So, you want to learn how spells work in Dungeons & Dragons. Take a seat, because class is in session!

In D&D, spellcasters generally draw from the essential element of the universe, the Weave, to cast spells. In doing so, they can bend reality to their will, with some high-level spellcasters capable of even casting wish! But let's not get ahead of ourselves. If you're new to the game, chances are you'll be playing a low-level spellcaster.

So, here's the gist of what you need to know: There are different schools of magic, different sources of magic, and even rules for casting spells in armor. Confused? Not to worry! In this article, we demystify spellcasting in D&D by breaking down its core concepts, giving some helpful tips to novice spellcasters, and pointing you to resources where you can learn more.

• The Three Constants of Magic
• Playing Your First Spellcaster
• Making Your Magic Your Own

The Three Constants of Magic

Whether you're a 1st-level sorcerer casting prestidigitation or a 20th-level druid conjuring a storm of vengeance, three constants are always at play: spell components, time, and space.

Spell Components

Each spell you cast requires you to perform or have on hand up to three spell components:

• Verbal
• Somatic
• Material

Verbal. A verbal component can be a spoken incantation, a prayer, or even a song; the vibrational power of these vocalizations reverberates across the ether and sets the magic in motion. The iconic bard spell vicious mockery requires only a verbal component.

Somatic. A somatic component is a series of forceful motions with your hands, moving and channeling the energies around you into specific patterns. Counterspell requires just this spell component, as you'll simply swat away an enemy's spell.

Material. Material components are objects and or substances used to fuel a spell. Spellcasters should consider investing in a component pouch or a spellcasting focus. Either of these items can be used in place of material components as long as the spell doesn't consume its required materials or have a gold cost. If the spell does, it will say so in the spell description. For example, fireball requires a ball of bat guano and sulfur, but the materials remain after the boom (though they may make your component pouch smell a little rank). Heroes' feast, on the other hand, requires a jeweled chalice worth at least 1,000 gp, and the spell consumes it, so the spell cannot be cast without it. (Rude!)

Helpful Gestures

You only need one free hand to perform somatic components. So if your spellcaster's hands are bound, you only have to worry about getting one hand free to perform somatic components. Alternatively, if you're holding a spellcaster captive, ensure both hands are tightly bound! Better yet, gag them. That should stop them from casting misty step to get away!

Be mindful of how many spells you prepare that require material components. It's always helpful to have a few spells prepared that only require a whispered word and jazz hands, just in case you find yourself separated from your focus, symbol, or component pouch.

Time

Every spell has a casting time and a duration. Casting time refers to how long it takes for a spell's effects to manifest. Most spells in D&D have a casting time of one action, but many can be quickly popped off as a bonus action, and some spells, like hallow, take 24 hours to take hold.

Duration refers to how long a spell's effects remain after they resolve. A spell with an instantaneous duration, such as fire bolt, vanishes almost as quickly as it is evoked. But some last for hours, or days, or can even become permanent until they are dispelled.

Casting Times in Combat

If a spell has a casting time that's longer than one action, don't waste your time casting it in combat unless you absolutely have to. A single round of combat in D&D lasts about 6 seconds. So if you're using a spell with a casting time of 1 minute, such as animate dead, you'll have to spend 10 rounds of combat doing nothing but powering up that spell like a Dragon Ball Z character. And if your concentration is broken before you can complete the spell, the spell fails.

Luckily, you won't lose your spell slot if this happens, but it'd be quite the buzzkill to get 54 seconds into your minute ritual just to have your spell fizzle. When at all possible, try to preemptively cast these lengthy sort of spells before you get into combat.

Space

Every spell either has a specific range, an area of effect, or both. Most of the time, this is pretty self-explanatory; if the range says 30 feet, the spell can travel a maximum of 30 feet before dissipating, or its effects can be centered at any point (usually at a point you can see) within 30 feet.

A spell with a range of "self" can only affect you personally. For example, you can't cast alter self on another person. A spell with a range of "touch" can be cast on another creature that is close enough for you to reach out and touch, or on yourself. Some touch spells, such as guidance, can only be cast on a "willing" creature, meaning the target must be OK with you casting the spell on them. Other touch spells, such as inflict wounds, may not be enthusiastically received, and thus require a melee spell attack to determine if the spell finds purchase.

