[RPG] Spell in 5e like 3.5’s Shout

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I used to play a Lythari Elf Mage in 3.5e and now I want to play a Lythari Elf Sorcerer. Lythari Elves are special for their lycanthropic transformation powers:

The lythari are a subrace of elves who can transform into wolves. Unlike most werewolves, they can transform at will and keep their minds while in wolf form.

My 3.5e GM, following Rule #0, allowed me to cast Shout while in my animal form. The logic behind this decision was that the description: "emit an ear-splitting yell" seems to only require a howl/shout/yell and my animal form is capable of making such a noise.

Is there a spell in 5e that I could cast as my wolf's howl to deal damage? Since the decision to cast Shout was a home-brewed ruling, I am open to home-brewed solutions in 5e, too.

What I've Tried Already

  • Shatter won't work due to material and somatic components (a wolf can't do this)
  • Thunderwave also requires somatic movement to produce the sound (like a clap if I understand it correctly)

Best Answer

I'd go for a cantrip. Thunderclap (from the free Elemental Evil Player's Companion) is a good bet; it's short-range but it has the auditory theme. Its somatic component could be you stopping and howling loud into the air.

If your GM will let your Sorcerer take a Bard cantrip, consider Vicious Mockery. It deals psychic damage, but you could interpret that as your howl being unnaturally unsettling.


Reskinning: If the above don't work for you, you can also reskin an existing spell that does a different damage type to deal thunder damage instead. Be aware that not all damage types are created equal; for example, more monsters are resistant against fire and cold than thunder, so converting one of those spells to thunder will actually increase its power.

My suggestion if you want to reskin would be to find a force- or radiant-dealing cantrip and turn it into a thunder-dealing one. You'd be decreasing that cantrip's power a bit but not enough to really matter.

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