Warlocks and War Crimes
Warlocks and War Crimes
This article is going to deal with International law in our world applied to the fantastic and magical world of Dungeons & Dragons, because it’s absurd and mixes the whimsical with the macabre.
My main goal is to go through all 362 spells in the Dungeons and Dragons Players Handbook (PHB). At the end I also tally up which classes have access to the most war crime spells!
What are War Crimes?
I’m basing this article on Hague law and Geneva law, basically cribbing off the various conventions and some agreed humanitarian law. International law is funny in that in most ways it can’t be like laws we’re used to dealing with in our every day lives. In the U.S., laws are generally passed by some governing body, the U.S. Congress, the various states, counties down to individual municipalities. They’ll write down the law in a bill which if it’s enacted becomes enforced by law enforcement and interpreted by the judiciary in lawsuits. At least generally that’s the model.
With International law, individual states agree on what the law is, and it may be written down in treaties or international conventions, but it’s still not like laws within a state, because there’s no international police force and usually there’s no international judiciary… at least not one that looks like federal, or municipal court. In the world of D&D (Faerûn usually), this gets even fuzzier; there aren’t many established states and those that do exist tend to be self-isolated. For something like the Geneva conventions to take place, the world of D&D would need to be quite different.
So, for this exercise I’m not going to dive into what kinds of international laws may get created, or which treaties would outlaw which spells. Instead I’ll just copy over our world’s international law, and go from there!
No Really What Are War Crimes
Oh right, we need some definitions. The UN has us covered and lays down the definitions from the Geneva Conventions and Protocols, Hague Law, and Rome statue. Summarizing a whole lot,
- Non-combatants are off-limits: in war you need to direct attacks to state actors. So indiscriminate attacks are generally bad. You also can’t use non-combatants as a tool in war, i.e. you can’t hide behind civilians or medics.
- Avoid “unnecessary suffering”: these provisions are aimed at weapons and means that cause suffering after a combatant is removed. I.e. poisonous weapons, and attacks which generally go above just causing harm.
- Humiliation & Forced Conscription: several paragraphs include provisions against humiliating your enemy, so any spell which is intentionally embarrassing, or forces a combatant to fight against it’s army will fall under scrutiny.
The Large Categories
Most offensive spells in the PHB deal a specific type of damage. The ones in the PHB are: Acid, Bludgeoning, Cold, Fire, Force, Lightning, Necrotic, Piercing, Poison, Psychic, Radiant, Slashing, Thunder. Of these, 2 are called out by Geneva as being forbidden, Acid and Poison specifically. Most others seem to be fair play, but unlike Faerûn Earth doesn’t have “Necrotic” damage. The damage type itself is described as:
Necrotic damage, dealt by certain undead and a spell such as Chill Touch, withers matter and even the soul.
It’s not clear if Necrotic damage causes harm in the afterlife, or to the more supernatural aspects of reality in Faerûn. From the general tone of Necrotic damage, I’d err on the side of saying Necrotic damage would be disallowed by the Geneva Conventions. So we have 3 damage types that automatically make a spell a war crime.
Most mind control spells are also suspect. On Earth, we don’t have anything like that, but coercing combatants into your own service is called out in the Rome Statute, Article 8(2.a.v):
Compelling a prisoner of war or other protected person to serve in the forces of a hostile Power;
One final thing to take note of is that War Crimes usually committed in the context of an armed conflict usually by state actors (not necessarily internationally). So for this exercise, I’m going to assume we’re dealing with spells cast on combatants. War crimes don’t require specific implements, so I’m sure you could commit atrocities using Druidcraft. I’ll leave that to you: do not email me how you’d use Continual Flame or Druidcraft to commit some sort of crime.
Instead I’m going to focus on spells that you can’t cast on combatants without it falling afoul of international law.
So in summary a spell is a war crime if it meets any of these criteria:
- It only causes Acid, Poison, or Necrotic damage
- It forces what could be considered “Forced Conscription”, so most charm spells, and mind-control spells
- Spells with additional effects which affect otherwise incapacitated combatants, or non-combatants.
If a spell doesn’t meet these criteria but is still a problem, I’ll call those out specifically.
The List!
Who’s on the list!? Well I’ve got the whole list of spells here, but I’ll go over some of the more interesting spells that I’d consider illegal under international Earth law. These generally fall under the three categories above.
