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Disintegrate

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Disintegrate
  • Level: 6
  • School: Transmutation
  • Class: Sorcerer, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, S, M (a lodestone and a pinch of dust)
  • Duration: Instantaneous

A thin green ray springs from your pointing finger to a target that you can see within range. The target can be a creature, an object, or a creation of magical force, such as the wall created by Wall of Force.

A creature targeted by this spell must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 10d6 + 40 Force damage. If this damage reduces the target to 0 hit points, it is disintegrated.

A disintegrated creature and everything it is wearing and carrying, except magic items, are reduced to a pile of fine gray dust. The creature can be restored to life only by means of a True Resurrection or a Wish spell.

This spell automatically disintegrates a Large or smaller nonmagical object or a creation of magical force. If the target is a Huge or larger object or creation of force, this spell disintegrates a 10-foot-cube portion of it. A magic item is unaffected by this spell.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 3d6 for each spell slot level above 6.

Tactical Usage​

Ultimate Destruction: Disintegrate provides massive single-target damage with instant death potential. This 6th-level transmutation spell excels at eliminating key enemies and destroying major obstacles.

Optimal Timing: Most effective against heavily damaged enemies, when instant death is needed, or when destroying large objects and barriers.

Resource Management: Uses a 6th-level spell slot - available from character level 11+. High cost balanced by devastating potential damage.

Target Selection: Prioritize enemies near death threshold, heavily armored opponents, or structural obstacles requiring removal.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Damage Enhancement: Combine with vulnerability effects to maximize destruction potential
  • Targeting Aid: Layer with hold spells to ensure hits against high-Dexterity targets
  • Follow-up Magic: Prepare contingencies for targets that survive the disintegration

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Spell Attack Bonuses: Higher attack modifiers improve accuracy for this crucial single-target spell
  • Metamagic: Sorcerers can apply twinned spell for multiple targets or other enhancements
  • Spell Critical: Features that enhance spell damage improve destruction effectiveness

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple disintegrate spells can eliminate multiple major threats simultaneously.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: Lodestone and a pinch of dust - lodestone from magical suppliers, dust from any source.

Component Handling: Components consumed during casting. Stock multiple sets for repeated use.

Roleplay Opportunities: Different mineral components might reflect regional magical traditions or destruction philosophies.

Economic Considerations: Moderate component costs make repeated use expensive but manageable for critical situations.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Massive damage and instant death potential dramatically affects encounter difficulty calculations.

NPC Usage: High-level wizards or sorcerers can threaten instant character death, requiring careful encounter design.

Environmental Considerations: 60-foot range requires positioning but allows safe casting distance.

Campaign Integration: Ultimate destruction magic for climactic encounters where elimination of major threats is necessary.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: 60-foot range allows flexibility in targeting while maintaining safe distance.

Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable destruction regardless of external factors.

Structural Interactions: Automatically destroys Large or smaller objects, 10-foot cube of Huge+ objects.

Elemental Interactions: Force damage bypasses most resistances, affecting creatures regardless of elemental nature.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Action casting time with instantaneous effect. No concentration required.

Target Limitations: Single creature, object, or magical force creation within 60 feet. Dexterity save for creatures.

Duration Interactions: Instantaneous disintegration with permanent effect. Disintegrated creatures reduced to dust.

Mechanical Interactions: 10d6+40 base damage, +3d6 per upcast level. Instant death if reduced to 0 hit points.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Demolition work, mining operations, archaeological excavation, or clearing massive obstacles.

Social Encounters: Dramatic demonstrations of power, intimidation tactics, or controlled destruction for negotiations.

Exploration Applications: Creating passages through barriers, destroying locked doors, or eliminating structural obstacles.

Utility Functions: Construction assistance, fortification destruction, large-scale excavation, or emergency demolition.

Same School: Other transmutation spells like polymorph (4th level form change), flesh to stone (6th level petrification), wish (9th level reality alteration).

Similar Effects: finger of death (7th level necrotic damage), power word kill (9th level instant death), meteor swarm (9th level area destruction).

Progression Options: magic missile (1st level guaranteed damage), disintegrate (6th level massive damage), meteor swarm (9th level ultimate destruction).

Complementary Magic: hold person (guarantee hits), true strike (improve accuracy), shield (protect from retaliation).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Peak effectiveness in high-level play (11+) where massive damage becomes necessary against resilient enemies.

Upcast Benefits: Additional 3d6 damage per slot level above 6th significantly increases destruction potential.

Campaign Phases: Most valuable in late-game encounters where single-target elimination is tactically crucial.

Comparative Value: Exceptional damage magic that justifies 6th-level slot for eliminating major threats.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: A thin green ray of destructive energy lances from your finger as matter itself unravels under the spell's terrible power.

Effect Manifestation: The target begins to dissolve at the molecular level, crumbling to fine gray dust as its very existence is unmade.

Personal Style: Wizards channel precise destructive formulae while sorcerers manifest raw entropy and dissolution through instinctive magical force.

World Integration: Represents ultimate destructive magic available to arcane masters, often associated with war magic, assassination, or catastrophic magical traditions.