic damage to the attacker equal to your proficiency bonus and push it up to 10 feet away from the talisman's wearer."

[da newt]

probably not what you are looking for but - you could ready an action to cast any spell that triggers when an enemy enters your melee range. Probably too action economy costly, but it works RAW.

[kazaryu]

Or be a paladin and cast thunderous smite after your action, and save it for the PAM reaction to knock an enemy away. that'd work too,


For PAM/warcaster I recommend Repelling blast warlock, they can do some serious knockbacks. eh, reason i recommended the ones i did was that i was assuming the caster wasn't using a reach weapon. and also repelling blast doesn't knock prone. but yeah, that'd work too since it wouldn't cost spell slots.

[follacchioso]

Tempest Clerics can do that at lv6, using Wrath of the Storm combined with Thunderbolt Strike.

[Yakk]

Hold on im sure i brewed this one a while back

Here we go:
Repulsion
Transmutation Cantrip
Casting Time: 1 reaction, which you take in response to being damaged by a creature within 5 feet of you that you can see
Range: Self
Components: S
Duration: Instantaneous

You jump up to five feet away from the attacker. This movement does not provoke an opportunity attack.
The distance you can jump increases by five feet when you reach 5th level (10 feet), 11th level (15 feet) and 17th level (20 feet).
Generally, cantrips should offer
(a) an alternative action (actual action) in combat, *instead* of a leveled spell or
(b) a utility akin to having skill at stuff, like minor illusion.

This is neither, and is a raw combat power boost. I see a lot of these "I'll give a reaction or bonus action and I'll just make it weaker".

But the problem is the "proper" balance for a cantrip level reaction or bonus action is *zero*, not weaker, because pretty much any such cantrip is a raw power boost. And cantrips at [Tier]dX are the (at-will) combat power level of full casters already.

You can make such an ability, but it should consume your next turn's action as well as the reaction. Then it is in the right budgetary domain. (Of course, now it needs to be better than the above)

Adding more at-will combat power to spellcasters is not really a great idea, especially if it isn't a complete system overhaul.

[Kane0]

Generally, cantrips should offer
(a) an alternative action (actual action) in combat, *instead* of a leveled spell or
(b) a utility akin to having skill at stuff, like minor illusion.

This is neither, and is a raw combat power boost. I see a lot of these "I'll give a reaction or bonus action and I'll just make it weaker".

But the problem is the "proper" balance for a cantrip level reaction or bonus action is *zero*, not weaker, because pretty much any such cantrip is a raw power boost. And cantrips at [Tier]dX are the (at-will) combat power level of full casters already.

You can make such an ability, but it should consume your next turn's action as well as the reaction. Then it is in the right budgetary domain. (Of course, now it needs to be better than the above)

Adding more at-will combat power to spellcasters is not really a great idea, especially if it isn't a complete system overhaul.

...Yes, but also no.

You're right that this would be unique as a reaction cantrip, and that in itself is breaking precedent. I'm not going to pretend that one cantrip known is a significant opportunity cost (although it is a small one), however the cost-to-benefit analysis is in that reaction.
By taking and using Repulsion, you are giving up on a possible Opportunity attack/Warcaster opportunity spell, Shield, Absorb Elements, Silvery Barbs, or any number of race reactions such as the Goliaths Stone's Endurance or the Tiefling's Hellish Rebuke plus also any class/subclass reactions such as Arcane Deflection, Cutting Words or Guardian Coil.
That's the cost, now the benefit. After you take the hit, you move 5-20 feet away. This is indeed a useful reposition for a spellcaster caught in melee, but let's not oversell it. It mitigates none of the incoming damage, melee enemies with only one attack are unaffected, as are ranged or unseen attackers that don't trigger it at all. There is a chance that 5-20 feet won't get you out of follow-up range but will hopefully instead either put you in a position where you don't have to disengage on your turn (or cast Shocking Grasp, Misty Step, etc to the same effect) or an enemy that could pursue you for another attack might face an ally or other obstacle like cover if you're lucky (although you don't teleport with this spell so more likely you jump back over a fall of some sort I guess, but that can be jumped so...)
It's entirely possible that an enemy or ally of the enemy can still move forward some more and attack you again, or make use of a ranged attack, or (likely preferable for you since you're casting this to get away from them) target someone else instead. That's what you have used your reaction for, and I think that sounds alright.

Now all that said, i'll play devils advocate against myself and say this was specifically made a few years ago for a rework of the Four Elements Monk taking the 'Air' path, and I needed a cantrip for it to match with the other elemental paths. It's entirely possible that this would be silly in the hands of something like a Wizard who already have enough get-out-of-jail-free cards to play. It was basically envisioned for people who want to play Jedi before Tasha's came out.

[Yakk]

Sure, as a class feature or whatever that is fine. I'd probably still make it rest-restricted, but at-will isn't bad.

[furby076]

Thanks all! I'll read through the options. Been traveling for work so not been able to check posts

[follacchioso]

...Yes, but also no.

You're right that this would be unique as a reaction cantrip, and that in itself is breaking precedent. I'm not going to pretend that one cantrip known is a significant opportunity cost (although it is a small one), however the cost-to-benefit analysis is in that reaction.
By taking and using Repulsion, you are giving up on a possible Opportunity attack/Warcaster opportunity spell, Shield, Absorb Elements, Silvery Barbs, or any number of race reactions such as the Goliaths Stone's Endurance or the Tiefling's Hellish Rebuke plus also any class/subclass reactions such as Arcane Deflection, Cutting Words or Guardian Coil.
That's the cost, now the benefit. After you take the hit, you move 5-20 feet away. This is indeed a useful reposition for a spellcaster caught in melee, but let's not oversell it. It mitigates none of the incoming damage, melee enemies with only one attack are unaffected, as are ranged or unseen attackers that don't trigger it at all. There is a chance that 5-20 feet won't get you out of follow-up range but will hopefully instead either put you in a position where you don't have to disengage on your turn (or cast Shocking Grasp, Misty Step, etc to the same effect) or an enemy that could pursue you for another attack might face an ally or other obstacle like cover if you're lucky (although you don't teleport with this spell so more likely you jump back over a fall of some sort I guess, but that can be jumped so...)
It's entirely possible that an enemy or ally of the enemy can still move forward some more and attack you again, or make use of a ranged attack, or (likely preferable for you since you're casting this to get away from them) target someone else instead. That's what you have used your reaction for, and I think that sounds alright.

Now all that said, i'll play devils advocate against myself and say this was specifically made a few years ago for a rework of the Four Elements Monk taking the 'Air' path, and I needed a cantrip for it to match with the other elemental paths. It's entirely possible that this would be silly in the hands of something like a Wizard who already have enough get-out-of-jail-free cards to play. It was basically envisioned for people who want to play Jedi before Tasha's came out.
These are valid points, but I think this should not really be a cantrip. There is nothing inherently magic in it - you just move when somebody hits you with an attack. It is something that a martial character should also be able to do it - perhaps even more frequently than a caster.

Looking at similar class features, Scout rogues are able to use their reaction to move away from an enemy, but only after the enemy's turn. This is a 3rd level feature that would be rendered pretty obsolete by this cantrip.

Another similar feature is Misty Escape, that Archfey Warlocks get at lv6. This is slightly more powerful because you also become invisible and teleport to a further range, but note the limitation of once per short rest.

Coming back to the main topic of this discussion, Tempest Clerics are able to do something similar at lv6, combining Wrath of the Storm and Thunderbold Strikes, but it is limited by Wis mod per long rest.