C h a p t e r 10: S p e l l c a s t i n g
AGIC PERMEATES THE WORLDS OF D&D AND
M In every case, the num ber o f sp ells a caster can
m ost often appears in the form o f a spell.
Th is chapter provides the rules for
casting spells. D ifferent character
cla sses have distinctive w ays o f learning
and preparin g their spells, and m onsters
use sp ells in unique w ays. R eg ardless o f its sou rce,
a spell follow s the rules here.
W h a t I s a Sp e l l ?
A spell is a discrete m agical effect, a single shaping
o f the m agical energies that suffuse the m ultiverse
into a specific, lim ited expression . In casting a spell,
a character carefully plucks at the invisible strands of
raw m agic suffusing the w orld, pins them in place in a
particular pattern, sets them vibrating in a sp ecific way,
and then releases them to unleash the desired effect—in
m ost cases, all in the span o f secon d s.
S p ells can b e versatile tools, w eapon s, or protective
w ards. Th ey can deal dam age or undo it, im p ose or
rem ove condition s (see appendix A), drain life energy
away, and restore life to the dead.
U ncounted th ou san ds o f spells have been created
over the cou rse o f the m ultiverse’s history, and m any o f
them are long forgotten. S o m e m ight yet lie record ed in
cru m blin g sp ellb ook s hidden in ancient ruins or trapped
in the m inds o f dead gods. O r they m ight som eday be
reinvented by a character w h o has am assed enough
pow er and w isd om to d o so.
Spe l l L e v e l
Every spell has a level from 0 to 9. A sp ell’s level is a
general indicator o f h ow p ow erfu l it is, w ith the low ly
(but still im pressive) magic missile at 1st level and
the earth-shaking wish at 9th. Cantrips—sim ple but
pow erfu l sp ells that characters can cast alm ost by rote—
are level 0. T h e h igher a sp ell’s level, the higher level a
sp ellcaster m ust be to u se that spell.
S p ell level and character level d on ’t corresp on d
directly. Typically, a character has to be at least 17th
level, not 9th level, to cast a 9th-level spell.
K n o w n a n d Pr e pa r e d Spe l l s
B efore a spellcaster can u se a spell, he or she must
have the spell firm ly fixed in m ind, or m ust have a cce ss
to the spell in a m agic item. M em bers o f a few classes,
including bards and sorcerers, have a lim ited list o f
sp ells they k n ow that are always fixed in m ind. The
sam e thing is true o f m any m agic-using m onsters. Other
spellcasters, such as clerics and w izards, u ndergo a
p r o ce s s o f preparin g spells. T h is p r o ce s s varies for
different classes, as detailed in their descriptions.
Ca s t i n g i n A r m o r
Because o f 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.
have fixed in m ind at any given tim e depen ds on the
character’s level.
Spe l l Sl o t s
R egardless o f h ow m any sp ells a caster k n ow s or
prepares, he or she can cast only a lim ited num ber o f
spells before resting. M anipulating the fabric o f m agic
and chann elin g its energy into even a sim ple spell is
physically and mentally taxing, and higher-level spells
are even m ore so. Thus, each sp ellcastin g cla ss’s
description (except that o f the w arlock) includes a table
sh ow in g h ow m any spell slots o f each spell level a
character can u se at each character level. For exam ple,
the 3rd-level w izard Um ara has four 1st-level spell slots
and tw o 2nd-level slots.
W h en a character casts a spell, he or she expends
a slot o f that sp ell’s level or higher, effectively “filling”
a slot w ith the spell. You can think o f a spell slot as a
g roove o f a certain size—sm all for a 1st-level slot, larger
for a spell o f higher level. A 1st-level spell fits into a slot
o f any size, but a 9th-level spell fits only in a 9th-level
slot. S o w hen Um ara casts magic missile, a 1st-level
spell, she sp en ds on e o f her four 1st-level slots and has
three rem aining.
