In Dungeons and Dragons, spellcasting is a crucial skill that involves using an item to cast a spell. Using a staff or wand to cast a spell from the item does not count against being able to cast multiple spells in a round. However, there are ways to cast multiple spells per round, such as reaction spells, bonus action spells, and AOE spells.
To counter a spell, players can use an action to expend one or more of its charges while holding it. The DM allowed this fringe case to not count against the multiple spells per round limitation rule, allowing players to misty step and misty step.
Magic items can be detected by detect magic, and the most effective way to deal with spellcasters is to use a spell that creates an area filled with antimagic. Casting a spell counts against your daily limit for spells you cast of that spell level (your “spell slots”), but you can cast the same spell again if you haven’t reached your limit.
When using a magic item to cast a spell, it counts as you cast it. An object used to cast a spell is typically called a talisman, which usually has power imbued in them. A spellcaster can cast one spell of spell level 1-9 per turn, regardless of what type of action is used to cast it.
However, there are plenty of magical items that allow you to cast spells without spending a spell slot, but they are still subject to this rule.
A spell can only be cast once during the same turn, except for a cantrip with a casting time of 1 action. If the spell has a stipulation like catapult, it is considered magic damage.
In summary, spellcasting is a crucial skill in Dungeons and Dragons, and using an item to cast a spell can counter it.
📹 Treantmonk’s Guide to Wizards: Equipment and Magic Items
Welcome to part 5 of my guide to Wizards, equipment and magic items. Join me next week for a strategy guide for low level …
Can I cast a spell and a cantrip in the same round?
In this game, the action economy is based on a system of four basic actions: one action, one bonus action, one reaction, and one move per turn. However, a cantrip, which is a spell that can be cast with a single action, is an exception to this rule.
What counts as spell?
A spell is a card that has been cast and placed on the stack, or a copy of another spell. It is only a spell when on the stack, and in most other zones, it is simply a card or a permanent when on the battlefield. All card types, except lands, are types of spells, and even permanent cards are typically cast as spells before becoming permanents. Spells exist as game objects, and their rules determine interactions and effects between the casting of the spell and its taking effect. A copy of a spell is also a spell, even if it doesn’t have a card associated with it.
Does copying a spell count as casting it again?
The number 706 is referenced. Ten states stipulate that the replication of a spell, activated ability, or triggered ability necessitates the placement of a duplicate on the stack, thereby precluding the casting of the original spell or the activation of the activated ability.
Can a spell counter itself?
It is not possible to direct a counterspell at its own source; however, a counterspell may be directed at the redirect in order to counter it indirectly. When the spell “Redirect” is cast, it is not possible to modify a spell that is targeting another spell on the stack so that it targets itself. Nevertheless, modifying the spell’s target to Redirect will negate the spell upon its attempted resolution, as Redirect has been removed from the stack.
Do items with spells use spell slots?
Magic items allow users to cast spells at the lowest possible level, without expending any spell slots or components. These items are often obtained from conquered monsters’ hoards or found in long-lost vaults, providing unique capabilities or complementing the owner’s abilities. Attunement is a prerequisite for certain items, requiring a creature to form a bond with them before their magical properties can be used. If the prerequisite is a class, a creature must be a member of that class to attune to the item.
If the prerequisite is a spellcaster, a creature must be able to cast at least one spell using its traits or features. Without becoming attuned to an item that requires attunement, a creature gains only its nonmagical benefits, unless its description states otherwise. For example, a magic shield that requires attunement provides the benefits of a normal shield to a creature not attuned to it, but none of its magical properties.
Can you cast two spells in one round?
The casting of a bonus action spell, irrespective of its level, precludes the player from casting another spell on their turn, with the exception of a cantrip. This signifies that neither action nor reaction spells can be cast during a player’s turn, and that only one reaction can be obtained within a round.
Do circle spells count against spells known?
Gaining access to a circle spell does not count against daily preparations. If a spell is not on the druid spell list, it is still a druid spell for you. Land’s Stride allows you to move through nonmagical terrain without extra movement costs starting at 6th level. You can also pass through nonmagical plants without being slowed or taking damage. Additionally, you have an advantage on saving throws against magically created or manipulated plants.
Can you counter a spell cast from an item?
