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Spells are magical effects that are created by creatures via spellcasting. Spells are frequently cast to deal damage and provide healing, or to inflict conditions on its targets.
All classes are capable of casting spells with the help of scrolls and magic items, and classes with the Spellcasting feature – called spellcasters – have spell slots they can expend to cast spells they know, without the need of scrolls.
Overview
Spells are created from the Weave, the magical energies of the multiverse. They are conjured through experience, knowledge or innate ability, or via the use of scrolls and magical items.
Spellcasters
Spellcasters can either be full casters – meaning they can learn spells up to 6th level spells, half casters – meaning they can learn spells up to 3rd level spells, or one-third casters – meaning they can learn spells up to 2nd level spells.
Full casters:
Half casters:
One-third casters:
Spellcasting ability and proficiency
Every class, including those without the spellcasting feature, has a designated ability known as their spellcasting ability, which represents their capacity to cast spells. Creatures add their spellcasting ability's corresponding ability score modifier (their spellcasting ability modifier) to the Difficulty Class (DC) of their spell saves, in addition to their proficiency bonus.[note 2]
Intelligence (INT)
s, 
s†, and 
s†.
Wisdom (WIS)
s, 
s, 
s, and 
s*.
Charisma (CHA)
s, 
s, 
s, 
s, and 
s*.
†These classes, while normally non-spellcasters, have the option of becoming spellcasters by specializing into specific subclasseses Arcane Trickster and Eldritch Knight.
Multiclassing
Spells learned from taking levels in a class will use that class' spellcasting ability modifier.
For spells from other sources, the most recent class that was multiclassed into takes precedence for determining which spellcasting ability modifier to use.
A character with the level progression wizard 1, wizard 2, sorcerer 1, wizard 3 will use CHA for item spellcasting, because sorcerer is the latest "new" class for the character. If the same character then takes cleric 1, cleric would be the latest new class, and WIS will now be used for item spellcasting for this character. Finally, if the same character then picks sorcerer 2, they would still continue to use WIS for item spellcasting as no new class was added since cleric.[Needs Verification]
Fighter and rogues will only provide their spellcasting ability if they are level 3 and have the appropriate subclass (Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster respectively): ranger 1, barbarian 1, rogue 1 will use CHA instead of INT for item and illithid spellcasting.
Casting spells
Most spells require an 
Action, but some require a 
Bonus action or a 
Reaction. Spells learned through class features also require available spell slots.
Additionally, most spells cannot be cast by a character who is 
, as they cannot speak the magic words required.
When casting a spell that affects another creature, the caster may have to make an attack roll against the target's AC, in order to determine if it's a hit or miss. Spells in the form of rays (like 
) or projectiles (like 
or 
) often require attacks rolls.
The caster adds the corresponding spellcasting ability modifier, as well as their proficiency bonus, to the results of the attack roll.
d20 + proficiency Bonus + spellcasting ability modifierSpells that conjure harmful creatures or objects (like 
or 
) usually require the summoned entity to make attacks on their own turn, using the caster's spell attack above.
Spells which create a damaging effect at a point in space (like 
) or affect a character directly (like 
) do not require an attack roll, but often allow a target to attempt to save against the spell, ignoring or reducing the spell's effect. This saving throw is made against the caster's spellcasting DC:
Spells which do not directly harm other creatures generally don't require an attack roll or saving throw. There are also some harmful spells which are exceptions to the above: 
automatically hits its targets, while 
and 
automatically affect creatures with up to a specific number of hit points.
Spell slots
Classes expend spell slots to cast their known spells. A creature's available spell slots are determined by how many caster levels they've taken.
Depleted spell slots
Depleted spell slots are generally regained by taking a Long Rest, though there are other means to restore them:
- Some characters, including s and some subclasses, have features which let them regain a small number of spell slots in between long rests.
s have access to the Bolstering Magic feature, allowing them or an ally to recover a few low level spell slots when they Rage.- Items such as the
Pearl of Power Amulet or 
Spellcrux Amulet allow for the recovery of spell slots once per long rest. - The Arcane Cultivation line of Elixirs grants the user a temporary additional spell slot of a specific level from 1st to 4th, depending on the elixir. While this doesn't technically replenish an existing slot, the practical effect is the same.
- The 's Pact Magic class feature grants them only a small number of spell slots, but to compensate they regain them all by taking a short rest.
Spell levels
A spell's level is a measure of how powerful it is, as well as how difficult it is to cast. Spell slots also have levels, and a character will have a specific number of spell slots of each level available to them: 
Level 1, 
Level 2, 
Level 3, and so on. A spell of a given level requires a spell slot of the same level or higher to be expended to cast it. For example, a 3rd level spell can be cast using a spell slot of level 3, 4, 5 or 6, but not of level 1 or 2.
Cantrips 
are "level 0" spells: they do not consume any spell slots and can be cast "at will". They are effectively an infinite resource.
Due to their unique mechanics, the spell slots of a Warlock are colored differently, like so: 
A spell's level has other effects:
- Wizards need to spend more gold to learn a higher level spell (usually 50gp per level, though cheaper for the spells of a Wizard's chosen school).
- Counterspell is harder to use against a spells of higher levels.
Some Wizard subclass features (such as Arcane Ward and Grim Harvest) and the Paladin's Divine Smite ability have varying effects depending on level of the spell or spell slot used to power them.
Upcasting
Upcasting is when a spellcaster uses a higher level spell slot to cast a lower level spell. Many spells become more powerful when cast with a spell slot higher than the spell's level. For damaging spells this usually takes the form of additional damage dice, but spells can also gain a larger area of effect, a longer duration, additional targets or other benefits.
