D&D (2024) Power Source Spell Lists

[Yaarel]

One D&D: Power Source Spell Lists

D&D benefits when organizing spells into themes. The thematic lists function to easily build a character concept or setting concept. Currently, the One D&D playtest only has three power source themes − Arcane, Divine, and Primal − which comes across a bit muddled and sprawling, where each source remains unfocused and some spells are redundant.

This thread finetunes the spell lists for six power sources − Arcane, Divine, Elemental, Necromantic, Primal, and Psionic. Some sources subdivide into specific themes, such as Elemental subdividing into the four elements: Air, Earth, Fire, and Water. Primal is life magic. Psionic is mind magic, including the reality that a consciousness experiences.

Typically, a class has about three lists from various sources, but only uses one source to spellcast. For example, a Cleric can access four thematic lists − Divine, Elemental Fire, Primal Healing, and Necromantic − but only uses the Divine source to cast any spell.

The thematic spell lists here list every spell that exists in 5e. Each spell belongs to one list, the one it mostly corresponds.

Spoiler: ARCANE SPELLS

Arcane Themes: Magical energy, force (damage, construct, telekinesis), ethereal plane
Skill: Arcana

0-Level Arcane Spells (Cantrips)
Blade Ward
Eldritch Blast
Mage Hand
Sword Burst

1st-Level Arcane Spells
Catapult
Detect Magic
Feather Fall
Identify
Mage Armor
Magic Missile
Shield
Tensers Floating Disc
Unseen Servant
Zephyr Strike

2nd-Level Arcane Spells
Levitate
Spiritual Weapon

3rd-Level Spells
Blink
Counterspell
Dispel Magic
Fly
Glyph of Warding
Leomunds Tiny Hut

4th-Level Spells
Leomunds Secret Chest
Otilukes Resilient Sphere

5th-Level Spells
Bigbys Hand
Circle of Power
Steel and Wind Strike
Telekinesis
Wall of Force

6th-Level Spells
Disintegrate
Globe of Invulnerability (Anti-Spell)

7th-Level Spells
Etherealness
Forcecage
Mordenkainens Sword
Reverse Gravity

8th-Level Spells
Antimagic Field

9th-Level Spells
Blade of Disaster

Spoiler: DIVINE SPELLS

Divine Themes: Space-time, fate, divination, teleport, planes, fey, celestial, astral plane
Skill: Religion

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Guidance
Resistance
True Strike

1st-Level Spells
Alarm
Bane
Bless
Ceremony
Comprehend Languages
Detect Evil / Good (Planar)
Expeditious Retreat
Hunters Mark
Protection from Evil / Good (Planar)
Shield of Faith

2nd-Level Spells
Augury
Find Traps
Locate Object
Magic Weapon
Misty Step
Nystuls Magic Aura
Rope Trick
Warding Bond

3rd-Level Spells
Bestow Curse
Clairvoyance
Haste
Magic Circle (Planar)
Nondetection
Remove Curse
Slow
Summon Fey
Tongues

4th-Level Spells
Arcane Eye
Banishment
Conjure Woodland Beings (Fey)
Dimension Door
Divination
Locate Creature
Mordenkainens Private Sanctum

5th-Level Spells
Banishing Smite
Commune
Contact Other Plane
Dispel Evil / Good (Planar)
Far Step
Hallow
Legend Lore
Planar Binding
Scrying
Skill Empowerment
Summon Celestial
Teleportation Circle

6th-Level Spells
Arcane Gate
Contingency
Drawmijs Instant Summons
Find the Path
Forbiddance
Planar Ally
Scatter
Tashas Otherworldly Guise
Word of Recall

7th-Level Spells
Conjure Celestial
Dream of the Blue Veil
Mordenkainens Magnificent Mansion
Plane Shift
Sequester
Teleport
Temple

8th-Level Spells
Demiplane
Maze

9th-Level Spells
Astral Projection
Foresight
Gate
Imprisonment
Time Stop

Spoiler: ELEMENTAL AIR SPELLS

Air Themes: Air, wind, lightning and thunder, elemental air plane
Skill: Nature

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Booming Blade
Gust
Lightning Lure
Message
Shocking Grasp
Thaumaturgy
Thunderclap