Finishing a lon g rest restores any expended spell slots
(see chapter 8 for the rules on resting).
S o m e characters and m on sters have sp ecia l abilities
that let them cast spells w ithout using spell slots. For
exam ple, a m on k w ho follow s the W ay o f the Four
Elem ents, a w arlock w ho c h o o s e s certain eldritch
invocations, and a pit fiend from the Nine H ells can all
cast spells in such a way.
C a s t in g a Sp e l l a t a H ig h e r Le v e l
W h en a sp ellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is o f a
higher level than the spell, the spell a ssu m es the higher
level for that casting. For instance, if Um ara casts magic
missile u sing on e o f her 2nd-level slots, that magic
missile is 2nd level. Effectively, the spell expands to fill
the slot it is put into.
S o m e spells, such as magic missile and cure wounds,
have m ore pow erfu l effects w hen cast at a higher level,
as detailed in a sp ell’s description.
C a n t r ips
A cantrip is a spell that can be cast at will, w ithout
using a spell slot and w ithout being prepared in
advance. R epeated practice h as fixed the spell in the
caster’s m ind and in fused the caster w ith the m agic
n eeded to produ ce the effect over and over. A cantrip’s
spell level is 0.
Rit u a l s
Certain spells have a sp ecia l tag: ritual. S u ch a spell
can be cast follow in g the n orm al rules for spellcasting,
or the spell can b e cast as a ritual. T h e ritual version o f
a spell takes 10 m inutes longer to cast than norm al.
It also d oesn ’t expend a spell slot, w hich m ea n s the
ritual version o f a spell ca n ’t be cast at a higher level.
To cast a spell as a ritual, a spellcaster m ust have a
feature that grants the ability to do so. T h e cleric and the
druid, for exam ple, have such a feature. T h e caster must
also have the spell prepared or on his or her list o f spells
know n, u nless the character’s ritual feature sp ecifies
oth erw ise, as the w iza rd ’s does.

C a s t i n g a Sp e l l
W h en a character casts any spell, the sam e basic rules
are follow ed, regardless o f the character’s class or the
sp ell’s effects.
Each spell description in chapter 11 begin s with a block
o f inform ation, including the spell’s name, level, sch ool
o f m agic, casting time, range, com ponents, and duration.
T he rest o f a spell entry d escribes the spell’s effect.

C a s t in g T ime
M ost spells require a single action to cast, but som e
sp ells require a bon u s action, a reaction, or m uch m ore
tim e to cast.

B o n u s A c t io n
A spell cast with a bon u s action is esp ecia lly swift. You
m ust use a bonus action on your turn to cast the spell,
provided that you haven’t already taken a bon u s action
this turn. You ca n ’t cast another spell during the sam e
turn, except for a cantrip with a casting tim e o f 1 action.

R e a c t io n s
S o m e sp ells can be cast as reactions. T h ese spells
take a fraction o f a se co n d to bring about and are cast
in resp on se to som e event. If a spell can be cast as a
reaction, the spell description tells you exactly w hen
you can do so.

L o n g e r C a s t in g T im e s

Certain spells (including spells cast as rituals) require

m ore time to cast: m inutes or even hours. W h en you
cast a spell w ith a castin g tim e longer than a single
action or reaction, you m ust sp en d your action each
turn casting the spell, and you must maintain your
concentration w hile you do s o (see “C oncentration”
below ). If your concentration is broken, the spell fails,
but you don ’t expend a spell slot. If you w ant to try
castin g the spell again, you m ust start over.

Ra n g e
The target o f a spell m ust be w ithin the sp ell’s range.
For a spell like magic missile, the target is a creature.
F or a spell like fireball, the target is the point in sp ace
w here the ball o f fire erupts.
M ost sp ells have ran ges ex p ressed in feet. S om e
sp ells can target only a creature (including you) that you
touch. Other spells, such as the shield spell, affect only
you. T h ese spells have a range o f self.
