Gust of Wind 5e Guide

Gust of Wind 5e Guide: Why Fight Your Enemies When You Can Push Them Off a Cliff?

If you love Avatar: The Last Airbender (like I do), you know how powerful air is. As a child, I would watch in amazement how Aang fights his enemies by controlling the air around him. However, I often think about how dangerous and lethal his methods are, despite him being a pacifist. For example, Aang sent dozens of Fire Nation trucks flying while they were trying to attack the Northern Air Temple.

Pushing someone off a mountain using wind would be terrifying! I can imagine myself being a Fire Nation soldier doing my job. In a flash, I am sent flying towards the air and falling from great heights. If you want to perform a similar act of extraordinary violence against your enemies, you can do it in D&D through a level two evocation spell, Gust of Wind.

Gust of Wind acts similar to Aang’s air-bending; a large gust of wind rushes out from you, pushing back anyone and anything within its path of destruction. Plus, enemies trying to get to you through the Gust of Wind would have a hard time going near you. On the surface, it is not a deadly weapon, but if you use it correctly, like how Aang does it, you can make it a tool of destruction. How? Follow this Gust of Wind 5e guide.

Bottom Line Up Front: What is Gust of Wind in D&D 5e?

Gust of Wind is a level two evocation spell you can find in the Player’s Handbook on page 248. This D&D spell is an evocation spell like Lightning Bolt and Wall of Fire because you manipulate the wind around you to push an area of anything in its path. Below are the crucial details about the Gust of Wind spell.

  • Gust of Wind
  • 2nd-level evocation
  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 60 ft. line from yourself
  • Components: V, S, M (a legume seed)
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Gust of Wind needs your total concentration, and as long as you are focused on your spell, it will stay until it expires in one minute. Many situations can break your concentration, such as something damaging you or casting another spell that also requires attention.

To learn more about how concentration works, I advise you read more in the Pass Without Trace Concentration section in the spell’s guide.

How to use Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

aang gust of wind

Before you can usher out a strong breeze using the Gust of Wind spell, you need to check that you have what it takes to cast it, like the spell’s components, spell slots, and more. I would recommend that you read the “How to use” sections within the Wall of Fire and Scorching Ray 5e Guides. I have written in detail the requirements, and since these three spells are similar to each other, you can connect the dots.

Scorching Ray and Gust of Wind are level two spells, which means you need an available level two spell slot to cast either spell. Wall of Fire and Gust of Wind both need concentration, as well as the Verbal, Somatic, and Material components. If you have an arcane focus, you can use it instead of the Material component. All three spells cost an action to cast when you use them during combat.

If you passed every requirement, then you can cast the Gust of Wind spell and do the following:

  1. Choose a direction for your wind. Remember that the 10-ft. wide wind will reach 60 ft. from you towards the direction that you choose.
  2. If in combat, you can redirect your wind as a bonus action every turn. For example, if your target managed to dodge your current, you can shift it towards them again.

These basic steps are what you need to do, and the spell will do the rest for you. Remember that you need to concentrate if you want to keep your wind for the entire duration. The wind immediately disappears if something disturbs your focus. The following section explains what the strong breeze will do to everything and everyone within its path.

How does Gust of Wind work in D&D 5e?

how does gust of wind work

A strong breeze 60 ft. long and ten ft. wide ushers out of you and towards a direction that you chose. The following effects take place while the Gust of Wind spell is active:

  1. Everyone within the wind makes a Strength saving throw at the start of their turn. The affected person or creature rolls a d20 and adds their Strength saving throw modifier, along with other bonuses that may apply from external matters like spells.
  2. Compare their Strength saving throw to your Spell Save DC. The roll made earlier must be equal to or greater than your Spell Save DC, or else your saving throw will fail. The Spell Save DC depends on what class you are. I have listed the different Spell Save DCs for each class in the sections below.
  3. The wind pushes the affected creature 15 ft. back if the Strength saving throw fails. However, the pushing does not take away the affected creature’s movement speed.
  4. Everyone within the wind uses twice the normal movement speed when moving closer to you. For example, a creature within the wind 15 ft. away from you would need 20 ft. of movement speed instead of 10 ft. to get in front of you.
  5. The wind extinguishes candles, torches, and other unprotected flames within it. Meanwhile, protected flames like lanterns within the wind will dance wildly and gain a 50% chance of becoming extinguished. To do so, you can roll any die and assign the half to represent success in extinguishing the flame while the other half to represent a failure.

