Burning Hands 5e - D&D 5th Edition Spell Book
Burning Hands 5e Spell Effects
1st-level evocation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self (15-foot cone)
Components: V, S
Duration: Instantaneous
As you hold your hands with thumbs touching and fingers spread, a thin sheet of flames shoots forth from your outstretched fingertips. Each creature in a 15-foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 3d6 fire damage on a failed save, or half as much damage on a successful one.
The fire ignites any flammable objects in the area that aren't being worn or carried.
At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, the damage increases by 1d6 for each slot level above 1st.
All information on Burning Hands 5e comes from the DnD Player's Handbook.
Classes That Can Cast Burning Hands 5e
The following classes gain access to casting Burning Hands 5e as part of their normal class spell availability, within the Player's Handbook:
- Cleric: Light Domain
- Sorcerer
- Wizard
Burning Hands Spell Effectiveness
| Damage | 1st-Level Spell | 2nd-Level Spell | 3rd-Level Spell | 4th-Level Spell | 5th-Level Spell | 6th-Level Spell | 7th-Level Spell | 8th-Level Spell | 9th-Level Spell |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Damage Dice | 3d6 | 4d6 | 5d6 | 6d6 | 7d6 | 8d6 | 9d6 | 10d6 | 11d6 |
| Average Damage | 10.5 | 14 | 17.5 | 21 | 24.5 | 28 | 31.5 | 35 | 38.5 |
| 3-Target Damage | 31 | 42 | 52 | 63 | 73 | 84 | 94 | 105 | 115 |
| Average Fighter DPR | 11 | 15 | 19 | 23 | 27 | 30.5 | 34 | 37.5 | 41 |
DPR
DPR indicates damage per round, but in this calculation, it does not account for hit chance. The intent of this table is to provide a roughly-accurate comparison between Burning Hands 5e damage and a fighter's damage per round, to compare. It's also worth noting that since Burning Hands 5e hits a 15-foot cone, it can certainly hit more (or less) than 3-targets at a time. Again, the numbers presented here are intended simply to provide an idea of how powerful the Burning Hands 5e spell may be.
Burning Hands 5e Usefulness
I have both been on the giving and receiving end of Burning Hands, and I can certainly say that when the spell is used properly, it can be absolutely devastating.
- Obviously, Burning Hands 5e should primarily be cast on clusters of enemies. As you can see in the table above, hitting multiple targets with the spell can drastically raise the damage it deals.
- Be sure to only cast Burning Hands 5e on targets who do not have fire damage resistance or immunities (below). Furthermore, try to maximize your usage of the spell on enemies with fire vulnerabilities.
- Since Burning Hands only has an effect cast range of 15-feet, consider if you can actually kill enemies with the spell, rather than just damaging them. The reason is that if you cast on a large group, and many of them live, you probably become the main target for all of them, and being only 15-feet away, you won't have a lot of safety.
Fire Damage Resistances, Immunities, and Vulnerabilities
When using Burning Hands 5e, it's worth knowing ahead of time that in the DnD Monster Manual, there are 37 monsters with fire damage resistance, 40 monsters with fire damage immunity, and 9 monsters with fire damage vulnerability.
Surprisingly, of all damage types in the entire game, fire damage is the one that most monsters are vulnerable to, at 9. Meanwhile, there are 77 monsters in total that take reduced or no damage at all from fire, so be very cautious when casting Burning Hands. One of the worst things you can do as a spell caster in D&D is to waste a spell slot on a spell that deals reduced damage.
Combine Burning Hands with the Following Spells
Most spells in DnD 5e work even better in combination with other spells, effects, feats, and so on. Try combining Acid Splash 5e with some of these other effects.
- Acid Splash 5e: this cantrip spell isn't one that you'd use in combination with Burning Hands. However, it does deal acid damage, so it's here to remind you that if you're facing an enemy with fire resistance or immunity, switch up your damage type.