S p ells that create co n e s or lin es o f effect that originate
from you also have a range o f self, indicating that the
origin point o f the sp ell’s effect must be you (see “A reas
o f E ffect” later in the this chapter).
 O nce a spell is cast, its effects aren’t limited by its
range, unless the spell’s description says otherwise.
C o m po n e n t s
A sp ell’s com pon en ts are the physical requirem ents you
m ust m eet in order to cast it. E ach spell’s description
indicates w hether it requ ires verbal (V), som atic (S),
or m aterial (M ) com pon en ts. If you ca n ’t provide one
or m ore o f a sp ell’s com pon en ts, you are unable to
cast the spell.
V e r b a l (V )
M ost spells require the chanting o f m ystic w ords. The
w ord s them selves aren’t the so u rce o f the sp ell’s pow er;
rather, the particular com bination o f sou n ds, with
sp ecific pitch and reson an ce, sets the threads o f m agic
in m otion. Thus, a character w h o is gagged or in an area
o f silence, such as on e created by the silence spell, ca n ’t
cast a spell w ith a verbal com ponent.
So m a t ic (S )
Spellcasting gestures m ight include a forceful
gesticulation or an intricate set o f gestures. If a spell
requ ires a som atic com pon ent, the caster must have free
use o f at least one hand to perform these gestures.
M a t e r ia l (M )
Casting so m e spells requ ires particular objects,
sp ecified in paren th eses in the com p on en t entry.
A character can use a component pouch or a
spellcasting focus (found in chapter 5) in place o f
the com p on en ts sp ecified for a spell. But if a cost is
indicated for a com pon ent, a character m ust have that
sp ecific com pon en t before he or sh e can cast the spell.
If a spell states that a material com p on en t is
con su m ed by the spell, the caster m ust provide this
com p on en t for each castin g o f the spell.
A spellcaster must have a hand free to a c c e s s these
com pon en ts, but it can be the sam e hand that he or she
u ses to p erform som atic com pon ents.
D u r a t io n
A spell's duration is the length o f tim e the spell persists.
A duration can be ex p ressed in rounds, m inutes, hours,
or even years. S o m e spells sp ecify that their effects last
until the sp ells are dispelled or destroyed.
In s t a n t a n e o u s
M any spells are instantaneous. T h e spell harm s,
heals, creates, or alters a creature or an ob ject in a w ay
that ca n ’t b e dispelled, b eca u se its m agic exists only
for an instant.
C o n c e n t r a t io n
S o m e spells require you to m aintain concentration
in order to keep their m a gic active. If you lose
concentration, such a spell ends.
If a spell m ust be m aintained w ith concentration,
that fact appears in its D uration entry, and the spell
sp ecifies h ow lon g you can concentrate on it. You can
end concentration at any tim e (no action required).
T h e Sc h o o l s o f M a g i c
Academies o f magic group spells into eight categories called
schools o f 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
o f them have aggressive uses. They create magical barriers,
negate harmful effects, harm trespassers, or banish creatures
to other planes o f 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 o f nothing.
Divination spells reveal information, whether in the form of
secrets long forgotten, glimpses o f the future, the locations
o f hidden things, the truth behind illusions, or visions of
distant people or places.
Enchantment spells affect the minds o f 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 o f fire or lightning. Others
channel positive energy to heal wounds.
Illusion spells deceive the senses or minds o f 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 o f a creature.
Necromancy spells manipulate the energies o f life and
death. Such spells can grant an extra reserve o f 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 o f a creature,
object, or environment. They might turn an enemy into a
harmless creature, bolster the strength o f an ally, make an
object move at the caster’s command, or enhance a creature’s
innate healing abilities to rapidly recover from injury.
N orm al activity, such as m ovin g and attacking, d oesn ’t
interfere w ith concentration. The follow in g factors can
break concentration:
• Casting another spell that requires concentration.
