Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 150 ft
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Instantaneous
Damage Type: Lightning
Save: Dexterity
You create a bolt of lightning that arcs toward a target of your choice that you can see within range. Three bolts then leap from that target to as many as three other targets, each of which must be within 30 feet of the first target. A target can be a creature or an object and can be targeted by only one of the bolts.
A target must make a Dexterity saving throw. The target takes 10d8 lightning damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 7th level or higher, one additional bolt leaps from the first target to another target for each slot level above 6th.
Material Component:
a bit of fur; a piece of amber, glass, or a crystal rod; and three silver pins
Verbal Component:
Catenae Fulmen
Verbal Component (Alternative):
Primordial air come forth, bring pain, arcing lightning sparking in chain.
Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
Domain: Air, Tempest, Weather
Tags: Combat, Damage
Source: Player's Handbook [5th Edition] (page 221)
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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."
