Bard Level 3 Spells

Table of contents

• Bard Level 3 Spells
  • Bestow Curse
  • Catnap
    • At Higher Levels
  • Clairvoyance
  • Dispel Magic
    • At Higher Levels
  • Enemies Abound
  • Fear
  • Feign Death
  • Glyph of Warding
    • Explosive Runes
    • Spell Glyph
  • Hypnotic Pattern
  • Intellect Fortress
    • At Higher Levels
  • Leomund’s Tiny Hut
  • Major Image
    • At Higher Levels
  • Mass Healing Word
    • At Higher Levels
  • Nondetection
  • Plant Growth
  • Sending
  • Slow
  • Speak with Dead
  • Speak with Plants
  • Stinking Cloud
  • Tongues

Bestow Curse

School	Necromancy
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components	V, S
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Touch

You touch a creature, and that creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become cursed for the duration of the spell. When you cast this spell, choose the nature of the curse from the following options:

Catnap

School	Enchantment
Classes	Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	10 minutes
Components	S, M (a pinch of sand)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	30 feet

You make a calming gesture, and up to three willing creatures of your choice that you can see within range fall unconscious for the spell’s duration. The spell ends on a target early if it takes damage or someone uses an action to shake or slap it awake. If a target remains unconscious for the full duration, that target gains the benefit of a short rest, and it can’t be affected by this spell again until it finishes a long rest.

At Higher Levels

When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can target one additional willing creature for each slot level above 3rd.

Clairvoyance

School	Divination
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Components	V, S, M (a focus worth at least 100 gp, either a jeweled horn for hearing or a glass eye for seeing
Cast Time	10 Minutes
Range	1 mile

You create an invisible sensor within range in a location familiar to you (a place you have visited or seen before) or in an obvious location that is unfamiliar to you (such as behind a door, around a corner, or in a grove of trees). The sensor remains in place for the duration, and it can’t be attacked or otherwise interacted with.

When you cast the spell, you choose seeing or hearing. You can use the chosen sense through the sensor as if you were in its space. As your action, you can switch between seeing and hearing. A creature that can see the sensor (such as a creature benefitting from see invisibility or truesight) sees a luminous, intangible orb about the size of your fist.

Dispel Magic

School	Abjuration
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Instantaneous
Components	V, S
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	120 feet

Choose any creature, object, or magical effect within range. Any spell of 3rd level or lower on the target ends. For each spell of 4th level or higher on the target, make an ability check using your spellcasting ability. The DC equals 10 + the spell’s level. On a successful check, the spell ends.

At Higher Levels

When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you automatically end the effects of a spell on the target if the spell’s level is equal to or less than the level of the spell slot you used.

Enemies Abound

School
Classes	Bard, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components	V, S
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	120 feet

You reach into the mind of one creature you can see and force it to make an Intelligence saving throw. A creature automatically succeeds if it is immune to being frightened. On a failed save, the target loses the ability to distinguish friend from foe, regarding all creatures it can see as enemies until the spell ends. Each time the target takes damage, it can repeat the saving throw, ending the effect on itself on a success. Whenever the affected creature chooses another creature as a target, it must choose the target at random from among the creatures it can see within range of the attack, spell, or other ability it’s using. If an enemy provokes an opportunity attack from the affected creature, the creature must make that attack if it is able to.

Fear

School	Illusion
Classes	Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components	V, S, M (a white feather or the heart of a hen)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Self (30-foot cone)

You project a phantasmal image of a creature’s worst fears. Each creature in a 30-foot cone must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and become frightened for the duration.

While frightened by this spell, a creature must take the Dash action and move away from you by the safest available route on each of its turns, unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a location where it doesn’t have line of sight to you, the creature can make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the spell ends for that creature.

Feign Death

School	Necromancy
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Druid, Wizard
Ritual?	Yes
Duration	1 hour
Components	V, S, M (a pinch of graveyard dirt)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Touch

You touch a willing creature and put it into a cataleptic state that is indistinguishable from death.

For the spell’s duration, or until you use an action to touch the target and dismiss the spell, the target appears dead to all outward inspection and to spells used to determine the target’s status. The target is blinded and incapacitated, and its speed drops to 0.

The target has resistance to all damage except psychic damage. If the target is diseased or poisoned when you cast the spell, or becomes diseased or poisoned while under the spell’s effect, the disease and poison have no effect until the spell ends.

Glyph of Warding

School	Abjuration
Classes	Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Until dispelled or triggered
Components	V, S, M (incense and powdered diamond worth at least 200 gp, which the spell consumes)
Cast Time	1 Hour
Range	Touch

When you cast this spell, you inscribe a glyph that harms other creatures, either upon a surface (such as a table or a section of floor or wall) or within an object that can be closed (such as a book, a scroll, or a treasure chest) to conceal the glyph.

If you choose a surface, the glyph can cover an area of the surface no larger than 10 feet in diameter. If you choose an object, that object must remain in its place; if the object is moved more than 10 feet from where you cast this spell, the glyph is broken, and the spell ends without being triggered.