Counterspelling a magical item, status, or object does not interrupt the process of casting a spell, as it would require dispelling magic to nullify its effects. However, counterspelling innate spellcasting is possible, as it targets a creature casting a spell, affecting its immunity. The distinction between targeting the spell and the caster is often noted, as the spell notes seeing a creature casting the spell.
What doesn t count as a spell in mtg?
In MTG, spells are any type of card cast by a player, usually from their hand, but can also be cast from other areas of the battlefield, such as the library or graveyard. Land cards are the only type not considered a spell. During a game, players will take actions such as tapping and untapping their cards, casting spells, and attacking/blocking with creatures in combat. Tapping and untapping a card is done when using a land to make mana, attacking with a creature, or activating an ability with a symbol as part of its cost.
To cast a spell, players must pay its mana cost by tapping lands or other permanents to make the amount and type of mana required. For example, to cast Serra Angel, players could tap three basic lands of any type plus two Plains to pay.
Do magical secrets count against spells known?
Magical Secrets can be learned as a Bard spell and contribute to one’s list of known spells. However, the College of Lore Bards, a DnD Bard subclass, receive the Additional Magical Secrets feature at level six, allowing them to access other spell lists early and learn eight spells instead of six. As a Lore Bard, they have first access to everyone else’s spells, with the top picks from the available selection.
Does using an item count as casting a spell?
Casting a spell with bonus action is not a spell with the item, but using an item for a full spell. If you cast a BA spell on your turn, you can cast a spell during your Action if it comes from the Use a Magic Item Action rather than the Cast a Spell Action. Similar to Action Surge, you can cast two spells as long as you don’t use a Bonus Action spell, otherwise, they require a cantrip for each.
📹 Battle Spell Stacking for Wizards
Longer video on spell stacking in 5e dnd. https://youtu.be/K53FaYCv02s.
Thank you so much for all your guides. I’m pretty new to play D&D but I’ve always wanted to. I know wizard was a difficult class to get into but I really wanted to give one a go. Thanks to you, my second ever character was a wizard. I’m currently having a blast playing him and your guides are REALLY helpful. You honestly deserve way more subscribers. You make everything so easy to understand and makes the daunting class of wizard so easy to get into.
Remember the Gloves of Plot Device. It makes your player invincible, able to automatically pass all saving rolls, gives double advantage on initiative, unlimited Luckys, makes every hit a crit, spells that require concentration instead are automatically sustained for the duration of the spell, and increases you level 9 spell slots by 15. Of course, we only give this to our 5 year old kids and we don’t tell them. “What do you want to do next?” “I’m going to cast fly AND gravity so I can crush them!” “Oh, they are squished and can’t get out. It looks safe now. Are you going inside the room?” “I can’t, I’m scared.” “What do you need to do so you aren’t scared?” “The monster needs to be gone.” “You teleport the monster far, far away.” “I’m gonna go inside!”
Worth note: In Eberron you can use a Shard as an Arcane Focus (or build it into your focus if you go for a cool looking staff) AND it also will replace material components worth the same value if they are not consumed, and in some cases some that are consumed. As an example, Identify requires a 100 GP pearl, not consumed. A shard worth 100 GP will work in its place. This may change, or be expanded, in Shadows of the Last War in November.
Scroll scribing is a thing in 5e since mordenkainen. So you can scribe one of those circunstancial spells in the spellbook then remake a new scroll. As well starting a collection for emergency, probably in an handy havresack. I’ll also advise to buy a second empty spellbook and use it to make a copy of our spellbook to be safe
More magic item analysis please. If you’re looking for article topics, this is definitely one with revisiting! Would love to see some analysis of bad magic item choices. Would also be great to see a breakdown for other classes. Of course a systematic analysis like you did with spells would be terrific too. And how about a build guide for if you get to start a game or campaign with one or more magic items. All your builds assume no magic items, but of course that’s rarely how games play out. I am hungry for more of this type of analysis from you.
