Charm Person
Level 1 · Enchantment
- Save
- Control
- Buff
Charm Person (bard, druid, sorcerer, warlock, and wizard) casts from a 1st-level slot in the enchantment school. Cast time: Action. Range 30 feet, components V/S, duration 1 hour. Effect: One Humanoid you can see within range makes a Wisdom saving throw. At higher levels: You can target one additional creature for each spell slot level above 1.
Stat Block
- Level
- 1
- School
- Enchantment
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- 30 feet
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 1 Hour
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
One Humanoid you can see within range makes a Wisdom saving throw. It does so with Advantage if you or your allies are fighting it. On a failed save, the target has the Charmed condition until the spell ends or until you or your allies damage it. The Charmed creature is Friendly to you. When the spell ends, the target knows it was Charmed by you.
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
Charm Person is Enchantment — the school of mind-shaping. The caster touches a Wis-save lever on a humanoid (or whatever humanoid-adjacent creature the DM allows); on a failed save, the target is charmed for 1 hour and considers the caster a friendly acquaintance. The target knows they were charmed once it ends.
Class Fit
- Bard: Bards take Charm Person as their tier-1 social-combat tool. The 1-hour duration outlasts most short interactions; the target knowing afterward is the limiting factor for repeat use.
- Druid: Druids take Charm Person in social campaigns; the spell is less common in wilderness-focused Druid builds.
- Sorcerer: Sorcerers take Charm Person for builds focused on social manipulation. Subtle Spell metamagic is the key pairing — the spell can be cast without verbal or somatic components, defeating bind-and-gag scenarios.
- Warlock: Hexblade and Archfey Warlocks take Charm Person at level 1. Pact Magic at the highest available slot means a level-5 Warlock casts it at 3rd-level for two extra targets.
- Wizard: Wizards take Charm Person and retrain it out usually by level 5 when better save-or-suck spells like Hold Person and Suggestion are available.
Tactical play (Doungim editorial)
Wis save; charm a humanoid for an hour. Out of combat only — the target knows it was charmed afterwards.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Charm Person
- What level spell is Charm Person?
- Charm Person is a level 1 spell from the Enchantment school. The classes that can prepare it: Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard.
- What save does Charm Person require?
- Charm Person calls for a Wisdom save against the caster's DC. Success conditions are described in the spell text.
- What is the range of Charm Person?
- Charm Person has a range of 30 feet from the caster.
- How long does Charm Person last?
- Charm Person sticks for 1 hour. Concentration is not required, so the caster's concentration slot stays free.
- What components and casting time does Charm Person need?
- To cast Charm Person: Charm Person is cast with V, S with a standard Action.
- Can Charm Person be upcast?
- Upcasting Charm Person works as follows: You can target one additional creature for each spell slot level above 1.