1st-Level Spells
Fog Cloud
Guiding Bolt
Thunderous Smite
Thunderwave
Witch Bolt

2nd-Level Spells
Gust of Wind
Shatter
Silence
Skywrite

3rd-Level Spells
Call Lightning
Gaseous Form
Lightning Arrow
Lightning Bolt
Thunder Step
Wind Wall

4th-Level Spells
Conjure Minor Elementals (Air)
Storm Sphere
Summon Elemental (Air)

5th-Level Spells
Conjure Elemental (Air)
Control Winds

6th-Level Spells
Chain Lightning
Investiture of Wind
Wind Walk

7th-Level Spells
Whirlwind

8th-Level Spells
Control Weather

9th-Level Spells
Storm of Vengeance

Spoiler: ELEMENTAL EARTH SPELLS

Earth Themes: Earth (soil, stone, metal, crystal), elemental earth plane
Skill: Nature

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Magic Stone
Mold Earth

1st-Level Spells
Earth Tremor

2nd-Level Spells
Arcane Lock
Cloud of Daggers
Dust Devil
Earthbind
Knock
Maximilians Earthen Grasp

3rd-Level Spells
Erupting Earth
Meld into Stone
Tiny Servant
Wall of Sand

4th-Level Spells
Conjure Minor Elementals (Earth)
Fabrication (Mineral)
Stone Shape
Stoneskin
Summon Construct
Summon Elemental (Earth)

5th-Level Spells
Animate Objects (Mineral)
Commune with Nature
Conjure Elemental (Earth)
Passwall
Transmute Rock
Wall of Stone

6th-Level Spells
Blade Barrier
Bones of the Earth
Flesh to Stone
Investiture of Stone
Move Earth

7th-Level Spells
...

8th-Level Spells
Earthquake
Mighty Fortress

9th-Level Spells
...

Spoiler: ELEMENTAL FIRE SPELLS

Fire Themes: Fire, sun, radiant, light, darkness, elemental fire plane
Skill: Nature

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Control Flames
Create Bonfire
Dancing Lights
Fire Bolt
Green Flame Blade
Light
Produce Flame
Sacred Flame
Word of Radiance

1st-Level Spells
Burning Hands
Color Spray
Divine Favor
Faerie Fire
Hellish Rebuke
Searing Smite

2nd-Level Spells
Aganazzars Scorcher
Branding Smite
Continual Flame
Darkness
Darkvision
Flame Blade
Flaming Sphere
Heat Metal
Moonbeam
Pyrotechnics
Scorching Ray

3rd-Level Spells
Blinding Smite
Daylight
Fireball
Melfs Minute Meteors

4th-Level Spells
Conjure Minor Elementals (Fire)
Fire Shield (Fire)
Guardian of Faith
Sickening Radiance
Summon Elemental (Fire)
Wall of Fire

5th-Level Spells
Conjure Elemental (Fire)
Dawn
Flame Strike
Holy Weapon
Immolation
Wall of Light

6th-Level Spells
Investiture of Flame
Sunbeam

7th-Level Spells
Crown of Stars
Delayed Blast Fireball
Fire Storm

8th-Level Spells
Holy Aura
Incendiary Cloud
Sunburst

9th-Level Spells
Meteor Swarm

Spoiler: ELEMENTAL PRISM SPELLS

Prism Themes: Prismatic blendings of elemental energies, corrosive acids, elemental chaos
Skill: Nature

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Acid Splash

1st-Level Spells
Absorb Elements
Chaos Bolt
Chromatic Orb
Tashas Caustic Brew

2nd-Level Spells
Dragons Breath
Melfs Acid Arrow

3rd-Level Spells
Elemental Weapon
Protection from Energy
Spirit Guardians

4th-Level Spells
Elemental Bane
Shadow of Moil
Vitriolic Sphere

5th-Level Spells
Destructive Wave

6th-Level Spells
Primordial Ward

7th-Level Spells
Prismatic Spray

8th-Level Spells
...

