Spiritual Weapon
2nd-level evocation · 1d8 roll, average 4.5
4.5 average roll · 1–8
Roll Spiritual Weapon
Press a roll button. The dice land here.
Spell details
- Level
- 2nd-level
- School
- Evocation
- Casting time
- Bonus Action
- Range
- 60 feet
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 1 minute
- Classes
- Cleric
- Attack
- Melee spell attack
Spiritual Weapon hits harder in 2024, but now it costs your Concentration
At the table. Spiritual Weapon is a Bonus Action. A floating force shaped like the weapon you choose appears within 60 feet, and you make a melee spell attack against a creature next to it: 1d8 plus your spellcasting modifier in Force damage on a hit. On later turns, a Bonus Action moves it 20 feet and attacks again. Your action stays free for a cantrip, a heal or the Dodge action.
What changed from 2014. Two things, both big. In SRD 5.1 it lasted a minute without Concentration, and a higher slot added 1d8 for every two slot levels above 2. In SRD 5.2.1 it needs Concentration, and each slot level above 2 adds 1d8. So it hits harder, but you can't run it alongside Bless, and a hit can end it.
How much it adds. A cleric with +3 Wisdom and a +5 spell attack, against AC 15, per Bonus Action:
| Slot | 2014 damage | 2014 average | 2024 damage | 2024 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | 1d8+3 | 4.35 | 1d8+3 | 4.35 |
| 3 | 1d8+3 | 4.35 | 2d8+3 | 7.05 |
| 4 | 2d8+3 | 7.05 | 3d8+3 | 9.75 |
| 5 | 2d8+3 | 7.05 | 4d8+3 | 12.45 |
At slot 5, the 2024 weapon averages almost twice the 2014 one.
The choice that matters is Bless or the weapon. With three allies attacking AC 15, Bless adds about 0.375 hits a round plus a d4 on every save, close to the weapon's 4.35 a turn at slot 2. Upcast, the weapon wins. Either way, the cleric keeps taking hits in melee: a Constitution save of DC 10 at +2 holds 65% of the time.
The common mistake is forgetting it's Concentration now. Plenty of tables still play it the 2014 way.
The human angle. The spell lets you pick what your weapon looks like, and players care about that more than the dice say they should. Norton, Mochon and Ariely found people valued things they had built themselves well above identical things they hadn't. A weapon you chose the shape of is yours.
Source: Norton, M. I., Mochon, D., & Ariely, D. (2012). The IKEA effect: When labor leads to love. Journal of Consumer Psychology, 22(3), 453–460. doi:10.1016/j.jcps.2011.08.002
Spiritual Weapon damage by level
| Cast at | Dice | Average | Range | Critical |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2nd slot | 4.5 | 1–8 | 9 |
The odds of 1d8
| Total | Chance |
|---|---|
| 3 or more | 75% |
| 5 or more | 50% |
| 6 or more | 38% |
| 7 or more | 25% |
Rules text
You create a floating, spectral force that resembles a weapon of your choice and lasts for the duration. The force appears within range in a space of your choice, and you can immediately make one melee spell attack against one creature within 5 feet of the force. On a hit, the target takes Force damage equal to plus your spellcasting ability modifier.
As a Bonus Action on your later turns, you can move the force up to 20 feet and repeat the attack against a creature within 5 feet of it.
At higher levels. The damage increases by for every slot level above 2.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The averages, odds and tables are ours.