Sacred Flame 5e
Sacred Flame is a cleric cantrip that targets a creature within 60 feet. The target makes a Dexterity saving throw and takes 1d8 radiant damage (average 4.5) on a failure, nothing on a success. It ignores half and three-quarters cover, and its damage grows to 2d8, 3d8 and 4d8 at character levels 5, 11 and 17.
Pick a level and press Roll.
Sacred Flame at a glance
| Level | Cantrip evocation |
| Casting time | 1 action |
| Range | 60 feet |
| Components | V, S |
| Duration | Instantaneous |
| Classes | Cleric |
| Resolution | Dexterity saving throw; no damage on a success |
| Damage type | Radiant |
Sacred Flame damage by character level
| Level | Dice | Min | Average | Max |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Character level 1–4 | 1d8 | 1 | 4.5 | 8 |
| Level 5–10 | 2d8 | 2 | 9 | 16 |
| Level 11–16 | 3d8 | 3 | 13.5 | 24 |
| Level 17–20 | 4d8 | 4 | 18 | 32 |
How Sacred Flame works
How it works: Radiant flame descends on a creature you can see within 60 feet. It makes a Dexterity saving throw against your spell save DC. On a failure it takes 1d8 radiant damage; on a success it takes no damage at all.
Ignores cover: The target gets no benefit from half cover or three-quarters cover on this save. That makes Sacred Flame a good answer to archers hiding behind walls or allies. Total cover still blocks it, because you must be able to target the creature.
Scaling: The damage dice increase with your character level: 2d8 at 5th (average 9), 3d8 at 11th (average 13.5) and 4d8 at 17th (average 18).
Tactics: Because it uses a save instead of an attack roll, Sacred Flame works well against high-AC enemies but poorly against agile ones with strong Dexterity saves. Target heavily armored foes with it and use a weapon or another option against nimble ones.
Sacred Flame: 2014 vs 2024 rules
| 2014 PHB | 2024 PHB | |
|---|---|---|
| Damage | 1d8 radiant | 1d8 radiant |
| Scaling | 2d8 at 5, 3d8 at 11, 4d8 at 17 | 2d8 at 5, 3d8 at 11, 4d8 at 17 |
| Save | Dexterity, no damage on success | Dexterity, no damage on success |
| Cover | Ignores half and three-quarters cover | Ignores half and three-quarters cover |
Sacred Flame FAQ
How much damage does Sacred Flame do in 5e?
It deals 1d8 radiant damage on a failed Dexterity save, an average of 4.5. The dice increase to 2d8 at level 5, 3d8 at level 11 and 4d8 at level 17.
Does Sacred Flame ignore cover?
It ignores half cover and three-quarters cover for its saving throw. Total cover still prevents you from targeting the creature.
Does Sacred Flame deal half damage on a successful save?
No. A creature that succeeds on the Dexterity saving throw takes no damage.
Did Sacred Flame change in the 2024 rules?
Its damage, range, save and cover rule are the same in the 2014 and 2024 Player's Handbooks.
Related
- Roll a d8
- Cover in 5e: Half, Three-Quarters and Total Cover Explained
- Cantrips in 5e: How They Scale
- Guiding Bolt 5e
- All spell damage rollers
Other cantrips
- Guidance
- Light
- Mending
- Resistance
- Spare the Dying
- Thaumaturgy
Rules are summarised in our own words; monster stat blocks are reproduced from the SRD. This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2 ("SRD 5.2") by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Card icons by Lorc and Delapouite from game-icons.net, licensed under CC BY 3.0.
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Contains content from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, used under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.