Divination
- Level: 4
- School: Divination
- Class: Cleric, Druid, Wizard
- Casting Time: Action or Ritual
- Range: Self
- Components: V, S, M (incense worth 25+ GP, which the spell consumes)
- Duration: Instantaneous
This spell puts you in contact with a god or a god's servants. You ask one question about a specific goal, event, or activity to occur within 7 days. The GM offers a truthful reply, which might be a short phrase or cryptic rhyme. The spell doesn't account for circumstances that might change the answer, such as the casting of other spells.
If you cast the spell more than once before finishing a Long Rest, there is a cumulative 25 percent chance for each casting after the first that you get no answer.
Tactical Usage
Divine Guidance: Divination provides direct access to divine knowledge for crucial decisions. This 4th-level divination spell excels at gathering information about actions, events, or questions from divine sources.
Optimal Timing: Deploy before major decisions, when investigating mysteries, planning important actions, or seeking guidance about future consequences.
Resource Management: Uses a 4th-level spell slot - available from character level 7+. Ritual casting available (if class allows) saves slots.
Target Selection: Self-targeting allows personal communion with divine forces for specific questions.
Spell Combinations
Synergistic Spells:
- Information Magic: Combine with scrying or clairvoyance for comprehensive intelligence gathering
- Divine Magic: Layer with commune for different perspectives on divine guidance
- Detection Magic: Pair with detect magic or detect evil to verify divination insights
Class Feature Interactions:
- Divine Favor: Clerics gain enhanced connection to their deity for improved divination
- Ritual Casting: Classes with this feature can cast without expending precious spell slots
- Wisdom Enhancement: Higher Wisdom improves interpretation of divine messages
Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple diviners can seek different perspectives or verify important information.
Material Component Details
Component Acquisition: Incense and sacrificial offering appropriate to religion, typically worth 25 gp and consumed.
Component Handling: Sacred materials must reflect proper religious observance and divine connection.
Roleplay Opportunities: Different religious traditions require specific incense types, offerings, or ritual approaches.
Economic Considerations: Moderate cost for direct divine communication, reasonable for critical decision-making.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balancing: Direct divine guidance can significantly affect story direction and player decision-making.
NPC Usage: High-level clerics, oracles, or religious leaders might provide divination services or seek divine guidance.
Environmental Considerations: 10-minute ritual casting requires quiet, secure environment for divine communion.
Campaign Integration: Powerful information magic that can drive plot development and provide crucial story guidance.
Environmental Interactions
Terrain Effects: Self-targeting works anywhere suitable for divine ritual and contemplation.
Weather Influence: Generally unaffected by weather, though severe conditions might disrupt ritual concentration.
Structural Interactions: Works in most locations, though sacred spaces might enhance divine connection.
Elemental Interactions: Divine magic typically unaffected by elemental conditions unless they interfere with ritual requirements.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Timing Questions: Action casting time or ritual (10 minutes). Instantaneous divine communication.
Target Limitations: Self-targeting for personal divine communion. One specific question about future action consequences.
Duration Interactions: Instantaneous divine response. Information applies to actions within 7 days.
Mechanical Interactions: 25% chance of wrong information. GM provides truthful, brief answer about future consequences.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses: Strategic planning, moral guidance, investigating divine mysteries, or seeking religious direction.
Social Encounters: Divine validation for important decisions, religious consultations, or demonstrating divine favor.
Exploration Applications: Guidance about dangerous areas, divine insight into ancient mysteries, or religious site investigation.
Utility Functions: Decision support, religious consultation, divine investigation, or spiritual guidance.
Related Spells
Same School: Other divination spells like augury (2nd level simple guidance), commune (5th level yes/no questions), legend lore (5th level historical knowledge).
Similar Effects: augury (2nd level basic guidance), divination (4th level specific action), commune (5th level divine conversation).
Progression Options: augury (2nd level basic guidance), divination (4th level action consequences), commune (5th level direct questions).
Complementary Magic: detect thoughts (mortal perspective), scrying (visual information), legend lore (historical context).
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression: Remains valuable throughout campaigns for crucial decision-making and divine guidance.
Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 4th-level investment.
Campaign Phases: Most valuable when major decisions affect campaign direction or require divine perspective.
Comparative Value: Excellent information magic that provides unique divine perspective for important planning.
Narrative Flavor
Casting Description: Sacred incense fills the air as you enter communion with divine forces, seeking guidance about the consequences of your intended actions.
Effect Manifestation: Divine presence fills your consciousness as sacred knowledge flows directly from your deity's infinite wisdom.
Personal Style: Different deities provide guidance through unique manifestations - visions, voices, symbolic imagery, or direct emotional understanding.
World Integration: Represents direct divine communication available to faithful servants, often associated with major religious ceremonies, crucial decisions, or divine intervention moments.