Some spells manifest in a specific area of effect pattern, such as a cone, cube, or sphere. These massive spells can be devastating to large groups of enemies, but they can also prove hazardous to your other party members if used indiscriminately.

Casting Spells Through Your Familiar

Spellcasters who are able to cast find familiar can sidestep the range of touch limitation. As long as they're within 100 feet of each other, these spellcasters can channel touch spells into their familiars, so their cuddly critters do the touching instead of them. Artificers can achieve this ability with the Homunculus Servant infusion, but the range extends to 120 feet.

Is there anything cooler than a fluffy cat familiar daintily making biscuits of inflict wounds on a bad guy? I think not.

Playing Your First Spellcaster

So, all this talk of components has got you dying to sling some spells, eh? Lucky for you, you don't need to know everything about magic in your campaign setting to play a spellcaster. All you need is a few basic mechanics, and you can build from there.

Spell Slots! How Do They Work?

Mechanically, spell slots exist to limit a spellcaster's resources, so they have to think strategically about when and how to use their finite pools of magic.

But narratively, think of spell slots as the maximum amount of magical energies your character can channel in a given period of time before they're tapped out. As you gain experience as a spellcaster, your capacity to channel these magical energies will increase. Check your class level progression table to see what level spell slots you have access to and how many spell slots you have.

Don't Forget About Upcasting

Upcasting is an unofficial term used to describe when you cast a spell with a spell slot above the spell's normal level. In many cases, spells become more powerful when they are upcast, increasing their damage output or the number of creatures they can affect. Remember, upcasting only goes one way: up. You cannot cast a spell using a spell slot lower than its base level. For example, fireball is a 3rd-level spell; you can't cast it using a 1st-level spell slot, but you can upcast it using a 4th-level or higher spell slot.

Do Your Prep Work!

For some spellcasters, particularly those with access to a broad array of spells, knowing the magic words and hand waves isn't enough. These casters need to spend time at the start of each day thinking about what spells they may need and preparing them.

Mechanically, this is when you, the player, pick which spells you want access to on this particular day. This mechanic exists because some classes have access to a large spell list, and having access to all of them at once would imbalance gameplay.

Narratively, this is your wizard poring over their spellbook, reciting incantations, practicing somatic gestures, or pre-mixing material components. A cleric could prepare their spells by praying to their deity, while a druid could be meditating under a tree.

Learn to Love Your Rituals

If you're playing an artificer, bard, cleric, druid, or wizard, some of your spells will have the ritual tag. This means that if your character acquires or prepares that spell, they can elect to spend an extra 10 minutes casting it as a ritual. The spell's effects remain as written and the spell does not consume a spell slot. (This latter point means that you can't cast a spell as a ritual at a higher level.) You must have access to the spell or have the spell prepared in order to cast it as a ritual.

Armor! Are You Sure You Need It?

Spellcasting is physically and mentally grueling. But you know what else is physically and mentally grueling? Wearing armor! It's easy to write off the taxing sensation of wearing armor because, well, very few of us have actually worn real armor. Also, video games don't do a good job of conveying how much effort one has to exert to move, let alone fight, in armor. This is why many spellcasting classes have limits on the kind of armor they are proficient with and why mage armor is a popular choice when no armor options are available.

Remember, if your character is wearing armor they're not proficient with, they are too hampered for spellcasting.

Choose Your Cantrips Wisely

If your spellcaster is capable of learning cantrips, always be sure to pick at least one cantrip that is a spell attack, such as fire bolt, eldritch blast, or ray of frost. Also, if you have cantrips that require saving throws, try to make sure they target a few different abilities. Why? Let me explain.

To determine if an offensive spell hits, there are two possible mechanics. One is a saving throw, which requires the target to roll to see if they succumb to the spell's effects. These can target a creature's Strength, Dexterity, Constitution, Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma. If you have a lumbering creature with a high Constituion staring you down, you'll want to make sure you've got some ways to target their weak spots, like Dexterity, Intelligence, or Wisdom.