As long as you can focus on keeping the Gust of Wind active, these effects can happen for up to a minute. Many players become puzzled by the concept of the spell; perhaps the wording of the spell’s description is too confusing. So, I will give a demonstration to give you a visual representation of what would happen to everyone within the Gust of Wind.

Example scenario for using Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

Long ago, the enemies lived together in harmony. Then, everything changed when Arthur’s Lab put them in scenarios to test out spells.

Welcome back! Today, we have Marshal the Half-elf Wizard to demonstrate how the level two evocation spell Gust of Wind works. He knows the spell, and he is fully rested, so he has the appropriate spell slots for it.

Due to how long this spell can reach, we are transferring our experiments to an uninhabited island. Along with us today are the usual participants that we definitely did not force to come. Below are some crucial details about Marshal and the three participants.

Marshal the Half-elf Wizard

  • Intelligence modifier: +3
  • Proficiency Bonus: +4
  • Spell Save DC: 15 (8 + Intelligence modifier + Proficiency Bonus)

Every bandit

  • Hit Points: 30
  • Strength saving throw modifier: +2

Marshal moves first, and he casts the Gust of Wind spell using an available level two spell slot. He chooses to let the wind run wild in front of him. The wind is 60 ft. long, so it reaches up to 12 tiles if we use square grids for combat. Furthermore, because the wind from the spell is ten ft. wide, we can position its direction in either position:

gust of wind

Marshal decides to position his wind to the latter as to affect two participants instead of just one. Suddenly, an intense breeze burst out from Marshal and towards the goblin with the longsword and the one with the bow (we will call them Longsword Goblin and Bow Goblin from now on for brevity). The wind does not affect the other participant, who we will call the Human Bandit, because he is not in its path.

It is Longsword Goblin’s turn, and since he is within the wind’s path, he must roll a Strength saving throw before he can do anything else. He rolls a 1d20 and gets a 12. We add up his roll with his Strength modifier (which is 2); his total Strength saving throw is 14, which does not reach Marshal’s Spell Save DC of 15. Thus, the wind pushes him back 15 ft. away.

He tries moving back to his original position, effectively going against the wind’s current. Due to this decision, he uses 30 ft. of movement speed instead of 15 ft. to go back. He then does nothing.

His turn ends, and it is now Bow Goblin’s turn. Since he is also within the wind’s path, he rolls a Strength saving throw and gets a 13. If we add his Strength saving throw modifier of 2, it totals 15, which reaches Marshal’s Spell Save DC.

Thus, Bow Goblin endures the wind’s strong force and stands his ground. He does not move an inch. However, he decides to move to his right. Since Bow Goblin is not going against the wind’s current, he only uses five ft. of movement speed to move to the right. He then does nothing and ends his turn. It is the Human Bandit’s turn, and he is scared of Marshal. So, he also does nothing and ends his turn.

Finally, it is Marshal’s turn. He uses his action to shoot the Longsword Goblin and succeeds, taking away 10 HP from him. He then uses his bonus action to move the Gust of Wind diagonally. Through this repositioning, he can target the Human Bandit with his spell. Below is a visual representation of the spell’s affected area.

The moment Marshal transfers the wind to this direction, the campfire within the area instantly extinguishes (follow the red arrow on the image above). If there was also a lamp within the area, then we would roll a 1d4 and assign the results of 1 or 2 to become a failure and 3 of 4 to become a success. However, there is no lamp here, so there is no need to do that procedure.