- Bane 5e: since bane reduced enemy saving throws by 1d4, it's a perfect way to make them more susceptible to your Burning Hands 5e spell.
Burning Hands 5e Counters
Hard counters to Burning Hands 5e are spells like Silence 5e, which prevent you from casting spells to begin with. If you know your enemy has silence, be very cautious around them, as you don't want to get locked out from spell casting.
There are also "soft counters" to Burning Hands, like Bless 5e and Haste 5e. Bless provides a +1d4 bonus to saving throws, while Haste provides advantage on Dexterity saving throws, making targets of these effects less likely to be hit from the full damage of Burning Hands.
Burning Hands-Type Spells in Eternity TTRPG
I created the Eternity TTRPG Game System about 15-years ago, and have been refining the game ever since. It's independently published, inspired by other great TTRPG systems, provides rules for having multiple game masters in your group, and features tactical gameplay in combat.
I've provided a spell example below that correlates pretty similarly to the Burning Hands 5e spell, if you want to see what another game like DnD looks like.
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Author - Jacob Tegtman
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Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RwDiy7u-wUo Transcription In Kalero, the canyon walls sing.  Not literally — but if you listen closely, as the desert wind slips through the stone crypts and carved tombs, you’ll hear something. A rhythm. A pulse. A beat. And when the Crooked Moon dips behind the cliffs, figures begin to emerge — their bones glowing with blue light, their skulls crowned with curls or braids, their steps half-dance, half-swagger. These are the Relicborn — the living memories of Kalero. Dressed in vibrant fabrics, lacquered patterns, and sometimes… a flashy swashbuckler’s cape or rapier at their side. Today on Eternity TTRPG, we’re diving into one of the most joyful, most soulful, and most stylish ancestries in all of Druskenvald. Crooked Moon continues to be one of my favorite adventure supplements of all time, and you can pick it up on D&D Beyond. Whether you’re a player wanting a character with flair, you’re a DM craving new cultural flavor for your campaign, or you’re just a lore-nerd who loves stylish undead — this one’s for you. The Relicborn are a species native to Kalero, a province lined with towering canyon walls carved into catacombs and mausoleums. But despite being born from tombs, they are anything but gloomy. These are living skeletons , decorated with any number of colors, hand-painted motifs, and glowing patterns. Their bones are encased in a translucent magical substance that gives them full humanoid shape. And if your Relicborn wants big curly swashbuckler hair? Yes. They can actually grow it from their skulls. Where they come from is unique: they’re formed in the crypts of Kalero, rising from ancestral memory and celebratory magic rather than necromancy. Theirs is not a culture of undeath — it’s a culture of joy , reflection , and honoring the past through celebration. Every Relicborn is essentially a walking festival — a living memory kept alive through music, dance, and stories. Relicborn society is built on a delicate balance: the energy of a vibrant celebration and the quiet reflection of ancestral remembrance. Imagine communities built along canyons, with lantern-lit walkways leading into ancient tomb-shrines. Families gather at night to play music, tell stories, and dance under blue and purple moonlight — while their ancestors' spirits look on. Their festivals can last days. Their moments of silence last just as long. They thrive in community — in the stories of who came before, and who they themselves will become. Relicborn live roughly 250 years , and when their time ends… they simply collapse gracefully into a pile of bones, returning to the crypts that first birthed them. All of the fun roleplaying stuff aside, let’s break down how their mechanics reflect their culture, starting with the most signature ability: Dance of Death As a bonus action, you make a DC 15 Charisma Performance or Instrument check. If you succeed, your next attack roll this turn has advantage . If you succeed by 5 or more? You roll one of your Hit Dice (without spending it!) and gain temporary hit points . This is perfect for swashbucklers, bards, rogues — anyone who wants to flavor combat like a deadly dance. Next, they have: Eternal Party Relicborn don’t sleep. Instead, they complete a long rest in four hours so long as they spend it in revelry — music, storytelling, gentle dancing, or shared celebrations. Imagine your party taking a rest and your Relicborn swashbuckler quietly jamming with a bone flute while keeping watch. This one’s pretty good: Moment of Remembrance When a creature you see within 30 feet fails a d20 test, you can use your reaction to add 1d4 to their roll. Once you turn a failure into a success, you can’t use it again until a rest. Relicborn are bursting with character potential. They have Incredible aesthetics. From glowing bones to swashbuckler outfits — you can lean into a Day-of-the-Dead style undead, a pirate, a festival style, or something Gothic. If you were to play a Relicborn… What would your glowing bones look like when you’re afraid, happy, or angry? And when your long life ends — what do you hope those you care about remember about you? Drop your ideas in the comments. And if you enjoyed this deep dive into the Relicborn, hit like, subscribe, ring the bell, and join me next time as we explore another Crooked Moon ancestry. Until then — Keep the music playing. Keep the celebrations bright. And may every memory lead you to your next dance.
