How fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons players can best use and maximize the potential of casting the spell Spirit Guardians for protection.

In the fifth edition of Dungeons & Dragons, Spirit Guardians is a third-level Cleric spell from the school of conjuration. It requires one action to cast, requires verbal, somatic, and material components, and can last for up to 10 minutes of concentration. The spell is intended to call forth spirits to protect the user, as they surround the player at a distance of 15 feet or less. While the spell has potential, players may often come up short on exactly how to use it to its full potential.

The Spirit Guardians spell in Dungeons & Dragons is intended to keep creatures away from the user and create a bit of a protective barrier. When a creature enters the area for the first time on a turn or begins its turn there, it must make a Wisdom saving throw or take three D8 damage, and half as much on a successful save. Spirit Guardians also halves any enemy creature’s speed. One of the ideal ways to use this spell is when setting up a defensive position. Cast the spell before the enemy attacks, and ensure that friendly party members are within the spell’s area. This automatically sets up any enemy trying to get within melee range to take damage and have a harder time moving about that portion of the battlefield.

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There is also a clever trick for D&D parties to continually move enemies in and out of the Spirit Guardians range to keep them consistently taking damage each turn. This can be done by either shoving the enemy, the Telekinetic feat which allows players to shove another creature as a bonus action, or the Druidic Thorn Whip which could also move an enemy as a bonus action. Another one of the benefits of using Spirit Guardians versus something similar, like Fireball, is that the user can exclude any number of creatures within sight to not be affected by the spell.

D&D Players Can Maximize Spirit Guardians In Small Spaces

While this spell can seem limited for Dungeons & Dragons players at early to mid-levels, as players level up they will be able to cast this spell at higher levels and deal more damage. The most ideal place to use Spirit Guardians is in a dungeon or otherwise enclosed space, effectively turning the entirety of the room into a trap that slows and damages all enemies. It is important for players to remember that this spell does not deal damage the second it is cast but instead at the beginning of an enemy’s turn, which can be utilized by the entire party to their advantage.

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