You lose concentration on a spell if you cast another
spell that requ ires concentration. You ca n ’t c o n c e n
trate on tw o sp ells at once.
• Taking damage. W h enever you take dam age w hile
you are concentratin g on a spell, you must m ake a
Constitution saving th row to m aintain your con cen tra
tion. T h e D C equals 10 or h alf the dam age you take,
w hichever num ber is higher. If you take dam age from
multiple sou rces, such as an arrow and a dragon ’s
breath, you m ake a separate saving th row for each
sou rce o f dam age.
• Being incapacitated or killed. You lose concentration
on a sp ell if you are incapacitated or if you die.
 Th e DM m ight also decide that certain environm ental
phenom ena, such as a wave crash in g over you w hile
y ou ’re on a storm -tossed ship, require you to su cceed
on a D C 10 Constitution saving th row to maintain
concentration on a spell.
T a r g e t s
A typical spell requires you to pick one or m ore targets
to be affected by the sp ell’s m agic. A spell's description
tells you w hether the spell targets creatures, objects, or
a point o f origin for an area o f effect (described below).
U n less a spell has a perceptible effect, a creature
might not k n ow it w as targeted by a spell at all. A n effect
like cracklin g lightning is obvious, but a m ore subtle
effect, such as an attempt to read a creatu re’s thoughts,
typically g oes u nnoticed, u nless a spell says otherw ise.
A C l e a r Pa t h t o t h e Ta r g e t
To target som ething, you m ust have a clear path to it,
so it ca n ’t be beh in d total cover.
If you place an area o f effect at a point that you ca n ’t
see and an obstruction, such as a wall, is betw een you
and that point, the point o f origin co m e s into being on
the near side o f that obstruction.
Ta r g e t in g Yo u r se l f
If a sp ell targets a creature o f your ch oice, you can
c h o o s e yourself, unless the creature must be h ostile or
sp ecifically a creature other than you. If you are in the
area o f effect o f a spell you cast, you can target yourself.
A r e a s o f Ef f e c t
S p ells such as burning hands and cone o f cold cover an
area, allow ing them to affect m ultiple creatu res at on ce.
A sp ell’s description sp ecifies its area o f effect,
w hich typically has on e o f five different shapes: cone,
cube, cylinder, line, or sphere. Every area o f effect has
a point o f origin, a location from w hich the spell’s
energy erupts. The rules for each shape sp ecify h ow you
position its point o f origin. Typically,
a point o f origin is a point in sp ace, but
som e sp ells have an area w h ose origin is a
creature or an object.
A sp ell’s effect expands in straight lin es from the point
o f origin. If n o u nblock ed straight line extends from the
point o f origin to a location w ithin the area o f effect, that
location isn’t included in the sp ell’s area. To block one o f
these im aginary lines, an obstruction m ust provide total
cover, as explained in chapter 9.
C o n e
A c on e extends in a direction you c h o o s e from its point
o f origin. A c o n e ’s w idth at a given point along its length
is equal to that poin t’s distance from the point o f origin.
A c o n e ’s area o f effect sp ecifies its m axim u m length.
A c o n e ’s point o f origin is not included in the c o n e ’s
area o f effect, unless you d ecide otherw ise.
Cu be
You select a cu b e’s point o f origin, w hich lies anyw here
on a face o f the cubic effect. T h e cu b e ’s size is ex p ressed
as the length o f each side.
A c u b e ’s point o f origin is not included in the cu b e ’s
area o f effect, unless you d ecide otherw ise.
C y l in d e r
A cylinder’s point o f origin is the center o f a circle o f a
particular radius, as given in the spell description. The
circle m ust either b e on the grou nd or at the height o f
the spell effect. The en ergy in a cylinder expands in
straight lines from the point o f origin to the perim eter o f
the circle, form in g the ba se o f the cylinder. The sp ell’s
effect then sh oots up from the ba se or dow n from the
top, to a distance equal to the height o f the cylinder.
