Water Spells

Reference list for imported and custom spells for water themed spellcasters.

With the exception of *Create/Destroy Water*, water must be present for these spells to be cast. This can be as simple as a filled waterskin unless otherwise specified by the spell.

Although water is usually treated as cold damage in the core rules, many of these spells lack elemental damage in order to provide some versatility to water-themed spellcasters.

## Ablution

* **Level:** 2 **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 10 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant/1 hour

You cover a target in shimmering water that cures them of poisoning, but leaves them dry after it fades. They are resistant to being poisoned for an hour after the spell is used on them.

## Control Water

* **Level:** 4
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 300 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 10 mins

Until the spell ends, you control any freestanding water inside an area you choose that is a cube up to 100 feet on a side. You can choose from any of the following effects when you cast this spell. As an action on your turn, you can repeat the same effect or choose a different one.

**Flood:** You cause the water level of all standing water in the area to rise by as much as 20 feet. The water level remains elevated until the spell ends or you choose a different effect.

**Part Water:** You cause water in the area to move apart and create a trench. The trench extends across the spell's area, and the separated water forms a wall to either side. The trench remains until the spell ends or you choose a different effect. The water then slowly fills in the trench over the course of the next round until the normal water level is restored.

**Redirect Flow:** You cause flowing water in the area to move in a direction you choose, even if the water has to flow over obstacles, up walls, or in other unlikely directions. The water in the area moves as you direct it, but once it moves beyond the spell's area, it resumes its flow based on the terrain conditions.

**Whirlpool:** This effect requires a body of water at least 50 feet square and 25 feet deep. You cause a whirlpool to form in the center of the area. Any creature or object in the water and within 25 feet of the vortex is pulled 10 feet toward it. A creature can swim away from the vortex by making an *athletics* check against your spell save DC. For each round caught in the vortex, creatures take **2d8** bludgeoning damage.

## Create or Destroy Water

* **Level:** 1
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 30 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant

You can create or destroy up to 10 gallons of water. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you create or destroy 10 additional gallons of water.

## Depthsurge

* **Level:** 8
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 100 feet/20ft radius
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant

The water within the area suddenly explodes outward in a massive surge of scalding water, as if driven by a powerful explosion. Each creature or area is subject to **2d6**bludgeoning damage and **2d4** fire damage.

Any creature struck by this attack must then succeed on a strength save or be driven 10 feet away from the centre of the blast.

At least half of the spell's area must contain water at least 10 feet deep, or else the spell fails. You must center the effect at or below the water's surface.

## Desiccate

* **Level:** 9
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 60 feet
* **Components:** V, S, M
* **Duration:** Instant

You draw all the moisture from a target's body, killing them instantly. Targets can make a *constitution* saving throw in order to survive. On success they are reduced to 0 HP and are unconscious. They can only regain consciousness if half of their max HP is restored.

## Drench

* **Level:** 2
* **Casting time:** 1 Reaction
* **Range:** 60 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant

You point your finger, and the creature that damaged you is engulfed in icey water. The creature must make a *dexterity* saving throw, taking **2d10** cold damage on a failed save, half damage on a success.

**At Higher Levels:** Damage increases by **1d10** for each slot above 2nd.

## Drown

* **Level:** 6
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 20 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant

You create water that fills the lungs of a target, causing them to begin drowning. They remain conscious for a number of rounds equal to their *constitution* modifier (minimum 1 round), after which their hitpoints are reduced to 0.

The target can make a *constitution* saving throw each round they are conscious. On a success they are able to expell the water from their lungs.

Creatures that do not breathe or breathe water are unaffected.

## Maelstrom

* **Level:** 5
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 120 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 1 min

A mass of 5-foot-deep water appears and swirls in a 30-foot radius centered on a point within range. The point must be on ground or in a body of water. Until the spell ends, that area is difficult terrain, and any creature that starts its turn there must succeed on a *strength* saving throw or take **6d6**bludgeoning damage and be pulled 10 feet toward the center.

## Misty Step

* **Level:** 2
* **Casting time:** 1 Bonus Action
* **Range:** 30 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant

Briefly surrounded by silvery mist, you teleport up to 30ft to an unoccupied space that you can see.

## Seafloor Sanctuary

* **Level:** 6
* **Casting time:** 10 minutes (ritual)
* **Range:** 60 feet
* **Components:** V, S, M (abandoned hermit crab shell, kelp berries)
* **Duration:** 24 hours
* **Prerequisite:** Druid

You invoke the spirits of nature to protect an area underwater. The area can be as small as a 30—foot cube or as large as a 90-foot cube. Buildings and other structures are excluded from the affected area. If you cast this spell in the same area every day for a year, the spell lasts until dispelled.

