Chromatic Orb 5E

Chromatic Orb 5E, found on page 221 of the Player’s Handbook, is one of the highest damaging first-level spells. But who can cast it? At what level can you cast it? What components does the spell require? How is it compared to other spells? This article will tell you all you need to know about Chromatic Orb 5E.

Chromatic Orb

1 evocation

• Casting Time: 1 action
• Range: 90 feet
• Components: V S M (A diamond worth at least 50 gp)
• Duration: Instantaneous
• Classes: Sorcerer, Wizard
• You hurl a 4-inch-diameter sphere of energy at a creature that you can see within range. You choose acid, cold, fire, lightning, poison, or thunder for the type of orb you create, and then make a ranged spell attack against the target. If the attack hits, the creature takes 3d8 damage of the type you chose.
• At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d8 for each slot level above 1st.

Higher Levels Damage Graph

	1st level	2nd level	3rd level	4th level	5th level	6th level	7th level	8th level	9th level
Damage Dice	3d8	4d8	5d8	6d8	7d8	8d8	9d8	10d8	11d8
Min Damage	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	10	11
Average Damage	13.5	18	22.5	27	31.5	36	40.5	45	49.5
Max Damage	24	32	40	48	56	64	72	80	88

What Classes can cast Chromatic Orb?

Chromatic Orb can be cast by Sorcerers or Wizards at first level. It is also available to anybody who has access to Wizard and Sorcerer spells through the feat Magic Initiate.

What level can you cast Chromatic Orb?

Wizards and Sorcerers gain access to the Chromatic Orb spell at first level. They can also cast it at higher levels for more damage. See above graph for examples.

Spell components

Chromatic Orb 5E requires a diamond worth 50 GP. The diamond is not consumed when casting the spell. Therefore, you will not need a pouch full of diamonds to cast this spell. One diamond will suffice.

50 GP is a lot of gold to spend for one spell at first level. If you roll for gold at first level, a wizard’s max is 160 GP and a sorcerer’s max is 120 GP. Once you consider what else you’ll need for adventuring clothes, backpack rations, other spell components, etc. 50 GP is a lot.

Spell components always come down to how detail-oriented your dungeon master is. Personally, as a DM I never paid much attention, unless I took the belongings of the party through capture or imprisonment. You can always check with your DM to see how important it is to them.

Are there any feats that allow you to cast Chromatic Orb?

If you are not a Wizard or a Sorcerer but you wish to learn Chromatic Orb, you can do so by taking the Magic Initiate feat. You would choose to gain access to Wizard or Sorcerer spells. This would allow you to learn 2 cantrips and one first-level spell from the Sorcerer or Wizards spell list.

However, it is a good thing to remember that you would only be able to cast Chromatic Orb once before having to take a long rest, and you’re only allowed to cast it at its lowest level, which would be level 1.

Chromatic Orb Compared to Other Spells

Let’s look and see what other spells you can compare to Chromatic Orb. We’re looking for a Sorcerer or Wizard spell of the same level that does around the same amount of damage.

Chromatic Orb VS Magic Missile

The D&D classic Magic Missile is a decent comparison for Chromatic Orb. Let’s first look at and compare how both of these spells hit their targets.

Magic Missile automatically hits. Chromatic Orb requires an attack roll which always has the possibility of missing, in which case you must choose between doing more damage but possibly missing, or doing less damage but knowing you will hit.

Here is a breakdown of damage for both spells as well as their range.

Spells	Damage Dice	Min Damage	Average Damage	Max Damage	Range
1st level Chromatic Orb	3d8	3	13.5	24	90ft
1st level Magic Missile	3d4+3	6	10.5	15	120ft

Chromatic Orb VS Chaos Bolt

Chaos Bolt is another spell that could be compared to Chromatic Orb. Found in Xanathar’s Guide to Everything, it is a spell that only Sorcerers or people that have access to Sorcerer spells may cast. Sorry Wizards.

Both spells are pretty comparable when it comes to damage, though Chromatic Orb still slightly takes the lead in this one. Chaos Bolt does have the opportunity to jump from one creature to another when you roll doubles on your D8s, allowing it to do more damage. In my experience, that is pretty unlikely to happen, especially more than once.

Both Chromatic Orb and Chaos Bolt are spell attacks so there is always the chance of missing, unlike Magic Missile, which is an automatic hit. For this reason, I would always suggest casting these spells with advantage whenever possible.

They are also alike because both spells can do different kinds of damage types; acid, cold, air, etc. However, Chromatic Orb allows you to choose the damage type where Chaos Bolt is randomly chosen based on one of your D8 rolls, hence the term chaos.

Here is a breakdown of damage for both spells as well as their range.

Spells	Damage Dice	Min Damage	Average Damage	Max Damage	Range
1st level Chromatic Orb	3d8	3	13.5	24	90ft
1st level Chaos Bolt	2d8 + 1d6	3	12.5	22	120ft

Our Thoughts

In our opinion, Chromatic Orb 5E is one of the best first-level damaging spells you can take. Though there’s always a risk of you missing your attack roll, you can mitigate this by attacking with advantage.

One of the ways to attack with advantage would be to use your familiar and have them use the help action on the creature you wish to target. That way, if you attack this creature before the familiar’s next turn, you will do so with advantage.

Allowing you to pick the type of damage of your orb is good if you are fighting creatures with vulnerabilities. For example, if you are facing a troll, you could always use fire damage.

All in all, Chromatic Orb is a good choice for most Sorcerers and Wizards and you should consider taking it as one of your first-level spells.

FAQ’s about the spell

Can you twin chromatic orb?

Yes, you can twin Chromatic Orb according to the Player’s Handbook.

“To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, Magic Missile and Scorching Ray aren’t eligible, but Ray of Frost is.”

This also includes Chromatic Orb since it only targets one creature.

Can you cast chromatic orb with a focus?

Yes, however, there is some nuance. If your spell requires materials with a noted money cost in the spell, this means it requires some elaborate components that even a focus cannot replace. Therefore, you will still need a diamond worth 50 GP even if you cast with a focus. This diamond is not consumed by the spell.

Now, you could use this diamond as your focus item like you would a crystal, allowing you to not have to worry about other spell components, like bat guano or feathers, for spells.