How D&D Spellcasting Works

Magic is a staple in almost any fantasy tabletop roleplaying game. That remains true for spellcasters in Dungeons & Dragons 5^th Edition.

But, spellcasting in D&D can seem like an overly complex system to new players and Game Masters.

How do you cast a spell? What are Spell Slots? How do you determine your Spellcasting Ability? What are components? How does Concentration work?

This beginner’s guide to spellcasting in D&D 5e helps clear up any questions you may have so you can start slinging spells around with the best of them.

Table of Contents

Let’s start things off with what spellcasting even is and how to cast a spell in D&D 5e.

Spellcasting in D&D 5e

Spellcasting in D&D is the act of producing magical effects. This often takes the form of spells meant to cause harm to a creature. But, it also includes magic that heals, hinders, or improves the abilities of a target, among many other things.

That’s the simplest answer.

Now, there’s a lot that goes into casting a spell in 5e. This article gets into each aspect of spellcasting to make things a bit easier for you. But, the basics of how to cast a spell are pretty easy.

Types of D&D Spells

Spells in D&D 5e fall into one of two categories; Cantrips or Leveled Spells.

This distinction is very important for spellcasters to manage what they can do on any given turn. Leveled Spells require the use of Spell Slots which means you have a limited number of uses of them for any given day. On the other hand, Cantrips don’t use Spell Slots so you can cast as many as you want between rests.

Cantrips

Cantrips in D&D 5e are spells that don’t require a Spell Slot. Basically, a spellcaster knows these minor spells to such a degree that they don’t need to expend a Spell Slot to cast them. The drawback is they are often much weaker in their effects when compared to Leveled Spells.

Leveled Spells

Leveled Spells require the expenditure of a Spell Slot. These are more powerful spells that drain a caster’s available resources.

Now, usually you wouldn’t refer to Cantrips as "spells" since they don’t use a Spell Slot. You’d simply call them "Cantrips", but for this distinction, it might be a bit easier to think of them as 0-level spells.

Now, D&D 5e has its own classification for spells called Schools. These Schools help in grouping spells with similar effects so you can build out characters that specialize in a type of magic. Each school has its exceptions, but they generally group like spells together.

The Schools of magic in D&D 5e include:

• Abjuration: Defensive spells
• Conjuration: Summoning and teleportation spells
• Divination: Foresight and scrying spells
• Enchantment: Mind-altering spells
• Evocation: Damaging and healing spells
• Illusion: Magical illusion spells
• Necromancy: Spells that raise the dead and manipulate life force
• Transmutation: Spells that alter a creature’s or object’s form

Like I said, these are general rules. But, each school of magic has its exceptions…and some contradictions. So, don’t be surprised that hex is an Enchantment spell but hunter’s mark is divination.

Understanding the difference in spell types helps you know better what your character is capable of in any given scenario. So, having a general idea of Cantrips, Leveled Spells, and the Schools of magic makes you a better spellcaster.

Types of Spellcasters in 5e

Outside how the playable classes differ from each other, D&D spellcasters consist of different types of casters. Each type has a

D&D 5e’s spellcasters fall into essentially one of three types:

• Full Casters
• Half Casters
• 1/3 Casters

Now, the Warlock has it’s own type of magic called Pact Magic. This limits the number of total spell slots a Warlock gets which makes the class a bit different from other spellcasters. But, I’ll get to that a bit later.

That said, the three types of spellcasters in 5e differ from each other in the number of spells and Spell Slots they have (we’ll get to Spell Slots in a bit).

Full Caster

Full Casters in D&D 5e have the full amount of Spell Slots available to them. These classes include the Cleric, Druid, Sorcerer, and Wizard.

Half Caster

Half Casters get roughly half the number of Spell Slots at Full Casters. These classes include the Paladin and Ranger.

1/3 Caster

1/3 Casters, also known as Partial Casters, get roughly one-third of the Spell Slots as Full Casters. The only base class of this type is the Artificer, but the Eldritch Knight Fighter and Arcane Trickster Rogue subclasses were the first instances of this type of spellcaster.

