Haste

← Back to Spell List

• Level: 3
• School: Transmutation
• Class: Sorcerer, Wizard
• Casting Time: Action
• Range: 30 feet
• Components: V, S, M (a shaving of licorice root)
• Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

Choose a willing creature that you can see within range. Until the spell ends, the target's Speed is doubled, it gains a +2 bonus to Armor Class, it has Advantage on Dexterity saving throws, and it gains an additional action on each of its turns. That action can be used to take only the Attack (one attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Utilize action.

When the spell ends, the target is Incapacitated and has a Speed of 0 until the end of its next turn, as a wave of lethargy washes over it.

Tactical Usage

Haste provides unparalleled action economy enhancement, effectively doubling a creature's combat effectiveness through additional actions, movement, and AC bonus. Use on primary damage dealers, particularly fighters, rogues, or other weapon-based combatants who benefit most from extra attacks. The additional action enables devastating attack routines.

The doubled movement speed allows exceptional battlefield mobility - repositioning, hit-and-run tactics, or reaching distant enemies become trivial. The +2 AC bonus provides meaningful survivability improvement that helps justify the concentration investment on offensive characters.

Resource management requires careful target selection and concentration protection. The lethargy drawback when the spell ends creates vulnerability, making timing crucial. Cast Haste when you can maintain concentration throughout key encounter phases, avoiding premature endings that leave allies incapacitated.

Spell Combinations

Haste synergizes powerfully with damage-boosting effects for multiplicative benefits. Combine with Bless, Bardic Inspiration, or class features that enhance attack effectiveness. Each extra attack gains these bonuses, dramatically increasing damage output.

Layer with defensive spells to protect the Hasted creature. Shield of Faith, Barkskin, or Blur stack with Haste's AC bonus for exceptional survivability. Freedom of Movement prevents movement restriction that might waste the doubled speed.

For tactical coordination, combine Haste with battlefield control effects. Web, Entangle, or Hold Person can isolate enemies for the Hasted ally to eliminate systematically. Misty Step on the caster allows repositioning while maintaining concentration.

Material Component Details

Haste requires only verbal, somatic, and material components consisting of a shaving of licorice root. This common herbal component makes the spell accessible and economical for repeated use. Licorice root can be easily obtained from herbalists, apothecaries, or grown in suitable climates.

The stimulating properties of licorice root provide thematic connection to the spell's energizing effects. Different licorice varieties might produce subtle variations in the spell's manifestation - wild licorice could create more erratic energy patterns, while cultivated varieties might provide smoother enhancement.

The component isn't consumed by the spell, making Haste economical for frequent casting. Store licorice root in dry conditions to prevent spoilage. Some casters prepare specialized containers with measured portions for quick component access during combat.

Creator Notes

Haste dramatically increases single character effectiveness, requiring careful encounter balance considerations. The spell essentially adds another party member's worth of actions, potentially trivializing encounters designed for the base party action economy.

When designing encounters with Haste in mind, increase enemy numbers or add environmental challenges that require multiple party members' attention. Single powerful enemies become vulnerable to Hasted focus fire, while multiple threats spread tactical attention more effectively.

The lethargy effect creates interesting tactical decisions. Players must weigh the benefit of extended Haste duration against the risk of losing concentration at inopportune moments. Design encounters with multiple phases to create meaningful concentration timing decisions.

Environmental Interactions

Haste functions consistently across environments but interacts meaningfully with terrain and obstacles. The doubled movement becomes most valuable in complex terrain where positioning matters - vertical battlefields, multi-level encounters, or areas with significant obstacles.

Certain environments might enhance Haste's benefits. Open battlefields maximize movement advantages, while confined spaces might limit mobility benefits but emphasize additional attacks. Urban environments with multiple levels of verticality showcase the spell's mobility improvements.

Weather conditions rarely affect Haste directly, but environmental hazards might threaten concentration more in challenging conditions. Ice, high winds, or other movement hazards become less threatening with doubled movement but more dangerous if they break concentration.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Additional Action Limitations: The extra action can only be used for Attack (one weapon attack only), Dash, Disengage, Hide, or Use Object actions. It cannot be used for spellcasting, full Attack actions, or other complex activities.

Lethargy Effects: When the spell ends, the target cannot move or take actions until after its next turn. This applies whether the spell ends naturally, through concentration loss, or dispelling.

AC and Movement Bonuses: The +2 AC bonus and doubled movement are constant benefits throughout the spell's duration, not limited to specific actions or turns.

Concentration Requirements: The caster must maintain concentration, not the target. Damage to the Hasted creature doesn't threaten the spell unless it also affects the caster.

Alternative Applications

Haste excels in time-sensitive scenarios beyond combat. Use it for emergency evacuations, where doubled movement allows rapid population relocation. The additional action enables simultaneous rescue activities - carrying people while opening doors or clearing obstacles.

For exploration applications, Hasted characters can scout ahead more effectively, cover more ground during searches, or complete time-sensitive tasks like disarming traps or picking locks under pressure. The movement bonus proves invaluable for traversing dangerous terrain quickly.

Social encounters might benefit from Haste during competitions, performances, or demonstrations where physical capability matters. Doubled movement and additional actions can create impressive displays of prowess or enable complex multi-tasking.

Related Spells

Enhancement Magic: Blur provides defensive bonuses without offensive enhancement. Bless offers attack and save bonuses. Heroism provides temporary hit points and fear immunity.

Movement Enhancement: Expeditious Retreat provides movement bonuses without additional actions. Freedom of Movement prevents movement restriction. Fly offers three-dimensional movement options.

Action Economy: Time Stop provides ultimate action advantage. Slow creates opposite effects on enemies. Action Surge provides similar but more limited additional actions.

Scaling Analysis

As a 3rd-level spell, Haste provides exceptional value that remains relevant throughout all campaign levels. The spell's effectiveness scales directly with the target's combat capabilities - higher-level characters with better attacks and more abilities benefit more from additional actions.

The spell's utility increases with encounter complexity and duration. Simple encounters might not showcase Haste's full potential, while extended battles allow the cumulative benefits to demonstrate exceptional value.

Resource efficiency improves with reliable concentration protection and tactical planning. Early casting in anticipated encounters maximizes benefit duration, while reactive casting might provide limited benefit due to timing constraints.

Narrative Flavor

Haste manifestation should emphasize supernatural speed and energy enhancement. Describe the target moving with blurred quickness, reactions becoming lightning-fast, and actions flowing with supernatural grace. The effect should feel like time moving differently for the affected creature.

The enhanced speed should be visually dramatic - attacks delivered faster than eyes can follow, movement leaving brief afterimages, or reflexes that seem to anticipate danger. The magical enhancement should feel both powerful and slightly unnatural.

Different casting traditions might produce varying Haste effects. Arcane versions could show geometric energy patterns around the target, divine casting might manifest as blessed swiftness, and nature magic could appear as animal-like grace and speed.