You can see and hear a particular creature you choose that is on the same plane of existence as you. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw, which is modified by how well you know the target and the sort of physical connection you have to it. If a target knows you're casting this spell, it can fail the saving throw voluntarily if it wants to be observed.
Knowledge |
Save Modifier |
---|---|
Secondhand (you have heard of the target) | +5 |
Firsthand (you have met the target) | 0 |
Familiar (you know the target well) | -5 |
Connection | Save Modifier |
---|---|
Likeness or picture | -2 |
Possession or garment | -4 |
Body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, or the like | -10 |
On a successful save, the target isn't affected, and you can't use this spell against it again for 24 hours.
On a failed save, the spell creates an invisible sensor within 10 feet of the target. You can see and hear through the sensor as if you were there. The sensor moves with the target, remaining within 10 feet of it for the duration. A creature that can see invisible objects sees the sensor as a luminous orb about the size of your fist.
Instead of targeting a creature, you can choose a location you have seen before as the target of this spell. When you do, the sensor appears at that location and doesn't move.
* - (a focus worth at least 1,000 gp, such as a crystal ball, a silver mirror, or a font filled with holy water)
Can I cast this spell even if I don't have a connection to the target? Like, can I target a creature with Scrying if I've heard of them, but don't have a picture of them?
"You can see and hear a particular creature you choose that is on the same plane of existence as you."
It's likely that the creature still exists, but is no longer on the same plane of existence as you are, as they have died and their spirit had likely left the material plane. Even if they are still around as a ghost, it's questionable wether or not they are effected. I've ruled in such instance that the spell connects, but the picture it shows is strange/broken. For instance you scry on a dead creature whose spirit is in the ethereal plane haunting the material. The spell would just show a greyed out, cloudly picture of the location where the ghost is, without the ghost.
OR you can make a funny trolling by suddenly showing the ghost, like those old jumpscares. You can be creatice here with this.
https://www.youtube.com/shorts/U5npF7lq2Yk
This clip made this even more confusing on top of the convoluted nature of this spell. Also what did he mean by "You don't roll for scry"?
The target makes a saving throw, the caster does not make a roll. So Sam's nat 20 there meant nothing.
Quote from
What's confusing? The target makes a saving throw. The caster doesn't roll anything, just like with any other spell that requires a saving throw. So Sam's nat 20 there means nothing.