I think you have misread the part about material components that are consumed. It just states that for components that are consumed, you need new one for each casting of the spell, which is addendum to the previous sentence about costly material components, you can still use arcane focus instead of components for those as long as it has no gold cost. Not that it really makes a huge difference since only spells that actually have non-costly material components that are consumed (not all wizard spells) are Druid Grove, Globe of Invulnerability, Protection from Evil and Good, Snare
Playing through a Dungeon of the Mad Mage camapign right now. With the explicit magic item buying builds and the boon of gold from doing Waterdeep: Dragon Heist before that + Undermountain items sold or found, I’ve been able to grab a set of items that has made me make a pretty effective control mage that’s surprisingly tanky. I’m running a Svirfneblin Abjurer with a Dex of 16, so by adding a Ring of Protection, Cloak of Protection & Bracers of unarmored defense. That’s 20 AC with Mage Armor (basically always) A ton of disposable ward HP (I’ve hitting 1k damage prevented at level 12) equal to a d10 hit dice effectively means I dodge a ton of concentration saves. And I’ve found that just putting on AC and a bit of save bonus gives me the small edge in most situations to keep crucial lockdown spells concentrated. Loving 5e wizard.
Using high magic character creation rules, I made Doom armour. +2 armour, boots of flying, helm of comprehend languages, ring of spell storing and cloak of protection. And because I’m an 18th level wizard my free 1st and 2nd levels are shield and scorching ray. My AC is 26! (27 if I don’t want helm of language and I swap for ring of protection.)
Bag of Tricks is really a fun item! Had a couple of interesting NPCs come out of it in a one shot I ran. Nice to know TM’s assessment of these items is in line with mine! When I build characters to level 20 (almost always, even though I haven’t reached it in a game yet) I like to self-indulgently imagine what magic items they’ve picked up. A lot of these are frequently on those lists, especially the robe of the archmage.
One item that I think is very often overlooked and very underrated, even for a Wizard, is the clockwork amulet. It’s a common magic item, doesn’t require attunement, and it allows you to take 10 on one attack roll, once per day. Now, if you know what you’re doing, you will basically always hit on a 10, and if you’re wielding weapons, or even just firing off a Fire Bolt, having a guaranteed hit in your pocket can be very handy, especially with such a low opportunity cost.
Awesome article. Some details that was missing: Stone of Good Luck also gives a bonus to counterspell and dispel magic. Weapon of Warning doesn’t need attunement. Ring of Spell Turning advantage on saves against spell only work against spells that target only you, different from Mantle of Spell Resistance or Scarab of protection
In the right campain you can have access to Shield Guards. They are the best friends a Wizard can have. They double as a meat (iron) shield for you and spell storing ring-like. Plus if you hug him enough, you always have that sweet +2 bonus to AC. It regenerates by itself but knowing how to or knowing who may be able to fix it would be nice.
If you have the spell section of the Player’s Handbook memorized and you wanna vastly increase your flexibility, beg your DM for the glorious Mizzium Apparatus! The weakness of wizards is you need to go out and learn all of the obscenely powerful wizard spells? Just replicate any spell’s effects at the low, low price of an occasional technomagical explosion!
If your playing/manage to convince your DM to let you play a Warforged, I’d recommend getting the scholars pack over the explorers kit as the only thing useful to you in the explorer’s kit is the 50 ft. of rope. With the scholars pack you can choose what your ‘book of lore’ is about, and most RP DMs love when you do this and will often let you have advantages on history/religion checks if that book is related in any way.
There are multiple problems with the statements in this article. 1. The suggestion that component pouches have a limitless supply of no-cost consumed components. A few minutes of research quickly dispels this notion. 2. Missing the fact that Arcane Focus staffs automatically serve as quarterstaves according to RAW. 3. The Horn of Valhalla section is missing very important information. The only version of the Horn that Wizards can safely use is the Silver. Anything higher requires various combinations of proficiencies, else the summoned warriors turn hostile. Additionally, Wizards gain no special benefits from using the horn (even if they can do so safely) compared to any other class. 4. Suggesting that Wizards gain more benefit from Cloak of Displacement because they get attacked less. This is quite literally the opposite of the correct thought process. The person who benefits most from the Cloak of Displacement is the person who is on the front-lines, who gets frequently attacked, and who has a high AC already. Give the cloak to your front-line Fighter, Paladin, or even Cleric, if your goal is to maximize it’s benefit.