The glyph is nearly invisible and requires a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be found.

You decide what triggers the glyph when you cast the spell. For glyphs inscribed on a surface, the most typical triggers include touching or standing on the glyph, removing another object covering the glyph, approaching within a certain distance of the glyph, or manipulating the object on which the glyph is inscribed. For glyphs inscribed within an object, the most common triggers include opening that object, approaching within a certain distance of the object, or seeing or reading the glyph. Once a glyph is triggered, this spell ends.

You can further refine the trigger so the spell activates only under certain circumstances or according to physical characteristics (such as height or weight), creature kind (for example, the ward could be set to affect aberrations or drow), or alignment. You can also set conditions for creatures that don’t trigger the glyph, such as those who say a certain password.

When you inscribe the glyph, choose explosive runes or a spell glyph.

Explosive Runes

When triggered, the glyph erupts with magical energy in a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on the glyph. The sphere spreads around corners. Each creature in the area must make a Dexterity saving throw. A creature takes 5d8 acid, cold, fire, lightning, or thunder damage on a failed saving throw (your choice when you create the glyph), or half as much damage on a successful one.

Spell Glyph

You can store a prepared spell of 3rd level or lower in the glyph by casting it as part of creating the glyph. The spell must target a single creature or an area. The spell being stored has no immediate effect when cast in this way. When the glyph is triggered, the stored spell is cast. If the spell has a target, it targets the creature that triggered the glyph. If the spell affects an area, the area is centered on that creature. If the spell summons hostile creatures or creates harmful objects or traps, they appear as close as possible to the intruder and attack it. If the spell requires concentration, it lasts until the end of its full duration.

Hypnotic Pattern

School	Illusion
Classes	Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components	S, M (a glowing stick of incense or a crystal vial filled with phosphorescent material)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	120 feet

You create a twisting pattern of colors that weaves through the air inside a 30-foot cube within range.

The pattern appears for a moment and vanishes. Each creature in the area who sees the pattern must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the creature becomes charmed for the duration. While charmed by this spell, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.

The spell ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake the creature out of its stupor.

Intellect Fortress

School	Abjuration
Classes	Artificer, Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 hour
Components	V
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	30 feet

For the duration, you or one willing creature you can see within range has resistance to psychic damage, as well as advantage on Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma saving throws.

At Higher Levels

When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 3rd. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.

Leomund’s Tiny Hut

School	Evocation
Classes	Bard, Wizard
Ritual?	Yes
Duration	8 hours
Components	V, S, M (a small crystal bead)
Cast Time	1 Minute
Range	Self (10-foot-radius hemisphere)

A 10-foot-radius immobile dome of force springs into existence around and above you and remains stationary for the duration. The spell ends if you leave its area.

Nine creatures of Medium size or smaller can fit inside the dome with you. The spell fails if its area includes a larger creature or more than nine creatures. Creatures and objects within the dome when you cast this spell can move through it freely. All other creatures and objects are barred from passing through it. Spells and other magical effects can’t extend through the dome or be cast through it. The atmosphere inside the space is comfortable and dry, regardless of the weather outside.

Until the spell ends, you can command the interior to become dimly lit or dark. The dome is opaque from the outside, of any color you choose, but it is transparent from the inside.

Major Image

School	Illusion
Classes	Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Components	V, S, M (a bit of fleece)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	120 feet

You create the image of an object, a creature, or some other visible phenomenon that is no larger than a 20-foot cube.

The image appears at a spot that you can see within range and lasts for the duration. It seems completely real, including sounds, smells, and temperature appropriate to the thing depicted. You can’t create sufficient heat or cold to cause damage, a sound loud enough to deal thunder damage or deafen a creature, or a smell that might sicken a creature (like a troglodyte’s stench).

As long as you are within range of the illusion, you can use your action to cause the image to move to any other spot within range. As the image changes location, you can alter its appearance so that its movements appear natural for the image. For example, if you create an image of a creature and move it, you can alter the image so that it appears to be walking. Similarly, you can cause the illusion to make different sounds at different times, even making it carry on a conversation, for example.

Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it. A creature that uses its action to examine the image can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the creature can see through the image, and its other sensory qualities become faint to the creature.

At Higher Levels

When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 6th level or higher, the spell lasts until dispelled, without requiring your concentration.

Mass Healing Word

School	Evocation
Classes	Bard, Cleric
Ritual?	No
Duration	Instantaneous
Components	V
Cast Time	1 Bonus Action
Range	60 feet

As you call out words of restoration, up to six creatures of your choice that you can see within range regain hit points equal to 1d4 + your spellcasting ability modifier. This spell has no effect on undead or constructs.

At Higher Levels

When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, the healing increases by 1d4 for each slot level above 3rd.

Nondetection

School	Abjuration
Classes	Bard, Ranger, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	8 hours
Components	V, S, M (a pinch of diamond dust worth 25 gp sprinkled over the target, which the spell consumes)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Touch

For the duration, you hide a target that you touch from divination magic.

