Enthrall
- Level: 2
- School: Enchantment
- Class: Bard, Warlock
- Casting Time: Action
- Range: 60 feet
- Components: V, S
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You weave a distracting string of words, causing creatures of your choice that you can see within range to make a Wisdom saving throw. Any creature you or your companions are fighting automatically succeeds on this save. On a failed save, a target has a -10 penalty to Wisdom (Perception) checks and Passive Perception until the spell ends.
Tactical Usage
Social Control: Enthrall provides mass attention control and social manipulation. This 2nd-level enchantment spell excels at crowd control and group influence during social encounters.
Optimal Timing: Deploy during speeches, when controlling crowds, for social manipulation, or when group attention management is crucial.
Resource Management: Uses a 2nd-level spell slot - available from character level 3+. 1-minute concentration provides substantial social control duration.
Target Selection: All creatures within 60 feet that can see and hear you. Wisdom save to resist.
Spell Combinations
Synergistic Spells:
- Social Magic: Combine with suggestion or command for enhanced crowd control
- Illusion Magic: Layer with minor illusion for enhanced presentation effects
- Enchantment Magic: Pair with charm spells for comprehensive social manipulation
Class Feature Interactions:
- Performance Skills: Enhanced social abilities improve enthrall effectiveness
- Persuasion Mastery: High Charisma improves spell save DC and social impact
- Bardic Features: Bard abilities complement crowd control and social influence
Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple enchanters can coordinate for complex social manipulation scenarios.
Material Component Details
Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.
Component Handling: Social presentation and magical gestures representing attention control.
Roleplay Opportunities: Different performance styles reflect bardic traditions, cultural backgrounds, or personal charisma.
Economic Considerations: No costs make this economically viable for regular social manipulation.
Creator Notes
Encounter Balancing: Mass social control affects crowd encounters and social dynamics significantly.
NPC Usage: Bards, politicians, or charismatic leaders might use enthrall for crowd control or social influence.
Environmental Considerations: 60-foot radius affects large social gatherings. Requires sight and hearing.
Campaign Integration: Excellent social magic for campaigns emphasizing political intrigue or crowd dynamics.
Environmental Interactions
Terrain Effects: 60-foot radius covers large social areas. Line of sight and hearing required.
Weather Influence: Outdoor conditions might affect visibility and hearing requirements.
Structural Interactions: Indoor venues provide controlled environments for optimal social manipulation.
Elemental Interactions: Social magic unaffected by elemental conditions unless they interfere with communication.
Common Rulings & Clarifications
Timing Questions: Action casting time with 1-minute concentration. Affects willing and unwilling creatures.
Target Limitations: All creatures within 60 feet that can see and hear you. Wisdom save to resist.
Duration Interactions: Concentration required. Hostile action toward enthralled creatures breaks effect.
Mechanical Interactions: Enthralled creatures have disadvantage on Wisdom (Perception) checks to notice other creatures.
Alternative Applications
Non-Combat Uses: Public speaking, crowd control, entertainment performances, or mass social influence.
Social Encounters: Political speeches, crowd manipulation, theatrical performances, or group negotiations.
Exploration Applications: Distracting groups while party acts, creating social cover, or managing hostile crowds.
Utility Functions: Crowd control, social manipulation, public speaking assistance, or attention management.
Related Spells
Same School: Other enchantment spells like charm person (1st level individual charm), suggestion (2nd level behavioral influence), mass suggestion (6th level group influence).
Similar Effects: charm person (1st level individual), suggestion (2nd level single command), mass suggestion (6th level group commands).
Progression Options: charm person (1st level basic charm), enthrall (2nd level crowd control), mass suggestion (6th level group commands).
Complementary Magic: suggestion (behavioral control), minor illusion (presentation enhancement), prestidigitation (performance effects).
Scaling Analysis
Level Progression: Remains valuable throughout campaigns for social encounters and crowd control situations.
Upcast Benefits: No improvement from higher spell slots, making this a pure 2nd-level social investment.
Campaign Phases: Most effective in socially-focused campaigns where crowd dynamics are important.
Comparative Value: Excellent social magic that provides unique crowd control capabilities for political and social scenarios.
Narrative Flavor
Casting Description: Your words and presence become magnetically compelling as magical charisma draws all attention to your performance.
Effect Manifestation: All nearby creatures become captivated by your presence, unable to focus on anything else while you maintain their attention.
Personal Style: Bards use musical or oratory performance, while other casters manifest compelling presence through magical charisma.
World Integration: Represents social enchantment magic available to charismatic casters, often associated with performance arts, political manipulation, or entertainment traditions.