It’s honestly as simple as that. The type of caster you play is determined by the number total Spell Slots they get.

Does this have a huge impact on play?

Honestly, not really. It’s more beneficial as a measurement to figure out what kind of character you want to play. If you want to play the classic spellcaster, throwing spells around with reckless abandon, you probably shouldn’t play a 1/3 or Half Caster.

As you’ve probably noticed, determining your caster type depends on which class you play. So, let’s go over the spellcasting classes in D&D 5e.

How Spell Slots Work in 5e

Spell Slots dictate how many spells a spellcaster can use at any given time. They have levels that correlate with the strength of a spell. So, a spellcaster has a certain number of leveled Spell Slots and gain more as they level up.

So, how do Spell Slots work in D&D 5e?

Well, Spell Slots are basically a spellcasters resource for their magic. A creature has a certain number of Spell Slots of a specific level which means they can only cast that many spells of that level at any given time.

Spell Slots range in level from 1-9. 1^st-level spells are stronger than Cantrips but are much weaker than 9^th-level spells. Spellcasters also get considerably fewer, high-level spell slots because of the increase in power.

So, what does this all mean?

Well, it means spellcasters can only cast a limited number of leveled spells every day. Luckily, Cantrips have no limit on daily usage, so you won’t feel completely useless once you’ve used up all your Spell Slots.

Let’s go over an example.

A 3^rd-level Wizard has four 1^st-level and two 2^nd-level Spell Slots. So, they can only cast four 1^st-level and two 2^nd-level spells before needing a rest. But, they can keep casting Cantrips.

If you play fantasy video games, think of Spell Slots like mana or whatever other magic-using resource. You need it to cast spells and when you run out, you can’t cast anymore.

D&D 5e Spellcasting Ability

Every spellcaster in D&D 5e uses a specific Spellcasting Ability to determine their Spell Attack Bonus and Spell Saving Throw Difficulty Class (DC). The Spellcasting Ability is one of three from the Ability Scores found in 5e; Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

Spellcasting in 5e requires the use of one of D&D’s Ability Scores as a Spellcasting Ability. This number dictates how effective at casting you are, the number of spells you can prepare, and how hard your spells are to avoid.

Each spellcasting class uses one of three Ability Scores as their Spellcasting Ability; Intelligence, Wisdom, or Charisma.

• Intelligence: Artificer, Fighter (Eldritch Knight), Rogue (Arcane Trickster), Wizard
• Wisdom: Cleric, Druid, Ranger
• Charisma: Bard, Paladin, Sorcerer, Warlock

Now, you’ll use your corresponding Spellcasting Ability to determine three things: your Spell Attack Bonus, Spell Saving Throw DC, and number of Prepared Spells.

Known vs Prepared Spells

An important distinction in 5e’s spellcasting system is the difference between Known and Prepared spells. In essence, Known and Prepared spells achieve the same thing; they make up the spells a creature has readied on any given day.

Honestly, the distinction isn’t as bad as it sounds. It’s mostly semantic with only the slightest mechanical differences. And, it might just be a bit confusing when you’re starting out playing D&D 5e.

5e Spellcasting Components

Every spell and Cantrip in D&D 5e uses a combination of components required for casting. These components include Material, Somatic, and Verbal.

Not every spell uses all three components. Rather, each one uses a combination of one, two, or all three components.

If a spellcaster is unable to perform a required spell component, they can not cast spells using that given component. So, for example, a spellcaster within the area of effect of the silence spell can’t cast spells that require Verbal components.

How a Spellcasting Focus Works in 5e

A Spellcasting or Arcane Focus in D&D 5e is a tool used by spellcasters to forego most Material component requirements.

That’s pretty much all a Spellcasting Focus does.

Certain spells call for Material components as mentioned above. A spellcaster can either have a Component Pouch that contains the supplies they need for their various spells or they may elect to use a Spellcasting Focus to ignore most of the Material components needed.

