Lightning and Thunder Damage in DnD 5e – List of Sources & How They Work

Last Updated on January 22, 2023

The different types of damage in 5e separate the sources of damage. After all, fire damages objects and people differently than a blade does. So, it only makes sense to have different types of damage representing those differences.

Here’s the down-low on Thunder and Lightning damage in Dungeons & Dragons Fifth Edition.

How Does Thunder Damage Work in D&D 5e?

Thunder damage is described in the errata as coming from a “concussive burst of sound.” In other words, Thunder damage in Fifth Edition is from sounds that are so loud they make your ears bleed.

How Can I Incorporate Thunder Damage into My Campaign?

It can be hard to incorporate Thunder damage into your campaign as a DM because it’s a relatively rare damage type. Thunder damage’s rarity reflects the rarity of noise levels that are dangerous to that degree.

One way to incorporate Thunder Damage into your campaign fluidly is to include explosions. Terrain explosions will be loud enough to cause Thunder Damage in the general vicinity of the blast.

Another possible source of Thunder Damage is to include a caster who uses Thunder Damage spells.

Since Thunder Damage is relatively rare, you may have to homebrew the caster from the ground up, but it’s possible to make a Thunder Specialist caster.

You could also include heavy machinery. However, operating heavy machinery can be dangerous to the hearing since the sound of the machines is extremely loud.

One way to include heavy machinery is to include them as a passive turn-based damage source.

For example, have the fight occur in a powerplant or factory where the loud machinery deals with a small amount of Thunder Damage per turn.

What Spells Deal Thunder Damage?

Cantrip

1st Level

2nd Level

  • Shatter

3rd Level

4th Level

  • Elemental Bane

5th Level

9th Level

  • Storm of Vengeance

How Does Lightning Damage Work in D&D 5e?

Lightning damage represents electrical damage caused by dangerous currents of electricity. This could come from something as significant as a Lightning Bolt spell or as mundane as accidentally touching an electrical outlet.

How Can I Incorporate Lightning Damage in My Campaign?

Lightning Damage is more common than Thunder Damage in DnD 5e. This is because a wide breadth of spells, items, and abilities can deal Lightning Damage to enemies.

Conversely, Lightning Resistance and Immunity are relatively common.

Incorporating Lightning Damage is pretty simple. There are plenty of options for DMs who want to include more Lightning Damage.

Lightning occurs in nature, so it’s easy to drop some sources of Lightning Damage into the world simply.

DM’s looking to include some sources of Lightning Damage will want to include electrical wiring in more things.

Whether the sources of electricity are Lightning Crystals or batteries, you’ll need to include things powered by electricity and things that emit electric charges to incorporate Lightning Damage into your game.

A Lightning Golem, electrically powered suit of armour, or Lightning Elemental will give your players a shock they won’t soon forget.

Additionally, since all electrical damage should be lightning damage, you can incorporate environmental hazards to the game.

What Spells Deal Lightning Damage?

Cantrip

1st Level

2nd Level

  • Dragon’s Breath

3rd Level

4th Level

  • Elemental Bane
  • Storm Sphere

6th Level

  • Chain Lightning

7th Level

  • Prismatic Spray

8th Level

  • Illusory Dragon

9th Level

  • Prismatic Wall
  • Storm of Vengeance

What Items Deal Thunder and Lightning Damage?

  • Blackstaff
  • Blast Scepter
  • Failed Experiment Wand
  • Helm of Brilliance
  • Ring of Air Elemental Command
  • Staff of Power
  • Staff of the Magi
  • Sword of Kas
  • Wand of Lightning Bolts
  • Wand of Wonder
  • Wyrmskull Throne

What Monsters Are Resistant to Thunder Damage?

