Witch Bolt 5e

In the 2014 rules, Witch Bolt was a notorious trap. It forced you within 30 feet of danger, wasted your entire Action every turn, and if you missed the first attack, you lost the spell slot entirely. It was high risk, low reward.

The 2024 update has completely redeemed this spell. With double the range, a Bonus Action activation, and a guarantee that the lightning arc connects even if you miss, Witch Bolt is now one of the most reliable and efficient damage spells in the game at lower levels.

What Does Witch Bolt Do in 5e?

Witch Bolt creates a tether of lightning between you and a target within 60 feet. You make a Ranged Spell Attack upon casting. If you hit, you deal 2d12 Lightning damage immediately.

Crucially, the arc forms whether you hit or miss. On your subsequent turns, you can use your Bonus Action to deal 1d12 Lightning damage to the target automatically. This automatic damage hits without an attack roll or saving throw.

The spell requires Concentration and lasts up to 1 minute. It ends early if the target moves out of the 60-foot range or finds Total Cover.

Note that while upcasting this spell does increase the initial damage by 1d12, it does not increase the damage of subsequent actions used to continue the spell’s damage.

Spell Rating: Witch Bolt

Overall: ⚡ A-Tier (Reliable Damage)

Contextual Performance (1-10)

• Combat: 8/10. For levels 1-5, this is a powerhouse. It guarantees damage every round for a single spell slot. The fact that it works even on a miss makes it perfect for high-AC targets that you struggle to hit with other spells. The fact that you can cast other spells on later turns on top of this guaranteed damage is just icing on the cake.

• Exploration: 1/10. Witch Bolt has no utility outside of combat.

• Social: 1/10. Generally, attaching a lightning leash to a noble is considered a faux pas.

Core Metrics (1-10)

• Raw Power: 8/10. The sustained damage is excellent, but the real power spike comes from the action economy. Because activating the arc is a non-spell Bonus Action, you can use your Action to cast a leveled spell on the same turn. This allows for massive burst rounds that were previously impossible. A 60-foot range is decent, and if there isn’t a lot of cover around for your target to hide behind, it’s pretty easy to keep the tether in place.

• Versatility: 3/10. While it only deals damage, its reliability makes it versatile. It is an answer to high-AC bosses, a way to conserve slots, or a steady source of damage while Dodging if you’re trying to stay safe.

• Efficiency: 10/10. This spell defines efficiency. A single 1st-level spell slot guarantees damage for the duration of the fight (concentration permitting). For Warlocks, knowing that casting this will result in damage no matter what the dice say is invaluable. Of course, the higher the HP of your target, the more efficient it is; if your target dies right away and you only get to trigger the damage once, that diminishes the value per slot.

• Upcast Scaling: 4/10. Upcasting adds 1d12 to the initial hit only. It makes for a decent opening nuke, but the ongoing damage remains 1d12. It scales okay, but not as well as area-of-effect spells.

Playstyle and Synergy

• Playstyle: This is a “Boss Killer” spell. You cast it on the toughest enemy in the room, ensuring consistent damage round after round while you use your Action to cast other non-concentration spells (Magic Missile, Blindness/Deafness) to pile on the pressure.

• Party Synergy: High. It pairs beautifully with party members who grapple or restrain enemies. If a Fighter holds the enemy down, they cannot run out of the 60-foot range, guaranteeing they cook for the full minute.

What Are the Rules for Witch Bolt in 5e?

The rules for Witch Bolt in the 2024 Player’s Handbook are as follows:

• Activation is not “Casting a Spell” using the Magic action. Activating the damage on subsequent turns is a generic Bonus Action, not a spell cast. This means it does not count toward the “One Spell with a Spell Slot per Turn” limit (PHB 2024, pg. 236). You are free to cast a leveled spell (like Fireball) with your Action and activate Witch Bolt with your Bonus Action on the same turn.

• The arc forms regardless of the attack roll. The spell text states “forming a sustained arc” before asking for an attack roll, and explicitly allows ongoing damage “even if the first attack missed”. Missing the attack only costs you the initial 2d12 damage.