For example, the friends Cantrip has the Material component "a small amount of makeup applied to the face as this spell is cast". Now, you can either follow this with by using a Component Pouch that includes the makeup, or you ignore this by using a Spellcasting Focus.

Now, there is an exception to using a Spellcasting Focus in lieu of actual Material components. If a spell lists a Material component with a monetary value (usually in Gold Pieces or GP), you must have that component to cast the spell regardless if you’re using a Spellcasting Focus.

So, as an example, the revivify spell requires "diamonds worth 300 gp, which the spell consumes". A spellcaster who wishes to cast revivify can’t forego the Material components with a Spellcasting Focus because the spell lists an explicit monetary value of 300 gp. So, the caster must have 300 gold worth of diamonds on hand to cast it. No exceptions.

It’s important to mention that not every class can use a Spellcasting Focus, they need a specific item or items as their focus, or use a Holy Symbol instead. These classes include:

• Artificer: use Thieves’ Tools or one of the Artisan’s Tools
• Bard: use a musical instrument
• Cleric: use a Holy Symbol
• Druid: use a Druidic Focus
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight): may not use a Focus
• Paladin: use a Holy Symbol
• Ranger: may not use a Focus
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster): may not use a Focus

So really, only Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards may use the traditional Arcane Foci. Just keep this in mind when picking your character’s equipment.

How Concentration Works for D&D Spells

Certain spells in D&D 5e require the caster to maintain focus on them. This is referred to as Concentration. Spellcasters may only maintain Concentration on one spell that requires it at a time. Taking damage forces a caster to roll a Concentration saving throw.

Concentrating on a spell that requires Concentration is something I see new players get confused about.

Basically, some spells require a caster to maintain Concentration, as it’s called. Here are some things to remember about Concentration.

• You can only maintain Concentration on one spell that requires it at a time
• Casting another spell that requires Concentration immediately ends the effect(s) of any previous spell that requires it
• You can cast other spells that don’t require Concentration while maintaining it for a different spell
• You can only maintain Concentration on a spell for as long as its Duration dictates
• Taking damage or suffering extraordinary effects aside from normal movement and attacking forces you to make a Concentration saving throw
• You may end Concentration on a spell at any time
• Falling unconscious or dying ends your Concentration on a spell

Now, how does rolling a Concentration saving throw work?

Well, it gets a little confusing and involved a bit of math.

Rolling a Concentration saving throw works in much the same way as a normal Constitution save. You’ll roll a 20-sided die add your Constitution Saving Throw modifier to get your total.

The tricky part is the Difficulty Class (DC) for Concentration saves varies. The DC for a Concentration save equals 10 or half the total damage taken whichever is higher. So, you may need to figure out how much damage you take for a given attack to determine how hard your Concentration save it.

So, for example, say a Wizard wants to maintain Concentration on their Tasha’s hideous laughter spell. They take 30 points of damage from an attack (and don’t somehow die because they’re a Wizard). To maintain their Concentration, they must succeed on a DC 15 Constitution saving throw because half of 30 equals 15 which is greater than the base 10 for Concentration saves.

This all leads to the fact that failing your Concentration save means dropping Concentration on any given spell that requires it.

The Durations of Spells in D&D

Every spell in D&D 5e has a Duration. This tells you how long a spell lasts once cast. Spells range from immediate effects with no lasting effects to lasting for years at a time or even becoming permanent.

You can find the Duration of any given spell by referencing its listing in the sourcebook it comes from. Each spell explicitly lists its Duration for easy reference.

Now, spells that list "instantaneous" for their Duration mean their effects happen immediately and don’t have any lasting, magical effects. That doesn’t mean they don’t have after effects. For example, the fireball spell ignites flammable objects that aren’t worn or carried. But, they don’t have magical lasting effects.