Talking about the bag of holding here is my group’s priority: 1) Give it to the sneaky guys like rogues or rangers or shadow monk: they might need an item to do whatever they need to do 2) give it to low STR characters and casters like wizards and sorcerers. They actually have time to use the bag since they usually are away from the thick of the fight. 3)Give it to the other characters 4)Give it to the druid: once merged in the wildshape it’s gone
Have you ever played a Wizard who had his spellbook stolen? You’d lose the ability to change your memorized spells, and your ritual spells – it would be a hit and something you’d want to end, but not totally disabilitating. I think it would make an interesting, challenging session or two, but I wouldn’t want it as a regular threat/occurance.
Not sure if you’re still monitoring comments but with the new Tasha’s book adding more items I think it’s become more difficult to rank/prioritise items and really pick the standouts. The items that let you have more flexibility on re-preparing spells, and bonuses to save DCs of your spells are the ones that seem hard to weight up versus others. Are you planning on making a new article to sort of review the new Tasha’s items with reference to what is currently available? I.e. what is better – A +2 to AC from bracer’s of defence, or a +2 to save DC from Arcane Grimoire, an Atlas of Endless Horizons. The part I really struggle with is weighting up the four main choices of magic items that can use your attunement: mobility/defence, stronger save DCs, more spell preparations or allowing you to change them, and misc. utility.
Personally, I’m one who favors the Boots of Flying over Broom of Flying, especially at lower levels. Sure, it takes an attunement slot, has a time limit, and doesn’t give you as much speed, but the time limit is a reasonable one, you most likely won’t need more than the 30 feet you’re likely to get for speed in most battles, and most importantly, it doesn’t cause one of your hands to be preoccupied in order to utilize the flying speed. Now, the item description doesn’t explicitly say that the broom actually does require this, but essentially all iconography shows users of such magic items using one hand to stabilize themselves, and considering you are balancing on top of a relatively narrow, unstable object in order to use the broom, it would not be unreasonable for many DMs to interpret the item’s use in this way. That could very well be quite detrimental to a wizard, should they want to use spells that have both somatic and material components. Obviously, this will depend upon who your DM is, and thus what their policy is, but if I have the choice, I tend toward erring on the side of caution on this matter. The tangential benefit of the featherfall effect is nice, as well.
at 3.21 you say something wrong. you say that with “protection from good and evil” the pouch gives the material for the enchant, but that’s wrong…holy water has a cost, even if they didn’t write it on the component part of the enchant. as far as I know every single component that goes wasted in an enchant has a cost that the pouch can’t cover.
There are a bunch of rules that, I think, less people pay attention to, including: What’s in your hands. Verbal and somatic components. Darkvision doesn’t mean bright light infinitely in every direction. Carrying capacity. So I should probably watch your article on things in hands. Also, do you have any ideas for how to actually remember that those rules exist? Because everyone at my table tends to ignore them.
The Staff of Power is, IMO, one of the top three most powerful items in the game for its rarity. Consider that, before we even LOOK at the charged abilities of the staff, it gives you: 1. +2 attack and damage. 2. + 2 AC 3. +2 saves 4. +2 spell attack. If the staff only had these items, it would be insanely good. It’s effectively a +2 weapon, a Cloak of Protection, a Ring of Protection, and a +2 Wand of the War Mage, all rolled into one attunement slot. Another way to look at it: a Defender weapon gives you a total of +3 divided between attack and AC. It’s a Legendary item, and that’s all it does. The Staff of Power gives you a +4 divided between attack and AC, and that’s just a small fraction of its powers. We could quibble over whether being able to shift the bonus balances out that extra +1, but at the least, the Staff is the equal of a Defender weapon–and THEN you add in +2 saves, +2 spell attack, AND all of the charged abilities.
On the Bag of Tricks. During a semi-recent campaign, we had to deal with cultists of Tiamat in a ziggurat. Our rogue peeked into a room and saw it was full of cultists. As everyone else debated the plan, I turned to the ranger (he had the Grey Bag) and said to throw whatever comes out of the bag into the room then hold the door shut. Worst case: distraction. Best case: akin to throwing a frag grenade into a port-a-potty. So we do this tactical breach, he heaves the ball in only to hear hellish screams of terror and tearing noises. We open the door and see a Dire Wolf and puddles of blood. We felt damn brilliant, because the DM expected us to fight through rooms, not essentially “frag and clear” the room o’ cultists. Then again, he also didn’t expect me to use Summon Greater Demon near the Annis Hag boss.