9th-Level Spells
Prismatic Wall

Spoiler: ELEMENTAL WATER SPELLS

Water Themes: Water, icy cold, elemental water plane
Skill: Nature

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Frostbite
Ray of Frost
Shape Water

1st-Level Spells
Armor of Agathys
Create or Destroy Water
Ice Knife

2nd-Level Spells
Snillocs Snowball Swarm

3rd-Level Spells
Sleet Storm
Tidal Wave
Wall of Water
Water Breathing
Water Walk

4th-Level Spells
Conjure Minor Elementals (Water)
Control Water
Fire Shield (Cold)
Ice Storm
Summon Elemental (Water)
Watery Sphere

5th-Level Spells
Cone of Cold
Conjure Elemental (Water)
Maelstrom

6th-Level Spells
Investiture of Ice
Otilukes Freezing Sphere
Wall of Ice

7th-Level Spells
...

8th-Level Spells
Tsunami

9th-Level Spells
...

Spoiler: NECROMANTIC SPELLS

Necromantic Themes: death, undead, fiend, aberration, shadowfell, negativity plane
Skill: Religion

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Chill Touch
Toll the Dead

1st-Level Spells
Arms of Hadar
False Life
Hex

2nd-Level Spells
...

3rd-Level Spells
Animate Dead
Feign Death
Hunger of Hadar
Life Transference
Speak with Dead
Spirit Shroud
Summon Lesser Demons
Summon Shadowspawn
Summon Undead
Vampiric Touch

4th-Level Spells
Blight
Summon Aberration

5th-Level Spells
Danse Macabre
Enervation
Infernal Calling
Negative Energy Flood
Raise Dead

6th-Level Spells
Circle of Death
Create Undead
Harm
Soul Cage
Summon Fiend

7th-Level Spells
Finger of Death

8th-Level Spells
Abi-Dalzims Horrid Wilting

9th-Level Spells
Power Word Kill

Spoiler: PRIMAL ANIMAL SPELLS

Beast Themes: Animal life, physical body, stun, venom, disease
Skill: Animal Handling

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Infestation
Poison Spray
Primal Savagery

1st-Level Spells
Animal Friendship
Beast Bond
Detect Poison / Disease
Find Familiar
Longstrider
Ray of Sickness
Speak with Animals
Spider Climb

2nd-Level Spells
Alter Self
Animal Messenger
Beast Sense
Blindness / Deafness
Enhance Ability (Physical Ability: Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity)
Enlarge / Reduce
Find Steed
Protection from Poison
Summon Beast
Web

3rd-Level Spells
Conjure Animals
Stinking Cloud

4th-Level Spells
Aura of Purity
Dominate Beast
Edvards Black Tentacles
Find Greater Steed
Freedom of Movement
Giant Insect
Guardian of Nature
Mordenkainens Faithful Hound
Polymorph

5th-Level Spells
Cloudkill
Contagion
Insect Plague
Reincarnate

6th-Level Spells
Create Homunculus
Tensers Transformation

7th-Level Spells
Divine Word (Deaf, Blind, Stun, Kill)

8th-Level Spells
Animal Shapes
Clone
Power Word Stun

9th-Level Spells
Mass Polymorph
Shapechange
True Polymorph
True Resurrection (Create Body)

Spoiler: PRIMAL HEALING SPELLS

Healing Themes: Life, health, healing, restoration, positivity plane
Skill: Medicine

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Mending
Spare the Dying

1st-Level Spells
Cure Wounds
Healing Word

2nd-Level Spells
Aid
Gentle Repose
Healing Spirit
Lesser Restoration
Prayer of Healing

3rd-Level Spells
Aura of Vitality
Beacon of Hope
Crusaders Mantle
Mass Healing Word
Revivify

4th-Level Spells
Aura of Life
Death Ward

5th-Level Spells
Antilife Shell
Greater Restoration
Mass Cure Wounds

6th-Level Spells
Heal
Heroes Feast

7th-Level Spells
Regenerate
Resurrection

8th-Level Spells
...

