T.R.

Gartland

SPELLCASTING FOR NEWBIES

For the new player, the rules around spell casting can seem a little daunting. Here-in you will find a
much simpler explanation around the whole process of using spells.
Contents
Cantrips vs. Spells with Levels....................................................................................................................... 3
Known Spells, Prepared Spells, and Spell Slots ............................................................................................. 3
Quick Definitions ....................................................................................................................................... 3
The Global List of Spells ............................................................................................................................ 3
Known Spells ............................................................................................................................................. 3
Caster Types .............................................................................................................................................. 3
Innately Magical .................................................................................................................................... 3
Divine Receivers of Magic ..................................................................................................................... 4
Studiers of Magic .................................................................................................................................. 5
Prepared Spells ......................................................................................................................................... 6
Spell Slots .................................................................................................................................................. 6
Ritual Spells ................................................................................................................................................... 7
What is a "Spell Focus"?................................................................................................................................ 7
What can I use as a Spell Focus?............................................................................................................... 7
Spellcasting and Concentration .................................................................................................................... 8
Feats That Affect Concentration ............................................................................................................... 8
 The Global List of Spells
The Players Handbook ("PHB") lists out a rather
Cantrips vs. Spells with Levels long list of spells. No character is able to cast
Spells are categorized by level 0 through 9. The 100% of the spells listed in the PHB. Other
higher the spell level, the more powerful the players across the real world will also make up
spell is. spells. Your Dungeon Master may elect to let
A cantrip is a low level spell, more specifically a players use some of those other spells, or
"level 0" spell. They are notably lacking in maybe not. Wizards of the Coast (WotC), will
power and effectiveness but can still be quite occasionally create additional materials to
useful. Most characters can only use two to six purchase that also contain additional spells.
different cantrip spells out of the dozens that
Lump all the sources together and you have the
are available. However, those 2 to 6 spells can "Global List of Spells". That list makes up all the
be cast as many times as you want. possible spells that your character might be
Spells levels 1 through 9 can be much more able to cast if they can somehow obtain the
powerful. The limitation is your character can spell when the character is created, or later on
only perform a few castings before needing to during gameplay.
rest.
Known Spells
This is another list. This list consists of all the
Known Spells, Prepared Spells, spells specific to your character that they are
capable of casting. The spells on this list will be
and Spell Slots
a subset of the Global List mentioned above.
This is perhaps one of the more confusing
aspects for new players. Understanding these Caster Types1
concepts will go a long, long way in making your There are three types of casters; 1) Innately
gameplay more seamless. But before you can magical, 2) Divine receivers of magic, and 3)
get a good grasp on these you will need to Studiers of magic. Each of them will arrive at
understand a simple concept. their own list of "Known Spells" differently from
the others.
Different classes will obtain and use spells by
different means. Innately Magical
Those who are innately magical are infused with
Quick Definitions
magic. They cast spells because something
Global List of Spells – All spells that have ever
within them allows them to do so. They don't
been created.
have to study, or memorize, or scribe a spell
Known Spells – A subset of the Global list. This
is a list of spells specific to your character.
Prepared Spells - A subset of the Known Spells.
These are the spells your character can cast 1
The PHB does not categorize the classes this way.
right now. But by examining the various spell casting classes, it
is easy enough to find the pattern and perform such
a categorization on your own.
into a book. They just know how to cast certain higher. These are all spells he has managed to
spells. accrue over time and will never forget. They
are part of his essential being. From a Global list
The upside is that because nothing is ever of several dozen spells, Friedrich's list consists
written down, they will never lose the spells
of only 13 chosen over the span of his
they know. Why? Because all their spells are adventuring time.
just abilities they have, like an athlete that is
good at a particular sport. If Friedrich wants to change his list of 13 spells,
he must first get to level 15 Sorcerer. It just so
The downside is that they can't just suddenly happens that level 15 allows for an increase to
add a new spell on a whim. They may only 14 known spells. The player may select an
change out a spell when they gain a new level additional spell to know from the Global List
and even then, they may only exchange a single
and they may also at that time swap out 1 (and
spell. If a particular spell isn't very useful, they only 1) spell that was already on Friedrich's
cannot get rid of it. They must gain a new level
"known" list.
of experience and then they can swap it out for
a new one. Pick several not-so-useful spells and And being innately magical, all Friedrich's
it may be many levels before they fix the cantrips and known spells are automatically
problem. considered to be "prepared for casting".

Innately magical classes are: Bard, Fighter Divine Receivers of Magic

(Eldritch Knight), Monk (Way of the Four These classes pray to their deity and are
Elements), Ranger, Rogue (Arcane Trickster), granted their powers, most typically after a long
Sorcerer, and Warlock. rest.