When you cast this spell, you can specify creatures as friends who are immune to the effects. You can also specify a password that, when spoken aloud, makes the speaker immune to the effects of the area. This can also be achieved by inscribing the password on a token.

The entire warded area radiates magic. A dispel magic cast on the area, if successful, removes only one of the following effects, not the entire area. That spell’s caster chooses which effect to end. Only when all its effects are gone is this spell dispelled.

**Murky Water:** You can fill any number of 5-foot squares on the ground with murky water, making them heavily obscured. The murk reaches 10 feet high. In addition, every foot of movement through the murk costs 2 extra feet. To a creature immune to this effect, the murk obscures nothing and looks like only light debris in the water.

**Grasping Seafloor:** You can fill any number of 5-foot squares on the ground that aren’t filled with fog with grasping seaweed, as if they were affected by an entangle spell. To a creature immune to this effect, the weeds and vines feel soft and reshape themselves to serve as temporary seats or beds.

**Guardians:** You can animate up to four plants or coral beds in the area, causing them to uproot themselves from the ground. These have the same statistics as an awakened kelp or coral (challenge rating 2 max). They can’t speak, and their bodies are faintly covered with glowing blue druidic symbols. If any creature not immune to this effect enters the warded area, the guardians fight until they have driven off or slain the intruders. The guardians also obey your spoken commands. The guardians can‘t leave the warded area. When the spell ends, the magic animating them disappears, and the plants take root again if possible.

## Shape Water

* **Level:** Cantrip
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 30 feet
* **Components:** S
* **Duration:** Instant, 1 hour (effects)

You choose an area of water that you can see within range and that fits within a 5-foot cube. You can change the flow of the water as you direct, up to 5 feet in any direction, cause the water to form into simple shapes and animate at your direction, change the water’s colour or opacity, or freeze the water.

If you cast this spell multiple times, you can have no more than two of its non-instantaneous effects active at a time, and you can dismiss such an effect as an action.

## Spectral School

* **Level:** 7
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 100 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** 1 hour

A swarming school of spectral fish appear around you, circling you. You can use a bonus action to send part of the school streaking toward one creature or object within 100 feet of you. When you do so, make a ranged spell attack. On a hit the target takes 4d12 damage. The spell gives you 8 uses before the school disappears.

**At higher level:** If cast at 9th level, you can expend 2 charges at once for 8d12 damage.

## Tidal Wave

* **Level:** 3
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 120 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instantaneous

You conjure up a wave of water that crashes down on an area within range. The area can be up to 30 feet long, up to 10 feet wide, and up to 10 feet tall. Each creature in that area must make a *dexterity* saving throw. On a failed save, a creature takes **4d8** bludgeoning damage and is knocked prone. On a successful save, a creature takes half as much damage and isn’t knocked prone. The water then spreads out across the ground in all directions, extinguishing unprotected flames in its area.

## Tide Blade

* **Level:** 2
* **Casting time:** 1 Bonus Action
* **Range:** Self
* **Components:** V, S, M
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 10 mins

You evoke a blade made of water in your free hand. The blade is similar in size to a short sword, and it lasts for the duration. If you let go of the blade, it disappears, but you can evoke the blade again as a bonus action.

You can use your action to make a melee spell attack with the blade. On a hit, the target takes **3d6** damage. The blade is only solid when you attack with it, and you cannot be disarmed. (unless someone dispels the magic).

**At higher level:** when you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the damage increases by **1d6** for every two slot levels above 2nd.

## Tsunami

* **Level:** 8
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** Sight
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Max 10 rounds (1 minute)

A wall of water springs into existence at a point you choose. You can make the wall up to 300ft long, 300ft high, and 50ft thick. Each creature in its area must make a *strength* saving throw. On a fail, a creature takes **6d10** bludgeoning damage, half as much damage on a success.

At the start of your turns, the wall moves 50ft away. Any creature inside the wall or whose space the wall enters must succeed a *strength* saving throw or take **5d10** bludgeoning damage. At the end of each turn, the wall’s height is reduced by 50ft, and the damage is reduced by **1d10**.

The creature must make a successful *athletics/swim* check against your spell save DC in order to escape. If it fails the check, it can’t move. A creature that moves out of the area falls to the ground.

## Wall of Water

* **Level:** 3
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 60 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 10 mins

You conjure up a wall of water on the ground at a point you can see within range. You can make the wall up to 30 feet long, 10 feet high, and 1 foot thick, or you can make a ringed wall up to 20 feet in diameter, 20 feet high, and 1 foot thick. The wall vanishes when the spell ends. The wall’s space is difficult terrain.

