Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 ft
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Concentration
, up to 1 minute
Damage Type: Lightning
A beam of crackling energy lances toward a creature within range, forming a sustained arc of lightning between you and the target. Make a ranged spell attack against it. On a hit, the target takes 2d12 Lightning damage.
On each of your subsequent turns, you can take a Bonus Action to deal 1d12 Lightning damage to the target automatically, even if the first attack missed.
The spell ends if the target is ever outside the spell's range or if it has Total Cover from you.
The initial damage increases by 1d12 for each spell slot level above 1.
Material Component:
a twig struck by lightning
Verbal Component:
Confringo Malefica
Verbal Component (Alternative):
This witches hex, a spell most frightening; an arcing blast, a bolt of lightening.
Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard, Rogue
Tags: Damage
Source: Player's Handbook (2024) (page 343)
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Other Planes and Effects
Below is information about this spell as it relates to other planes and area of effects (i.e. underwater). Some of the information is pulled official D&D sources (such as books and the twitter feeds of D&D officials), but other information is derived from forums and online discussions. As always, it is up to the DM to decide how they wish to handle spell effects.
Underwater - Verbal Component
Official rules have been verified by Jeremy Crawford - "No rule prohibits verbal components from working underwater. Keep in mind that if you're talking, you're not holding your breath." Hence, while submerged underwater and holding its breath, a creature can cast a spell that requires a verbal component. After casting the spell, if the creature can't breathe underwater, it immediately runs out of breath. The creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round).
Underwater - Lightning Effects
None of the lightning spells mention water interaction in any way. In addition, the section in the PHB about underwater combat (pg. 198) doesn't mention anything about lightning spells behaving differently in water. So officially, there are no rules amplifiying or diminishing the spell effects. In addition, Jeremy Crawford has made a comment regarding a fireball in water that relates to this subject, "Nothing in the rules causes a fireball to vaporize water. Magic ≠ physics. DMs may apply whatever magical/scientific logic they like."