9th-Level Spells
Invulnerability
Mass Heal
Power Word Heal

Spoiler: PRIMAL PLANT SPELLS

Plant Themes: Plant life, fungus, products (food, wood, fabric), material plane
Skill: Nature

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Druidcraft
Shillelagh
Thorn Whip

1st-Level Spells
Ensnaring Strike
Entangle
Goodberry
Grease
Hail of Thorns
Purify Food / Drink
Snare

2nd-Level Spells
Barkskin
Cordon of Arrows
Locate Animals / Plants
Pass Without Trace
Spike Growth

3rd-Level Spells
Conjure Barrage
Create Food / Water
Plant Growth
Speak with Plants

4th-Level Spells
Fabricate
Grasping Vine

5th-Level Spells
Animate Objects
Conjure Volley
Swift Quiver
Tree Stride
Wrath of Nature

6th-Level Spells
Conjure Fey
Druid Grove
Transport Via Plants
Wall of Thorns

7th-Level Spells
...

8th-Level Spells
...

9th-Level Spells
...

Spoiler: PSIONIC TELEPATHY SPELLS

Enchantment Themes: Mind, telepathy, charm, fear, playing with minds
Skill: Insight

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Friends
Mind Sliver
Vicious Mockery

1st-Level Spells
Cause Fear
Charm Person
Command
Compelled Duel
Dissonant Whispers
Heroism
Sanctuary
Sleep
Tashas Hideous Laughter
Wrathful Smite

2nd-Level Spells
Calm Emotions
Crown of Madness
Detect Thoughts
Enhance Ability (Mental Ability: Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma)
Enthrall
Hold Person
Mind Spike
Suggestion
Tashas Mind Whip
Zone of Truth

3rd-Level Spells
Fear
Hypnotic Pattern
Intellect Fortress
Sending

4th-Level Spells
Charm Monster
Compulsion
Confusion
Staggering Smite

5th-Level Spells
Awaken
Dominate Person
Geas
Hold Monster
Modify Memory
Rarys Telepathic Bond
Synaptic Static

6th-Level Spells
Eyebite
Magic Jar
Mass Suggestion
Ottos Irresistable Dance

7th-Level Spells
Power Word Pain
Symbol (Mind-Affecting)

8th-Level Spells
Antipathy / Sympathy
Dominate Monster
Feeblemind
Glibness
Mind Blank
Telepathy

9th-Level Spells
Psychic Scream

Spoiler: PSIONIC ILLUSION SPELLS

Illusion Themes: Mind wills reality, subjective phantasm, objective illusion
Skill: Perception

0-Level Spells (Cantrips)
Minor Illusion
Prestidigitation

1st-Level Spells
Disguise Self
Silent Image

2nd-Level Spells
Blur
Invisibility
Magic Mouth
Mirror Image
Phantasmal Force
See Invisibility
Shadow Blade

3rd-Level Spells
Major Image
Phantom Steed

4th-Level Spells
Greater Invisibility
Hallucinatory Terrain
Phantasmal Killer

5th-Level Spells
Creation
Dream
Mislead
Seeming

6th-Level Spells
Guards and Wards
Mental Prison
Programmed Illusion
True Seeing

7th-Level Spells
Mirage Arcane
Project Image
Simulacrum

8th-Level Spells
Illusory Dragon
Maddening Darkness

9th-Level Spells
Weird
Wish

 

[SakanaSensei]

Part of the benefit of fewer, or some crossover is that you don't run into issues of not being able to play to certain tropes people want. Like, let's assume they do a psion class. They won't, ever, but let's say they do. Given the six lists in the OP, my psion, probably keying off of the Psionic magic lists, wouldn't have access to telekinesis. That is, after all, arcane according to the list.

You can get around this, of course, by just giving a telekinetic psion some arcane spells that fit the theming, I suppose.

When you go from the 3 they're fiddling with to the 6 (with subdivisions) here, what's the difference between this approach and schools of magic?

 

[Yaarel]

Part of the benefit of fewer, or some crossover is that you don't run into issues of not being able to play to certain tropes people want. Like, let's assume they do a psion class. They won't, ever, but let's say they do. Given the six lists in the OP, my psion, probably keying off of the Psionic magic lists, wouldn't have access to telekinesis. That is, after all, arcane according to the list.

