Fear
Level 3 · Illusion
- Concentration
- Save
- AOE
- Control
Fear (bard, sorcerer, warlock, and wizard) casts from a 3rd-level slot in the illusion school. Cast time: Action. Range Self, components V/S/M, duration up to 1 minute. Material: a white feather. Marked concentration. Effect: Each creature in a 30-foot Cone must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and have the Frightened condition for the duration.
Stat Block
- Level
- 3
- School
- Illusion
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range / Area
- Self (30-foot cone)
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- up to 1 Minute
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Material
- a white feather
Description
Each creature in a 30-foot Cone must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or drop whatever it is holding and have the Frightened condition for the duration. A Frightened creature takes the Dash action and moves away from you by the safest route on each of its turns unless there is nowhere to move. If the creature ends its turn in a space where it doesn't have line of sight to you, the creature makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the spell ends on that creature.
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
Illusion spells are the most player-dependent in the game. The school works when the table commits to playing the deception, and it falls flat when the table reaches for Investigation immediately. Fear is Illusion because the spell creates a perceptual fiction the target's senses report as real. 3rd-level slots become common enough that Fear can be cast in two or three encounters per long rest.
Class Fit
- Bard: For a Bard, Fear is best paired with another spell using the same target on the same turn — Bonus-Action plus Action layering is where the class wins fights. Damage taken while concentrating on Fear forces a Con save at DC 10 or half damage, whichever is higher.
- Sorcerer: Sorcerers know very few spells. Fear is a permanent decision — the spell stays on the sheet unless the Sorcerer pays a level-up swap. Fear's concentration requirement makes it vulnerable to a single failed save when the caster takes damage.
- Warlock: Eldritch Blast is the Warlock's default action. Fear only competes with Eldritch Blast if it does more than scale-damage to one target. Note that Fear requires concentration; switching to a second concentration spell ends it.
- Wizard: Once Fear is in the spellbook the cost is gold-and-ritual-time at acquisition; from then on the daily prep decision is free. Concentration on Fear forces the caster to choose between this spell and the next big concentration play.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Fear
- What level spell is Fear?
- Fear sits at level 3 in the Illusion school of magic, prepared by Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard.
- What save does Fear require?
- The save against Fear is a Wisdom saving throw. Specific rules for a successful save are spelled out in the spell description.
- What is the range of Fear?
- Fear is self-target only — the caster is the target of the spell, not another creature.
- Is Fear a concentration spell?
- Fear is a concentration spell. Maximum duration is up to 1 minute. The caster can only maintain one concentration spell at a time, and damage forces a Con save to keep it active.
- What components and casting time does Fear need?
- Fear requires V, S, M. Material component: a white feather.