The list of known spells for these classes are The PHB uses the term "prepare" in a confusing
usually determined by the player simply manner for these casters. It can greatly confuse
selecting them according to the rules in the things for new players.
PHB. As mentioned above, once this list is
For all the Divine Receivers of magic, the PHB
determined it cannot be changed until the
authors elected to not use the standard
character gains a level. The maximum number
construct of Global/Known/Prepared spells, and
of spells you can know is determined by your
instead opted to only use Global/Prepared
class and your level in that class. The PHB has a
spells.
chart for each class showing the maximum
number of spells your character can know. To use the same contextual form as the other
casters would be described as follows:
Being innately magical, all the spells they know
are automatically considered "prepared for From the Global List for their class, the player
casting". selects which spells they want their character to
"know" for the day. After the list is determined,
Example
the character must pray to their deity and then
Friedrich the Sorcerer is level 14. According to
undergo a rest. Once this is complete all of the
the PHB chart for Sorcerer, Friedrich can
spells the character prayed for now becomes
"know" 6 cantrips and 13 spells of level 1 or
the list of "known spells" and are automatically spell book for the new spell you want to swap
considered to have been "prepared for casting". out.

Divine Receivers of Magic classes are: Cleric, The downside is that when you swap out new
Druid, and Paladin. spells, that process takes a fair amount of time
whenever you choose to do so. Additionally,
Cleric: The maximum number of spells you can you must carry your spell book with you if you
know = your WIS modifier + your cleric want to make any such change because your
level. spell book is the source for those new spells.
Druid: The maximum number of spells you can That prospect opens up the possibility of losing
know = your WIS modifier + your druid a very valuable item should your spell book ever
level. become damaged or lost.
Paladin: The maximum number of spells you
can know = your CHA modifier + half your Studiers of Magic classes are: Wizard
paladin level (round down after adding
The spell book is considered to be all the spells
them together).
your character "knows". But despite this fact,
Example you cannot simply cast any spell in your spell
Brownbear Dirtwallower is a level 8 druid with a book on a whim. The studier must study their
16 wisdom (modifier of +3). According to the spell book each day and create yet another
rules for Druid, Brownbear can "know" (8 + 3) = subset of spells called the "Prepared" list. You
11 total spells. Each day Brownbear must pray are preparing those spells for casting.
to his deity for those spells, selecting them from
Cantrips for studiers work slightly different from
the Global List of druid spells. The Global List
may have several dozen spells, but Brownbear other spells in this regard. Because there is no
can only select 11 off that list. Once the 11 are limit to the number of times you can cast a
received from the deity, all 11 are automatically cantrip, a limit is instead imposed on the
considered to be "known" and "prepared". maximum number you can "know".

Cantrips are never copied into a spell book.

Studiers of Magic
A studier of magic keeps all of his or her spells Instead they are considered to be a wizard's
in their own special spell book. This spell book is version of innate magic. As such, they are
just a subset of spells that exist out in the world always "known" and are always "prepared".
(i.e. the Global List). Whenever the studier finds And the PHB will list the maximum number your
another caster's spell book, or they find a character can know. There are no official rules
magical scroll, they can sometimes copy those that allow a wizard to swap out a cantrip once it
spells into their own spell book, thus increasing has been learned and "known".
the pool of different spells they themselves can In many ways this aspect of cantrips makes
cast. them very difficult to deal with which is why
The upside to being this type of caster is that many DMs use unofficial "house" rules when
you can swap out old spells for entirely new dealing with them.
spells on a day-by-day basis. Just consult your
House Rule: A wizard may swap out a new or higher. This maximum number is determined
cantrip for an old one when they gain a level or by the number of spell slots.
when they gain a new cantrip from a scroll or
other source. A character sometimes has the option to cast a
lower level spell using a higher level spell slot.
Wizard: Doing so will increase the power of that spell as
- The maximum number of Cantrips you can indicated in the spell description.
know = (consult the PHB chart for Wizard).
- The maximum number of spells you can Example
prepare = your INT modifier + your wizard Friedrich the Sorcerer is level 14. According to
level. the PHB chart for Sorcerer, Friedrich has the
following spell slots:
Example
Bumbledark the wizard is level 11 and has an  4 level 1 slots
intelligence of 18 (modifier of +4). Over the  3 level 2 slots
course of adventuring, Bumbledark has  3 level 3 slots
managed to acquire 47 wizard spells by copying  3 level 4 slots
from old tomes and scrolls into his spell book.  2 level 5 slots
All of these 47 spells are considered to be  1 level 6 slot
"known" by Bumbledark.  1 level 7 slot

According to the PHB, Bumbledark can A spell must use a slot no lower than the spell
"prepare" (11 + 4) = 15 spells out of the 47 in his level (e.g. a level 4 spell cannot be cast with a
spell book. That means that while adventuring, level 2 slot).
Bumbledark may only cast a spell from the 15
But you can use a higher slot if the spell allows
he has prepared. If he wants to change that list,
for it (e.g. a level 4 spell can use a level 6 slot).
he must first rest, then consult his spell book
and spend time swapping out old spells for new All spell slots are reset back to maximum after a
ones. His list of prepared spells, however, may long rest. Some classes may have their spell
not exceed 15 unless and until he gains more slots reset after a short rest. The PHB will tell
wizard levels. you which is required.