Spell slots per level
| ESL | Spell Slots per Spell Level | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
|
|
|
|
|
| |
| 1 | 2 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 2 | 3 | - | - | - | - | - |
| 3 | 4 | 2 | - | - | - | - |
| 4 | 4 | 3 | - | - | - | - |
| 5 | 4 | 3 | 2 | - | - | - |
| 6 | 4 | 3 | 3 | - | - | - |
| 7 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - | - |
| 8 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - | - |
| 9 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 1 | - |
| 10 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | - |
| 11 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
| 12 | 4 | 3 | 3 | 3 | 2 | 1 |
The total amount of spell slots a spellcaster would get is dependent upon their Effective Spellcaster Level (ESL). For full spellcasters ( s, s, s, s, and s) this is exactly their class level: a level 5 wizard has an Effective Spellcaster Level of 5. "Half-spellcasters" ( s and s), are not considered spellcasters until class level 2, at which point their ESL is their class level halved. "One-third-spellcasters" (
s and 
s) are all subclasses that can only be taken at class level 3; their ESL is their class level divided by three. For the purpose of determining Spell Slot Distribution the ESL is rounded up when no multiclassing of multiple spellcaster classes is involved.
When multiple spellcaster classes are chosen for a character, the character's ESL is instead the ESL of every individual spellcasting class that the character has, each rounded down, and then summed up. As an example, a level 1 cleric/level 3 paladin/level 3 ranger character would have an ESL of 3, because:1 + round_down(1.5) + round_down(1.5) = 1 + 1 + 1 = 3
Because of the differing rounding between non-multiclass and multiclass characters, a peculiar edge case exists when a "partial spellcaster" multiclasses into another "partial spellcaster" class. To illustrate this, consider a level 3 paladin that picks up a level of ranger. Both of these classes are "half-spellcasters". A level 3 pure paladin has an ESL of 2, due to the rounding up. But when they multiclass into another "half-spellcasters" class, one may assume this character would lose an ESL by leveling up, as the rule now requires rounding down. However, as mentioned earlier, "partial spellcasters" classes are not considered spellcasters until they get to ESL 1 without rounding. So a level 3 paladin/level 1 ranger still has an ESL of 2. In short, due to how the rule is written, a character will never lose ESL by leveling up, no matter what.
Once an ESL is calculated, one can consult the spell slots per level table to find out their character's spell slot distribution.
The number of spell slot for each level across ESL has no clear pattern, but when a spell level opens up does have an identifiable pattern. The maximum spell level a spellcaster has access to is their ESL halved and then rounded up.
s are unique in this regard. Their spell slots are all of uniform level, matching the highest spell slot available of a normal full spellcaster class until spell level 5, which is the highest level spell slot warlocks can have. They also simply gain a spell slot at class level 1,2, and 11. When a character has levels in both Warlock and a class with traditional spellcasting, their Warlock spell slots are counted separately from any other spell slots, and Warlock levels are ignored when calculating ESL. Characters with both kinds of spell slots can mostly use them to cast spells from either class interchangeably, though some Warlock Eldritch Invocations specifically require the use of a Warlock spell slot.
Concentration
Main page: Concentration
Concentration is a special Resource used by certain Spells. A spell with the Concentration tag requires the caster to focus on that spell for its duration.
A caster may only maintain the effect of one Concentration spell at a time.
When taking damage, the caster can only maintain Concentration by succeeding a Constitution 
Saving throw (sometimes referred to as a "Concentration Check"). The Difficulty Class of this Constitution saving throw is half of the damage taken, but no less than 10.
Ways a caster can lose Concentration while concentrating includes:
- Failing a Concentration Constitution Saving Throw. Said Saving Throw occurs every time a concentrating caster takes damage. The DC of this Saving Throw is either 10 or half the number of damage taken, whichever is higher.
- Being affected by Conditions such as Downed, Sleeping, Rage, etc. If this happens Concentration is dropped without recourse.
- The caster can also voluntarily end the Concentration effect, either by casting another Concentration Spell, by manually ending Concentration, or by taking a Long Rest.
- Unlike most actions, the manual ending of concentration can be done at anytime, even amidst someone else's turn. For players this is done via the x button on the concentrated spell's icon next to the caster's main portrait (see picture above).
- Most Concentration spells have a maximum duration, after which the spell automatically ends even if the caster is still concentrating.
Prepared spells
Prepared spells are Spells that must be prepared beforehand in order to be cast, this can only be done outside of combat. Spellcasters that primarily utilize this type of spells are known as prepared spellcasters. This includes:
These spellcasters will need to anticipate which spells would be useful in advance. In exchange, these classes will have access to every class-level-appropriate spell in their Spell List.
Uniquely, Wizards are prepared casters that can only choose a subset of eligible spells to be learnt on leveling up, but are allowed to learn more spells by transcribing scrolls.
The number of Prepared Spells each class can have at a time is equal to (Spellcasting Ability Modifier + Class Level) (Minimum of 1)
For this purpose a Paladin's class level is halved and rounded down.
Known spells
Known spells are spells permanently memorized by a spellcaster, meaning these spells are always prepared. Spellcasters that primarily utilizes this type of spells are known as spontaneous spellcasters. This includes:
These spellcasters will not need to worry about spell preparation. In exchange, they can only learn a subset of their class's Spell List.
Spontaneous Spellcasters have access to the Replacement Spell feature, which allows them to swap a known spell each time they level up.
Additionally, Spells granted by Races or by certain Subclasses (such as Cleric Domains) are considered "inherent" and are always prepared. This happens even if the character in question has a class that is normally a prepared spellcaster.
Ritual spells
When a 
ritual spell is cast outside of combat/turn-based mode, they do not consume spell slots and are effectively free to cast. They consume spell slots as normal in-combat/turn-based mode.
Spell list
External links
Spell on the Forgotten Realms Wiki