Magic in Dungeons & Dragons
There is a wide range of fictional magical spells of Dungeons & Dragons. Dungeons & Dragons (D&D) defined the genre of fantasy role-playing games, and remains the most popular role-playing game. Many of the original spells have become standard in the role-playing community, across many different fictional worlds, and across books, board games, video games, and videos.
The specific effects of each spell, and even the names of some spells, vary from edition to edition of the D&D corpus. Earlier varieties of the game included great detail regarding how long it took to cast a spell, what materials had to be assembled before it could be cast, and under what conditions the spell could continue to function. More recent editions have removed a lot of this detail (partially due to controversy).
Spell types
Cantrips
Cantrips are minor magical spells, first learned by magic-using characters as an introduction to magic and incantation. Cantrips have little effect on their surroundings and almost no effect in a fight. However, these minor tricks can be wickedly effective when used cleverly.
The notion of these subspells was first introduced Unearthed Arcana, and eventually revised into the second and third editions of D&D. Cantrips derived from divine providence are called orisons. Numerous other fantasy RPGs have borrowed this concept.
Clerical spells
Spells devoted to healing the wounded, restoring lost abilities, and acquiring blessings, these spells are generally granted to a cleric by the grace of the cleric's patron deity, after a session of meditation or prayer. These spells may require material components, which are often used up in the casting of the spell.
Druid spells
A variety of clerical spells devoted to communing with nature, interpreting or directing the weather, communicating with creatures and plants, and the like.
Wizardry
Spells devoted to manipulating energy, converting one substance to another, or calling on the services of other creatures, these spells are generally committed to memory after a session of meditation upon a spellbook containing the details of the incantation. These spells usually require material components.
Illusions
A variety of wizardry devoted to projecting illusions onto the surrounding environment, or onto the mind of a particular creature or group of creatures.
Psionics
Psionic powers are similar to spells, but require no meditation or particular method of casting; they are rather internal abilities which develop over time, and are replenished as one's body replenishes its own energy each day. There is a great variety in psionic abilities; only the most common abilities were mentioned in the original D&D books.
Specific spells
Cantrips
Cantrips are basic spells of minor effect, having little effect in combat. They first appeared in the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons supplement Unearthed Arcana, and were eventually revised into the second and third editions of the game.
In Third Edition D&D, some cantrips deal damage: ray of frost can do some minor cold damage to creatures (particularly those vulnerable to freezing), disrupt undead does slightly more damage, but only to undead creatures, and cure minor wounds restores one hit point to a damaged creature. The prestidigitation cantrip is a catch-all spell designed to create any effect not already covered by another cantrip. Each spellcasting character class has its own different kinds of cantrips.
The versatility of cantrips means they are often most effective when used creatively; for instance, ray of frost can be used to freeze a small puddle of water at an enemy's feet, causing it to lose its footing.
Wizard Spells
- Bull's Strength — After the caster of this spell touches someone, they become stronger for three hours.
- Fireball — An explosion of fire called into being at a particular place, sometimes envisioned as the explosion of a small blob of energy which flies from the caster's hands. A powerful destructive spell, it is probably the most archetypical spell.
- Magic missile — A bolt of pure energy from the caster's fingertips, which never misses its target unless prevented by supernatural means. The number of bolts one can cast increases with practice.
Clerical spells
- Cure light wounds — A canonical healing spell.
- Raise dead / Resurrection — Stretching the limits of a deity's power, as extended through the deity's followers. Restores to life a recently-deceased creature.