Guiding Bolt 5e Spell

A bolt of divine power shoots forth from the party’s Cleric, and the demon screams in pain and panic, blackened eyes rolling back in its withered head. Nearby, the Fighter smirks and gets ready to swing their greatsword, knowing they’re more likely to cleave the cruel foe in two.

Guiding Bolt 5e is one of the best attack spells in DnD so let’s explore it in depth.

What is Guiding Bolt Spell?

The spell’s text from the Player’s Handbook reads:

Spell Description

A flash of light streaks toward a creature of your choice within range. Make a ranged spell attack against the target. On a hit, the target takes 4d6 radiant damage, and the next attack roll against this target before the end of your next turn has advantage, thanks to the mystical dim light glittering on the target until then.

At higher Levels

The spell goes on to say that when you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2^nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1^st.

Lvl	Dice	Min	Avg	Max
1st	4d6	4	14	24
2nd	5d6	5	17.5	30
3rd	6d6	6	21	36
4th	7d6	7	24.5	42
5th	8d6	8	28	48
6th	9d6	9	31.5	54
7th	10d6	10	35	60
8th	11d6	11	38.5	66
9th	12d6	12	42	72

Guiding Bolt 5e Stats

Level	1
Casting Time	1 action
Range/Area	120 feet
Classes	Cleric, Druid*, Paladin**, Sorcerer*** & Warlock****
Components	Verbal, Somatic
Duration	1 round
School	Evocation
Attack/Save	Ranged
Damage/Effect	Detection

How Does Guiding Bolt Work?

Guiding Bolt is a self-explanatory spell. It deals radiant damage, scales well when you upcast it at higher levels, and gives an ally advantage on their next attack against the foe if you can’t take it down yourself.

Is Guiding Bolt 5e a Good Spell?

Guiding Bolt is an excellent spell for several reasons. To begin with, it deals radiant damage, which is rarely resisted by enemies, especially at low levels. Since Guiding Bolt is a 1^st level spell, it is readily available at the start of the game for Clerics and other classes.

For a 1^st level spell, Guiding Bolt deals a large amount of damage and gives one of your allies advantage on their next attack against the opponent. It’s not a concentration spell, but the benefit of advantage lasts until the end of your next turn, so everyone has ample opportunity to use it well.

Which Classes Can Use Guiding Bolt 5e?

Guiding Bolt is available in the Cleric, the Celestial Warlock patron, and the Divine Soul Sorcerer spell lists. Guiding Bolt is always prepared for Oath of Glory Paladins. Additionally, the Circle of Stars Druid has Guiding Bolt on their list of spells known and can cast the spell at 1^st level a number of times equal to their proficiency bonus per day.

Other classes can gain the spell by taking the Magic Initiate feat and selecting Cleric.