D&D 5E Fireball vs. Spirit Guardians

[gyor]

Favoured Soul has access to both, as do Light Clerics, so I was wondering what is the better spell.

At level 3 Fireball does 8d6 at a distance of 150 feet in a 20 food diamatre.

Spirit Guardians only does 3d8, but it does it once per turn, it's makes the space difficult terrian, and it can last 10 minutes minutes, does hurt your allies, but you can't cast it at a distance, it's centred on you, so you have to get dangerous close to the front line of combat, it moves when you do, so that can be useful. It takes roughly two rounds before it equals the damage that a fireball does in 1.

By level 9 slots that fireball turns into 14d6.

The Spirit Guardians on the other hand do 9d8 damage in one round, closing the gap majorly, but still doing less damage then fireball. But by turn 2 Spirit Guardians has done way more damage.

 

[Xeviat]

I guess it depends on how now you need your enemies to die. But no one would level 9 a fireball; hats what meteor swarm is for.


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[Caliban]

Important distinction - Spirit guardians doesn't make the area difficult terrain. It causes creatures speed to be halved. The area could still be difficult terrain on top of that.

Plus, if they start outside the area of the Spirit Guardians and use half their speed to get to it...they instantly stop once they enter the area because their speed is halved, and they've already used all their available movement. That can be a valuable amount of damage mitigation.

 

[mellored]

For favored soul, fireball. The ability to use it at a distance is a big boost, and you'll probably want concentration for twin-haste or twin-greater invisibility.

For light clerics, both. Use the one you need depending on the situation.

 

[CydKnight]

As you described they both have aspects that are not mirrored by one another so it will depend on the situation.

 

[Tormyr]

I have watched a surrounded party saved multiple times by spirit guardians.

 

[Sacrosanct]

Spirit guardians doesn't actually hurt your allies, if you don't want it to. But really, there is no real single answer. It's highly situational. Have a bottle neck where enemies are funneled? SG works great. Open area where the enemies are far away? Fireball. In a dungeon with limited range of sight? SG. Are you going to be in melee? SG again. It all really depends.

 

[Chaosmancer]

I'd say there are times when Fireball might be better, but for a cleric who has a high AC, Spirit Guardians is generally the better option.

I'm playing a life cleric and Spirit Guardians with Spiritual Weapon and my own weapon attacks makes me a very powerful force on the field.

If most of your enemies are also melee types who want to run past you, then Spirit Guardians means closing on you hurts and fighting you hurts. You also don't need to see the enemy. A bunch of invisible enemies attacking you? Spirit Guardians hits them just fine.

Also, wisdom saves tend to be harder for most enemies than dex saves in my experience. And Radiant Damage is less resisted than Fire damage.


I am fully biased though. It is one of my favorite cleric spells ever.

 

[gyor]

Also Spirit Guardians can be cast ahead of time if you know your about to enter combat soon.

 

[gyor]

For Spirit Guardians, the point of Origin is the caster, does that mean it covers a space 15' a head, behind, beside the character or does it include the characters square, so its effectively only 10' in every direction?