Any ranged weapon attack that enters the wall’s space has disadvantage on the attack roll, and fire damage is halved if the fire effect passes through the wall to reach its target. Spells that deal cold damage that pass through the wall cause the area of the wall they pass through to freeze solid (at least a 5-foot square section is frozen). Each 5-foot-square frozen section has AC 5 and 15 hit points. Reducing a frozen section to 0 hit points destroys it. When a section is destroyed, the wall’s water doesn’t fill it.

## Water Breathing

* **Level:** 3
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 30 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** 24 hours

This spell grants up to ten willing creatures you can see within range the ability to breathe underwater until the spell ends. Affected creatures also retain their normal mode of respiration.

## Waterspout

* **Level:** 7
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 100 feet
* **Components:** V, S, M
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 10 mins

Water whirls into the air, swirling upward with a thunderous noise like a tornado of fluid. Waterspout causes water to rise up into a whirling, cylindrical column. You can direct the movement of the waterspout as a move action.

A waterspout moves at a speed of 30 feet. You can concentrate on controlling the waterspout's every movement or specify a simple program, such as move straight ahead, zigzag, circle. Directing a waterspout's movement or changing its programmed movement is a move action for you. A waterspout always moves during your turn in the initiative order. If the waterspout exceeds the spell's range, it collapses and the spell ends.

A waterspout batters creatures and objects it touches, and it often sucks them up. Any creature or object that comes in contact with it must succeed on a *dexterity/reflex* save or take **3d8** damage. Medium or smaller creatures that fail their saves are sucked into the spout and held suspended in its powerful currents, taking **2d6** damage each round. Trapped creatures remain inside for **1d3** rounds before the waterspout ejects them out the top of the spout, and they fall back to the surface (taking falling damage if they land on solid terrain).

Waterborne creatures or objects within 10 feet of the spout (below and on all sides) also must make successful reflex saves or be sucked into the spout if they are Medium or smaller. Anything sucked into the spout is affected as described above.

## Water Stride

* **Level:** 5
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** Self
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 1 min

You gain the ability to enter a body of water and move from inside it to inside another body of the same kind within 500 feet.

Both bodies of water must be at least half as deep as you are tall. You must use 5 feet of movement to enter the water. You instantly know the location of all other bodies of water of the same kind within 500 feet and, as part of the move used to enter, can either pass into one of those or step out of the water you’re in.

In combat you can use this transportation ability once per round for the duration.

## Water Walk

* **Level:** 3
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 30 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** 1 hour

This spell grants the ability to move across any liquid surface–such as water as if it were harmless solid ground. Any damaging properties of the liquid (such as acid) re retained. Up to ten willing creatures you can see within range gain this ability for the duration.

If you target a creature submerged in a liquid, the spell carries the target to the surface of the liquid at a rate of 60 feet per round.

## Water Whip

* **Level:** 1
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 10 feet
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Instant

You whip the target with water, dealing **1d6** damage.

Alternative you can use this spell to attempt to trip your opponent without incurring an attack of opportunity from them. No damage is dealt using the spell this way.

## Watery Sphere

* **Level:** 4
* **Casting time:** 1 Action
* **Range:** 90 feet, 5ft shape
* **Components:** V, S
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 1 min

You conjure up a sphere of water with a 5-foot radius at a point you can see within range. The sphere can hover but no more than 10 feet off the ground. The sphere remains for the spell’s duration.

Any creature in the sphere’s space must make a *strength* saving throw. On a successful save, a creature is ejected from the sphere to the nearest unoccupied space. A *huge* or larger creature succeeds on the saving throw automatically, and a *large* or smaller creature can choose to fail it. On a failed save, a creature is restrained by the sphere and is engulfed by the water. At the end of each of its turns, a restrained target can repeat the saving throw.

The sphere can restrain as many as four Medium or smaller creatures or one Large creature. If the sphere restrains a creature that causes it to exceed this capacity, a random creature that was already restrained by the sphere falls out of it and lands prone in a space within 5 feet of it.

As an action, you can move the sphere up to 30 feet in a straight line. Any creature restrained by the sphere moves with it.

When the spell ends, the sphere falls to the ground and extinguishes all normal flames within 30 feet of it. Any creature restrained by the sphere is knocked prone in the space where it falls.

## Wave Blessing

* **Level:** 1
* **Casting time:** 1 Action, reaction
* **Range:** 100 feet
* **Components:** V
* **Duration:** Concentration, max 10 mins/lvl

You can cast this on one medium creature per level and the affected targets do not go under the water if they fail a swim check for any reason, including being tied up, unconscious, or heavily loaded. The targets can still be dragged under by the actions of other creatures.