If you need a refresher on what any of these spells do, or if you think I missed a spell, you can see the (almost) full list in the PHB from the SRD, which is available for free. I’ll be using their SRD names, so if you see any weird names, or any that are missing that’s why.
Cantrips
Out of the 24 Cantrips, 3 meet the criteria because of their damage type: Acid Splash, Poison Spray, and Chill Touch the last of which infamously doesn’t do cold damage nor is it a touch spell. Other than that, none of the spells are egregious. In fact, most of them are simple force multipliers or utility spells. The least offensive Cantrip is probably Druidcraft; beyond lighting fires it’s one of the most worthless spells in the game.
Necromancy
Necromancy is the problem child of magic. For every Resurrection and Spare the Dying there’s something that creates Zombies or causes Necrotic Damage.
48% of all Necromancy spells cause Necrotic damage, or are crimes against humanity. Of those that don’t automatically count are Spare the Dying, False Life, Blindness / Deafness, Gentle Repose, Ray of Enfeeblement, Revivify, Speak with Dead, Eyebite, Resurrection, Clone, Astral Projection, and True Resurrection. Of these, Clone isn’t a war crime, but it’s definitely a crime against humanity.
I’m not sure how an international community would deal with Resurrection, since it kinda means that corpses could be possible future combatants. I also Ruled that Bestow Curse is a war crime because after a retreat it causes undue harm which is difficult to avoid or remove. Most of the others that are war crimes are Necrotic Damage (Inflict Wounds, Vampiric Touch, Blight, Circle of Undeath, Harm, Finger of Death) or they animate corpses which I’d rule as humiliating your opponent and a crime against humanity, but we get into weird territory if you start animating members of your own nation to fight again. Contagion is interesting, because it gives its target a natural disease, which is a bioweapon. Magic Jar is also a problem because it allows the mage to take over the body of another being, so it’s both a crime against humanity and a war crime.
Mind Control and Other Enchantments
Mind Control is not a thing on Earth, so international law doesn’t address it. However, I would hazard to guess that most would be illegal if they were a thing. Charm Person, Command, Suggestion, Confusion, Dominate Person, Geas, Modify Memory, Irresistible Dance, and Mass Suggestion are all under the same umbrella of coerced servitude, and they’re all in the Enchantment
Feblemind reduces your mental attributes to 1 for at least 30 days - far longer than most individual conflicts last. I also consider Hideous Laughter to fit in this, even though it really only compulses you to laugh, but it’s still causing humiliation, so it’s probably not ok.
Area of Effect Spells
Almost any spell could be used to commit war crimes, but spells with an area of effect are dangerous when used anywhere near non-combatants. A Fireball by itself is probably ok against a group of soldiers, but casting that same fireball in a confined town square is almost certainly not allowable (without spell sculpting). I’ve labelled most of these spells as AoE, to make them easier to check. A few of these are so catastrophic that it’s hard to imagine how they’d be ok: Earthquake is ripe for collateral, and Meteor Swarm has such a wide rang that casting it anywhere outside of a large field is a dangerous prospect. A lot of the “cloud” are also ripe for collateral, and Cloudkill is literally chlorine gas - it’s hard banned, but the others are not mostly because the laws I’m applying don’t have the tools available to address them.
Shapechanging and other Transmutations
I may be wrong, but Polymorph and True Polymorph (and Wish but we’ll get to Wish) are the only two spells with the ability to change a combatant’s form. Most spells of this class need a willing subject, so using them on an opponent is impossible without an already banned mind-controlling spell. Polymorph isn’t too bad: it’s concentration and if you are dropped to 0 HP you revert to your original shape, and it’s duration isn’t excessive. True Polymorph is more difficult, and casting that on an opponent seems like a war crime. Other shape changing spells usually need to be cast on willing targets, or similarly wear off after concentration lapses or HP drops to 0. The only other Transmutation I could find that I’d say was a war crime was Reverse Gravity solely for the reason that you’re either causing someone to fall from 100ft, or you’re causing them to get stuck to a ceiling. If you cast this in an open field, then you’re dooming a normal human and maiming the others.
The really nasty one is Flesh to Stone. Any petrification is basically a death sentence without more powerful magic, or having the one spell that counters it. Not to mention, that petrification makes the target more vulnerable to basic forms of attack: knocking off petrified body parts using basic blunt tools results in permanent physical damage to any unpetrified subjects if they ever get to breathe again. Petrification, no doubt in my mind, would be banned.
Sometimes but Not Always A Crime.