Spells that have a Duration for longer than instantaneous list how long they last in their spell description. Usually, it tells you how long the spell lasts at its maximum with wording like "up to 1 minute". For example, the friends Cantrip has a Duration of up to 1 minute and not a second longer.

Normally, spells with Durations longer than instantaneous requires Concentration. But, this isn’t always the case like with the spiritual weapon and geas spells among others. So, you should always check to see if a long-lasting spell requires a character to maintain Concentration or not.

Casting Ritual Spells in 5e

Some spells in D&D 5e may get cast as a ritual. A spell must have the ritual tag in its description. And, a creature must have the Ritual Casting feature or Ritual Caster feat to cast a spell as a ritual. Casting a spell as a ritual doesn’t expend a Spell Slot but requires an extra 10 minutes to cast.

Ritual casting a spell is a great way to conserve Spell Slots while out of combat. You can gain the benefit of a spell to help overcome an obstacle without using a Spell Slot.

The main drawback is that you need an additional 10 minutes to cast that spell.

Now, not all spellcasters can cast a spell as a ritual. They need to have Ritual Casting as part of their overall Spellcasting feature. That, or they need to pick up the Ritual Caster feat at some point.

We’ll get into the different spellcasting classes later, but here are the classes that automatically have Ritual Casting:

• Artificer
• Bard
• Cleric
• Druid
• Wizard

So, most of the Full Casters have the ability to ritually cast certain spells. But, it’s important to know whether your character or an NPC has this ability or not for optimizing your Spell Slot spending.

The next thing to remember is that not every spell can get ritually cast.

To cast a spell using a ritual, that spell must have the (ritual) tag in its description. Otherwise, you can’t cast it ritually and must use a Spell Slot.

As an example, the detect magic spell has the (ritual) tag. So, you can take an extra 10 minutes to cast it without using a Spell Slot. On the contrary, the charm person spell lacks the (ritual) tag and can’t get cast ritually.

Spellcasting Classes in D&D

D&D 5e has a number of spellcasting classes. These include the Artificer, Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Warlock, and Wizard. The Fighter and Rogue subclasses also have spellcasting subclasses in the Eldritch Knight and Arcane Trickster, respectively.

If you want to play a spellcaster or magic user in D&D 5e, you usually need to play a cast that comes with the Spellcasting feature.

Luckily, you’re not stuck with one or only a couple options for spellcasting classes in D&D. You can play the nature-based Druid, the studied Wizard, or the divine-casting Cleric among others. Each class comes with its own specialty and variety so you can play a magic user the way you want to.

The spellcasting classes in D&D 5e include:

• Artificer*
• Bard
• Cleric
• Druid
• Fighter (Eldritch Knight Archetype)
• Paladin
• Ranger
• Rogue (Arcane Trickster Archetype)
• Sorcerer
• Warlock
• Wizard

*Artificer available from Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

Now, as I said, each of the spellcasting classes specialize in their own type of magic. And, they also each use one of the different Spellcasting Abilities.

Here’s a quick breakdown of each of the spellcasting classes in D&D 5e, their specialty, and their ability.

Artificer*

Artificers specialize in the creation magic items. Their subclasses, called a Specialist, include the Alchemist, Armorer, Artillerist, and Battle Smith. This class uses Intelligence as its Spellcasting Ability.

Bard

Bards wield the power of song, diction, and stories to draw magic from the world. Their subclasses, called Colleges, include Creation*, Eloquence*, Glamour*, Lore, Swords*, Valor, and Whispers*. This class uses Charisma as its Spellcasting Ability.

Cleric

Clerics use the power of deities or their own faith to cast divine spells. Their subclasses, called Domains, include Forge*, Grave*, Knowledge, Life, Light, Nature, Order*, Peace*, Tempest, Trickery, Twilight*, and War. This class uses Wisdom as its Spellcasting Ability.

Druid

Druids draw their magic from the natural world. Their subclasses, called Circles, include Dreams*, Land, Moon, Shepherd*, Spores*, Stars*, and Wildfire*. This class uses Wisdom as its Spellcasting Ability.