Marshal ends his turn, and Longsword Goblin’s turn begins. Since he is no longer within the wind’s path, he can move freely. However, he does nothing out of pure shock and fear and ends his turn. The same goes for the Bow Goblin, who just narrowly avoided the wind’s strong path. He does nothing and ends his turn. It is now Human Bandit’s turn.

He does the usual procedure for being within the wind’s area; he rolls for a Strength saving throw. He succeeds in his saving throw, and he does something that we did not instruct him to do. He tries to throw a throwing knife at Marshal to distract him. His actions are incredibly disobedient and uncalled for. However, he succeeds in his throw, and it hits Marshal on the side.

Marshal receives five damage, and his Gust of Wind instantly dissipates because he received damage, making him lose concentration. Due to this tragic injury, we shall end this demonstration on this note. Hopefully, Marshal’s sacrifice made you learn something about this spell.

Who can cast Gust of Wind in D&D 5e?

Three classes (Druid, Sorcerer, and Wizard), six subclasses (Arcane Trickster Rogue, Eldritch Knight Fighter, Fathomless Warlock, Four Elements Mock, Genie Warlock, and Tempest Cleric), and two races (Half-Elf with the Mark of Storm variant and Triton) can cast Gust of Wind. Additionally, Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything expands the Ranger’s spell list to include this spell within their grasps.

Classes that can cast Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards can usher out a strong breeze using the Gust of Wind spell. Additionally, Rangers can also have the spell thanks to the Ranger spell list expansion in Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything. Druids, Sorcerers, and Wizards can have a level two spell slot as early as level three, while Rangers can have it as early as level five.

Below are some essential details about these classes when casting Gust of Wind, such as the Spell Save DC.

Classes that can cast Gust of Wind

Source

Spell Save DC

Druid Player’s Handbook, page 64 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier
Sorcerer Player’s Handbook, page 99 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Wizard Player’s Handbook, page 112 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Ranger Player’s Handbook, page 49;

 

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, page 57 (about the additional Ranger spells)

8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

Subclasses that can cast Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

Six subclasses can cast the Gust of Wind spell, and I have listed them below along with important info like their Spell Save DC. If your table allows the use of Unearthed Arcana, there is one more subclass: the Giant Soul Sorcerer. It has the same Spell Save DC as its origin class.

Subclasses that can cast Gust of Wind

Originating Class Subclass Source Class Source

Spell Save DC

Arcane Trickster Rogue Player’s Handbook, page 97 Player’s Handbook, page 94 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
Eldritch Knight Fighter Player’s Handbook, page 74 Player’s Handbook, page 70 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Intelligence modifier
The Fathomless Warlock Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, page 72 Player’s Handbook, page 105 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Way of the Four Elements Monk Player’s Handbook, page 80 Player’s Handbook, page 76 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom Modifier
The Genie Warlock Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything, page 73 Player’s Handbook, page 105 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Tempest Domain Cleric Player’s Handbook, page 62 Player’s Handbook, page 56 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Wisdom modifier

The Arcane Trickster Rogue and Eldritch Knight Fighter have access to the Gust of Wind spell thanks to their Spellcasting subclass feature, which allows them to pick spells from the Wizard spell list. Additionally, they can have level two spell slots as early as level 7.

Both subclasses of the Warlock have access to the Gust of Wind spell thanks to their Expanded Spell List subclass feature. However, for the Genie Warlock, their patron must specifically be a Djinni. Meanwhile, the Tempest Clerics have access to the Gust of Wind spell thanks to their Tempest Domain Spells subclass feature. All three subclasses can have level two spell slots as early as level 3.

The Four Elements Monks are different because they do not have spell slots. Instead, they have ki points they can spend to perform their Elemental Disciplines subclass feature. Specifically, they can cast the Gust of Wind spell through the “Rush of the Gale Spirits” for two ki points. They can make this move as early as level 3.

