Ice Storm is a 4th-level evocation spell for Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards. Hail fills a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder centered on a point within 300 feet. Each creature inside makes a Dexterity save, taking 2d8 bludgeoning plus 4d6 cold damage (average 23) on a failure or half on a success. The area becomes difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. In the 2024 rules the bludgeoning is 2d10 (average 25 total). Each slot level above 4th adds one bludgeoning die.
Ice Storm is one of the Druid's few 4th-level area damage spells, and a second option for Sorcerers and Wizards beside Fireball. It reaches 300 feet, covers the same 20-foot radius as Fireball, and extends 40 feet high, so it catches low flyers.
On damage alone, a Fireball cast with a 4th-level slot does more: 9d6, average 31.5, against Ice Storm's 23 (2014) or 25 (2024). Ice Storm earns its place in three ways. It splits damage between two types, so a creature immune to cold still takes the bludgeoning. It leaves difficult terrain for a round. And Druids don't have Fireball at all.
In the 2014 SRD monster data, 42 of 334 entries resist or are immune to cold, against 54 for fire. Only 12 resist or ignore bludgeoning without a qualifier, mostly swarms. Most 2014 bludgeoning resistances apply to "nonmagical attacks," and a spell's damage isn't a nonmagical attack.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | 4 |
| School | Evocation |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | 300 feet |
| Components | V, S, M |
| Material | A pinch of dust and a few drops of water. |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Concentration | No |
| Ritual | No |
| Save/Attack | DEX |
| Classes | Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard |
| Metric | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Slot Efficiency | Fair. Lower damage than an upcast Fireball, but a better damage-type spread. |
| Action Economy | One action, many targets, plus a round of difficult terrain. |
| Opportunity Cost | A 4th-level slot, and no concentration needed. |
When worth the slot: Packed groups, flying enemies within 40 feet of the ground, fire-resistant enemies, or any Druid fight.
When NOT worth the slot: When Fireball is available and fire isn't resisted.
| Slot | 2014 damage | 2014 average | 2024 damage | 2024 average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4th | 2d8 + 4d6 | 23 | 2d10 + 4d6 | 25 |
| 5th | 3d8 + 4d6 | 27.5 | 3d10 + 4d6 | 30.5 |
| 6th | 4d8 + 4d6 | 32 | 4d10 + 4d6 | 36 |
| 7th | 5d8 + 4d6 | 36.5 | 5d10 + 4d6 | 41.5 |
| 9th | 7d8 + 4d6 | 45.5 | 7d10 + 4d6 | 52.5 |
Only the bludgeoning grows. Compare Cone of Cold at 5th level: 8d8 cold, average 36, in a 60-foot cone.
Why it works: The cylinder is 40 feet tall. Harpies diving at the party, or archers on a wall, are inside it as long as they're within 40 feet of the base.
This avoids the mistake of: Using Fireball here. A sphere narrows toward its top, while the cylinder keeps its full 20-foot radius all the way up.
Why it works: Immunity to cold removes the 4d6, but the bludgeoning still lands. A winter wolf pack still takes 2d8 (2014) or 2d10 (2024) each.
This avoids the mistake of: Writing off the whole spell because one damage type is blocked.
Why it works: The ground becomes difficult terrain until the end of your next turn. Enemies that want to cross it spend 2 feet of movement per foot.
This avoids the mistake of: Placing it where the enemy has already arrived and won't move again.
Why it works: At 300 feet, it outranges Fireball's 150. You can hit an approaching group long before they reach you.
This avoids the mistake of: Waiting until enemies close in and your allies are mixed into them.
Why it's bad: Only the bludgeoning gains a die per level. The 4d6 cold stays the same.
Do this instead: Add 1d8 (2014) or 1d10 (2024) per level above 4th.
Why it's bad: Resistance to bludgeoning "from nonmagical attacks" doesn't apply to a spell. A 2014 werewolf is immune to nonmagical bludgeoning, but Ice Storm's bludgeoning hits it in full.
Do this instead: Apply only plain, unqualified bludgeoning resistance.
Why it's bad: Allies charging into the area pay double movement until the end of your next turn.
Do this instead: Tell the party where the hail is before they move.
Why it's bad: The 2014 ice mephit is immune to cold but vulnerable to bludgeoning, so the 2d8 doubles. The 2024 ice mephit has no bludgeoning vulnerability.
Do this instead: Check the stat block edition.
All examples use a 7th-level caster with +4 in their casting ability: spell save DC 15 (8 + 3 proficiency + 4).
The 2024 Player's Handbook keeps Ice Storm as a 4th-level evocation spell for Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards, with the same 300-foot range, 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder, Dexterity save, and 4d6 cold damage.
Three things changed. The bludgeoning damage rose from 2d8 to 2d10, and the upcast bonus from 1d8 to 1d10 per slot level. The difficult terrain now covers "ground in the Cylinder" instead of the storm's area of effect. The material component is now a mitten.
In the 2024 rules, Circle of the Land druids have it prepared from druid level 7 on any day they choose polar land (the land type is picked at each long rest). The 2014 arctic land grants it at the same level.
It drops hail in a 20-foot-radius, 40-foot-high cylinder within 300 feet. Each creature inside makes a Dexterity save, taking 2d8 bludgeoning and 4d6 cold damage on a failure or half on a success (2d10 bludgeoning in 2024). The area becomes difficult terrain until the end of your next turn.
Average 23 at 4th level in 2014 (9 bludgeoning + 14 cold), or 25 in 2024 (11 + 14). Half on a successful save.
Not for raw damage. A 4th-level Fireball averages 31.5. Ice Storm has longer range, a taller area, damage that cold-immune creatures can't fully ignore, and a round of difficult terrain. Druids have Ice Storm but not Fireball.
Each slot level above 4th adds 1d8 bludgeoning (2014) or 1d10 (2024). The cold damage stays at 4d6.
Yes, if they're inside the cylinder. It's 40 feet high, so creatures flying within 40 feet of the base are inside it.
Yes, until the end of your next turn. In 2014, the area of effect becomes difficult terrain. In 2024, the ground in the cylinder does.
Yes. Each creature in the cylinder makes the save, with no option to exclude anyone.
Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards in both editions. Circle of the Land druids with arctic (2014) or polar (2024) land get it as a circle spell at druid level 7.
Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)
Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.
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