D&D Spell Damage Comparison
Base slot averages, from Ray of Frost at 4.5 to Meteor Swarm at 140. Pick any two.
Visual comparison
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| Name | Value | Context | Source |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ray of Frost Average 4.5. Slows speed by 10 on hit. | 4.5 damage | Cantrip, 1d8 | 5e SRD Spells list (Ray of Frost cantrip 1d8) |
| Sacred Flame Average 4.5. Dex save, ignores cover. | 4.5 damage | Cantrip, 1d8 | 5e SRD Spells list (Sacred Flame cantrip 1d8) |
| Shocking Grasp Average 4.5. Melee spell attack, blocks reactions. | 4.5 damage | Cantrip, 1d8 | 5e SRD Spells list (Shocking Grasp cantrip 1d8) |
| Fire Bolt Average 5.5. Rises to 4d10 at 17th, base pinned. | 5.5 damage | Cantrip, 1d10 | 5e SRD Fire Bolt page (1d10 fire, plus 1d10 at 5th, 11th and 17th) |
| Eldritch Blast Average 5.5 per beam. Extra beams at 5th and up. | 5.5 damage | Cantrip, 1d10 per beam | 5e SRD Spells list (Eldritch Blast cantrip 1d10) |
| Thunderwave Average 9. Pushes 10 ft on failed Con save. | 9 damage | 1st level, 2d8 | 5e SRD Spells list (Thunderwave 1st level 2d8) |
| Burning Hands Average 10.5. 15 ft cone, Dex save. | 10.5 damage | 1st level, 3d6 | 5e SRD Spells list (Burning Hands 1st level 3d6) |
| Magic Missile Average 10.5 total. Always hits, no save. | 10.5 damage | 1st level, 3 darts of 1d4+1 | 5e SRD Magic Missile page (three darts, each 1d4+1 force) |
| Shatter Average 13.5. Con save, loud noise. | 13.5 damage | 2nd level, 3d8 | 5e SRD Spells list (Shatter 2nd level 3d8) |
| Guiding Bolt Average 14. Next attack gains advantage. | 14 damage | 1st level, 4d6 | 5e SRD Spells list (Guiding Bolt 1st level 4d6) |
| Fireball Average 28. Gains 1d6 per slot past 3rd. | 28 damage | 3rd level, 8d6 | 5e SRD Fireball page and Basic Rules p.241 (8d6 fire, Dex save) |
| Lightning Bolt Average 28. Ties Fireball. 100 ft line. | 28 damage | 3rd level, 8d6 | D&D Beyond Lightning Bolt page and Basic Rules p.255 (8d6 lightning, Dex save) |
| Cone of Cold Average 36. Con save, frozen statue on kill. | 36 damage | 5th level, 8d8 | 5e SRD Cone of Cold page (8d8 cold, Con save) |
| Chain Lightning Average 45. Jumps to three more targets. | 45 damage | 6th level, 10d8 | 5e SRD Spells by Level list (Chain Lightning 6th level 10d8) |
| Disintegrate Average 75. Dex save, dusted at 0 HP. | 75 damage | 6th level, 10d6+40 | 5e SRD Spells by Level list (Disintegrate 6th level 10d6+40) |
| Meteor Swarm Average 140 total. Top here. Four 40 ft spheres. | 140 damage | 9th level, 20d6 fire plus 20d6 bludgeoning | 5e SRD 5.2.1 Meteor Swarm page (20d6 fire plus 20d6 bludgeoning, Dex save) |
About this converter
Fifth edition spells deal fixed dice at their base slot, so each spell has a fixed average on a failed save. Cantrips open low: Ray of Frost, Sacred Flame and Shocking Grasp average 4.5 on 1d8, Fire Bolt and Eldritch Blast average 5.5 on 1d10. First level steps up with Thunderwave at 9 on 2d8, Burning Hands and Magic Missile at 10.5, Guiding Bolt at 14 and Shatter at 13.5. Third level jumps with Fireball and Lightning Bolt at 28 on 8d6 each. Fifth level Cone of Cold averages 36 on 8d8, sixth level Chain Lightning averages 45 on 10d8, sixth level Disintegrate averages 75 on 10d6 plus 40, and ninth level Meteor Swarm averages 140 on 20d6 fire plus 20d6 bludgeoning. That makes one Meteor Swarm equal about twenty five Fire Bolts. Every value here is the base slot average with dice in context.
How to use it
Pick two spells and a unit in the top row. The three boxes below stay linked. Change any box and the other two update. One box holds a count of the first spell, one holds the matching count of the second, one holds the total in average damage. Try 1 Meteor Swarm against Fire Bolts.
Averages use dice means: 1d8 is 4.5, 1d10 is 5.5, 1d6 is 3.5, 3d6 is 10.5, 8d6 is 28, 8d8 is 36, 10d8 is 45 and 40d6 is 140. Targets that save take half from most rows, while Magic Missile always hits and Disintegrate still deals half on a save. Cantrips scale with character level: Fire Bolt rises to 2d10 at 5th, 3d10 at 11th and 4d10 at 17th, but rows pin the base. Higher slots add dice, for example Fireball gains 1d6 per slot past 3rd, but rows pin the base slot.
FAQ
How much is Fireball?
28 average on 8d6 fire at base 3rd slot. Targets that save take half.
How much is Meteor Swarm?
140 average: 20d6 fire plus 20d6 bludgeoning across four spheres. Targets that save take half.
Are these averages or max rolls?
Dice means at the base slot. A d6 averages 3.5, a d8 4.5 and a d10 5.5.
Do higher slots change the math?
No. Rows pin the base slot. Fireball gains 1d6 per slot past 3rd and cantrips add dice at 5th, 11th and 17th.
Sources
- 5e SRD Fire Bolt page (1d10 fire, scaling at 5th, 11th and 17th)
- 5e SRD Fireball page and Basic Rules 2014 p.241 (8d6 fire, Dex save)
- D&D Beyond Lightning Bolt page and Basic Rules 2014 p.255 (8d6 lightning, Dex save)
- 5e SRD Magic Missile page (three darts, each 1d4+1 force)
- 5e SRD Cone of Cold page (8d8 cold, Con save)
- 5e SRD 5.2.1 Meteor Swarm page via PostRoll (20d6 fire plus 20d6 bludgeoning)
- 5thsrd.org Spells by Level list (cantrips, 1st through 9th level spell roster)
- 5e SRD Spells list (Ray of Frost, Sacred Flame, Shocking Grasp, Eldritch Blast, Thunderwave, Burning Hands, Shatter, Guiding Bolt, Chain Lightning, Disintegrate dice)
Last verified: 2026-09-28 · 16 entries
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