Geas
Level 5 · Enchantment
- Damage
- Save
- Control
Geas occupies the enchantment school at level 5, available to bard, cleric, druid, paladin, and wizard. Cast time: 1 Minute. Range 60 feet, components V, duration 30 days. Effect: You give a verbal command to a creature that you can see within range, ordering it to carry out some service or refrain from an action or a course of activity as you decide. At higher levels: If you use a level 7 or 8 spell slot, the duration is 365 days. If you use a level 9 spell slot, the spell lasts until it is ended by one of the spells mentioned above.
Stat Block
- Level
- 5
- School
- Enchantment
- Casting Time
- 1 Minute
- Range / Area
- 60 feet
- Components
- V
- Duration
- 30 days
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- No
- Classes
- Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Wizard
- Material
- —
Description
You give a verbal command to a creature that you can see within range, ordering it to carry out some service or refrain from an action or a course of activity as you decide. The target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration. The target automatically succeeds if it can't understand your command. While Charmed, the creature takes 5d10 Psychic damage if it acts in a manner directly counter to your command. It takes this damage no more than once each day. You can issue any command you choose, short of an activity that would result in certain death. Should you issue a suicidal command, the spell ends. A *Remove Curse, Greater Restoration,* or *Wish* spell ends this spell.
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
Enchantment is the school of mind-shaping. Charm, dominate, fear, hold, compel — Enchantment spells write a sentence into a target's intent and the target acts as if they had written it themselves. Geas reads as Enchantment because the spell rewrites a sentient creature's intent or perception. Slots at level 5 arrive slowly through the campaign; Geas earns its prep on the days it solves a problem.
Class Fit
- Bard: On a Bard sheet, Geas competes with Counterspell, Greater Invisibility, and Polymorph for known-spell budget. Pick it when those don't fit the day's planned arc. Geas has an at-higher-levels rule; the spell's per-slot scaling makes upcasting worthwhile in the right context.
- Cleric: Clerics often prep Geas for a single arc — a kidnapping arc, a planar arc, a politics arc — and swap it out when the arc ends. Upcasting Geas changes the effect; the spell page lists the per-slot scaling.
- Druid: At tier 2, Druids juggle Pass Without Trace, Conjure Animals, and Spike Growth for concentration; Geas fits in if it doesn't compete. Geas reaches 60 feet, which lets the caster stay clear of the front line.
- Paladin: Auras dominate Paladin identity. Geas is a discretionary slot the Paladin chooses to add on top of the always-on aura suite. At 60 feet, Geas stays usable from the caster's typical positioning.
- Wizard: Tier 3 and tier 4 Wizards add 5th-9th level spells to the book — Geas interacts with those upper-tier picks as part of a full prep loadout. Geas scales when upcast — see the higher-level note on the spell page.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Geas
- What level spell is Geas?
- Geas is a level 5 spell from the Enchantment school. The classes that can prepare it: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Wizard.
- How much damage does Geas deal?
- Geas deals 5d10 psychic damage as its base effect. Upcasting raises the dice count.
- What save does Geas require?
- Geas forces a Wisdom save. The DC is the caster's spell save DC (8 + proficiency + casting modifier).
- What is the range of Geas?
- Geas has a range of 60 feet from the caster.
- How long does Geas last?
- Geas lasts 30 days. It does not require concentration, so the caster can run other concentration spells alongside it.
- What components and casting time does Geas need?
- Geas requires v. The other notable details — the casting time is 1 minute (not a standard Action).