Races that can cast Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

A couple of races gain access to the Gust of Wind spell, namely the Triton and the Half-Elf with the Mark of Storm variant. Note that the latter is a subrace of the Half-elf that exists within the Eberron setting. If your campaign is not within Eberron, then it might not make sense for the subrace to exist in your setting; thus, ask your DM before you pick this subrace.

Furthermore, the latter also requires you to have a Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature. If you play a class that cannot cast spells, such as a Barbarian, then you cannot have this spell. Think of the spell as an expansion to your class’s spell list. Below are some crucial details that you need to know for each race.

Races that can cast Gust of Wind

Source Race Feature

Spell Save DC

Triton Volo’s Guide to Monsters, page 115 Control Air and Water 8 + your proficiency bonus + your Charisma modifier
Half-Elf (Mark of Storm variant) Eberron: Rising from the Last War, page 50 Spells of the Mark (requires Spellcasting or Pact Magic class feature) Depends on the class

Creative and useful ways to use Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

A lot of people think that Gust of Wind is incredibly weak or mediocre for a level two spell. After all, you can pick other spells that can induce damage since Gust of Wind does not inherently deal damage to its victims. However, I am here to prove that Gust of Wind can be effective thanks to the powers of ingenuity. I have listed below some creative and useful ways to utilize the Gust of Wind spell in D&D 5e.

  • Pushing enemies off cliffs or vehicles.
  • Stopping enemies in narrow spaces.
  • Putting out large fires.
  • Clearing out fogs or deadly gases.
  • Disrupting enemy positions.

There are even more creative uses for this spell, like making someone cross or parachute a gap or providing wind to a boat’s sail. However, this application of the spell is not technically by the book. So, I recommend that you ask your DM first before picking this spell to attempt the things that I just stated.

Pushing enemies off cliffs or vehicles using Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

Your teammates have cornered the enemy onto a cliff. However, all of you are close to death, and the enemy is still incredibly healthy and robust. The enemy’s turn is next, and you know that the moment he moves, he will slaughter your party to get out of the way. You cannot let this opportunity go to waste. This scenario would be an excellent time to cast Gust of Wind to knock your enemy off the cliff.

By knocking creatures off cliffs, you or your friends no longer need to chip away at their health. The enemy can get out of the battle and receive a lot of damage, especially if the cliff is extremely high up. It might even result in their death. Another good use for Gust of Wind would be to push enemies off vehicles like ships or trains. You would have fewer enemies to worry about without too much effort!

Stopping enemies in narrow spaces using Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

You and your party are exploring a dungeon. All of you decide to go inside a narrow hallway. Suddenly, the door behind you closes, and a bunch of horrific monsters is coming toward you at the other end of the hallway. Your party members are not ready yet to involve themselves in a battle, so you must buy some time for them. What do you do? In a narrow space, Gust of Wind would be adequate for the job.

Doorways, entrances, hallways, and the like are incredibly narrow. Thankfully, Gust of Wind is wide enough to cover most of these entry points. By casting it towards the door, enemies will have a hard time going through it. Plus, if another party member can cast a spell that applies difficult terrain on the entry point, then the effects would stack. It would be impossible for them to get past the door.

Putting out large fires using Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

You and your party are traveling through a forest when suddenly, the enemy ambushes you by starting a forest fire. You notice the fire, and you know that it will quickly spread all over the area. Plus, the forest is next to a lovely village you cannot afford to lose. What will you do? You can cast Gust of Wind; it can put out open fires within its area. You can even put out the fire of engulfed creatures.

If the area of the large fire has expanded, you do not need to worry because you can redirect your strong breeze toward other directions. Gust of Wind would be incredibly effective for fires within narrow spaces. As a DM, I love putting traps where my players would have to find a way through a room engulfed in fire. Gust of Wind can solve that problem quickly without too much hassle.

