Magic permeates fantasy gaming worlds and often appears in the form of a spell.
This section provides the rules for casting
Spells. Different character
Classes have distinctive ways of learning and preparing their
Spells, and
Monsters use
Spells in unique ways. Regardless of its source, a spell follows the rules here.
What Is a Spell?
A spell is a discrete
Magical Effect, a single shaping of the
Magical energies that suffuse the multiverse into a specific, limited expression. In
Casting a Spell, a character carefully plucks at the
Invisible strands of
Raw Magic suffusing the world, pins them in place in a particular pattern, sets them vibrating in a specific way, and then releases them to unleash the desired effect—in most cases, all in the span of seconds.
Spells can be
Versatile tools,
Weapons, or protective wards. They can deal damage or undo it, impose or remove
conditions, drain life energy away, and restore life to
The Dead.
Uncounted thousands of
Spells have been created over the course of the multiverse’s
History, and many of them are long forgotten. Some might yet lie recorded in crumbling
spellbooks hidden in ancient ruins or trapped in the minds of dead gods. Or they might someday be reinvented by a character who has amassed enough power and
Wisdom to do so.
Every spell has a level from 0 to 9. A spell’s level is a general indicator of how powerful it is, with the lowly (but still impressive)
magic missile at
1st Level and the earth--shaking
wish at 9th. Cantrips—simple but powerful
Spells that
Characters can cast almost by rote—are level 0. The higher a spell’s level, the higher level a
Spellcaster must be to use that spell.
Spell Level and character level don’t correspond directly. Typically, a character has to be at least 17th level, not
9th Level, to cast a 9th--level spell.
Known and Prepared Spells
Before a
Spellcaster can use a spell, he or she must have the spell firmly fixed in mind, or must have access to the spell in a magic item.
Members of a few
Classes, including
bards and
sorcerers, have a limited list of
Spells they know that are always fixed in mind. The same thing is true of many magic--using
Monsters. Other spellcasters, such as
clerics and
wizards, undergo a process of preparing
Spells. This process varies for different
Classes, as detailed in their descriptions.
In every case, the number of
Spells a caster can have fixed in mind at any given time depends on the character’s level.
Regardless of how many
Spells a caster knows or prepares, he or she can cast only a limited number of
Spells before
Resting. Manipulating the fabric of magic and channeling its energy into even a simple spell is physically and mentally taxing, and higher--level
Spells are even more so. Thus, each
Spellcasting class’s description (except that of the
warlock) includes a table showing how many
Spell Slots of each
Spell Level a character can use at each character level. For example, the 3rd--level
wizard Umara has four 1st--level
Spell Slots and two 2nd--level slots.
When a character casts a spell, he or she expends a slot of that spell’s level or higher, effectively “filling” a slot with the spell. You can think of a spell slot as a groove of a certain size—small for a 1st--level slot, larger for a spell of higher level. A 1st--level spell fits into a slot of any size, but a 9th--level spell fits only in a 9th--level slot. So when Umara casts
magic missile, a 1st--level spell, she spends one of her four 1st--level slots and has three remaining.
Finishing a
Long Rest restores any expended
Spell Slots.
Some
Characters and
Monsters have
Special Abilities that let them cast
Spells without using
Spell Slots. For example, a
monk who follows the Way of the
Four Elements, a
warlock who chooses certain
Eldritch Invocations, and a
pit fiend from
The Nine Hells can all cast
Spells in such a way.
When a
Spellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is of a higher level than the spell, the spell assumes the higher level for that casting. For instance, if Umara casts
magic missile using one of her 2nd--level slots, that
Magic Missile is
2nd Level. Effectively, the spell expands to fill the slot it is put into.
Some Spells, such as Magic Missile and cure wounds, have more powerful Effects when cast at a higher level, as detailed in a spell’s description.
Casting in Armor
Because of the mental focus and precise gestures required for
Spellcasting, you must be
proficient with the armor you are wearing to
Cast a Spell. You are otherwise too distracted and physically hampered by your armor for
Spellcasting.
A cantrip is a spell that can be cast at will, without using a spell slot and without being prepared in advance. Repeated practice has fixed the spell in the caster’s mind and infused the caster with the magic needed to produce the
Effect over and over. A cantrip’s
Spell Level is 0.
Certain
Spells have a
Special tag: ritual. Such a spell can be cast following the normal rules for
Spellcasting, or the spell can be cast as a ritual. The ritual version of a spell takes 10 minutes longer to cast than normal. It also doesn’t expend a spell slot, which means the ritual version of a spell can’t be cast at a higher level.
To
Cast a Spell as a ritual, a
Spellcaster must have a feature that grants the ability to do so. The
cleric and the
druid, for example, have such a feature. The caster must also have the spell prepared or on his or her list of
Spells known, unless the character’s ritual feature specifies otherwise, as the
wizard’s does.
When a character casts any spell, the same basic rules are followed, regardless of the character’s class or the spell’s
Effects.
Each spell description begins with a block of information, including the spell’s name, level,
School of Magic,
Casting Time, range,
Components, and
Duration. The rest of a spell entry describes the spell’s
Effect.
