Adventures hold the promise—but not a guarantee—of finding magic items. Hundreds of magic items are detailed in “Magic Items” later in this document. Here’s what you need to know about using magic items. Identifying a Magic Item Some magic items are indistinguishable from their nonmagical counterparts, while others are conspicuously magical. Handling a magic item is enough to give you a sense that it is extraordinary, but learning a magic item’s properties isn’t automatic. The Identify spell is the fastest way to reveal an item’s properties. Alternatively, you can focus on one magic item during a Short Rest while being in physical contact with the item. At the end of the rest, you learn its properties and how to use them (but not any curse the item might bear). Sometimes a magic item carries a clue to its properties. The command word to activate a ring might be etched inside the band, or a feathered design might hint that it’s a Ring of Feather Falling. Wearing or experimenting with an item can also offer hints about its properties. In the specific case of Potions, a little taste is enough to tell the taster what a potion does. Other items might require more experimentation. For example, if your character puts on a Ring of Swimming, the GM might say, “Your movement feels strangely fluid.” Perhaps you then dive into a river to see what happens. The GM would then say you swim unexpectedly well. Attunement Some magic items require a creature to form a bond—called Attunement—with them before the creature can use an item’s magical properties. Without becoming attuned to an item that requires Attunement, you gain only its nonmagical benefits unless its description states otherwise. For example, a magic Shield that requires Attunement provides the benefits of a normal Shield if you aren’t attuned to it, but none of its magical properties. Attune during a Short Rest Attuning to an item requires you to spend a Short Rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it (this can’t be the same Short Rest used to learn the item’s properties). This focus can take the form of weapon practice (for a Weapon), meditation (for a Wand), or some other appropriate activity. If the Short Rest is interrupted, the Attunement attempt fails. Otherwise, at the end of the Short Rest, you’re attuned to the magic item and can access its full magical capabilities. No More Than Three Items You can be attuned to no more than three magic items at a time. Any attempt to attune to a fourth item fails; you must end your Attunement to an item first. Additionally, you can’t attune to more than one copy of an item. For example, you can’t attune to more than one Ring of Protection at a time. Ending Attunement Your Attunement to an item ends if you no longer satisfy the prerequisites for Attunement, if the item has been more than 100 feet away for at least 24 hours, if you die, or if another creature attunes to

