5th Edition Spells – Gust

Gust

Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard - Cantrip Level Spell

School: Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 30 ft
Components: Verbal and Somatic
Duration: Instantaneous
Attack/Save: STR
Reference:

You seize the air and compel it to create one of the following effects at a point you can see within range:

  • One Medium or smaller creature that you choose must succeed on a Strength saving throw or be pushed up to 5 feet away from you.
  • You create a small blast of air capable of moving one object that is neither held nor carried and that weighs no more than 5 pounds. The object is pushed up to 10 feet away from you. It isn’t pushed with enough force to cause damage.
  • You create a harmless sensory effect using air, such as causing leaves to rustle, wind to slam shutters shut, or your clothing to ripple in a breeze.

My Comments: Okay… you can push 5 pounds of stuff 10 feet; feathers, bricks, pickles… whatever, as long as it’s stuff. Not a creature, only stuff.

But… wait. You can also push a medium-sized or smaller creature 5 feet. I’m not sure this spell makes much sense to me.

5 pounds of stuff can be pushed 10 feet. but not 5 pounds of hamsters, because they will resist you. Right, I get that, they’re very resistant… I guess.

But if this incantation can push a medium-sized creature 5 feet… Let’s think about this. A medium-sized creature that is resisting you can be pushed 5 feet. That includes a Black Bear.

An adult male black bear can weigh up to 550 pounds, and you can push it 5 feet. This 5-pound pile of rocks that isn’t even resisting you? You can push it twice as far. Not 110 times as far, but just twice as far.

Again, the Gust cantrip can push just one of these hamsters OR one big ass bear 5 feet
Hamsters, only one can be pushed by the 5th edition gust spellGust can push this bear 5 feet

 

 

 

 

Or… You can push a pile of Feathers 10 feet

feathers, half as resistant as a black bear

feathers, half as resistant as a black bear

I know, I know… it’s silly to try to apply real world physics to D&D game mechanics. In this case though, it not only strikes me as silly but also pointless. I can think of times when it could be useful, but really it’s pretty weak. I’m going to have to throw it in the bin with the Friends spell. I mean, if it was given to me for free I guess I wouldn’t complain, but I wouldn’t waste one of my spell slots or worse, an action, on it.

OK, one last thing… why is it transmutation? Doesn’t evocation make more sense? Are you transmuting some of the non-moving wind into moving wind? It doesn’t matter, I just thought it was strange.

Don’t worry piggies… this spell isn’t going to knock your house down, not even the straw one.

Wolf gusting and puffing

[P.S. Check out the Wacky Dungeon game just above the footer!]

Dave Goff

Writing and creating in my spare time to avoid going crazy in this mad, mad, world. Check out some of my materials on DMsGuild and let me know what you think! subscribe to keep up with new posts and leave comments to keep the conversation going.

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