Prepared Spells Cantrips do not use spell slots. You may cast
As noted above, the list of "prepared" spells is a them an unlimited number of times.
subset of the spells "known". In most cases, the
known list and the prepared list are the same Spells with the "ritual" tag can be cast as normal
list. In any case, the spell caster may only cast spells (using a spell slot), or optionally they can
spells from their "prepared" list unless some be cast as a ritual. When cast as a ritual, the
special rule applies. casting time is 10 minutes longer and no spell
slot is used.
Spell Slots
For all classes capable of casting a ritual (the
Each spell caster has a maximum number of
class description will tell you if the class can do
spells they can cast when the spells are level 1
this) the spell must first be prepared. The lone
exception is the wizard. A wizard can perform a What is a "Spell Focus"?
ritual if the spell is in his/her spell book, but Some spells require a material component. A
they do not need to have it in their "prepared" spell focus allows the character to cast such a
list. spell without actually having to possess or use
that material component. 3
Example
When Friedrich attempts to cast a 3rd level However, if the spell specifies a material
spell, he must use a 3rd level slot at a minimum. component that has a monetary cost, the spell
After casting the spell, he will have only 2 slots focus won't help.
available for 3rd level spells. Friedrich can also
cast a level 2 spell using a level 3 slot, which Example
would leave him with only 1 more level-3 slot. If Chromatic Orb specifies "a diamond worth at
least 50gp".
Friedrich were to cast a level 3 spell as a ritual,
doing so would not use up that last slot, but the Because of the explicit amount of money
casting would take 10 minutes longer than mentioned as a material component, a spell
normal. After a long rest, all of Friedrich's spell focus will not negate the need to have that
slots would reset and he would once again have component.
3 slots for casting level-3 spells.
Example
Color Spray specifies "a pinch of powder or sand
Ritual Spells that is colored red, yellow, and blue". There is
Some spells are tagged as "Ritual". This means no specified amount of money telling you how
the caster has the option to cast the spell either much these materials cost. Therefore a spell
normally, using the statistics listed under the focus would allow you to cast the spell without
spell description, or as a ritual. When casting as having any such powder or sand.
a ritual, the caster will take much more time to
prepare, and the casting will be a more formal What can I use as a Spell Focus?
affair. 2 PHB (p. 150) has a list of items your character
can buy and use as a spell focus.
The effects are as follows:
 The caster does not need to use a spell Arcane Focus: All classes except Bard, Druid,
slot to perform the casting. Cleric, and Paladin.
 If the caster is a wizard, the spell does Musical instrument: When used by a Bard it will
not need to be in their "prepared" list operate as a spell focus. This is not true for
and can instead be cast directly from other classes, but other classes can still play
the wizard's spell book. them as normal.
 The casting time increases by 10
minutes and the caster must perform Druidic Focus: Druid class.
the "Cast a Spell" action on each turn
Holy Symbol: Cleric and Paladin classes.
for the entire casting time.

2 3
PHB. p. 201-202. Rituals. PHB. p. 205. Components, "Material (M)"
Spellcasting and Concentration Example
There are some spells that require the caster to Alexandra, the Priestess (cleric), has a
maintain their attention on a spell even after Constitution of 13 (+1 mod) and is maintaining
they finish casting it. Such spells are designated concentration on a Bless spell when she is
in the spell description under their Duration. struck by 3 arrows from enemy archers. The
arrows do 13, 7, and 22 points of damage.
For example, the spell Haste has a duration of
"Concentration, up to 1 minute". This means She is not proficient in CON saving throws, so
the caster must hold their attention on the spell she gains only +1 on her die roll.
from round to round in order to keep the
Damaged 3 times, she must make 3 CON saving
effects going, and the maximum duration is 1
throws to maintain her concentration on the
minute.
Bless spell. The DC for the first 2 arrows is 10.
At first, you might be under the impression that For the last arrow, the DC is 11 (22/2 = 11).
the caster would be prohibited from casting any
She rolls: 15 (14+1), 12 (11+1) and 10 (9+1).
more spells while concentrating. This would be
false, but not entirely false. The third arrow is a failed save, so Alexandra
tries valiantly, but loses her concentration
While concentrating on a spell, casting
causing the Bless spell to end.
ANOTHER concentration spell will cause the
previous concentration spell to end. Feats That Affect Concentration
Mage Slayer
Spells that are NOT concentration spells may be
When you damage a caster that is
cast normally while maintaining a single
concentrating on a spell, that caster makes their
concentration spell's duration and effects4.
CON save to maintain concentration at
What can cause a caster to lose concentration? disadvantage.

 Voluntarily electing to end the spell. War Caster

 Casting another concentration spell. When you are concentrating on a spell and you
 Being knocked unconscious, take damage, your CON save to maintain
incapacitated, or killed. concentration is made at advantage.
 Being damaged and failing a CON saving
throw.

Being Damaged
When taking damage, the caster must make a
CON saving throw.
DC = 10
or
DC = 1/2 the damage taken (round down)
Whichever is higher.

4
Players Handbook. p. 203. "Concentration".