Clearing out fogs or deadly gases using Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

Image from triplecrit fandom

Fog can be incredibly annoying and detrimental. Players can circumnavigate darkness by having a dark vision or a spell that induces light. Foggy areas are a different story because you cannot see through them. If you linger around in a fog for too long, you might not notice that enemies have begun encircling and trapping you within the room. Thankfully, Gust of Wind can clear out mists to get your vision back.

Aside from fogs, Gust of Wind can also disperse deadly gases such as poison. If your DM is evil, they might have a part inside a dungeon where toxic gas would suddenly fill up the room. If you do not have Gust of Wind, you will have limited options to get past the room. You can even beat the rooms that fill up gases that make people sleep by casting Gust of Wind. You can blow the evil smoke away!

Disrupting enemy positions using Gust of Wind in D&D 5e

You and your party are crossing a long and narrow bridge. Everything seems fine until you spot enemies at the bridge’s end rushing towards you. You try to retreat back to where you came from, but enemies are also present there! Apparently, they have flanked you, and now you are facing threats at the front and back. You cannot focus on both sides at once. What do you do? Gust of Wind can save you here!

With Gust of Wind, you can blow a solid breeze to deter the flanking enemies. That way, you can solely focus on the back while your other party members focus on the front. You can avoid a bloody massacre on the bridge by disrupting their positions. You can even disrupt different battle positions with Gust of Wind by breaking them apart from each other. If your enemies are using strategy, then break them apart.

Frequently Asked Questions

Question: Does Gust of Wind move with you in D&D 5e?

Answer: Yes, Gust of Wind technically moves with you in D&D 5e because the spell’s range is yourself. You target a direction from you instead of a fixed area, so Gust of Wind would move if you move. However, you can change the direction of the strong wind as a bonus action during every turn. If you move and the Gust of Wind is in an area unfavorable for you, then you can move it somewhere else.

Question: Can Gust of Wind move objects in D&D 5e?

Answer: No, Gust of Wind technically cannot move objects in D&D 5e because the spell’s description only specifies creatures. However, you can ask your DM to give some leeway about this rule. After all, it is a strong breeze, so it would logically move objects. Plus, rules should not be too strict; if you allow your players to smartly use their spells and their reasoning makes sense, you should enable them.

Question: Can Gust of Wind push you upwards in D&D 5e?

Answer: No, Gust of Wind cannot move you upwards in D&D 5e if you choose the breeze to hit the ground below. The spell’s description does not elaborate on the spell’s effect in upwards and downwards directions. However, if you are a forgiving DM, you can allow your players to perform these movements. I personally would not let them because I think it’s too powerful that way, though.

Question: What is the difference between Gust of Wind vs. Warding Wind in D&D 5e?

Answer: Gust of Wind pushes creatures within a directed line you choose, while Warding Wind affects the creatures and incoming projectiles around you. Warding Wind has a lot of effects, like deafening anyone in your radius or making the area difficult terrain. Meanwhile, Gust of Wind makes movement hard for creatures within a linear region. However, both are level two evocation spells.

Conclusion: Is Gust of Wind a good spell in D&D 5e?

Gust of Wind can be a good and effective spell, although it is incredibly situational. If you are not a fan of spells that require specific scenarios to play out, then you might not like this spell. It does not inherently deal damage. However, you can push enemies off incredibly tall cliffs, which can kill your enemies instantly without the hassle of involving yourselves in combat.

The spell mostly stops your enemies in their tracks, although if they are stupidly strong, they might bypass your wind. Another bad thing that many people latch on to when criticizing this spell is that Gust of Wind requires concentration. While it is not inherently a bad thing, concentration is a scarce resource in battle. Still, if your DM allows you to be creative, you can undoubtedly use Gust of Wind in many ways.

If we follow the rules, Gust of Wind is situational. However, it can be helpful in unbelievably dangerous scenarios. Gust of Wind not only stops enemies from moving, but it can also put out fires or disperse deadly gases. You can take note of your DM’s patterns; if they like putting traps involving fires or poison gases, then Gust of Wind would be an excellent pick to circumnavigate these traps.

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