A cylinder’s point o f origin is included in the cylinder’s
area o f effect.
L in e Th
A line extends from its point o f origin in a straight path
up to its length and covers an area defined by its width.
A lin e’s point o f origin is not included in the line’s area
o f effect, u n less you d ecide otherw ise.
Sp h e r e
You select a sp here’s point o f origin, and the sphere
extends outw ard from that point. T h e sp here’s
size is ex pressed as a radius in feet that extends
from the point.
A sp h ere’s point o f origin is included in the sp h ere’s
area o f effect.
Sa v i n g T h r o w s
Many spells sp ecify that a target can m ake a saving
th row to avoid som e or all o f a sp ell’s effects. The spell
sp ecifies the ability that the target u ses for the save and
w hat happens on a s u c ce s s or failure.
T h e D C to resist on e o f your sp ells equals 8 + your
spellcastin g ability m odifier + your proficiency bon u s +
any sp ecia l m odifiers.
A t t a c k Ro l l s
S o m e spells require the caster to m ake an attack roll
to determ ine w hether the spell effect hits the intended
target. Your attack bon u s w ith a spell attack equals your
spellcastin g ability m odifier + your proficiency bonus.
M ost spells that require attack rolls involve ranged
attacks. R em em ber that you have disadvantage on a
ranged attack roll if you are w ithin 5 feet o f a hostile
creature that can see you and that isn’t incapacitated
(see chapter 9).
C o m bin in g M a g ic a l Ef f e c t s
The effects o f different spells add together w hile
the durations o f th ose sp ells overlap. The effects o f
the sam e spell cast multiple tim es don't com bine,
however. Instead, the m ost potent effect—such as the
highest bon u s—from th ose castin gs applies w hile their
durations overlap.
For exam ple, if tw o clerics cast bless on the sam e
target, that character gains the sp ell’s benefit only
on ce; he or she d oesn ’t get to roll tw o bon u s dice.
e W ea v e o f M a g ic
The worlds within the D&D multiverse are magical places.
All existence is suffused with magical power, and potential
energy lies untapped in every rock, stream, and living
creature, and even in the air itself. Raw magic is the stuff of
creation, the mute and mindless will o f existence, permeating
every bit o f matter and present in every manifestation of
energy throughout the multiverse.
Mortals can’t directly shape this raw magic. Instead, they
make use o f a fabric o f magic, a kind o f interface between
the will of a spellcaster and the stuff o f raw magic. The
spellcasters o f the Forgotten Realms call it the Weave and
recognize its essence as the goddess Mystra, but casters
have varied ways o f naming and visualizing this interface. By
any name, without the Weave, raw magic is locked away and
inaccessible;the most powerful archmage can't light a candle
with magic in an area where the Weave has been torn. But
surrounded by the Weave, a spellcaster can shape lightning
to blast foes, transport hundreds o f miles in the blink o f an
eye, or even reverse death itself.
All magic depends on the Weave, though different kinds
o f magic access it in a variety of ways. The spells o f wizards,
warlocks, sorcerers, and bards are commonly called arcane
magic. These spells rely on an understanding— learned or
intuitive— o f the workings o f the Weave. The caster plucks
directly at the strands o f the Weave to create the desired
effect. Eldritch knights and arcane tricksters also use arcane
magic. The spells o f clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers are
called divine magic. These spellcasters’ access to the Weave
is mediated by divine power— gods, the divine forces of
nature, or the sacred weight o f a paladin’s oath.
Whenever a magic effect is created, the threads o f the
Weave intertwine, twist, and fold to make the effect possible.
When characters use divination spells such as detect magic or
identify, they glimpse the Weave. A spell such as dispel magic
smooths the Weave. Spells such as antimagicfield rearrange
the Weave so that magic flows around, rather than through,
the area affected by the spell. And in places where the Weave
is damaged or torn, magic works in unpredictable ways— or
not at all.