Most
Spells require a single
Action to cast, but some
Spells require a bonus
Action, a
Reaction, or much more time to cast.
A spell cast with a bonus
Action is especially swift. You must use a bonus
Action on
Your Turn to cast the spell, provided that you haven’t already taken a bonus
Action this turn. You can’t cast another spell during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a
Casting Time of 1
Action.
Some
Spells can be cast as
REACTIONS. These
Spells take a fraction of a second to bring about and are cast in response to some event. If a spell can be cast as a
Reaction, the spell description tells you exactly when you can do so.
Certain
Spells (including
Spells cast as rituals) require more time to cast: minutes or even hours.
When you
Cast a Spell with a
Casting Time longer than a single
Action or
Reaction, you must spend your
Action each turn casting the spell, and you must maintain your
Concentration while you do so (see “
Concentration” below). If your
Concentration is broken, the spell fails, but you don’t expend a spell slot. If you want to try casting the spell again, you must start over.
The target of a spell must be within the spell’s range. For a spell like
magic missile, the target is a creature. For a spell like
fireball, the target is the point in space where the ball of fire erupts.
Most
Spells have ranges expressed in feet. Some
Spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch. Other
Spells, such as the
shield spell, affect only you. These
Spells have a range of self.
Spells that create cones or lines of
Effect that originate from you also have a range of self, indicating that the
Origin point of the spell’s
Effect must be you (see “
Areas of Effect”).
Once a spell is cast, its
Effects aren’t limited by its range, unless the spell’s description says otherwise.
A spell’s
Components are the physical requirements you must meet in order to cast it. Each spell’s description indicates whether it requires
Verbal (V),
Somatic (S), or
Material (M) Components. If you can’t provide one or more of a spell’s
Components, you are unable to cast the spell.
Most
Spells require the chanting of mystic words. The words themselves aren’t the source of the spell’s power; rather, the particular combination of
Sounds, with specific pitch and resonance, sets the threads of magic in motion. Thus, a character who is gagged or in an area of
Silence, such as one created by the
silence spell, can’t
Cast a Spell with a verbal component.
Spellcasting gestures might include a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. If a spell requires a somatic component, the caster must have free use of at least one hand to perform these gestures.
Casting some
Spells requires particular
Objects, specified in parentheses in the component entry. A character can use a
component pouch or a
spellcasting focus (found in “Equipment”) in place of the
Components specified for a spell. But if a cost is indicated for a component, a character must have that specific component before he or she can cast the spell.
If a spell states that a material component is consumed by the spell, the caster must provide this component for each casting of the spell.
A
Spellcaster must have a hand free to access a spell’s material components—or to hold a
Spellcasting focus—but it can be the same hand that he or she uses to perform somatic
Components.
A spell’s
Duration is the length of time the spell persists. A
Duration can be expressed in rounds, minutes, hours, or even years. Some
Spells specify that their
Effects last until the
Spells are dispelled or destroyed.
Many
Spells are
Instantaneous. The spell harms, heals, creates, or alters a creature or an object in a way that can’t be dispelled, because its magic exists only for an instant.
Some
Spells require you to maintain
Concentration in order to keep their magic active. If you lose
Concentration, such a spell ends.
If a spell must be maintained with
Concentration, that fact appears in its
Duration entry, and the spell specifies how long you can concentrate on it. You can end
Concentration at any time (no
Action required).
Normal activity, such as moving and
Attacking, doesn’t interfere with
Concentration. The following factors can break concentration:
-
Casting another spell that requires Concentration. You lose Concentration on a spell if you cast another spell that requires Concentration. You can’t concentrate on two Spells at once.
-
Taking Damage. Whenever you take damage while you are concentrating on a spell, you must make a Constitution saving throw to maintain your Concentration. The DC equals 10 or half the damage you take, whichever number is higher. If you take damage from multiple sources, such as an arrow and a dragon’s breath, you make a separate saving throw for each source of damage.
-
Being Incapacitated or killed. You lose Concentration on a spell if you are incapacitated or if you die.
The GM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave
Crashing over you while you’re on a storm--tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10
Constitution saving throw to maintain
Concentration on a spell.
A typical spell requires you to pick one or more
Targets to be affected by the spell’s magic. A spell’s description tells you whether the spell
Targets Creatures,
Objects, or a point of
Origin for an
area of effect (described below).
Unless a spell has a perceptible
Effect, a creature might not know it was targeted by a spell at all. An
Effect like crackling lightning is obvious, but a more subtle
Effect, such as an attempt to read a creature’s thoughts, typically goes unnoticed, unless a spell says otherwise.
To target something, you must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind
total cover.
If you place an area of
Effect at a point that you can’t see and an obstruction, such as a wall, is between you and that point, the point of
Origin comes into being on the near side of that obstruction.
If a spell
Targets a creature of your choice, you can choose yourself, unless the creature must be
Hostile or specifically a creature other than you. If you are in the area of
Effect of a spell you cast, you can target yourself.
Spells such as
burning hands and
cone of cold cover an area, allowing them to affect multiple
Creatures at once.