Finally ended up getting a rare magic item from the list – a ring of spell storing. Obtained it fairly late in the campaign and gave it to my Simulacrum (having reached 13th level). Now the simulacrum that never regains spell slots has a bit more longevity with casting defensive spells on itself, as its half HP is a bit of a weakness in combat. Having those extra spells it can use that can be regained seems better than any other use case – I don’t think my DM would allow it to be used by my owl familiar.
My DM keeps wanting to nerf my attunement magic items. The Wizard hat he has enforced that I had to pick 1 specific cantrip and it can only be used for that specific cantrip. I just got a ring of spell storing at our last session and he was talking about maybe enforcing that all the slots of it have to be used for the same spell. He gave the example of 5 stored Shield spells or 5 magic missiles. Like, that is a drastic nerf.
5 players just took out animated rotting sunken ship we found in an area affected by a portal to the feywild at an archdruids tomb. we were lvl 6 now level 7. got 3100g, an irons of billaro, belt of dwarvenkind, wand of lightning bolts, wings of flying and staff of swarming insects. i kinda caused the thing to collapse on 3 party members knocking them unconscious at the end so i was only allowed to pick last. my divination god wizard got what he wanted luckily. the staff of swarming insects. this is looking like a lot of fun
Staff of Swarming Insects even says that nobody can see inside it but you, which means it does not obscure vision at all for the caster. It’s quite ridiculous but a large radius which sometimes is too big given the space the party is in. Important to note the caster can see out of it, which is “incredible”.
i personally find the spell storing ring + find familiar not very smart, strategically and socially. the more obvious spell effects get noticed immediately by the enemy and the can target your familiar. Also just imagine the joy of a barbarian or fighter who finally gets to cast some spells aswell. it can still be “your” item if you’re the one fueling it. Havin a misty step or thunderstep in there is potentially life saving if a frontliner gets surrounded and potentially blocking off the healer.
rise, old comment section, you still have life yet to live! what i do as a wizard is i use the animate undead to have undead mine for me, then i make a chest with raw materials, then cast arcane lock but exclude yourself from the lock, put a extra pouch for components, a focus, and a spellbook with your most vital spells, cast alarm on the chest. boom spellbook anxiety gone, although getting in may be a hassle with the undead, you should be able to fight them off with cantrips, as all they have is pickaxes.
I have finally gotten my hands on the staff of the magi this is do to the fact that my campaign is switching to the 5e 2024 rules and my DM is letting us update our characters or make new ones and he has said that we can swap magic items that have the same rarity as the magic items we have this staff will serve my new draconic sorcerer well lol
Personally I actually think the fighter, monk or rogue should get the ring of spell storing. They have nothing to concentrate on. Imagine the fighter with nothing to concentrate on gets the ranger to fill it with hunters marks. Your basically turning a non caster into a half caster for the cost of an attunement slot.
I haven’t spoken to the DM yet but I feel most would have problems with a familiar wearing a ring of spell storing. I have an opportunity soon to buy one for 12k gold and/or an amulet of health for slightly less 8k . If the DM says no for a familiar using the ring does it still make sense to pick that up first or does the pick become a lot less good because of concentration and I should just skip it and get the amulet of health and move on?
So, a thing about spell scrolls: It’s a very good idea to keep 1 of each of your spells in scroll form. This way you can persuade other wizards to trade scrolls with you, since wizards are always hungry for more spells, are able to still be useful in emergencies if your resources are spent. Yes, it takes time and money, but for most spells it’s a useful resource and increases your utility. Ofc you won’t be able to carry every spell scroll on your person at all times, but still you can store most of them in the bag of holding or your home base, carrying only the most useful/important ones with you.
With all due respect, I’m going to have to disagree in regard to the Arcane Focus v Component Pouch. I understand the benefits of the Component Pouch, but I don’t want to have to spend all of my downtime hunting for the correct components to put into the pouch. At least with the Arcane Focus, I can perform some spells without going on a scavenger hunt. And I really wish they were clearer on using arcane focus staves as melee weapons.
On the Staff of Swarming Insects: the cloud of insects is super nice because yes, it’s heavy obscurement, but the person who used the staff to make the cloud can see through it! A downside (for the rest of the party) is that the cloud stays for 10 minutes with no way to turn it off, unless you stuff the staff in a bag of holding or portable hole or something.