  • Slaad Tadpole
  • Reflections
  • Shadow
  • Shadow (Variant)
  • Shadowy Duplicate
  • Indentured Spirit
  • Snow Maiden
  • Specter
  • Poltergeist
  • Will-o-Wisp
  • Will-o-Wisp (Variant)
  • Mormesk the Wraith
  • Rose Durst
  • Sapphire Dragon Wyrm
  • Thorn Durst
  • Vampiric Mist
  • Banshee
  • Dybbuk
  • Ebondeath
  • Eigeron’s Spirit
  • Ghost
  • Lonelywood Banshee
  • Shadow Demon
  • Shemshime
  • Shoalar Qanderil
  • Air Elemental
  • Allip
  • Dust Devil
  • Red Slaad
  • Red Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Wraith
  • Nass Lantomir’s Ghost
  • Air Elemental Myrmidon
  • Blue Slaad
  • Blue Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Flux Charger
  • Green Slaad
  • Green Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Obzedat Ghost
  • Gray Slaad
  • Gray Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Shadow Assassin
  • Yong Sapphire Dragon
  • Death Slaad
  • Death Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Spirit Troll
  • Arclight Phoenix
  • Eidolon
  • Bak Mei
  • Adult Sapphire Dragon
  • Steel Predator
  • Nightwalker
  • Ancient Sapphire Dragon
  • Miirym
  • Ygorl, Lord of Entropy
  • Marut
  • Niv-Mizzet
  • Tromokratis

What Monsters Are Resistant to Lightning Damage?

  • Sacred Statue
  • Manes
  • Slaad Tadpole
  • Abyssal Chicken
  • Abyssal Wretch
  • Dretch
  • Vegepygmy
  • Cackler
  • Fiendish Giant Spider
  • Reflections
  • Shadow
  • Shadow (Variant)
  • Shadowy Duplicate
  • Galvanice Weird
  • Indentured Spirit
  • Maw Demon
  • Quasit
  • Quasit (Familiar Variant)
  • Snow Maiden
  • Specter
  • Thorny
  • Vargouille
  • Blue Guard Drake
  • Poltergeist
  • Rutterkin
  • Valetta
  • Vegepygmy Chief
  • Bulezau
  • Giant Lightning Eel
  • Merrenoloth
  • Mormesk the Wraith
  • Rose Durst
  • Sapphire Dragon Wyrm
  • Thorn Durst
  • Vampiric Mist
  • Babau
  • Banshee
  • Barghest
  • Dancing Flame
  • Dybbuk
  • Ebondeath
  • Eigeron’s Spirit
  • Flameskull
  • Ghost
  • Incubus
  • Langderdrosa Cyanwrath
  • Lonelywood Banshee
  • Priest of Osybus
  • Reduced-Threat Vrock
  • Shemshime
  • Shoalar Quanderil
  • Succubus
  • Air Elemental
  • Allip
  • Barlgura
  • Barlgura (Summoner Variant)
  • Cambion
  • Dragonblood Ooze
  • Dust Devil
  • Half-Blue Dragon Gladiator
  • Isolde
  • Mezzoloth
  • Mezzoloth (Summoner Variant)
  • Red Slaad
  • Red Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Reduced-Threat Hezrou
  • Wraith
  • Animated-Breath (Lightning Variant)
  • Chasme
  • Chasme (Summoner Variant)
  • Nass Lantomir’s Ghost
  • Reduced-Threat Glabrezau
  • Vrock
  • Vrock (Summoner Variant)
  • Aesiri Kalinoth
  • Air Elemental Myrmidon
  • Armanite
  • Blue Slaad
  • Blue Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Dhergoloth
  • Draegloth
  • Maurezhi
  • Prismari Professor of Expression
  • Canoloth
  • Green Slaad
  • Green Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Hezrou
  • Hezrou (Summoner Variant)
  • Howler
  • Obzedat Ghost
  • Shoosuva
  • Duke Zalto
  • Glabrezau
  • Glabrezau (Summoner Variant)
  • Gray Slaad
  • Gray Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Hydroloth
  • Master of Cruelties
  • Nycaloth
  • Nycaloth (Summoner Variant)
  • Shadow Assassin
  • Young Sapphire Dragon
  • Alhoon
  • Death Slaad
  • Death Slaad (Control Gem Variant)
  • Dullahan
  • Exethanter
  • Froghemoth
  • Ooze Master
  • Tomb Tapper
  • Yochlol
  • Yochlol (Summoner Variant)
  • Alkilith
  • Marid
  • Severin
  • Spirit Troll
  • Yagnoloth
  • Arcanaloth
  • Arcanaloth (Summoner Variant)
  • Eidolon
  • Oinoloth
  • Sire of Insanity
  • Yuan-ti Anathema
  • Devourer
  • Nalfeshnee
  • Nalfeshnee (Summoner Variant)
  • Tarul Var
  • Ultroloth
  • Ultroloth (Summoner Variant)
  • Wastrilith
  • Crokek’toeck
  • Adult Sapphire Dragon
  • Marilith
  • Marilith (Summoner Variant)
  • Steel Predator
  • Groistro
  • Olhydra
  • Sibirex
  • Balor
  • Balor (Summoner Variant)
  • Tarnhem
  • Nightwalker
  • Arcturia
  • Lich
  • Molydeus
  • Molydeus (Summoner Variant)
  • Valindra Shadowmantle
  • Ancient Sapphire Dragon
  • Lady Illmarrow
  • Miirym
  • Mind Flayer Lich (Illithilich)
  • Zaratan
  • Acererak
  • Baphomet
  • Fraz-Urb’luu
  • Galazeth Prismari
  • Halaster Blackcloak
  • Juiblex
  • Ygorl, Lord of Entropy
  • Zuggtmoy
  • Gra’zt
  • Yeenogh
  • Kostchie
  • Demogorgon
  • Orcus
  • Tromokratis
  • Rak Tulkhesh
  • Sul Katesh

