Scrying
Level 5 · Divination
- Concentration
- Save
Carried by bard, cleric, druid, warlock, and wizard, Scrying operates at the 5th level of the divination school. Cast time: 10 Minutes. Range Self, components V/S/M, duration up to 10 minutes. Material: a focus worth 1,000+ GP, such as a crystal ball, mirror, or water-filled font. Marked concentration. Effect: You can see and hear a creature you choose that is on the same plane of existence as you.
Stat Block
- Level
- 5
- School
- Divination
- Casting Time
- 10 Minutes
- Range / Area
- Self
- Components
- V, S, M
- Duration
- up to 10 minutes
- Ritual
- No
- Concentration
- Yes
- Classes
- Bard, Cleric, Druid, Warlock, Wizard
- Material
- a focus worth 1,000+ GP, such as a crystal ball, mirror, or water-filled font
Description
You can see and hear a creature you choose that is on the same plane of existence as you. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw, which is modified (see the tables below) by how well you know the target and the sort of physical connection you have to it. The target doesn't know what it is making the save against, only that it feels uneasy.
On a successful save, the target isn't affected, and you can't use this spell on it again for 24 hours.
On a failed save, the spell creates an Invisible, intangible sensor within 10 feet of the target. You can see and hear through the sensor as if you were there. The sensor moves with the target, remaining within 10 feet of it for the duration. If something can see the sensor, it appears as a luminous orb about the size of your fist.
Instead of targeting a creature, you can target a location you have seen. When you do so, the sensor appears at that location and doesn't move.
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 Divination tradition's defining feature is access — to other places, other times, other minds. It is the most invasive school of magic and the least violent. The school tag on Scrying comes from its method, not its damage — the spell opens a window onto another place. At level 5, Scrying sits in the high-mid slot range — tier-2 to early-tier-3 play.
Class Fit
- Bard: Lore Bards reach Magical Secrets at level 6 and 10, which changes the calculus on Scrying: if a non-Bard list has it cheaper, Magical Secrets is the way in. Concentration is the binding cost — Scrying can't share a slot with another concentration spell.
- Cleric: Domain-bonus spells fill some of the Cleric's prep automatically; check whether the chosen Domain already grants Scrying before manual prepping. Scrying's concentration requirement makes it vulnerable to a single failed save when the caster takes damage.
- Druid: Druids prepare Scrying from the full list each day, but the Wild Shape economy means prep cycles look different from a Cleric's. The concentration tag on Scrying means a single failed Constitution save can end the effect mid-encounter.
- Warlock: Eldritch Blast is the Warlock's default action. Scrying only competes with Eldritch Blast if it does more than scale-damage to one target. Keep in mind that Scrying ends the moment the caster takes concentration off it for any reason.
- Wizard: The Wizard's daily prep list is the class's flexibility lever — every long rest is a chance to reconsider what Scrying is doing on the sheet. As a concentration spell, Scrying occupies the caster's single concentration slot.
Tactical play (Doungim editorial)
Spy on a known creature for 10 minutes. Wisdom save by the target. Best used on familiar enemies you have personal items from.
Related Spells
Frequently Asked Questions about Scrying
- What level spell is Scrying?
- Scrying is a level 5 spell from the Divination school. The classes that can prepare it: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Warlock, Wizard.
- What save does Scrying require?
- Scrying calls for a Wisdom save against the caster's DC. Success conditions are described in the spell text.
- What is the range of Scrying?
- The range on Scrying is Self; no other creature can be the target.
- Is Scrying a concentration spell?
- Scrying runs on concentration for up to 10 minutes. The caster can drop it on their next turn or lose it to a failed save after taking damage.
- What components and casting time does Scrying need?
- Note: the spell uses V, S, M components. Beyond that — Material component: a focus worth 1,000+ GP, such as a crystal ball, mirror, or water-filled font; the casting time is 10 minutes (not a standard Action).