The “Prismatic” spells all have a problem of not being entirely controlled and also causing Poison or Acid damage randomly. Since this is entirely random, this spell should be banned. The simplest form of these “Prismatic” spells is Prismatic Spray:
Eight multicolored rays of light flash from your hand. Each ray is a different color and has a different power and purpose. Each creature in a 60 foot cone must make a Dexterity saving throw. For each target, roll a d8 to determine which color ray affects it.
Two of the 7 damage types (8 rolls twice!) are prohibited explicitly by the Geneva Conventions, so casting this and not doing Acid or Poison damage is just lucky but negligent.
Uncontrollable Arcane Bombs
Another class of weapons that are generally banned by Intenational Law are weapons that are indiscriminate and which could last long after a conflict ended, such as land mines. Such munitions also often put civilians at risk. Spells like Symbol seem to be in that category since they just lay round and if someone triggers them they are mostly indiscriminate, and highly dangerous.
Wish
Wish is world bending. Wish is reality changing. Wish is the ultimate spell. Wish is too powerful to allow a single mortal to control this power. Besides allowing someone to wish a race or nation out of existence, it also allows for any 8th level spell or lower to be cast, but of those it’s about 10% war crimes.
If you use Wish to cast a lower level spell that’s itself not a war crime, then sure, it’s fine. But any other application of Wish during conflict would be banned. It’s like the D&D’s version of the Nuke.
Heat Metal
Heat Metal isn’t necessarily a war crime, but if you cast it on a heavily armored opponent it’s a war crime simply due to its cruelty:
Choose a manufactured metal object, such as a metal weapon or a suit of heavy or medium metal armor, that you can see within range. You cause the object to glow red-‐‑hot. Any creature in physical contact with the object takes 2d8 fire damage when you cast the spell. Until the spell ends, you can use a bonus action on each of your subsequent turns to cause this damage again. If a creature is holding or wearing the object and takes the damage from it, the creature must succeed on a Constitution saving throw or drop the object if it can. If it doesn’t drop the object, it has disadvantage on attack rolls and ability checks until the start of your next turn.
Heavy Armor takes 5 minutes to doff (or “take off)”, so best-case you start removing your armor, and the druid or bard who is harassing you stops, or starts the spell again. Even for light or medium armor it takes 1 minute to doff, so you either kill or interrupt the attacker (who can just run “cook and book”) or you suffer 12d8 damage (at minimum). And this is a suggested use of the spell!
Death Ward, Healing, and Feigning Death
These spells aren’t harmful and Feign Death (which isn’t in the SRD, it’s in the PHB) can’t even be cast on combatants. The main problem with Death Ward and combat healing is that it blurs the line between combatants, non-combatants, medics, incapacitated, and humanitarian aid. Clerics really make this difficult, because their main job on the field is usually to heal wounded combatants and deliver buffs while also dealing some damage.
The problem with Death Ward, and Feign Death is that it may encourage conduct which itself is problematic. For example, if you knew that your opponents often cast Death Ward (a 4th level spell so not the easiest but also not the hardest to access), then you may be inclined to always “double tap,” or make sure that opponents who should have taken lethal damage actually did which could mean further endangerment of bystanders if AoE damage is used. It essentially encourages combatants to use more force to combat its effect.
Feign Death is a problem on the other end of the spectrum, and is a direct act of perfidy; if an opponent fakes their death and returns from a battle unharmed, or if the opponent’s general feigns death to avoid capture it sets a bad precedent for armed conflict. It’s the same problem as faking a surrender: as soon as word gets out that you’ll fly a false surrender flag, your opponent is incentivized to take no quarter (which is a war crime). If you fake a death and come back as a combatant, then you may just encourage your opponent to pillage through your casualties and mutilate them to make sure they don’t come back later. No one wants that.
A small aside: One thing that really bugs me about some kids shows with armed conflicts (looking at you Star Wars: the Clone Wars) is that fake surrenders are something of a favorite tactic.
In the same vein, Alter Self and Seeming can cause similar issues: running false flag groups runs afoul of perfidy. This doesn’t mean you can’t spy on enemies, which means it’s not really as cut-and-dry as all that. It is illegal to take an enemy insignia in an armed conflict as a ruse - i.e. to gain a flank, or surprise attack because the defending army doesn’t recognize the attack. These spells aren’t necessarily a war crime so they get a pass.
