Dream
Level 5 · Illusion
- Damage
- Save
- Control
Listed under illusion, Dream costs a 5th-level slot for bard, warlock, and wizard casters. Cast time: 1 Minute. Range Special, components V/S/M, duration 8 hours. Material: a handful of sand. Effect: You target a creature you know on the same plane of existence.
Stat Block
- Level
- 5
- School
- Illusion
- Casting Time
- 1 Minute
- Range / Area
- Special
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- 8 Hours
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Bard, Warlock, Wizard
- Material
- a handful of sand
Description
You target a creature you know on the same plane of existence. You or a willing creature you touch enters a trance state to act as a dream messenger. While in the trance, the messenger is Incapacitated and has a Speed of 0. If the target is asleep, the messenger appears in the target's dreams and can converse with the target as long as it remains asleep, through the spell's duration. The messenger can also shape the dream's environment, creating landscapes, objects, and other images. The messenger can emerge from the trance at any time, ending the spell. The target recalls the dream perfectly upon waking. If the target is awake when you cast the spell, the messenger knows it and can either end the trance (and the spell) or wait for the target to sleep, at which point the messenger enters its dreams. You can make the messenger terrifying to the target. If you do so, the messenger can deliver a message of no more than ten words, and then the target makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target gains no benefit from its rest, and it takes 3d6 Psychic damage when it wakes up.
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
The Illusion tradition is the trickster's school. Its spells turn into whatever the caster needs them to be: a wall, a sound, a missing person, a presence that is not there. Dream reads as Illusion the moment you see the effect — the spell creates a perceptual fiction the target's senses report as real. At level 5, Dream sits in the high-mid slot range — tier-2 to early-tier-3 play.
Class Fit
- Bard: Bards take Dream as one of their fixed picks; the trade-off is that swapping it later requires a level-up spell-swap or a downtime retraining session. At Special, Dream stays usable from the caster's typical positioning.
- Warlock: Invocations cover a lot of utility a Warlock would otherwise spell-cast. Dream earns its slot when invocations don't cover the same need. Special is enough range that Dream doesn't pull the caster forward.
- Wizard: The Wizard's daily prep list is the class's flexibility lever — every long rest is a chance to reconsider what Dream is doing on the sheet. The Special range on Dream leaves room for the caster to stay in the back line.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Dream
- What level spell is Dream?
- Dream sits at level 5 in the Illusion school of magic, prepared by Bard, Warlock, Wizard.
- How much damage does Dream deal?
- On a base cast, Dream deals 3d6 psychic damage.
- What save does Dream require?
- The save against Dream is a Wisdom saving throw. Specific rules for a successful save are spelled out in the spell description.
- What is the range of Dream?
- Dream can target a point or creature within Special of the caster.
- How long does Dream last?
- Dream sticks for 8 hours. Concentration is not required, so the caster's concentration slot stays free.
- What components and casting time does Dream need?
- To cast: the cast needs V, S, M. Additionally, Material component: a handful of sand; the casting time is 1 minute (not a standard Action).