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Kl3c6djcgbo Transcription Imagine your character in a folk-horror saga — not just another adventurer, but someone with a personal fate, a hidden thread that drags them deeper into shadows and tragedy… or redemption. That’s exactly what Fateweaving brings to Druskenvald in The Crooked Moon. The Crooked Moon isn’t just another D&D book. It’s a 600-plus-page folk-horror campaign that plops players into a sun-starved realm of nightmares, rituals, and haunted rails. Welcome back to Eternity TTRPG, your home for deep-dive D&D news breakdowns, world-building insights, and tools to level up your tabletop storytelling. Whether you’re a forever-DM, a lore-monster, or someone who appreciates a well-crafted adventure, we tackle the big ideas behind the games you love. And today, as with many videos I’ve created over the past several months, The Crooked Moon gives us plenty to sink our teeth into. What sets Crooked Moon’s System apart from the standard “roll dice, then fight monsters” is the optional system called Fateweaving — a way to bind each character’s past, motivations, and desires directly into the core of the campaign. Fateweaving gives each character a Thread of Fate — one of 13 possible personal arcs. At character creation (or early on), each player picks a Thread that defines a personal goal: lost memories, cursed lineage, spiritual duty, monstrous ambition — you name it. Then, throughout the campaign’s story, the GM weaves in six Narrative Touchpoints specific to that Thread. These form a full character arc , culminating in a personal climax and catharsis that runs parallel to the main story – they’re something much greater than just “side quests.” The first touchpoint, Incitement , ties a character’s personal quest to the campaign’s opening (often aboard the spectral Ghostlight Express or within the Crooked House). As the story progresses, the character meets allies or NPCs connected to their fate, uncovers secrets, faces a personal trial, then pushes through to their own climax — all while the main horror unfolds. In the end, during the epilogue, each character receives Catharsis — the emotional and narrative payoff for their arc. This means every player is actively living their own horror-tale inside the larger one of your full campaign. You might ask: why bother with all this Fate Weaving stuff? It does add potential complexity to your campaign, after all. So why not just run a normal campaign? It’s because Fateweaving transforms The Crooked Moon – or, any campaign you’re running –into a deeply personal story, for the players. It gives each character agency and meaning — their choices and their backstories matter. It increases emotional engagement for players : horror, hope, tragedy — when stakes are personal, every failure and every success resonates. It helps GMs balance player spotlight : with distinct Threads, you can weave in scenes tailored to each player without derailing the main plot. For players who love roleplay and character development — this is the sweet spot. Let’s pick an example Fateweaving Thread — say the Thread of Deliverance – and run through it really quick, just to give you an idea for how this works. The character begins lost, ejected from the spectral train, given only a broken compass. (this is the “Incitement” step) Later, at a trading post, a shady merchant hints he knows of strange artifacts. (this then, is the “Connection” step) On a creepy riverboat, the character recovers the first piece of a broken family heirloom. (with the “Discovery” step) In a haunted cemetery sanctuary, they wrestle the second piece from a statue’s grasp. (the “Confrontation” step) After the final boss — the Crooked Queen — they reclaim the last piece, reforge the heirloom, and choose either to become a ferryman of souls… or walk away free. (culminating in the “Climax + Catharsis” step) Suddenly, your campaign isn’t just “we stopped the big bad.” It’s the players’ story. Their redemption. Their choices. And in this case – even their soul. If you want to try out Crooked Moon’s Fateweaving system, here’s some very easy ways to get started: L et your players pick Threads early in the campaign – or, if you’re already running one, let them pick at your next session – then