I’m not going to rule battle healing as a crime, even though it does seem to cause confusion in what “Humanitarian Aid” and “Medics” are; perhaps that would be a good article for later.
Class Comparison
This may not be a surprise, but the class with access to the most spells that are always war crimes is the Wizard; with 30 total flagrant spells it numbers over double any other class repertoire. However, by proportion the class with most belligerent spells is the Warlock, whose spell inventory is over 20% war crimes, while the Wizard’s grimoire only comes in at the second most at almost 15%.
One class is entirely pure: the Ranger has no spells which automatically count as war crimes, with the next class being the Paladin (most of whose illegal spells are mind-control). If you want to include non-casters, then you could also say that the Barbarian and Fighter, Barbarian, Rogue, and Monk also don’t apply but since I’m really looking at spells in general it’s not an interesting distinction.
In general, about 12% of all spells automatically count as war crimes when used against other combatants, and level 9, then level 5 have the most belligerent spells at 33% and 19% respectively.
Of all the schools of magic Necromancy at 48%, then Evocation at 38% are the most belligerent with Illusion and Divination having no belligerent spells in either of them, with the next lowest being Transmutation at 3.5%.
Further Investigations
I’m only looking at the SRD version of the Player’s Handbook, so things like Tasha’s, Volo’s, Xanathar’s, and Mordenkainen’s expansions of profit respectively will need to wait. I’m sure Wizards would love for me to dissect the political ramifications of a spell that stops a retreat (looking at you Booming Blade). If I get an email about doing analysis on those expansions or other game’s spells or systems that fall under the scrutiny of the Geneva Conventions, then maybe I’ll look into it more.
How to Apply This
Now that you have a list of spells that Earth international Law would heavily disapprove of, what can you do to improve your game?
Honestly, not much. As I stated before, Faerûn doesn’t really have an international committee. You could argue that individual states could use this framework, and if you’re a Dungeon Master for a game where national politics is important enough to matter, then congrats, and here you go.
In the real world, international laws exist for very practical and horrifying reasons. Atrocities are something of a norm for human history. D&D doesn’t preclude this kind of brutality (and honestly reading Grayhawk, maybe it’s the norm in D&D land too). I’m sure in more dark fantasy settings investigating and spelling out why certain spells are outlawed and setting up bylaws in various duchies or counties would add flavor. However, In your by-the-book wrote D&D campaign typically focused on fantasy heroism, such flavor is out of place and unnecessary.
In the reality of Dungeons & Dragons, I’m sure very different laws and treaties would be enacted by various states because of various wars or pacts. The world of D&D also has supernatural powers such as literal deities, alignments (which is a hairy subject for characters in game), and sentient hostile and almost never organized races (Kobolds, Goblins, Dragons, etc.). How does international law deal with these entities… it’s unclear what exactly would happen.
The full table of what I consider an automatic war crime is below: if you spot anything that is out of place, or if you think I missed a spell, let me know at yocky@yockyard.com.
Oh and this table is… jank, so I’ll be looking into a table module that would let you actually use it, but here ya go!
Full List
| Spell | Damage Type | Level | School | War Crime | AoE |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Acid Splash | Acid | 0 | Conjuration | Yes | No |
| Chill Touch | Necrotic | 0 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Dancing Lights | None | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Druidcraft | None | 0 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Eldritch Blast | Force | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Fire Bolt | Fire | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Guidance | None | 0 | Divination | No | No |
| Light | None | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Mage Hand | None | 0 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Mending | None | 0 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Message | None | 0 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Minor Illusion | None | 0 | Illusion | No | No |
| Poison Spray | Poison | 0 | Conjuration | Yes | No |
| Prestidigitation | None | 0 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Produce Flame | Fire | 0 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Ray of Frost | Cold | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Resistance | None | 0 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Sacred Flame | Radiant | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Shillelagh | None | 0 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Shocking Grasp | Lightning | 0 | Evocation | No | No |
| Spare the Dying | None | 0 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Thaumaturgy | None | 0 | Transmutation | No | No |
| True Strike | None | 0 | Divination | No | No |
| Vicious Mockery | Psychic | 0 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Alarm | None | 1 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Animal Friendship | None | 1 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Bane | None | 1 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Bless | None | 1 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Burning Hands | Fire | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Charm Person | None | 1 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Color Spray | None | 1 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Command | None | 1 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Comprehend Languages | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Create or Destroy Water | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| Cure Wounds | None | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Detect Evil and Good | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Detect Magic | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Detect Poison and Disease | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Disguise Self | None | 1 | Illusion | No* | No |
