Magic · Evocation

Prismatic Spray

Prismatic Spray throws a fan of unpredictable coloured magic across a 60-foot cone. The name survives across editions, but the ray table changes sharply: modern D&D uses damage-and-condition rays, while PF1e and D&D 3.5e retain the older lethal, petrifying, insanity and planar effects.

5.5e / 2024	7th-level Evocation; Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
5e / 2014	7th-level Evocation; Sorcerer, Wizard
Pathfinder 1e	Evocation; Sorcerer/Wizard 7
D&D 3.5e	Evocation; Sorcerer/Wizard 7

Rules

Prismatic Spray by Edition

5.5e / 2024
5e / 2014
Pathfinder 1e
D&D 3.5e

Prismatic Spray — 5.5e / 2024

Level	7th-level Evocation
Classes	Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time	Action
Range	Self (60-foot Cone)
Components	V, S
Duration	Instantaneous
Save	Dexterity

Eight rays flash through the cone. Every creature in it makes a Dexterity saving throw, then each target rolls 1d8 to determine its ray.

1d8	Ray	2024 effect
1	Red	12d6 Fire damage on a failed save; half on a success.
2	Orange	12d6 Acid damage on a failed save; half on a success.
3	Yellow	12d6 Lightning damage on a failed save; half on a success.
4	Green	12d6 Poison damage on a failed save; half on a success.
5	Blue	12d6 Cold damage on a failed save; half on a success.
6	Indigo	Failed Dexterity save: Restrained. The target then makes Constitution saves at the end of its turns; three successes end the effect, while three failures cause Petrification until removed by an effect such as Greater Restoration.
7	Violet	Failed Dexterity save: Blinded. At the start of the caster’s next turn the target makes a Wisdom save; success ends the effect, failure ends the blindness and sends the creature to another plane chosen by the DM.
8	Special	Two rays strike the target; roll twice more and reroll any further 8s.

Prismatic Spray — 5e / 2014

Level	7th-level Evocation
Classes	Sorcerer, Wizard
Casting Time	1 action
Range	Self (60-foot cone)
Components	V, S
Duration	Instantaneous
Save	Dexterity

The 2014 spell uses the same eight-result structure, but the first five rays deal 10d6 rather than 12d6 and Bard is not on the base class list.

1d8	Ray	2014 effect
1	Red	10d6 Fire damage; Dexterity save for half.
2	Orange	10d6 Acid damage; Dexterity save for half.
3	Yellow	10d6 Lightning damage; Dexterity save for half.
4	Green	10d6 Poison damage; Dexterity save for half.
5	Blue	10d6 Cold damage; Dexterity save for half.
6	Indigo	Failed Dexterity save: Restrained, followed by Constitution saves each turn; three successes end the spell, three failures permanently Petrify the target.
7	Violet	Failed Dexterity save: Blinded, followed by a Wisdom save at the start of the caster’s next turn; failure transports the creature to another plane.
8	Special	Two rays strike; roll twice more and reroll 8s.

Prismatic Spray — Pathfinder 1e

School	Evocation
Level	Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Casting Time	1 standard action
Range	60 ft.
Components	V, S
Area	Cone-shaped burst
Duration	Instantaneous
Saving Throw	See ray
Spell Resistance	Yes

Creatures of 8 Hit Dice or fewer in the cone are automatically blinded for 2d4 rounds. Every creature is then struck by one or more randomly determined beams.

1d8	Ray	PF1e effect
1	Red	20 Fire damage; Reflex half.
2	Orange	40 Acid damage; Reflex half.
3	Yellow	80 Electricity damage; Reflex half.
4	Green	Poison: death as the initial effect, then Constitution damage on later rounds; two consecutive Fortitude saves cure it.
5	Blue	Flesh to stone; Fortitude negates.
6	Indigo	Insanity; Will negates.
7	Violet	Sent to another plane; Will negates.
8	Special	Two rays strike; roll twice more and ignore further 8s.

Prismatic Spray — D&D 3.5e

School	Evocation
Level	Sorcerer/Wizard 7
Casting Time	1 standard action
Range	60 ft.
Components	V, S
Area	Cone-shaped burst
Duration	Instantaneous
Saving Throw	See ray
Spell Resistance	Yes

As in PF1e, creatures with 8 Hit Dice or fewer are automatically blinded for 2d4 rounds before the random ray is resolved.

1d8	Ray	3.5e effect
1	Red	20 Fire damage; Reflex half.
2	Orange	40 Acid damage; Reflex half.
3	Yellow	80 Electricity damage; Reflex half.
4	Green	Poison: Fortitude partial; failure kills, while a successful save reduces the result to 1d6 Constitution damage.
5	Blue	Turned to stone; Fortitude negates.
6	Indigo	Insane, as Insanity; Will negates.
7	Violet	Sent to another plane; Will negates.
8	Special	Two rays strike; roll twice more and ignore further 8s.

Edition Changes

What Changed?

2024 adds Bard to the base class list; 2014, PF1e and 3.5e do not.
2024 raises the damage rays from 10d6 in 2014 to 12d6.
Modern D&D removes the automatic low-HD blindness used by PF1e and 3.5e.
The green ray is radically different: modern D&D deals Poison damage; PF1e uses its poison subsystem; 3.5e can kill outright on a failed Fortitude save.
Indigo and violet remain control rays, but modern D&D resolves them through staged saving throws rather than the legacy insanity and immediate planar effects.

Play

Using Prismatic Spray

The spell is strongest when a caster can catch several enemies in the cone. It is intentionally unpredictable: one target may take straightforward damage while another is restrained, petrified or hurled to another plane.

Do not roll one ray for the whole cone. Each affected creature gets its own 1d8 result. On an 8, that creature alone receives two additional rays.

Edition warning: never carry the old 8-HD blindness or lethal green-ray poison into 2024/2014 play, and never replace PF1e/3.5e with the modern 10d6/12d6 damage table.

Related Magic

Related Spells

Sources & Licensing

Rules Sources

The 2024 and 2014 panels follow the corresponding public D&D Basic Rules/SRD spell entries. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e use their respective open rules references. Edition-specific wording and numerical differences are kept separate so one ruleset does not overwrite another.