Summary
Eighth-level spells inDungeons & Dragonsrepresent some of the most powerful and versatile magic in the game, offering incredible abilities that can define entire encounters or reshape the course of an adventure. These high-level spells are rare and precious, demanding strategic use to maximize their impact.
Whether you’re a spellcaster looking for devastating attacks, unparalleled utility, or game-changing battlefield control, eighth-level spells bring immense power to the table. In this article, we rank several of the most useful eighth-level spells, showcasing the magical options that can make your character feel truly legendary.
Bard, Wizard
Become immune to mind-altering effects.
Once a character reaches the level of power that unlocks this tier of spells, they think less about winning encounters and more about plotting against their foes. If you are facing enemies that rely on psychic damage and controlling your party, the spell Mind Blank can be key to winning against them.
Not only that, the spell can also prevent anyone from gathering information about the target, not even by using the Wish spell. This makes it the perfect way to infiltrate any kingdom, even if the ruler has access to magical ways of detecting your character; Mind Blank prevents it all.
Abjuration
Cleric
Give your party advantage on attack rolls while giving enemies disadvantage.
This spell creates an aura around the caster that gives anyonechosen by the clericadvantage on attack rolls. Not only that, anyone targeting these chosen ones has disadvantage on the roll, giving your entire party a clear edge in any combat scenario.
If you are using the optional rule for flanking, this spell might seem less appealing, since you can gain advantage on attack rolls simply by flanking an enemy.
Of course, how useful this is depends on your party composition, since if most of your allies are ranged fighters, it might feel like a wasted slot. Still, it works wonders against fiends and undead, since they can get blinded if their attack lands while within the aura.
Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer
Disrupt a large area.
Earthquake is a spell that is less about damage, and more about disrupting enemies in a wide radius. The main purpose of the spell is to create a large area of difficult terrain (about 100 feet wide) that can break the concentration of anyone caught inside.
You can also create fissures for creatures to fall inside, or deal damage to structures, possibly collapsing them. These two effects are the main way the spell can deal damage, although it is best used when being chased by a large group of enemies, reducing their speed to half and reducing the chances of their spells catching you.
Enchantment
Bard, Warlock
Turn the minimum you can roll on a Charisma check to 15.
Sometimes, having a high modifier on a given stat isn’t enough to pass the check, you also need the dice to be on your side. Well, with Glibness, you can cheat the dice for an hour, at least when it comes to Charisma, making you able to convince even the mightiest of lords of everything you are saying.
The utility of the spell doesn’t end there, however, since it can also make everything you say sound truthful. Perceptive people might be able to see behind your lies, but if any magical means are used to see the veracity of what you say, it will always come out as true.
Cleric, Druid, Wizard
Control many aspects of the surrounding weather.
The spell Control Weather takes a while to take effect, hence it isn’t something you’ll be using during combat. Instead, it is better used during heavy roleplay scenarios, where a community might need aid during a drought and summoning rain would save many lives.
The spell can also be used to change the direction of the wind, greatly altering travel via wind sails.
Of course, the spell can also be used for evil means, like creating eight hours of torrential rain to drown a village. The choice is left for the players about how to use the spell, letting them alter the precipitation, temperature and even the winds.
Wizard
Vanish a creature to a maze-like demiplane.
There are quite a few spells that can get a priority target out of commission for a time, either to get rid of its allies or to give your party a chance to escape. Most of those spells, though, have a saving throw attached to them, something most legendary creatures can circumvent with ease.
This is where Maze comes in, since it vanishes a creature to a demiplane without a save. The creature remains there for ten minutes, or until it escapes the maze, but it at least remains there for a turn, giving everyone six seconds of respite as they plan their next move.
Druid
Transform willing creatures into animals.
The effect of Animal Shapes is simple: you transform any number of willing creatures into animals for the next 24 hours, being able tochange their shapeafter every turn. As long as the challenge rating of the animal is four or less, all the chosen creatures can transform into it.
You’d be surprised by the number of problems that can be solved by turning into animals, particularly when you need to get in (or out) of somewhere. The whole party can just turn into flies and infiltrate nearly anywhere, getting the drop on most enemy encampments.
Necromancy
Create a dormant clone that receives your soul if you die.
While access to immortality isn’t unheard of for players at level 20,a level 15 wizardcan easily become immortal with one level eight spell slot and 3,000 gold pieces to spare. This is thanks to the Clone spell, where you can create a copy of a creature and, should that creature die, its soul travels to the copy, essentially reviving the creature.
While the spell is exclusive to wizards, the player can make clones of anyone they wish, and the creature doesn’t even need to be a willing one. However, the soul does need to be willing to inhabit the clone, but we will let those details for Dungeon Masters to unravel.