The other mechanic is seeing if the spell physically connects with the target via a spell attack (which is calculated as such: 8 + your spellcasting ability modifier + your proficiency bonus). Some spells, such as ray of sickness, call for a spell attack and a saving throw, and in that case, the former will always precede the latter. Roll to see if you hit. If you hit, they roll to see if they get a tummy ache. Make sense?

If you're in combat and out of spell slots, cantrips are your bread and butter. Try to pick a variety of cantrips so you're ready to face as many dangerous situations as possible until you can get your next rest.

Making Your Magic Your Own

Don't be afraid to customize your character's magic to suit their vibe. It can be easy to assume that every spell in D&D is singular and finite, like how spells can be presented in video games. And they certainly can be that way if simple hacking and slashing is what you're looking for. But if you want to dig deep and use your imagination, there are many different ways you can make your character's magic feel one of a kind.

Customizing Your Components

There are spells that are available across different spellcasting classes, but that doesn't necessarily mean they are all literally the same spell, let alone require exactly the same components. You can customize the components of your spell with relative ease.

For example, artificers, sorcerers, and wizards can cast fire bolt, which requires both verbal and somatic components, but don't think of it as three different classes having access to the same spell. Think of it as three different classes that are capable of manifesting the same effect, with the same type of components, but in their own ways:

Wizard. The wizard's spellcasting is based on their years of study. When casting fire bolt, they could speak the right words (maybe in Primordial, Infernal, or Draconic), in the right pitch while performing a mechanically precise series of gestures, creating a jet of fire shooting out of their hands.

Sorcerer. The sorcerer's spellcasting is based on innate magical talent. When casting fire bolt, the sorcerer's somatic component could be as simple as extending their hand with two fingers curled under. Their verbal component could be shouting "Burn!" while evoking feelings of rage or wrath, manifesting a burst of concentrated fire from their fingers.

Artificer. The artificer's spellcasting is based on their uncanny ingenuity. When casting fire bolt, they could speak a command word, activating an arcane power cell in their arcane focus. A flick of the wrist and a twirl of their fingers releases and directs the power cell's energy through their arcane focus in the form of an incendiary magical laser bolt.

Customizing Your Spells

Your spells can look like whatever you want, and imagining how they appear and behave is a huge part of what makes spellcasting so fun in D&D. Take magic missile, for example. Perhaps your School of Divination wizard uses a deck of tarot cards as their arcane focus. So when casting magic missile at 1st level, maybe they pull the four of swords and launch four daggers made of force energy.

Additionally, there's no rule stating that your character can't invent a spell of their own. Have you ever wondered why some spells have names like Evard's black tentacles or Tasha's caustic brew? Because they're named after the mages who created them! And there's no reason why you can't flavor your spells in a similar manner. Talk to your Dungeon Master and see if you two can collaborate on either modifying an existing spell or creating an entirely new one.

For more on this, check out these articles on custom spells and custom components written by one of my all-time favorite people, Riley Silverman.

Customizing Your Magic's Alignment

When it comes to customizing your magic, you don't need to feel bound by all the morality that some settings tie into certain schools of magic.

For example, in my humble opinion, necromancy gets a bad rap. I find how many settings classify necromancy as inherently evil to be limiting and kind of arbitrary, especially when you consider the truly vile applications enchantment or illusion magic can have. What's worse: robbing a living creature of their agency or making a long-dead skeleton do the Charleston?

If you want to play a good-aligned necromancer, do it! Want to play an evil-aligned Life Domain cleric that heals their victims so they can torture them more? Sure! I mean, that's super messed up, but it's possible! Just let your DM know your plans for your character, and be open to feedback.

You've Got the Magic in You!

Once you know how spells work in D&D, you unlock an entirely new dimension of the game—both figuratively and literally. While magic does have its limits, the menagerie of spells available in D&D invites endless possibilities in terms of problem solving, roleplaying, and overall fun. Learning the mechanics is the easy part; figuring out how you'll use and implement your magic to tell your part of the story is the hardest and most fun part of playing a spellcaster.

Kyle Shire (@kyleshire) is a contributing writer to D&D Beyond and a producer for Critical Role. In the past, he worked as a producer, writer, and host for Machinima Studios and Warner Brothers Interactive Entertainment. He's appeared on HyperRPG as the Mayor of Kollok and the Saving Throw Show. He currently lives in Los Angeles.