Notice. The Cleric class accesses the thematic lists of: Divine, Primal Healing, Elemental Fire, and Necromantic. But the Cleric only spellcasts by means of the Divine power source.

Likewise. A Psion character might access: Psionic Telepathy, Arcane (telekinesis), and Divine (divination-teleport). But the Psion only spellcasts by means of the Psionic power source.

Probably every Psion character must have Psionic Telepathy (mind versus mind) and-or Psionic Illusion (mind over reality). This helps maintain a "Psionic" flavor.

You can get around this, of course, by just giving a telekinetic psion some arcane spells that fit the theming, I suppose.

When you go from the 3 they're fiddling with to the 6 (with subdivisions) here, what's the difference between this approach and schools of magic?

The "schools" fail to organize spells well because it jumbles together different kinds of categories. For example, abjuration is a purpose, necromancy is a theme, evocation is a means, etcetera.

In this thread, each of the power source spell lists is a theme. So it is possible to assign a spell to only one list.

 

[Yaarel]

The first post now updates with every spell that exists in 5e.

Each spell belongs to its one respective thematic list.

 

[MonsterEnvy]

I think I prefer just having the three current lists for now, maybe add a Psionic list in the future.

 

[Yaarel]

I think I prefer just having the three current lists for now, maybe add a Psionic list in the future.

Failing to include the psionic section now, means any psionic list in the future will be redundant and never part of the ODD game.

Psionics is now or never.

 

[Yaarel]

In the original post, I separated out the "Elemental Prism Spells" as its own thematic spell list.

The name "Prism" derives from the classic spells Prismatic Spray and Prismatic Sphere Wall.

The theme includes quite a few spells that refer to multiples of elemental energies, alluding the plane of the elemental chaos. Prism spells include Chromatic Orb, Chaos Bolt, Protection from Energy, and related spells.



This leaves the elemental earth spell list a bit passive and inert − but it need more spells to make it more dynamic and more interesting anyway. Might as well call attention to how the earth spells are in D&D.

The theme of earth has much potential because it comprises military metal, gemmy crystal, and city-building tech. We need more earth spells, like: Power Armor.

 

[Yaarel]

The point of dividing every spell in D&D into its respective theme is:

These are actually the themes and tropes that D&D itself is made out of.

When one looks at the lists, one can see what D&D has to offer. One can mix-and-match themes to create exactly the concept that one wants for ones own character concept. It is like painting a portrait using different colors from a palette.

Organizing spells into these lists also shows more clearly what is still missing from D&D. For example, every spell level within a particular theme should have not less than three appealing spells to choose from that can express the theme well at that level. Various themes need more development. As mentioned earlier, the earth themes needs more and more exciting development. The plant theme needs more powerful higher level spells. Necromancy has flavorful potential to explore: such as a higher level Find Familiar spell for an undead, fiend, or aberration pet. And so on.

In the mean time, combining two or more themes to create a distinctive character concept also helps fill in each others gaps.

In the same way that a player can look at the spell themes to think about the kind of character concept that one wants to play, the DM can look at the spell themes to think about what kind setting the characters are to play in. The setting might be local, regional, global, and planar. Different locations can emphasize a particular theme to create a tapestry of storytelling.

 

[Kobold Stew]

I have always wanted healing, ressurection, and necromancy spells to be in the same school -- I don't like the thought of an inherently evil school. But evil uses for one kind of magic? That seems awesome to me for gameplay.

 

[Yaarel]

I have always wanted healing, ressurection, and necromancy spells to be in the same school -- I don't like the thought of an inherently evil school. But evil uses for one kind of magic? That seems awesome to me for gameplay.

Resurrection is pretty much "postmortem healing".

Healing and necromancy are different themes. The necromantic theme can synergize well with the healing theme.

Necromantic can also synergize with elemental fire, for hellish brimstone. It can synergize with the illusion theme for ghostly manifestations. It can synergize with telepathy for devilish temptation or aberrant insanity. It can synergize with divine for cosmic horror. And so on.

By separating each theme into its own list, one can think about how to mix-and-match a particular concept more precisely.

Moreover any gaps in a salient list make more apparent concepts that merit further options.