What Monsters Are Immune to Thunder Damage?

  • Gorthok the Thunder Boar
  • Djinni
  • Imperator Uthor
  • King Hekaton
  • Nimir
  • Orlekto
  • Princess Serissa
  • Shaldoor
  • Storm Giant
  • Storm GIant (Variant)
  • Storm Giant Princess
  • Vaasha
  • Ashenrider 
  • Storm Giant Quitessent
  • Storm Giant Skeleton
  • Yan-C-Bin
  • Elder Tempest
  • Velomachus Lorehold
  • Sapphire Greatwyrm

What Monsters Are Immune to Lightning Damage?

  • Mighty Servant of Leuk-o
  • Kiddywidget
  • Damaged Flesh Golem
  • Hybrid Shocker
  • Reduced-Threat Ochre Jelly
  • Bronze Dragon Wyrmling
  • Ochre Jelly
  • Reduced-Threat Black Ooze
  • Sentient Ochre Jelly
  • Will-o’-Wisp (Variant)
  • Will-o’-Wisp
  • Blue Dragon Wyrmling
  • Galvan Magen
  • Grell
  • Reduced-Threat Flesh Golem
  • Black Pudding
  • Elder Black Pudding
  • Intelligent Black Pudding
  • Princess Ebonmire
  • Shadow Demon
  • Trenzia
  • Elise
  • Flesh Gloem
  • Lightning Golem
  • Living Iron Statue
  • Living Lightning Bolt
  • Regenerating Black Pudding
  • Shambling Mound
  • Skitterwidget
  • Bodak
  • Gorthok the Thunder Boar
  • Minotaur Living Crystal Statue
  • Strahd’s Animated Armor
  • Tomb Guardian
  • Fluxcharger
  • Reduced Threat-Behir
  • Fiendish Golem
  • Scaladar
  • Vampiric Jade Statue
  • Young Bronze Dragon
  • Young Blue Dragon
  • Death Kiss
  • Malformed Kraken
  • Behir
  • Clockwork Behir
  • Djinni
  • Parasite-Infested Behir
  • Arclight Phoenix
  • Imperator Uthor
  • King Hekaton
  • Nimir
  • Orlekto
  • Princess Serissa
  • Shaldoor
  • Storm Giant
  • Storm Giant (Variant)
  • Storm Giant Princess
  • Vaasha
  • Juvenile Kraken
  • Young Kraken
  • Adult Bronze Dragon
  • Umbraxakar
  • Adult Blue Dragon
  • Lhammaruntosz
  • Storm Giant Quintessent
  • Storm Giant Skeleton
  • Adult Blue Dracolich
  • Blue Abishai
  • Zizokrishka
  • Yan-C-Bin
  • Ancient Bronze Dragon
  • Ancient Blue Dragon
  • Elder Tempest
  • Iymrith
  • Kraken
  • Slarkrethel
  • Niv-Mizzet
  • Blue Greatwyrm
  • Bronze Greatwyrm
  • Aspect of Bahamut
  • Aspect of Tiamat
  • Tiamat

Leave a Comment