collaborate to weave their backstories into the world you’re running. Keep the Touchpoints flexible: treat them as narrative prompts — adapt to what your players do rather than forcing them. Be generous with spotlight time: Fateweaving only works if each character actually plays their arc, and gets to express their character through each important moment. Use Touchpoint rewards to drive engagement: use boons, stat bonuses, and narrative closure — they reinforce the importance of the arc. Don’t be afraid to deviate: mix endings, merge threads, or create custom ones — Crooked Moon’s Fateweaving system is meant as building blocks for you, not a cage you have to live in. If you run your next horror campaign in Druskenvald — or any other world where Crooked Moon’s spooky setting fits — consider using Fateweaving. It’s not just good for story… it’s the kind of DM fuel that turns players into protagonists, and campaigns into personal sagas . That’s it for today! If you enjoyed this breakdown, don’t forget to hit like, subscribe, and ring the bell for more RPG-craft content. And hey — maybe share in the comments which Threads of Fate you’d gravitate toward first. Thanks for watching.
Transcribed content from our recent YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JgWieYGo8k8 Transcription In Druskenvald, the fields whisper. When the harvest is ready, something else rises too — figures of burlap and bone, lit from within by ancient green magic. Welcome to Druskenvald, under the eerie light of the Crooked Moon, where the Harvestborn stand as living scarecrows bound to the land, the harvest … life and death. Crooked Moon has become one of my favorite adventure supplements of all time, and you can get a copy from D&D Beyond. Today on Eternity TTRPG , we’re diving deep into one of the most unique ancestries in the Crooked Moon setting: the Harvestborn . Whether you’re a player looking to build an unforgettable character, you’re a DM planning your next atmospheric campaign, or just someone who loves rich D&D lore, this video is for you. We’re breaking down who the Harvestborn are, where they come from, what makes them so magically eerie, and how their mechanics and lore work together to create incredible storytelling opportunities. Think of this as your complete guide to understanding — and playing — these scarecrow-souled guardians of Enoch.” The Harvestborn are somewhat like other mechanical races in D&D — but their spooky scarecrow model just makes for great stories, worth telling. In The Crooked Moon / Druskenvald setting, each ancestry (or “species”) does have a sort of “home province,” but that doesn’t necessarily mean they only exist there. Harvestborn are a constructed species native to the province of Enoch in Druskenvald. According to lore, they are crafted with great care by the lord of Enoch, Methuselah. These constructs are infused with a vibrant, green magic — the same life-essence that flows through the fertile fields of their homeland. Methuselah is the patient, almost paternal figure who oversees the province of Enoch . He is deeply attuned to the green magic of his land — not merely as a ruler, but as a guardian of the cycle of life, death, and rebirth: under his watch, Harvestborn are created, nurtured, and eventually laid to rest so they may be reborn. Though he is a lord, Methuselah is less interested in dominion through fear, and more through stewardship: his role is tied to growth and harvest, not conquest. This makes him a figure of both authority and nurture — one who shapes his people not just from straw and wood, but with intention and magic. In a province-overview document for Enoch, Methuselah is described as: “a black-furred cat-man with eyes as gold as the province’s grain fields …” For role-playing, you could lean into the mystery of who this creator of Harvestborn is, and how his Character affects the Harvestborn: Where did this mysterious, and obviously powerful figure come from? What is his magical or ancestral origin? Does he share any soul-link with his Harvestborn creations? Back to the Harvestborn, they resemble scarecrows — bodies of wood, straw, metal, and other implements. Their heads glow, sometimes made from pumpkins, turnips, or even burlap sacks. But though they look like eerie husks, they are