Fighter (Eldritch Knight)

The Fighter Archetype, Eldritch Knight, is a 1/3 Caster and gives the class a bit of magic to back up their martial prowess. This subclass uses the Wizard spell list and uses Intelligence as its Spellcasting Ability.

Paladin

Paladins are Half Casters that channel power through the divine or their own unwavering faith in their oath. Their subclasses, called Sacred Oaths, include Ancients, Conquest*, Devotion, Glory*, Redemption*, Vengeance, and Watchers*. This class uses Charisma as its Spellcasting Ability.

Ranger

Rangers are Half Casters that utilize the natural energies of the world to wield their magic. Their subclasses, called Archetypes, include Beast Master, Fey Wanderer*, Gloom Stalker*, Horizon Walker*, Hunter, Monster Slayer*, and Swarmkeeper*. This class uses Wisdom as its Spellcasting Ability.

Rogue (Arcane Trickster)

The Rogue Archetype, Arcane Trickster, is a 1/3 Caster that gives the class some magical utility. This subclass uses the Wizard spell list and uses Intelligence as its Spellcasting Ability.

Sorcerer

Sorcerers can wield magic naturally due to their bloodline or some otherworldly boon or curse bestowed upon them or their family. Their subclasses, called Origins, include Aberrant Mind*, Clockwork Soul*, Divine Soul*, Draconic Bloodline, Shadow Magic*, Storm Sorcery, and Wild Magic. This class uses Charisma as its Spellcasting Ability.

Warlock

Warlocks draw their magic from an otherworldly entity called a patron. Their subclasses, called Otherworldly Patrons, include the Archfey, Celestial*, Fathomless*, Fiend, Genie*, Great Old One, and Hexblade*. This class uses Charisma as its Spellcasting Ability.

Wizard

Wizards are learned scholars of the arcane arts, practicing magic as an intellectual pursuit and developing spells through study. Their subclasses, called Arcane Traditions, include Abjuration, Bladesinging*, Conjuration, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, Order of Scribe*, Transmutation, and War Magic*. This class uses Intelligence as its Spellcasting Ability.

*These subclasses come from either Xanathar’s Guide to Everything or Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything

So, as you can see, you have a wide variety of spellcasting classes in D&D 5e to choose from depending on the type of magic user you want to play.

Spellcasting & Multiclassing

Spellcasting gets a bit confusing once you start multiclassing. The calculation of of Spell Slots often proves to be the most complex aspect of these mechanics.

Multiclassing and spellcasting in D&D 5e introduces a few complications to your character.

First off, you need to meet the minimum Ability Score requirement to multiclass into another class. This often means having a 13 Ability Score in a caster class’ Spellcasting Ability.

Second, your number of Spell Slots involves calculating your spell level depending on which classes you’re playing. Each class contributes a different amount to your overall level. So, you need to understand which classes add how many levels.

Finally, you need to keep track of what spells belong to which class. This is because you still use that class’ corresponding Spellcasting Ability to cast those spells. This means recalculating your Spell Attack Modifier and Spell Save DC for those spells.

If you want a full breakdown of how these systems work, check out my Beginner’s Guide to Multiclassing in D&D 5e.

D&D 5e Spellcasting FAQ

Summary of D&D Spellcasting

That’s about it for spellcasting in 5e.

At its core, spellcasting is the method of using magic. You need to understand what your Spellcasting Ability is and how it affects your Spell Attack Modifier and Spell Save DC. Also, you should know what each of the spellcasting classes are so you can build the character you want to.

Now, if you’re 100% fresh to Dungeons & Dragons, I usually recommend not playing a spellcaster as your first character. 5e has enough going on that keeping track of the general mechanics and the spellcasting rules can become overwhelming.

That said, if you really want to play a spellcaster, go for it. I’ll always encourage players to play the character they want.

What’s your favorite spellcasting class to play in D&D 5e? Personally, I’m partial to Clerics because of their versatility. Leave a comment below with yours.

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