Detect Magic
- Level: 1
- School: Divination
- Class: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Casting Time: Action or Ritual
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any.
The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
Tactical Usage
Universal Magic Detection: Detect Magic provides essential magical awareness for exploration and investigation. This 1st-level divination spell excels at identifying magical threats, items, and effects.
Optimal Timing: Most effective when exploring new areas, investigating magical phenomena, or searching for magical items and traps.
Resource Management: Uses a 1st-level spell slot or ritual casting - available from character level 1+. 10-minute duration provides extensive investigation time.
Target Selection: Self-targeting provides 30-foot radius detection. Use actions to identify school of magic for specific items.
Spell Combinations
Synergistic Spells:
- Investigation Magic: Combine with identify for comprehensive magical item analysis
- Protection Spells: Layer with dispel magic once magical threats are identified
- Detection Spells: Pair with other divination magic for complete area assessment
Class Feature Interactions:
- Ritual Casting: Many classes can cast this without expending spell slots
- Arcane Knowledge: Wizards gain enhanced understanding of detected magic schools
- Magical Expertise: Features that enhance magical knowledge improve interpretation
Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple casters can cover larger areas or provide overlapping magical detection.
Material Component Details
Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.
Component Handling: Simple V, S casting allows quick deployment. Can be cast as a ritual to conserve spell slots.
Roleplay Opportunities: Different magical perceptions reflect arcane training, divine insight, or natural magical sensitivity.
Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for regular investigation use, especially as a ritual.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balancing: Magical detection affects surprise encounters with spellcasters and magical traps.
NPC Usage: Scholars, investigators, or guards might use this to identify magical threats or verify magical claims.
Environmental Considerations: Particularly valuable in magical areas, dungeons with enchanted items, or locations with magical phenomena.
Campaign Integration: Essential investigative magic for any campaign involving magical mysteries or enchanted environments.
Environmental Interactions
Terrain Effects: 30-foot radius detection centered on caster. Penetrates most barriers except specific material thicknesses.
Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable magical detection regardless of external factors.
Structural Interactions: Blocked by substantial barriers - 1 foot stone, 1 inch metal, thin lead, or 3 feet wood/dirt.
Elemental Interactions: Detects all forms of magical energy including elemental magic, enchantments, and spell effects.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Timing Questions: Action casting time or ritual (10 minutes). Concentration up to 10 minutes. Action required to identify specific magic schools.
Target Limitations: Self-range with 30-foot detection radius. Identifies magical auras and schools of magic.
Duration Interactions: Concentration required. Can be maintained while performing other activities.
Mechanical Interactions: Detects magical auras, requires additional action to identify specific schools of magic.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses: Magical item verification, trap detection, spell research, or investigating magical phenomena.
Social Encounters: Verify magical claims, identify disguised spellcasters, or investigate magical contracts.
Exploration Applications: Dungeon exploration, magical site investigation, or treasure hunting for magical items.
Utility Functions: Magical item appraisal, security screening, magical research, or enchantment verification.
Related Spells
Same School: Other divination spells like detect evil and good (1st level supernatural detection), identify (1st level item analysis), locate object (2nd level specific detection).
Similar Effects: identify (1st level item analysis), detect thoughts (2nd level mental detection), true seeing (6th level ultimate detection).
Progression Options: detect magic (1st level magical auras), identify (1st level item properties), true seeing (6th level complete magical sight).
Complementary Magic: identify (analyze detected items), dispel magic (remove detected effects), counterspell (counter detected spellcasting).
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression: Remains consistently valuable throughout campaigns for magical investigation and threat assessment.
Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 1st-level utility investment.
Campaign Phases: Essential across all levels for magical awareness and investigation activities.
Comparative Value: Excellent detection magic that provides fundamental magical awareness, especially when cast as a ritual.
Narrative Flavor
Casting Description: Magical energies become visible to your enhanced perception as mystical auras reveal the presence of enchanted objects and spell effects.
Effect Manifestation: Faint glows and shimmering auras outline magical presences, with different colors and patterns indicating various schools of magic.
Personal Style: Wizards see precise magical formulae, clerics perceive divine radiance, druids sense natural magic, while bards feel magical harmonies.
World Integration: Represents fundamental detection magic available to most spellcasters, often associated with magical training, scholarly investigation, or mystical awareness.
