Alter Self
Level 2 · Transmutation
- Concentration
- Damage
A 2nd-level spell in the transmutation school, Alter Self appears on the sorcerer and wizard lists. Cast time: Action. Range Self, components V/S, duration up to 1 hour. Marked concentration. Effect: You alter your physical form.
Stat Block
- Level
- 2
- School
- Transmutation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Self
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- up to 1 Hour
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Sorcerer, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
You alter your physical form. Choose one of the following options. Its effects last for the duration, during which you can take a Magic action to replace the option you chose with a different one.
You sprout gills and grow webs between your fingers. You can breathe underwater and gain a Swim Speed equal to your Speed.
You alter your appearance. You decide what you look like, including your height, weight, facial features, sound of your voice, hair length, coloration, and other distinguishing characteristics. You can make yourself appear as a member of another species, though none of your statistics change. You can't appear as a creature of a different size, and your basic shape stays the same; if you're bipedal, you can't use this spell to become quadrupedal, for instance. For the duration, you can take a Magic action to change your appearance in this way again.
You grow claws (Slashing), fangs (Piercing), horns (Piercing), or hooves (Bludgeoning). When you use your Unarmed Strike to deal damage with that new growth, it deals 1d6 damage of the type in parentheses instead of dealing the normal damage for your Unarmed Strike, and you use your spellcasting ability modifier for the attack and damage rolls rather than using Strength.
5e (2014) vs 2024 changes
This spell has both a 5e (2014) and 2024 Player's Handbook version. Doungim shows the current 2024 stat block above. Differences between editions typically affect components, range, or scaling — check both source books for the table.
Doungim Lore
School Fit
Transmutation magic is the least flashy school and arguably the most powerful. A single Polymorph can decide a tier-3 fight by itself. Alter Self sits in Transmutation because the spell rewrites a property of a body, an object, or terrain. At level 2, daily slot counts allow Alter Self to be cast multiple times across the adventuring day.
Class Fit
- Sorcerer: Quicken Spell turns an Action into a Bonus Action; if Alter Self costs an Action, Quicken opens a two-spell turn. The concentration tag on Alter Self means a single failed Constitution save can end the effect mid-encounter.
- Wizard: Wizards add Alter Self to the spellbook once and prepare it on the days that warrant it — a different decision from the class's known-spell competitors. As a concentration spell, Alter Self occupies the caster's single concentration slot.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Alter Self
- What level spell is Alter Self?
- In D&D 5e, Alter Self is classified as a level 2 spell of the Transmutation school. Available classes: Sorcerer, Wizard.
- What is the range of Alter Self?
- The range on Alter Self is Self; no other creature can be the target.
- Is Alter Self a concentration spell?
- Alter Self runs on concentration for up to 1 hour. The caster can drop it on their next turn or lose it to a failed save after taking damage.
- What components and casting time does Alter Self need?
- The cast needs v, s; casting takes one Action.