If you thought the phrase “bless you!” was only meant to respond to sneezes, think again. Here, we explore the Bless spell and how two simple words can give your character a serious advantage in combat, no matter what level you’re playing at.
Table of Contents
What is Bless Spell?
The spell’s text from the Basic Rules reads: “You bless up to three creatures of your choice within range. Whenever a target makes an attack roll or a saving throw before the spell ends, the target can roll a d4 and add the number rolled to the attack roll or saving throw. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st.”
Bless 5e Stats
| Level | 1 |
| Casting Time | 1 Action |
| Range/Area | 30 ft |
| Classes | Cleric, Paladin |
| Components | Verbal, Somatic, Material* |
| Duration | 1 minute |
| School | Enchantment |
| Attack/Save | None |
| Damage/Effect | Buff |
How Does Bless Work?
There are a few things to note about the Bless spell. The first is the range: 30 feet. The text of the spell doesn’t say that you must be able to see your targets so you can still target allies who are invisible or hidden from you.
Secondly, it is a concentration spell, so you’ll need to be careful about taking damage while concentrating. Clerics tend to be able to hold onto bless for longer than Paladins because Paladins are typically melee fighters.
Is Bless a Good Spell?
Bless is an amazingly good spell at all levels. A d4 might not sound like a lot, but adding an average of +2 to any attack roll or saving throw makes a big difference with 5e’s bounded math. As a comparison, +2 weapons are classified as rare and typically aren’t available until characters reach levels 11-15. Bless is a level 1 spell so having that effect early on is a game-changer.
Another interesting tidbit is that Bless applies to all saving throws, even death saving throws. Nothing in the spell’s text says it must be cast on a conscious target, so you could even intervene after your party member has already dropped to 0 hit points and may literally become the difference between life and death.
Which Classes Can Use Bless?
Bless is on the Cleric spell list, so it is available to Clerics and Paladins. Life Domain Clerics always have Bless prepared. Other classes can get Bless through certain feats, such as Magic Initiate or Fey-Touched, and Bards can obtain it through their Magical Secrets features.
We hope you enjoyed this Bless 5e Spell guide, why not check out Crossbow Expert 5e or Pass without Trace 5e?
Alexa spends the majority of her days explaining the ins and outs of DnD to her two cats, much to their dismay.