Tactical Usage
Universal Magic Detection: Detect Magic provides essential magical awareness for exploration and investigation. This 1st-level divination spell excels at identifying magical threats, items, and effects.
Optimal Timing: Most effective when exploring new areas, investigating magical phenomena, or searching for magical items and traps.
Resource Management: Uses a 1st-level spell slot or ritual casting - available from character level 1+. 10-minute duration provides extensive investigation time.
Target Selection: Self-targeting provides 30-foot radius detection. Use actions to identify school of magic for specific items.
Spell Combinations
Synergistic Spells:
- Investigation Magic: Combine with identify for comprehensive magical item analysis
- Protection Spells: Layer with dispel magic once magical threats are identified
- Detection Spells: Pair with other divination magic for complete area assessment
Class Feature Interactions:
- Ritual Casting: Many classes can cast this without expending spell slots
- Arcane Knowledge: Wizards gain enhanced understanding of detected magic schools
- Magical Expertise: Features that enhance magical knowledge improve interpretation
Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple casters can cover larger areas or provide overlapping magical detection.
Material Component Details
Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.
Component Handling: Simple V, S casting allows quick deployment. Can be cast as a ritual to conserve spell slots.
Roleplay Opportunities: Different magical perceptions reflect arcane training, divine insight, or natural magical sensitivity.
Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for regular investigation use, especially as a ritual.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balancing: Magical detection affects surprise encounters with spellcasters and magical traps.
NPC Usage: Scholars, investigators, or guards might use this to identify magical threats or verify magical claims.
Environmental Considerations: Particularly valuable in magical areas, dungeons with enchanted items, or locations with magical phenomena.
Campaign Integration: Essential investigative magic for any campaign involving magical mysteries or enchanted environments.
Environmental Interactions
Terrain Effects: 30-foot radius detection centered on caster. Penetrates most barriers except specific material thicknesses.
Weather Influence: Unaffected by weather conditions, providing reliable magical detection regardless of external factors.
Structural Interactions: Blocked by substantial barriers - 1 foot stone, 1 inch metal, thin lead, or 3 feet wood/dirt.
Elemental Interactions: Detects all forms of magical energy including elemental magic, enchantments, and spell effects.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Timing Questions: Action casting time or ritual (10 minutes). Concentration up to 10 minutes. Action required to identify specific magic schools.
Target Limitations: Self-range with 30-foot detection radius. Identifies magical auras and schools of magic.
Duration Interactions: Concentration required. Can be maintained while performing other activities.
Mechanical Interactions: Detects magical auras, requires additional action to identify specific schools of magic.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses: Magical item verification, trap detection, spell research, or investigating magical phenomena.
Social Encounters: Verify magical claims, identify disguised spellcasters, or investigate magical contracts.
Exploration Applications: Dungeon exploration, magical site investigation, or treasure hunting for magical items.
Utility Functions: Magical item appraisal, security screening, magical research, or enchantment verification.
Related Spells
Same School: Other divination spells like detect evil and good (1st level supernatural detection), identify (1st level item analysis), locate object (2nd level specific detection).
Similar Effects: identify (1st level item analysis), detect thoughts (2nd level mental detection), true seeing (6th level ultimate detection).
Progression Options: detect magic (1st level magical auras), identify (1st level item properties), true seeing (6th level complete magical sight).
Complementary Magic: identify (analyze detected items), dispel magic (remove detected effects), counterspell (counter detected spellcasting).
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression: Remains consistently valuable throughout campaigns for magical investigation and threat assessment.
Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 1st-level utility investment.
Campaign Phases: Essential across all levels for magical awareness and investigation activities.
Comparative Value: Excellent detection magic that provides fundamental magical awareness, especially when cast as a ritual.
Narrative Flavor
Casting Description: Magical energies become visible to your enhanced perception as mystical auras reveal the presence of enchanted objects and spell effects.
Effect Manifestation: Faint glows and shimmering auras outline magical presences, with different colors and patterns indicating various schools of magic.
Personal Style: Wizards see precise magical formulae, clerics perceive divine radiance, druids sense natural magic, while bards feel magical harmonies.
World Integration: Represents fundamental detection magic available to most spellcasters, often associated with magical training, scholarly investigation, or mystical awareness.