the item. You can also voluntarily end Attunement by spending another Short Rest focused on the item unless the item is cursed. Wearing and Wielding Items Using a magic item’s properties might mean wearing or wielding it. A magic item meant to be worn must be donned in the intended fashion: boots go on feet, gloves on hands, hats and helmets on a head, and rings on a finger. Magic armor must be donned, a Shield strapped to the arm, a cloak fastened about the shoulders. A weapon must be held. In most cases, a magic item that’s meant to be worn can fit a creature regardless of size or build. Magic garments are made to be easily adjustable, or they magically adjust themselves to the wearer. Multiple Items of the Same Kind You can’t wear more than one of certain magic items. You can’t normally wear more than one pair of footwear, one pair of gloves or gauntlets, one pair of bracers, one suit of armor, one item of headwear, or one cloak. The GM might make exceptions. Paired Items Items that come in pairs—such as boots, bracers, gauntlets, and gloves—impart their benefits only if both items of the pair are worn. For example, a character wearing a Boot of Striding and Springing on one foot and a Boot of Elvenkind on the other foot gains no benefit from either. Crafting Nonmagical Items To craft a nonmagical item, you need tools, raw materials, and time, each of which is detailed below. If you meet the requirements, you make the item, and you can use it or sell it at its normal price. To o l s The “Tools” section of “Equipment” lists which tools are required to make certain items. The GM assigns required tools for items not listed there. You must use the required tool to make an item and have proficiency with that tool. Anyone who helps you must also have proficiency with it. Raw Materials To make an item, you need raw materials worth half its purchase cost (round down). For example, you need 750 GP of raw materials to make Plate Armor, which sells for 1,500 GP. The GM determines whether appropriate raw materials are available. Time To determine how many days (working 8 hours a day) it takes to make an item, divide its purchase cost in GP by 10 (round a fraction up to a day). For example, you need 5 days to make a Heavy Crossbow, which sells for 50 GP. If an item requires multiple days, the days needn’t be consecutive. Characters can combine their efforts to shorten the crafting time. Divide the time needed to create an item by the number of characters working on it. Normally, only one other character can assist you, but the GM might allow more assistants. Brewing Potions of Healing A character who has proficiency with the Herbalism Kit can create a Potion of Healing. Doing so requires using that kit and 25 GP of raw material over the course of 1 day (8 hours of work). Scribing Spell Scrolls A spellcaster can transfer a spell to a scroll and create a Spell Scroll, using the rules below. Time and Cost Scribing a scroll takes an amount of time and money based on the level of the spell, as shown in the Spell Scroll Costs table. For each day of inscription, you must work for 8 hours. If a scroll requires multiple days, those days needn’t be consecutive. Prerequisites for the Scribe To scribe a scroll, you must have proficiency in the Arcana skill or with Calligrapher’s Supplies and have the spell prepared on each day of the inscription. You must also have at hand any Material components required by the spell; if the spell consumes its Material components, they are consumed only when you complete the scroll. The scroll’s spell uses your spell save DC and spell attack bonus. Cantrips If the scribed spell is a cantrip, the version on the scroll works as if the caster were your level. Spell Scroll Costs Spell Level Time Cost Cantrip1 day15 GP 11 day25 GP 23 days100 GP 35 days150 GP 410 days1,000 GP 525 days1,500 GP 640 days10,000 GP 750 days12,500 GP 860 days15,000 GP 9120 days50,000 GP

castinG in arMor You must have training with any armor you are wearing to cast spells while wearing it. You are otherwise too hampered by the armor for spellcasting.

