In Dungeons & Dragons, magic is one of the most powerful forces. Those who wield it have the ability to manipulate and shape reality to their own desires. In D&D 5e, many classes can use magic, each in their special way. Included in these classes are Clerics, Warlocks, Sorcerers, and Wizards. And while they each attain their magical abilities in different ways, they do share one thing in common: they all started out using first-level spells.

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The goal of every spellcaster is to grow more powerful and eventually gain that sweet ninth-level spell slot, but even the greatest caster has to start somewhere. While you're working your way up to that, here are some of the best level-one spells for your new or low-level magic user.

Updated on December 10, 2024, by Alfredo Robelo: The release of the 2024 Player's Handbook added not only new spells, but changes to old ones that changed them from good to great. We've updated this article to include even more spells of first level, from holy spells to warlock-flavored attacks.

31 Hellish Rebuke

React With Fiendish Anger

Warlock by Joseph Weston.

As a level one warlock, you'll be spending most of your time casting Eldritch Blast, so you want spells that synergize well with that cantrip. You have plenty of options but not many spell slots, although few things can beat how useful Hellish Rebuke is during a fight, since you can deal damage with it as a reaction.

It deals more damage when cast with a higher level spell slot, and since warlock spell slots are always the highest possible level, Hellish Rebuke is constantly up-to-date in damage. It may not be the greatest spell for roleplay scenarios, but your enemies will be sorry to target you during a fight.

30 Armor Of Agathys

Protective Frost

Art by Tuan Duong Chu

This spell is simple but useful: gain five temporary hit points for an hour, and if you get hit by a melee attack, the aggressor suffers five cold damage. The spell clarifies that it ends early if you have no temporary hit points left... but it doesn't specify where those hit points come from.

You see, you could cast Armor of Agathys and then have a cleric cast Heroism on you, potentially never losing the cold damage from Armor of Agathys since your constantly gaining new temporary hit points. Remember to ask your Dungeon Master if this is a combination that would work on the table before committing to it.

29 Divine Favor

Free Extra Damage

Art by Bryan Sola

This spell was always hard to choose over other paladin choices, since it required concentration to add a D4 to the damage of your attacks. This conflicted with the many Smites, a paladin's bread and butter, since they also needed concentration to trigger their effects, most of which dealt significantly more damage than a measly D4.

The 2024 Player's Handbook buffed this paladin spell significantly by removing one key aspect: it no longer requires concentration. This means that you can cast this spell at the beginning of combat and add that D4 to all of your attacks, all the while being free to cast whatever spells you may need.

28 Entangle

Create Difficult Terrain

Abyssal Wedding by Tyler Jacobson

An old-school crowd-control spell, Entangle is more commonly used against players at low levels as opposed to being wielded by them. It affects an area covering a 20-foot square making it difficult terrain, so it's possible to get across it, but only if a character has a high Strength score and perhaps a skill like Acrobatics or Athletics. The Strength stat is the saving throw for this spell, and if a character fails, they are trapped for the round.

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A spell that consists of a mass of vines sprouting from the ground and resisting anyone who wades through it would have to be a Druid's spell. That being said, any spellcaster that can use scrolls can also cast this spell if they buy or pick up a copy of it.

27 Disguise Self

Become Someone Else

Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos art by Caroline Gariba

More than likely, there will be situations during a campaign where you'll have to conceal your real identity. Whether it's to evade being spotted or infiltrate someplace, Disguise Self is one of the best first-level spells. From the School of Illusion, the one who casts it can make themselves and everything on their person look completely different for an hour or until it is dispelled.

There are restrictions to the spell, as you can't change your body type, and your new image has to have the "same basic alignment of limbs." The changes made aren't physical, and a creature can make an Investigation check and contest it with your Spell save DC to inspect and see through the illusion.

26 Charm Person

Make Friends Easily

D&D Von Richten's Guide to Ravenloft by Zoltan Boros

Charm Person is a versatile spell that can be used in both combat and social situations. It's one of the best first-level spells for D&D 5e, dates from the very beginning of the franchise, and its versatility and range of use, depending on the class or situation, are the reasons it has stood the test of time.

The target of this spell has to make a Wisdom saving throw, which they have a bonus for if you're in combat with them at the time. At higher levels, you can use this spell to charm more than one creature at once, which can be handy when dealing with guards, bandits, or dinner guests.

25 Tasha's Hideous Laughter

A Maddening Joke

Tasha's Cauldron of Everything by Magali Villeneuve

Tasha's Hideous Laughter is a first-level Enchantment spell that can be used by any class that pulls from the Bard or Wizard spell list. When cast, a player can target a creature within a range of 30 feet and make its target fall Prone into a fit of laughter for one minute if they don't succeed at a Wisdom save. A Prone creature can only crawl and has disadvantages on its attack rolls.

It's a pretty good way to delay an enemy's attack as they have to spend a turn getting up from being Prone, even if they manage to succeed in their Wisdom saving throw.

24 Feather Fall

Fear No Heights

Owlin via Wizards Of The Coast

There's also a ring in the game that can grant this ability to anyone wearing it, but unlike this spell, that only benefits the person who has it equipped. When cast by a Bard, Wizard, or Artificer, however, it can benefit up to five intrepid adventurers.

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It seems situational at first, but this spell has all kinds of uses, not just the obvious benefit of saving your group from a nasty tumble. Feather Fall is also ideal for reaching inaccessible places in dungeons, near castles, and on cliffsides.

23 Comprehend Languages

Ideal For Traveling Adventurers

Art Via Wizards Of The Coast

It's not just for eavesdropping on foreign dignitaries or strangers in a tavern from a far-flung land, but that is one obvious advantage of this very useful spell.

Comprehend Languages also works on print, so it's handy for deciphering virtually any text as long as it's not a code or written in a language that isn't a conventional reading script, like numbers or musical notes. That means you could use it on an ancient map as easily as you can spy on those mysterious dinner guests.

22 False Life

Hit Points On Top Of Hit Points

Heroes of Horror by David Hudnut

Although False Life is associated with Clerics of certain Domains, Sorcerers, Wizards, and Artificers also have access to this handy spell. This version, however, is strictly a self-cast, whereas Clerics can usually cast it on party members.

A character can use it to give themselves a few extra hit points, which is really useful in many situations. It can be used as a last resort in a tough fight, or you can use it right before a fight starts to give a character an edge on the amount of damage they can take.