• Total Cover breaks the tether. Even if the target is within 60 feet, if they move behind a solid wall or pillar (Total Cover), the spell ends immediately.

• It requires Concentration. You must maintain Concentration to keep the arc active. You cannot cast another Concentration spell without ending Witch Bolt.

How Do I Use Witch Bolt in 5e?

Here are the optimized ways to utilize the buffed Witch Bolt under the 2024 rules:

1. Use it in tight spaces. One of Witch Bolt’s biggest weaknesses is just how easy it is to run away from and/or get cover from. That weakness goes away if you cast it from the center of an enclosed space with a <60-foot radius. Bonus points if that space also doesn't have any cover that the enemy can't easily duck behind either.

   You’re way more likely to get in more than just the initial burst damage if you cast Witch Bolt in favorable, cramped spaces like that.

2. The “Nova” turn. On turn 1, cast Witch Bolt. On turn 2, use your Bonus Action to activate the arc (1d12) and your Action to cast a high-damage non-concentration spell like Scorching Ray or Thunderwave. You are effectively adding 1d12 “free” damage to your biggest nukes every round.

3. The “Bad Aim” backup. Use this against enemies with high AC. Even if you roll a 1 on your initial attack, you have successfully locked in 1d12 damage per round for the rest of the fight.

4. The “Dodge-Tank” Warlock. Cast Witch Bolt, then spend every subsequent turn taking the Dodge action while activating the bolt with your Bonus Action. You deal consistent damage while imposing Disadvantage on all attacks against you.

5. Zone control. Witch Bolt’s niche use is protecting something. Stand on/near the thing/creature you want to protect, and cast Witch Bolt at the most threatening target. Once the arc is established, that enemy has to decide whether it’s worth it to pursue the thing/creature you’re protecting, knowing that it’s guaranteed to take damage every turn it does so.

6. Use it on targets with high hit points. Witch Bolt’s other advantage is that its (potentially) efficient. One spell slot can net you sustained, definite damage. But this is only really true if it’s active for multiple rounds of combat, and most low hit point targets die in one or two rounds, making Witch Bolt a poor choice against them.

Is Witch Bolt a Good Spell?

Yes, Witch Bolt is an excellent spell in the 2024 rules. By removing the risk of wasting a spell slot on a miss and fixing the action economy, Wizards of the Coast has turned it into a premier single-target damage spell for Tier 1.

• Action economy king: Because the activation is a non-spell Bonus Action, it allows you to effectively “dual wield” leveled spells (or just use damaging cantrips) on subsequent turns. You can cast Shatter and trigger Witch Bolt in the same round.

• Guaranteed value: It is one of the few leveled spells that provides value even when the dice fail you.

• Reliable scaling: While it falls off in Tier 2 because it requires Concentration (and you will likely want to concentrate on better spells), it remains a top-tier pick for the early game where spell slots are scarce. Plus, in low-threat fights at higher tiers, it’s still a decent option to avoid wasting higher-level spell slots on trash mobs.

Witch Bolt 5e Compared to Other Low-Level Damaging Spells

To fairly compare Witch Bolt against other options, we need to account for accuracy. In 5e optimization, we assume a standard 65% chance to hit and a 5% chance to crit for all attack rolls. We also assume a standard combat lasts 3 rounds and the caster has a +3 spellcasting modifier.

Because Witch Bolt allows you to deal damage with a Bonus Action on turns 2 and 3, it enables you to cast a cantrip with your Action on those same turns (you could also cast a leveled spell, but we’ll assume you’re using a cantrip to keep things simple). This “Action Economy” advantage creates a damage floor that other spells struggle to match.

The table below calculates the total average damage over 3 rounds for a Level 1 caster.

Witch Bolt vs. Chromatic Orb

The 2024 Chromatic Orb has a new mechanic: if you roll doubles on the damage dice (approx. 34.4% chance), the orb bounces to a second target.

The Math: Chromatic Orb deals 3d8 (13.5) damage. Factoring in accuracy (65%) and crits (5%), the initial hit deals an expected 9.5 damage. If we account for the ~34% chance to bounce and hit a second target, the total expected damage for Turn 1 is 12.7. However, because it is instantaneous, you are stuck casting standard cantrips on turns 2 and 3. This results in a 3-round total of only ~20.5 damage.