Gaining Spells Before you can cast a spell, you must have the spell prepared in your mind or have access to the spell from a magic item, such as a Spell Scroll. Your features specify which spells you have access to, if any; whether you always have certain spells prepared; and whether you can change the list of spells you have prepared. Preparing Spells If you have a list of level 1+ spells you prepare, your spellcasting feature specifies when you can change the list and the number of spells you can change, as summarized in the Spell Preparation by Class table. Spell Preparation by Class ClassChange When You ... Number of Spells BardGain a levelOne ClericFinish a Long RestAny DruidFinish a Long RestAny PaladinFinish a Long RestOne RangerFinish a Long RestOne SorcererGain a levelOne WarlockGain a levelOne WizardFinish a Long RestAny Most spellcasting monsters don’t change their lists of prepared spells, but the GM is free to alter them. Always-Prepared Spells Certain features might give you a spell that you always have prepared. If you also have a list of prepared spells that you can change, a spell that you always have prepared doesn’t count against the number of spells on that list. Casting Spells Each spell description has a series of entries that provide the details needed to cast the spell. The following sections explain each of those entries, which follow a spell’s name. Spell Level Every spell has a level from 0 to 9, which is indicated in a spell’s description. A spell’s level is an indicator of how powerful it is. Cantrips—simple spells that can be cast almost by rote—are level 0. The rules for each spellcasting class say when its members gain access to spells of certain levels. Spell Slots Spellcasting is taxing, so a spellcaster can cast only a limited number of level 1+ spells before resting. Spell slots are the main way a spellcaster’s magical potential is represented. Each spellcasting class gives its members a limited number of spell slots of certain spell levels. For example, a level 3 Wizard has four level 1 spell slots and two level 2 slots. When you cast a spell, you expend a slot of that spell’s level or higher, effectively “filling” a slot with the spell. Imagine a spell slot is a groove of a certain size—small for a level 1 slot and larger for a higher-level spell. A level 1 spell fits into a slot of any size, but a level 2 spell fits only into a slot that’s at least level 2. So when a level 3 Wizard casts Magic Missile, a level 1 spell, that Wizard spends one of four level 1 slots and has three remaining. Finishing a Long Rest restores any expended spell slots. Casting without Slots There are several ways to cast a spell without expending a spell slot: Cantrips. A cantrip is cast without a spell slot. Rituals. Certain spells have the Ritual tag in the Casting Time entry. Such a spell can be cast following the normal rules for spellcasting, or it can be cast as a Ritual. The Ritual version of a spell takes 10 minutes longer to cast than normal, but it doesn’t expend a spell slot. To cast a spell as a Ritual, a spellcaster must have it prepared. Special Abilities. Some characters and monsters have special abilities that allow them to cast specific spells without a spell slot. This casting is usually limited in another way, such as being able to cast the spell a limited number of times per day. Magic Items. Spell Scrolls and some other magic items contain spells that can be cast without a spell slot. The description of such an item specifies how many times a spell can be cast from it. Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot When a spellcaster casts a spell using a slot that is of a higher level than the spell, the spell takes on the higher level for that casting. For instance, if a Wizard casts Magic Missile using a level 2 slot, that Magic Missile is level 2. 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. School of Magic Each spell belongs to a school of magic. The schools are listed in the Schools of Magic table. These categories help describe spells but have no rules of their own, although some other rules refer to them. Schools of Magic SchoolTypical Effects AbjurationPrevents or reverses harmful effects ConjurationTransports creatures or objects DivinationReveals information EnchantmentInfluences minds EvocationChannels energy to create effects that are often destructive IllusionDeceives the mind or senses NecromancyManipulates life and death TransmutationTransforms creatures or objects Class Spell Lists If a spell is on a class’s spell list, the class’s name appears in parentheses after the spell’s school of magic. Some features add a spell to a character’s spell list even if the character isn’t a member of a class in the parentheses. Casting Time Most spells require the Magic action to cast, but some spells require a Bonus Action, a Reaction, or 1 minute or more. A spell’s Casting Time entry specifies which of those is required. One Spell with a Spell Slot per Turn On a turn, you can expend only one spell slot to cast a spell. This rule means you can’t, for example, cast a spell with a spell slot using the Magic action and another one using a Bonus Action on the same turn. Reaction and Bonus Action Triggers A spell that has a casting time of a Reaction is cast in response to a trigger that is defined in the spell’s Casting Time entry. Some spells that have a casting time of a Bonus Action are also cast in response to a trigger defined in the spell. Longer Casting Times Certain spells—including a spell cast as a Ritual—require more time to cast: minutes or even hours. While you cast a spell with a casting time of 1 minute or more, you must take the Magic action on each of your turns, and you must maintain Concentration (see “Rules Glossary”) while you do so. If your Concentration is broken, the spell fails, but you don’t expend a spell slot. To cast the spell again, you must start over. Range A spell’s range indicates how far from the spellcaster the spell’s effect can originate, and the spell’s description specifies which part of the effect is limited by the range. A range usually takes one of the following forms: Distance. The range is expressed in feet. Touch. The spell’s effect originates on something, as defined by the spell, that the spellcaster must touch within their reach. Self. The spell is cast on the spellcaster or emanates from them, as specified in the spell. If a spell has movable effects, they aren’t restricted by its range unless the spell’s description says otherwise. Components A spell’s components are physical requirements the spellcaster must meet to cast the spell. Each spell’s description indicates whether it requires Verbal (V), Somatic (S), or Material (M) components. If the spellcaster can’t provide one or more of a spell’s components, the spellcaster can’t cast the spell. Verbal (V) A Verbal component is the chanting of esoteric words that sound like nonsense to the uninitiated. The words must be uttered in a normal speaking voice. 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 creature who is gagged or in an area of magical silence can’t cast a spell with a Verbal component. Somatic (S) A Somatic component is a forceful gesticulation or an intricate set of gestures. A spellcaster must use at least one of their hands to perform these movements. Material (M) A Material component is a particular material used in a spell’s casting, as specified in parentheses in the Components entry. These materials aren’t consumed by the spell unless the spell’s description states otherwise. The spellcaster must have a hand free to access them, but it can be the same hand used to perform Somatic components, if any. If a spell doesn’t consume its materials and doesn’t specify a cost for them, a spellcaster can use a Component Pouch (see “Equipment”) instead of providing the materials specified in the spell, or the