A spell’s description specifies its area of
Effect, which typically has one of five different shapes: cone, cube,
Cylinder, line, or
Sphere. Every area of
Effect has a
point of Origin, a
Location from which the spell’s energy erupts. The rules for each shape specify how you position its point of
Origin. Typically, a point of
Origin is a point in space, but some
Spells have an area whose
Origin is a creature or an object.
A spell’s
Effect expands in straight lines from the point of
Origin. If no unblocked straight line extends from the point of
Origin to a
Location within the area of
Effect, that
Location isn’t included in the spell’s area. To block one of these imaginary lines, an obstruction must provide
total cover.
A cone extends in a direction you choose from its point of
Origin. A cone’s width at a given point along its length is equal to that point’s distance from the point of
Origin. A cone’s area of
Effect specifies its maximum length.
A cone’s point of
Origin is not included in the cone’s area of
Effect, unless you decide otherwise.
You select a cube’s point of
Origin, which lies anywhere on a face of the cubic
Effect. The cube’s size is expressed as the length of each side.
A cube’s point of
Origin is not included in the cube’s area of
Effect, unless you decide otherwise.
A cylinder’s point of
Origin is the center of a circle of a particular radius, as given in the spell description.
The Circle must either be on the ground or at the height of the spell
Effect. The energy in a
Cylinder expands in straight lines from the point of
Origin to the perimeter of
The Circle, forming the base of the
Cylinder. The spell’s
Effect then shoots up from the base or down from the top, to a distance equal to the height of the
Cylinder.
A cylinder’s point of
Origin is included in the cylinder’s area of
Effect.
A line extends from its point of
Origin in a straight path up to its length and covers an area defined by its width.
A line’s point of
Origin is not included in the line’s area of
Effect, unless you decide otherwise.
You select a sphere’s point of
Origin, and the
Sphere extends outward from that point. The sphere’s size is expressed as a radius in feet that extends from the point.
A sphere’s point of
Origin is included in the sphere’s area of
Effect.
Many
Spells specify that a target can make a saving throw to avoid some or all of a spell’s
Effects. The spell specifies the ability that the target uses for the save and what happens on a success or failure.
The DC to resist one of your
Spells equals 8 + your
Spellcasting ability modifier + your
proficiency bonus + any
Special Modifiers.
Some
Spells require the caster to make an
Attack roll to determine whether the spell
Effect hits the intended target. Your
Attack bonus with a spell
Attack equals your
Spellcasting ability modifier + your
Proficiency bonus.
Most
Spells that require
Attack rolls involve
Ranged ATTACKS. Remember that you have
disadvantage on a
Ranged Attack roll if you are within 5 feet of a
Hostile creature that can see you and that isn’t
incapacitated.
The Schools of Magic
Academies of magic group
Spells into eight categories called
Schools of Magic. Scholars, particularly
wizards, apply these categories to all
Spells, believing that all magic functions in essentially the same way, whether it derives from rigorous study or is bestowed by a deity.
The
Schools of Magic help describe spells; they have no rules of their own, although some rules refer to the schools.
Abjuration Spells are protective in
Nature, though some of them have aggressive uses. They create
Magical barriers, negate harmful
Effects, harm trespassers, or banish
Creatures to other
planes of existence.
Conjuration Spells involve the
Transportation of
Objects and
Creatures from one
Location to another. Some
Spells summon
Creatures or
Objects to the caster’s side, whereas
Others allow the caster to
Teleport to another
Location. Some conjurations create
Objects or
Effects out of nothing.
Divination Spells reveal information, whether in the form of
Secrets long forgotten, glimpses of the future, the locations of hidden things, the truth behind illusions, or visions of distant people or places.
Enchantment Spells affect the minds of
Others, influencing or controlling their behavior. Such
Spells can make
Enemies see the caster as a friend, force
Creatures to take a course of
Action, or even control another creature like a puppet.
Evocation Spells manipulate
Magical energy to produce a desired
Effect. Some call up blasts of fire or lightning.
Others channel positive energy to heal wounds.
Illusion Spells deceive the
Senses or minds of
Others. They cause people to see things that are not there, to miss things that are there, to hear
Phantom Noises, or to remember things that never happened. Some illusions create
Phantom images that any creature can see, but the most insidious illusions plant an image directly in the mind of a creature.
Necromancy Spells manipulate the energies of life and death. Such
Spells can grant an extra reserve of life force, drain the life energy from another creature, create the
undead, or even bring
The Dead back to life. Creating the
Undead through the use of
Necromancy Spells such as
animate dead is not a
good act, and only evil casters use such
Spells frequently.
Transmutation Spells change the
Properties of a creature, object, or
Environment. They might turn an enemy into a harmless creature, bolster the
Strength of an ally, make an object move at the caster’s
Command, or enhance a creature’s innate
Healing Abilities to rapidly recover from injury.
The
Effects of different
Spells add together while the durations of those
Spells overlap. The
Effects of the same spell cast multiple times don’t combine, however. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap.
For example, if two clerics cast
bless on the same target, that character gains the spell’s benefit only once; he or she doesn’t get to roll two bonus dice.
