Welcome to the Produce Flame 5E spell breakdown. In this article, we will touch on the pros, cons, and the situational uses for this multifunctional Druid cantrip. So let’s stop stalling and Produce some results!
Produce Flame 5E Spell Breakdown
- School: Conjuration
- Level: Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self
- Components: Verbal, Somatic
- Duration: 10 Minutes
- Classes: Druid
Your character creates a ball of flame in their hand that can be used for two purposes – to light an area or to hurl at an opponent. If you choose to light up the area, it will illuminate a ten-foot radius, and dim an additional ten feet beyond that. The flame will remain in your hand for the duration, and it will not damage you or your equipment. You can end this spell by dismissing it as an action or casting it again.
If you choose to hurl it at an opponent, you need to make a successful ranged spell attack. To figure that out, use the following formula:
1d20 + Your Spellcasting Modifier + Your Proficiency Bonus
Only the druid class has access to produce flame. As a druid cantrip, your Spellcasting Modifier will be determined by your Wisdom Ability Modifier. If you attempt to make a Range Spell Attack within five feet of the target and the target is hostile, you will be rolling with a Disadvantage. Rolling with a Disadvantage means that you roll two dice and use the lowest result.
If you successfully hit your target, you will deal 1d8 fire damage. That damage will increase at the fifth level (2d8), eleventh level (3d8), and the seventeenth level (4d8). Whether you are successful or not, attacking with the flame will cause the spell to end.
Is Produce Flame a Good Spell?
I cannot stress how important it is that you can use Produce Flame to both attack and light up a dark area. It is hard to find this kind of utility that also has the benefit of being a Cantrip (you do not have to prepare the spell before you cast it, thus, you can cast it multiple times in a row) without needing any materials to cast it.
The attack you produce with this Cantrip is also a Ranged Attack, so you can keep your Druid far from the heat of battle as you fling the heat of your attack to your foes. This is important because most of your important abilities will rely on your Wisdom and Constitution score, which means your Strength score has the potential to be your weakest stat. Although, that issue might not be important if you take Shillelagh as one of your Cantrips.
What are the Disadvantages of Produce Flame?
While Produce Flame’s versatility is impressive, you cannot cast and attack with the flame you produce from this spell in the same turn. Casting Produce Flame and attacking with the flame is considered two separate actions. While it would be efficient to have one spell that can serve two functions, it is not very efficient to use two turns to make one attack while everyone else is using one turn to make the same attack.
If you want a spell that can light up an area for a long period of time, Produce Flame is definitely not the option you are looking for. Produce Flame’s duration is ten minutes, which means that the flame you create from this spell will put itself out when the spell ends. If you want to use Produce Flame as your continual source of light, you will need to cast it every ten minutes, which could become annoying. You could also use Produce Flame to light up a room instead of having to carry a a torch, which will help cut back on the number of funds you dedicate towards adventuring.
And finally, the biggest flaw to Produce Flame is how common fire immunity is in Dungeons and Dragons. Behind Poison, Fire is the second most common immunity in the game. So if your Dungeon Master is anything like me, there will be plenty of chances for you to run into an enemy that has Fire immunity so they can test a different problem-solving skill.
When Should You Use Produce Flame
The best time to use Produce Flame is when you need to illuminate an area. While the spell will end in ten minutes, the fact that you do not have to use any materials in order to cast it makes up for that issue. I am sure your team banker if you have one, will help make the case for stopping every ten minutes in order to save money on torches, flint, and steel.
While it does not hurt to use Produce Flame as an attack, I would recommend finding a spell that does not require using two actions in order to deal damage. 1D8 is nothing to sneeze at, as most Cantrips deal with d6’s, but having to use a second action for a potential at two more damage feels counterproductive when you could have the potential to deal twelve damage over those same two turns.
When Better Options Are Available
There are plenty of better options when it comes to combat! At the Cantrip level alone, you have several range-based spells – Frostbite (2d6 Cold), Poison Spray (1d12 Poison), and Thunderclap (1d6 Thunder) all require one action in order to cast and deal damage. For Melee, you can use Shillelagh, which lets you use your Wisdom modifier instead of your Strength modifier when you are making an attack with the weapon you imbued with magic.
Further on the level track, you have Flame Blade at level two, which can be cast as a bonus action and will deal more damage the higher you are in levels. For Ranged, you have Heat Metal, which will heat up a weapon in an enemy’s hands that are in range and will let you deal additional damage as a bonus action as long as the enemy is still carrying the weapon. And that is just touching the tip of what could be a potentially powerful Druid!
Can You Light Things on Fire with Produce Flame?
According to the rules as written, no. The language of the spell determines its effects, and at no point does the spell mention the ability to catch objects on fire. Instead, produce flame is used to emit light and deal fire damage to a creature. This is different from the language of the fire bolt spell, which specifies flammable objects struck by the bolt catch fire.
Does Spell Sniper Work with Produce Flame?
Yes, you can use your spell sniper feat when casting produce flame. Produce flame relies on an attack roll when you use the flame in your hand to deal damage. According to the spell sniper feat, it applies to any spell that uses an attack roll. The fact that the attack roll can come on a different turn than when the spell was cast does not prevent the feat from applying.
Concluding our Produce Flame 5E Guide
Produce Flame isn’t a bad cantrip, even though it’s certainly not the most popular option out there. And that concludes our Produce Flame 5E Guide. Did we leave anything out? Let us know in the comments below! And check out our Fire Bolt 5E guide for more D&D content!
Note that you can either summon the flame and throw it at an enemy as one action, or summon it, then throw it, as two separate actions.
It’s basically a weaker Light and a weaker Fire Bolt in one spell.
I was about to say the same thing. The rules say:
“You can also attack with the flame, although doing so ends the spell. When you cast this spell, or as an action on a later turn, you can hurl the flame at a creature within 30 feet of you.”
The key seems to be the “When you cast this spell, OR […] on a later turn”. As I understand it, this means that you can use Produce Flame to attack immediately. You do not neet two actions to (first) make the flame and (second) hurl it at someone.
“You could also use Produce Flame to light up a torch instead of having to carry and replenish flint and steel…”
“…at no point does the spell mention the ability to catch objects on fire.”
I’ll clean up the language, but the meaning here is that with this spell you don’t need a torch at all.