The target can be a willing creature or a place or an object no larger than 10 feet in any dimension. The target can’t be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.

Plant Growth

School	Transmutation
Classes	Bard, Druid, Ranger
Ritual?	No
Duration	Instantaneous
Components	V, S
Cast Time	Special
Range	150 feet

This spell channels vitality into plants within a specific area. There are two possible uses for the spell, granting either immediate or long-term benefits.

If you cast this spell using 1 action, choose a point within range. All normal plants in a 100-foot radius centered on that point become thick and overgrown. A creature moving through the area must spend 4 feet of movement for every 1 foot it moves.

You can exclude one or more areas of any size within the spell’s area from being affected.

If you cast this spell over 8 hours, you enrich the land. All plants in a half-mile radius centered on a point within range become enriched for 1 year. The plants yield twice the normal amount of food when harvested.

Sending

School	Evocation
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	1 round
Components	V, S, M (a short piece of fine copper wire)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Unlimited

You send a short message of twenty-five words or less to a creature with you are familiar. The creature hears the message in its mind, regonizes you as the sender if it knows you, and can answer in a like manner immediately. The spell enables creatures with Intelligence scores of at least 1 to understand the meaning of your message.

You can send the message across any distance and even to other planes of existence, but if the target is on a different plane than you, there is a 5 percent chance that the message doesn’t arrive.

Slow

School	Transmutation
Classes	Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components	V, S, M (a drop of molasses)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	120 feet

You alter time around up to six creatures of your choice in a 40-foot cube within range. Each target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be affected by this spell for the duration.

An affected target’s speed is halved, it takes a -2 penalty to AC and Dexterity saving throws, and it can’t use reactions. On its turn, it can use either an action or a bonus action, not both. Regardless of the creature’s abilities or magic items, it can’t make more than one melee or ranged attack during its turn.

If the creature attempts to cast a spell with a casting time of 1 action, roll a d20. On an 11 or higher, the spell doesn’t take effect until the creature’s next turn, and the creature must use its action on that turn to complete the spell. If it can’t, the spell is wasted.

A creature affected by this spell makes another Wisdom saving throw at the end of its turn. On a successful save, the effect ends for it.

Speak with Dead

School	Necromancy
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	10 minutes
Components	V, S, M (burning incense)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	10 feet

You grant the semblance of life and intelligence to a corpse of your choice within range, allowing it to answer the questions you pose. The corpse must still have a mouth and can’t be undead. The spell fails if the corpse was the target of this spell within the last 10 days.

Until the spell ends, you can ask the corpse up to five questions. The corpse knows only what it knew in life, including the languages it knew. Answers are usually brief, cryptic, or repetitive, and the corpse is under no compulsion to offer a truthful answer if you are hostile to it or it recognizes you as an enemy. This spell doesn’t return the creature’s soul to its body, only its animating spirit. Thus, the corpse can’t learn new information, doesn’t comprehend anything that has happened since it died, and can’t speculate about future events.

Speak with Plants

School	Transmutation
Classes	Bard, Druid, Ranger
Ritual?	No
Duration	10 minutes
Components	V, S
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Self (30-foot radius)

You imbue plants within 30 feet of you with limited sentience and animation, giving them the ability to communicate with you and follow your simple commands. You can question plants about events in the spell’s area within the past day, gaining information about creatures that have passed, weather, and other circumstances.

You can also turn difficult terrain caused by plant growth (such as thickets and undergrowth) into ordinary terrain that lasts for the duration. Or you can turn ordinary terrain where plants are present into difficult terrain that lasts for the duration, causing vines and branches to hinder pursuers, for example.

Plants might be able to perform other tasks on your behalf, at the DM’s discretion. The spell doesn’t enable plants to uproot themselves and move about, but they can freely move branches, tendrils, and stalks.

If a plant creature is in the area, you can communicate with it as if you shared a common language, but you gain no magical ability to influence it.

This spell can cause the plants created by the entangle spell to release a restrained creature.

Stinking Cloud

School	Conjuration
Classes	Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	Concentration, up to 1 minute
Components	V, S, M (a rotten egg or several skunk cabbage leaves)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	90 feet

You create a 20-foot-radius sphere of yellow, nauseating gas centered on a point within range. The cloud spreads around corners, and its area is heavily obscured. The cloud lingers in the air for the duration.

Each creature that is completely within the cloud at the start of its turn must make a Constitution saving throw against poison. On a failed save, the creature spends its action that turn retching and reeling. Creatures that don’t need to breathe or are immune to poison automatically succeed on this saving throw.

A moderate wind (at least 10 miles per hour) disperses the cloud after 4 rounds. A strong wind (at least 20 miles per hour) disperses it after 1 round.

Tongues

School	Divination
Classes	Bard, Cleric, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
Ritual?	No
Duration	1 hour
Components	V, M (a small clay model of a ziggurat)
Cast Time	1 Action
Range	Touch

This spell grants the creature you touch the ability to understand any spoken language it hears. Moreover, when the target speaks, any creature that knows at least one language and can hear the target understands what it says.