deeply tied to life … and to death. In their society, they live in harmony, focusing on community, fellowship, and the cycles of growth. Food is their harvest; death is their rebirth. Mechanically, Harvestborn are constructs — not quite living, but driven by magic. They are Medium size, approximately 4 to 7 feet tall, and in-game move at 30 feet per round. One of their defining traits is called Culling : when a Harvestborn damages a creature that is already wounded, they can deal an extra 1d12 necrotic damage . That’s powerful — especially when you’re finishing off a foe.” But like their creator, they’re not just about dealing death. Harvestborn also have Gift of the Green . As a bonus action, you can touch the ground and grant healing: a friendly creature within 30 feet can roll a Hit Die, and they heal the amount rolled plus your proficiency bonus. Then there’s Jack-O-Lantern : you know the Dancing Lights cantrip, and you choose whether your spellcasting ability is Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. Being constructs, you don’t need to breathe, eat, or drink. That’s the Scarecrow Nature trait. And for rest, you can actually skip sleep entirely: instead, you can take a Watchful Rest — staying motionless and conscious for 4 hours, but still count it as a long rest. The Harvestborn are deeply thematic. Their existence is a living tension between life and death — they harvest crops, but they also harvest life’s vital essence. Their cycle of rebirth is intrinsic: they often live around 100 years , and then ‘accept death’ … only to be reborn again. As a player, this opens up incredible role-playing opportunities. Do Harvestborn remember their past incarnations? Do they cherish each lifetime, or dread what comes next? Are they fully aware of their created nature … or do they feel things in a way similar to how a living soul does? From a thematic standpoint, Harvestborn embody folk horror beautifully: agricultural rituals, seasonal death and rebirth, quiet sacrifices in the fields. Their identity is bound to community — they grow and heal their people, they protect the land … but they are also constructs, perhaps seen as eerie or uncanny by outsiders. On a personal level: what memories do Harvestborn carry between lifetimes? Do they still form strong bonds with people of other ancestries, knowing they might reincarnate only to find their friend permanently dead? And then, perhaps, do they fear what it means to be reborn? “So — why pick a Harvestborn for your Crooked Moon game? First, for the unique flavor: you’re not a typical D&D race. You’re a magical construct with deep roots in folk horror. Your mechanics reflect a duality: offensive power (Culling) and support (Gift of the Green), with cycles of death and rebirth.” “Second, the role-playing potential is huge. Harvestborn come built in with internal conflict, an apparently never-ending cycle of life and death, the mystery of reincarnation — that’s rich ground for character development. And third, they fit the Fall/ Harvest time aesthetic: moody fields, harvest rituals, green magic shimmering in twilight — Harvestborn are made for a Harvest/ Halloween setting.” At the end of the day, Harvestborn are more than just scarecrows — they are echoes of the land itself, vessels of green magic, and agents of an eternal cycle. In the folk-horror world of The Crooked Moon, they also bring a unique combination of power, mystery, and heart.” But now, it’s your turn. If you were to play a Harvestborn in your next game, how do you think you’d face your life, knowing that even after death – you’d simply be reborn? Would you welcome rebirth — or resist it, knowing that you’d never be able to outrun yourself, even at the end of your life? And if you could carry something forward into your next life – experiences you’ve had, love you’ve shared, desires you’ve felt, what would that be?” “Drop your thoughts in the comments — I’d love to hear your cool Harvestborn roleplay ideas. And if you enjoyed this deep dive into one of Crooked Moon’s coolest ancestries, don’t forget to like, subscribe, and hit the bell. Next time, we’ll explore another one of Crooked Moon’s lineages. Until then, may your roots stay deep, your light burn bright, and may every ending lead you toward your next beginning.