The absolute most powerful abilities are found in Dungeons & Dragons only at higher levels. But some spells that you can learn right from the start are much better than they sound. One of them is “Jump,” which makes you a sprinting demigod for ten rounds.
What kind of spell is it?
- Jump, or “Jump” in the original, is a first-level transmutation spell that can be cast on a target you can touch. Artificers (yes, sorry, but that’s what they’re called), druids, rangers, wizards, and sorcerers can learn Jump.
- The spell increases the distance you can cover with a jump: in the 2024 rules by 30 feet (9 meters) at the cost of 10 feet (3 meters) of movement; according to the old 2014 rules, the possible, rules-based jump distance is simply tripled.
- With the help of Jump, a speedrunner managed to set the world record in Baldur’s Gate 3 and it has since become a must in most runs – that’s how powerful the spell is!
This is what makes “Jump” so strong: Jump is one of those inconspicuous spells that are much stronger than they sound – mainly due to its effect. 30 feet is the standard range for every character in the 2024 edition of D&D 5e. With “Jump,” everyone gets to 50 feet (15 m).
Since the spell lasts for one minute – or 10 combat rounds – you can cover an additional 200 feet in total and the spellcaster doesn’t even need concentration for it. Once Jump is cast, the effect is active.
With such an enhanced jump, you can not only cross large chasms but also gain an advantage in combat:
- Annoyed by that pesky archer in the back? Let your barbarian jump right in his face.
- Is the boss giving your tank a hard time? With Jump he may provoke an opportunity attack, but – if he survives – he will be out of range for another melee attack.
- Are goblins after your casters? Just jump away or up somewhere they can’t reach you with their pokes.
- Does the bard need to flee from horned husbands again? You know the drill…
Since Jump is only a 1st-level spell, all of the eligible spellcasting classes have the opportunity to cast it at least 4 times relatively early – more often if you are casting at higher levels. A higher rank allows an additional target per spell rank in the 2024 rules.
Jump is “like a mini Haste”
The strength of “Jump” is widely discussed in the community, most recently in a thread on Reddit. There, the creator writes that the spell is more powerful than comparable abilities, like Misty Step.
Misty Step is a bonus action that brings you to a point up to 9 meters away that you can see. However, users emphasize: Misty Step prevents opportunity attacks and has other advantages, such as the ability to teleport through a keyhole.
With such an ability, Jump cannot be compared, but rather to Haste, one of the best spells in the game:
The 5.5e version is a basic spell at every level. I wouldn’t compare it to Misty Step, it’s more like a mini Haste that you can cast as a bonus action and that doesn’t require concentration.
Puzzleboxed on Reddit
Haste doubles movement speed, grants +2 to armor class, advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and an additional action per round, which can only be used in a limited way. All in all, one of the strongest buffs in the game and a fairly early spell at level 3. Jump at least allows for some of these enhancements, just much earlier.
Even if you are not necessarily into “min-maxing” in D&D, but simply playing for fun, Jump can be particularly beneficial when exploring. And honestly, hardly anyone really wants to play all the way to the end: Why level 20 in D&D is the biggest goal for many and why you should better not reach it
