Kinetic Jaunt 5E Guide

One of the benefits of picking up Strixhaven: Curriculum of Chaos is that it has an array of new magical items, spells, and monsters. In total, there are five new spells and each of them brings something new and unique. One of those spells, kinetic jaunt, gives you some added mobility at the cost of a 2nd level spell and a bonus action. Learn all about it with our Kinetic Jaunt 5E guide.

Level: 2nd
Casting time: Bonus Action
Range: Self
Components: S
Duration 1 minute, concentration
School: Transmutation
Classes: bard, sorcerer, wizard, artificer

You magically empower your movement with dance-like steps, giving yourself the following benefits for the duration.

Your walking speed increases by 10 feet.

You don’t provoke opportunity attacks.

You can move through the space of another creature, and it doesn’t count as difficult terrain. If you end your turn in another creature’s space, you are shunted to the last unoccupied space you occupied, and you take 1d8 force damage.

What Does Kinetic Jaunt Do?

One of the themes we’ve seen in some of the Strixhaven spells is that the effects are fine but the cost is too high. That is my take on kinetic jaunt. The spell itself isn’t terrible on the surface, as the ability to move without provoking opportunity attacks is always helpful in a pinch.

The problem with this spell is two-fold. First, misty step exists. There are a handful of times this might work when misty step would not, like when you are unable to see. However, in most cases misty step is the better option. Second, there are generally much better uses of a second-level spell slot.

Is Kinetic Jaunt Good?

Kinetic Jaunt is an interesting spell that some feel is a little underpowered for the cost of a 2nd-level spell slot. However, I’m a fan of it – especially in some given situations.

Arguably the best situation to pick up Kinetic Jaunt is when you play as a bard. Not only is it a nice option for getting out of a jam when melee enemies get too close, but it’s especially important given that Bard’s don’t have Misty Step on their spell list.

I’m also a fan of using this spell for hit-and-run melee attacks. It is a great option in conjunction with cantrips like Green Flame Blade where you can zoom in and out of melee range without dealing with attacks of opportunity.

The Downsides to Kinetic Jaunt

There are a few downsides to this spell, and some of them are also situational. If you are a wizard with plenty of spell slots, it’s not a huge cost to cast Kinetic Jaunt. That said, you may be better off having Misty Step ready anyway. It becomes a bigger negative when you’re playing a class with fewer slots, however. As a bard, your spells are precious and you might not want to burn a second-level on this one.

There is another factor to consider as well: grappling in 5E. Avoiding attacks of opportunity is great, but there are other complications you can deal with when you are face to face with a foe. If you are restrained, that extra movement and the ability to avoid these opportunity attacks aren’t going to mean much to you.

Wrapping Up Our Kinetic Jaunt Guide

In the end, this spell is too fringe and situational to bother preparing or burning a second-level spell on for most people. There are edge cases – like the bard – when you might want this in your back pocket. Your mileage may vary of course, but most people can comfortably skip this one. Agree? Disagree? Let us know in the comment section. If you want more Strixhaven spells, be sure to check out our guide to Silvery Barbs.

Kinetic Jaunt 5E Guide | Strixhaven Transmutation Spell