Chapter V · The Weave · Player's Handbook
Spellcasting
Spell slots, components, Concentration, rituals and the eight schools of magic.
Casting a Spell
Each spell lists a level (0 for cantrips, 1–9 otherwise), a casting time, range, components and duration. Casting a levelled spell expends a spell slot of that level or higher; cantrips can be cast at will.
| Component | Meaning |
|---|---|
| V — Verbal | You must be able to speak. |
| S — Somatic | You need a free hand to gesture. |
| M — Material | You need the listed material and a free hand. If it has no cost and isn't consumed, a Component Pouch works instead, or a Spellcasting Focus if your class allows it. |
On a turn you can expend only one spell slot to cast a spell, so you can't cast a levelled spell with your action and another with a Bonus Action. Cantrips don't count.
If you have a spell with the Ritual tag prepared, you can cast it as a Ritual: it takes 10 minutes longer, uses no spell slot and so can't be cast at a higher level.
Schools of Magic
| School | Typical effects |
|---|---|
| Abjuration | Wards, barriers, banishment |
| Conjuration | Summoning creatures and objects, teleportation |
| Divination | Revealing information |
| Enchantment | Influencing minds |
| Evocation | Raw energy — fire, lightning, healing |
| Illusion | Deceiving the senses |
| Necromancy | Life, death and undeath |
| Transmutation | Changing the properties of things |