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Acid Splash

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Acid Splash
  • Level: Cantrip
  • School: Evocation
  • Class: Sorcerer, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Instantaneous

You create an acidic bubble at a point within range, where it explodes in a 5-foot-radius Sphere. Each creature in that Sphere must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or take 1d6 Acid damage.

Cantrip Upgrade. The damage increases by 1d6 when you reach levels 5 (2d6), 11 (3d6), and 17 (4d6).

Tactical Usage​

When to Choose Acid Splash:

  • Excellent cantrip for hitting multiple adjacent enemies
  • Ideal when facing groups of weak creatures (minions, swarms)
  • Strong choice against enemies without acid resistance
  • Valuable for forcing saves rather than making attack rolls

Positioning Considerations:

  • 60-foot range provides good battlefield control
  • 5-foot radius allows for strategic multi-targeting
  • Can target areas to catch enemies moving into formation
  • Consider friendly fire - affects all creatures in the sphere

Target Prioritization:

  • Best against groups of low-AC, low-Dex creatures
  • Effective against clustered spellcasters or ranged attackers
  • Less effective against single, high-Dex targets
  • Useful for finishing off weakened enemies

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Web/Entangle: Restrained creatures have disadvantage on Dex saves
  • Grease: Prone enemies easier to catch in area effect
  • Faerie Fire: Outlined creatures are easier to target precisely
  • Slow: Reduced Dexterity makes saves more likely to fail

Multi-Round Strategies:

  • Open combat with area denial, follow with positioning spells
  • Combine with movement to maximize multi-target opportunities
  • Use as reliable damage when spell slots are depleted
  • Pair with other cantrips for sustained area control

Material Component Details​

No Material Components:

  • Advantage: Can be cast even when hands are full or bound
  • Stealth Casting: Only verbal and somatic components required
  • Component Pouch: Not needed, making this accessible in emergencies
  • Focus Integration: Works with any spellcasting focus

Roleplay Opportunities:

  • Describe the acidic bubble formation and explosion
  • Emphasize the sizzling, corrosive aftermath
  • Use the dramatic visual for intimidation or demonstrations

Creator Notes​

Adjudication Guidance:

  • Area effect hits all creatures, including allies
  • Damage occurs simultaneously to all affected creatures
  • Can target empty spaces or areas with total cover from caster
  • Dexterity save uses the caster's spell save DC

Encounter Design Considerations:

  • Effective tool for players against grouped minions
  • NPCs can use this to control chokepoints
  • Area denial potential encourages tactical positioning
  • Relatively low damage keeps it balanced as a cantrip

Balancing Notes:

  • Average damage (3.5 at low levels) appropriate for cantrip scaling
  • Area effect compensates for save-based mechanics
  • No concentration required allows for sustained use
  • Acid damage type less commonly resisted than fire

Environmental Interactions​

Material Effects:

  • Metal: Creates small pits and corrosion marks
  • Wood: Burns and chars affected surfaces
  • Stone: Etches surface patterns but rarely damages structure
  • Organic Materials: Dissolves plant matter, cloth, and leather

Environmental Considerations:

  • Small puddles of acid may linger briefly on surfaces
  • Can damage delicate items in the area of effect
  • May trigger reactions with alchemical substances
  • Could contaminate small water sources temporarily

Weather Interactions:

  • Rain disperses acid residue more quickly
  • Wind might affect the precise targeting of the bubble
  • Underground areas concentrate acid vapors

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Frequently Asked Questions:

Q: Can I target a point I can't see? A: Yes, you target a point within range, not a creature. Line of sight to the point itself isn't required.

Q: Does the acid damage objects? A: At Creator discretion. The spell targets creatures, but environmental effects are possible.

Q: Can creatures avoid the effect by moving out of the area? A: No, the effect is instantaneous. Once the bubble explodes, the save is made immediately.

Q: Does this spell work underwater? A: Creator discretion, but the acidic bubble concept may function differently in aquatic environments.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses:

  • Obstacle Removal: Clear away organic blockages like thorns or vines
  • Tool Cleaning: Remove rust or corrosion from metal objects
  • Artistic Applications: Create etched patterns in appropriate materials
  • Investigation: Reveal hidden organic materials or substances

Creative Problem-Solving:

  • Destroy small organic evidence or documents
  • Clear moss or growth from ancient mechanisms
  • Create distractions through dramatic visual effects
  • Test for acid resistance in unknown materials

Similar Acid Spells:

  • Acid Arrow (2nd level): Single-target, higher damage
  • Vitriolic Sphere (4th level): Larger area, ongoing damage

Area Effect Cantrips:

  • Sacred Flame: Radiant damage, different save type
  • Thunderclap: Thunder damage, different area shape
  • Word of Radiance: Radiant damage, different targeting

Cantrip Alternatives:

  • Fire Bolt: Single target, higher damage, fire type
  • Ray of Frost: Single target, movement reduction
  • Eldritch Blast: Force damage, multiple beams at higher levels

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression:

  • Early Game (Levels 1-4): Excellent multi-target damage option
  • Mid Game (Levels 5-10): Solid scaling keeps it relevant
  • Late Game (Levels 11+): High damage makes it competitive with low-level spell slots

Damage Scaling:

  • Level 1-4: 1d6 (3.5 average) per target
  • Level 5-10: 2d6 (7 average) per target - significant improvement
  • Level 11-16: 3d6 (10.5 average) per target - very respectable
  • Level 17+: 4d6 (14 average) per target - rivals 1st-level spells

Long-Term Viability:

  • Remains useful throughout all character levels
  • Area effect becomes more valuable as enemies cluster
  • No resource cost makes it always available
  • Scales well compared to other cantrips

Narrative Flavor​

Extended Description: With a sharp gesture and spoken syllable, you conjure a perfect sphere of roiling, emerald acid that hangs momentarily in the air before detonating in a violent spray. The caustic liquid spreads in all directions, eating through armor and flesh with equal enthusiasm, leaving the acrid smell of dissolution and the hiss of continuing corrosion in its wake.

Sensory Details:

  • Visual: Bright green bubble expanding into a spray pattern
  • Auditory: Sharp pop followed by prolonged sizzling sounds
  • Olfactory: Harsh, metallic-acid smell with chemical undertones
  • Tactile: Burning sensation and tingling numbness where acid touches

Cultural Context: Many spellcasters consider acid magic to represent controlled destruction—the power to break down complex structures into their component parts. Unlike fire's wild consumption, acid magic is viewed as precise and methodical, making it popular among scholarly wizards who appreciate its systematic approach to combat and problem-solving.