Kinetic Jaunt 5E

Kinetic Jaunt 5E Guide

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Recently updated on December 28th, 2022 at 09:24 am

Kinetic Jaunt in 5E is a mobility spell that allows a caster to gain an additional 10 feet of movement, along with additional utility.

In this Kinetic Jaunt 5E Guide, I’ll break down everything you need to know about the spell, what it does, common use cases, and more! Click below to get started.

Table of Contents

What is Kinetic Jaunt in 5E?

Kinetic Jaunt is a 2nd level Transmutation spell in D&D. Here are some pieces of information you’ll want to know:

Spell Level2nd
Spell TypeTransmutation
Casting Time1 Bonus Action
RangeSelf
Component RequirementsSomatic
DurationConcentration, up to 1 minute
ClassArtificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

How does Kinetic Jaunt work?

The DnD 5E Kinetic Jaunt spell is easy to cast and provides a few benefits:

  1. Walking speed increased by 10 feet
  2. While the spell is active, you don’t provoke opportunity attacks
  3. You are able to move through the space of other creatures freely! Mechanically, this means you can move through people without it being considered difficult terrain.

What to keep in mind before casting Kinetic Jaunt

While it is a good spell, the important thing to keep in mind is:

  1. The important thing to keep in mind is the last benefit (moving through creatures). If you end your turn in another creature’s space, you 1) are forced back to the last unoccupied space you were in and 2) take 1d8 force damage. So you’ll have to be careful with the movement you take.
  2. This spell requires Concentration. So keep that in mind before casting!
  3. Spell level. At the end of the day, many would argue that Kinetic Jaunt should be a level 1 spell, not level 2.
  4. Kinetic Jaunt will not help you escape a grapple are travel through difficult terrain. You can travel through people without it being considered difficult terrain, though.

In the end, Kinetic Jaunt is very situational. A lot of conditions must be met before it’s viable over other spells like Misty Step.

Is Kinetic Jaunt good?

Generally, Kinetic Jaunt is a good spell. Here are a few reasons you may consider adding it to your character’s spell list:

  1. Utility over time. While Misty Step may be considered a better mobility spell for some, Kinetic Jaunt gives you more mobility over the course of an entire battle, along with other benefits.
  2. Chasing enemies. Think about it, if you’re in a chase and need 5 or 10 additional movement to catch up, this is a great spell to close the distance and cut through a crowd!
  3. Running away from enemies. Imagine you’re corned by a handful of enemies. Instead of running away and taking opportunity attacks, you can move through enemies (without triggering opportunity attacks) and continue to run away with your enhanced mobility over time.
  4. Additional creative utility. Interestingly, being forced back to your last unoccupied space could be quite useful. If you’re in a battle taking place in a crowded hallway and need to take out a creature you can’t reach, casting Kinetic Jaunt as a bonus action will allow you to freely move all the way to that creature, make an attack and return to where you started. Taking 1d8 could be better than what a caster is capable of!

How to get Kinetic Jaunt

By choosing the following classes, Kinetic Jaunt will be available to your character:

  • Artificer
  • Bard
  • Sorcerer
  • Wizard

Kinetic Jaunt vs Other Spells

Kinetic Jaunt is unique in some ways, but similar to other spells in different ways. Let’s compare a few spells to Kinetic Jaunt and see which is better for which scenarios!

Kinetic Jaunt vs Zephyr Strike

  • Zephyr Strike is 1st level, while Kinetic Jaunt is 2nd level
  • Zephyr Strike gives one of your attack rolls advantage
  • Zephyr Strike deals more force damage
  • Zephyr Strike gives you an additional 30 feet of movement

Kinetic Jaunt vs Misty Step

  • Misty Step is also a 2nd level spell
  • Misty Step requires you to see your destination, so Kinetic Jaunt is viable in darkness and silence.
  • With Misty Step, you can get out of a grapple. Kinetic Jaunt doesn’t allow for that.

Kinetic Jaunt vs Ashardalon’s Stride

  • Ashardalon’s Stride is 3rd level, gives extra 20 feet of movement and deals 1d6 fire damage when passing targets within 5 feet. Plus the additional movement and damage scales when upcast.

Kinetic Jaunt 5E: Conclusion

While Kinetic Jaunt does have some promise, here are my three takeaways:

  1. Kinetic Jaunt is extremely situational
  2. Kinetic Jaunt is pricey (2nd level spell)
  3. There are other options that are better in the majority of situations your character will be in

Additional D&D Spells to Consider:

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