Comprehend Languages
Level 1 · Divination
- Ritual
Carried by bard, sorcerer, warlock, and wizard, Comprehend Languages operates at the 1st level of the divination school. Cast time: Action. Range Self, components V/S/M, duration 1 hour. Material: a pinch of soot and salt. Marked ritual. Effect: For the duration, you understand the literal meaning of any language that you hear or see signed.
Stat Block
- Level
- 1
- School
- Divination
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Self
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- 1 Hour
- Ritual
- Yes
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Material
- a pinch of soot and salt
Description
For the duration, you understand the literal meaning of any language that you hear or see signed. You also understand any written language that you see, but you must be touching the surface on which the words are written. It takes about 1 Minute to read one page of text. This spell doesn't decode symbols or secret messages.
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
Divination spells answer the questions adventurers ask: where is the enemy hiding, what does the artefact do, who set the trap. Comprehend Languages is Divination because the spell answers a question the caster could not otherwise reach. At level 1, Comprehend Languages is affordable in any caster's daily plan.
Class Fit
- Bard: Bards rely on Bardic Inspiration for most action-economy boosts; Comprehend Languages matters when Inspiration isn't the right tool for the moment.
- Sorcerer: Draconic, Wild Magic, Aberrant Mind, Clockwork Soul, and Lunar Sorcerers each get subclass-bonus spells. If Comprehend Languages is already on the bonus list, save the known-spell budget.
- Warlock: Pact of the Tome adds cantrips. Pact of the Chain adds a familiar. Pact of the Blade adds a bonded weapon. The Pact choice reshapes what Comprehend Languages is worth.
- Wizard: Wizards add Comprehend Languages to the spellbook once and prepare it on the days that warrant it — a different decision from the class's known-spell competitors.
Tactical play (Doungim editorial)
Ritual; read any text or understand any speech for an hour. Mandatory for any wizard or bard going into ruins or old libraries.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Comprehend Languages
- What level spell is Comprehend Languages?
- In D&D 5e, Comprehend Languages is classified as a level 1 spell of the Divination school. Available classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard.
- What is the range of Comprehend Languages?
- As a self-target spell, Comprehend Languages affects only the caster.
- How long does Comprehend Languages last?
- The duration on Comprehend Languages is 1 hour, with no concentration required.
- What components and casting time does Comprehend Languages need?
- For Comprehend Languages: the components are V, S, M; on top of that, Material component: a pinch of soot and salt; Comprehend Languages can be cast as a ritual: an extra 10 minutes of casting time, no spell slot consumed.