The Verdict: Witch Bolt provides significantly higher total damage (~29.9) because it adds a guaranteed 6.5 damage to every subsequent turn without requiring an Action.

Witch Bolt vs. Magic Missile

Magic Missile is the king of consistency because it skips the attack roll entirely, dealing 10.5 damage guaranteed.

The Math: While Magic Missile wins round 1 (10.5 vs 9.1), it falls behind immediately after. Witch Bolt provides a guaranteed 6.5 damage on every subsequent turn via Bonus Action. If the fight lasts longer than 1 round, Witch Bolt is the mathematically superior choice for total damage output.

Witch Bolt vs. Hex & Hunter’s Mark

Warlocks and Rangers use these spells to add 1d6 (3.5) to every hit.

The Math: At Level 1, Eldritch Blast with Hex deals 1d10+1d6 (9) damage. With standard accuracy, that is 6.3 damage per turn. Over 3 rounds, that totals just 18.9 damage.

The Verdict: Witch Bolt blows this out of the water. By using your concentration on Witch Bolt instead of Hex, you deal ~10.4 damage per turn (Witch Bolt auto-damage + Eldritch Blast) on turns 2 and 3. This nearly doubles the output of the traditional Hex strategy in Tier 1.

The “True Strike” Synergy

The 2024 True Strike is a cantrip that uses your spellcasting modifier for attack and damage rolls and adds Radiant damage. It is the highest damage cantrip available at level 1.

The Math: A Wizard with a light crossbow (1d8) and +3 Intelligence deals ~11 damage on a hit with True Strike. Accounting for accuracy, this is ~7.6 expected damage per turn. On turns 2 and 3, you can use your Action to cast True Strike and your Bonus Action to trigger Witch Bolt (6.5 auto damage). This combination yields 14.1 damage per round reliably at Level 1, which is higher than what most martials can achieve.

Witch Bolt 5e DM Tips

The new Witch Bolt is potent, but it has a hard counter: Geometry.

If a player is dominating an encounter with Witch Bolt, remember that Total Cover breaks the spell immediately. Intelligent enemies should recognize the source of the lightning and duck behind a pillar, overturn a table, or run around a corner.

Don’t just have enemies stand in the open and take the damage. Forcing the player to move to chase a target to maintain line of sight (potentially putting themselves in danger) adds tactical depth to the encounter.

DnD 5e Witch Bolt FAQ

1. Is Witch Bolt good for Warlocks? Yes, Witch Bolt is now excellent for Warlocks. Because Warlocks have very few Pact Magic slots, they need spells that provide value over multiple rounds. The 2024 version guarantees damage even on a miss and uses a Bonus Action to sustain that damage. This allows a Warlock to deal automatic lightning damage while using their Action to cast Eldritch Blast, maximizing their damage output for a single spell slot.

2. Why was Witch Bolt considered bad? In the 2014 rules, Witch Bolt was considered “bad” because the spell ended immediately if you missed the initial attack roll, potentially wasting the spell slot completely. It also required your full Action to maintain the damage each turn. The 2024 update fixed both issues: the arc now forms even if you miss, and sustaining the damage only costs a Bonus Action. It also doubled the range from 30 feet to 60 feet and increased the initial damage by 1d12.

3. Can you use Twinned Spell on Witch Bolt? No, you cannot use Twinned Spell on Witch Bolt in the 2024 rules. The 2024 definition of Twinned Spell only applies to spells that can target an additional creature when cast with a higher-level spell slot (like Hold Person or Invisibility). Upcasting Witch Bolt only increases the initial damage, so it is not a valid target for the new Twinned Spell metamagic.

2014 Witch Bolt (Legacy Version)

The text below covers the version of Witch Bolt found in the 2014 Player’s Handbook. We have preserved this section for players running legacy campaigns or using older modules that haven’t updated to the 2024 rule set.

If you are playing with the 2024 rules, use the guide at the top of this page.