idEntiFyinG an onGoinG spEll You can try to identify a non-instantaneous spell by its observable effects if its duration is ongoing. To identify it, you must take the Study action and succeed on a DC 15 Intelligence (Arcana) check. spellcaster can substitute a Spellcasting Focus if the caster has a feature that allows that substitution. To use a Component Pouch, you must have a hand free to reach into it, and to use a Spellcasting Focus, you must hold it unless its description says otherwise (see “Equipment” for descriptions). Duration A spell’s duration is the length of time the spell persists after it is cast. A duration typically takes one of the following forms: Concentration. A duration that requires Concentration follows the Concentration rules (see “Rules Glossary”). Instantaneous. An instantaneous duration means the spell’s magic appears only for a moment and then disappears. Time Span. A duration that provides a time span specifies how long the spell lasts in rounds, minutes, hours, or the like. For example, a Duration entry might say “1 minute,” meaning the spell ends after 1 minute has passed. While a time-span spell that you cast is ongoing, you can dismiss it (no action required) if you don’t have the Incapacitated condition. Effects The effects of a spell are detailed after its duration entry. Those details present exactly what the spell does, which ignores mundane physical laws; any outcomes beyond those effects are under the GM’s purview. Whatever the effects, they typically deal with targets, saving throws, attack rolls, or all three, each of which is detailed below. Targets A typical spell requires the caster to pick one or more targets to be affected by the spell’s magic. A spell’s description says whether the spell targets creatures, objects, or something else. A Clear Path to the Target. To target something with a spell, a caster must have a clear path to it, so it can’t be behind Total Cover. Targeting Yourself. 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. Areas of Effect. Some spells, such as Thunderwave, cover an area called an area of effect, which is defined in “Rules Glossary.” The area determines what the spell targets. The description of a spell specifies whether it has an area of effect, which is typically one of these shapes: Cone, Cube, Cylinder, Emanation, Line, or Sphere. Awareness of Being Targeted. Unless a spell has a perceptible effect, a creature doesn’t know it was targeted by the spell. An effect like lightning is obvious, but a more subtle effect, such as an attempt to read thoughts, goes unnoticed unless a spell’s description says otherwise. Invalid Targets. If you cast a spell on someone or something that can’t be affected by it, nothing happens to that target, but if you used a spell slot to cast the spell, the slot is still expended. If the spell normally has no effect on a target that succeeds on a saving throw, the invalid target appears to have succeeded on its saving throw, even though it didn’t attempt one (giving no hint that the creature is an invalid target). Otherwise, you perceive that the spell did nothing to the target. Saving Throws Many spells specify that a target makes 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. Here’s how to calculate the DC for your spells: Spell save DC

8 + your spellcasting ability modifier

• your Proficiency Bonus Attack Rolls Some spells require the caster to make an attack roll to determine whether the spell hits a target. Here’s how to calculate the attack modifier for your spells: Spell attack modifier = your spellcasting ability modifier + your Proficiency Bonus Combining Spell Effects The effects of different spells add together while their durations overlap. In contrast, the effects of the same spell cast multiple times don’t combine. Instead, the most potent effect—such as the highest bonus—from those castings applies while their durations overlap. The most recent effect applies if the castings are equally potent and their durations overlap. For example, if two Clerics cast Bless on the same target, that target gains the spell’s benefit only once; the target doesn’t receive two bonus dice. But if the durations of the spells overlap, the effect continues until the duration of the second Bless ends.

Spell Descriptions