| Divine Favor | Radiant | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Entangle | None | 1 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Expeditious Retreat | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Faerie Fire | None | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| False Life | None | 1 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Feather Fall | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Find Familiar | None | 1 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Floating Disk | None | 1 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Fog Cloud | None | 1 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Goodberry | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Grease | None | 1 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Guiding Bolt | Radiant | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Healing Word | None | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Hellish Rebuke | Fire | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Heroism | None | 1 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Hideous Laughter | None | 1 | Enchantment | Yes? | No |
| Hunter’s Mark | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Identify | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Illusory Script | None | 1 | Illusion | No | No |
| Inflict Wounds | Necrotic | 1 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Jump | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Longstrider | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Mage Armor | None | 1 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Magic Missile | Force | 1 | Evocation | No | No |
| Protection from Evil and Good | None | 1 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Purify Food and Drink | None | 1 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Sanctuary | None | 1 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Shield | None | 1 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Shield of Faith | None | 1 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Silent Image | None | 1 | Illusion | No | No |
| Sleep | None | 1 | Enchantment | No | Yes |
| Speak with Animals | None | 1 | Divination | No | No |
| Thunderwave | Thunder | 1 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Unseen Servant | None | 1 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Acid Arrow | Acid | 2 | Evocation | Yes | No |
| Aid | None | 2 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Alter Self | None | 2 | Transmutation | No* | No |
| Animal Messenger | None | 2 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Arcane Lock | None | 2 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Arcanist’s Magic Aura | None | 2 | Illusion | No | No |
| Augury | None | 2 | Divination | No | No |
| Barkskin | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Blindness/Deafness | None | 2 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Blur | None | 2 | Illusion | No | No |
| Branding Smite | Radiant | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| Calm Emotions | None | 2 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Continual Flame | None | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| Darkness | None | 2 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Darkvision | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Detect Thoughts | None | 2 | Divination | No | No |
| Enhance Ability | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Enlarge/Reduce | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Enthrall | None | 2 | Enchantment | No | Yes |
| Find Steed | None | 2 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Find Traps | None | 2 | Divination | No | No |
| Flame Blade | Fire | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| Flaming Sphere | Fire | 2 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Gentle Repose | None | 2 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Gust of Wind | None | 2 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Heat Metal | Fire | 2 | Transmutation | No* | No |
| Hold Person | None | 2 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Invisibility | None | 2 | Illusion | No | No |
| Knock | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Lesser Restoration | None | 2 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Levitate | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Locate Animals or Plants | None | 2 | Divination | No | No |
| Locate Object | None | 2 | Divination | No | No |
| Magic Mouth | None | 2 | Illusion | No | No |
| Magic Weapon | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Mirror Image | None | 2 | Illusion | No | No |
| Misty Step | None | 2 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Moonbeam | Radiant | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| Pass without Trace | None | 2 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Prayer of Healing | None | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| Protection from Poison | None | 2 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Ray of Enfeeblement | None | 2 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Rope Trick | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Scorching Ray | Fire | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| See Invisibility | None | 2 | Divination | No | No |
| Shatter | Thunder | 2 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Silence | None | 2 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Spider Climb | None | 2 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Spike Growth | Piercing | 2 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| Spiritual Weapon | Force | 2 | Evocation | No | No |
| Suggestion | None | 2 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Warding Bond | None | 2 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Web | None | 2 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Zone of Truth | None | 2 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Animate Dead | None | 3 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Beacon of Hope | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Bestow Curse | Necrotic | 3 | Necromancy | Yes* | No |
| Blink | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Call Lightning | Lightning | 3 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Clairvoyance | None | 3 | Divination | No | No |
| Conjure Animals | None | 3 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Counterspell | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Create Food and Water | None | 3 | Conjuration | no | No |
| Daylight | None | 3 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Dispel Magic | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Fear | None | 3 | Illusion | No? | Yes |
| Fireball | Fire | 3 | Evocation | No* | Yes |
| Fly | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Gaseous Form | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Glyph of Warding | Acid / Cold / Fire / Lightning / Thunder | 3 | Abjuration | No | Yes |
| Haste | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Hypnotic Pattern | None | 3 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Lightning Bolt | Lightning | 3 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Magic Circle | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | Yes |
| Major Image | None | 3 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Mass Healing Word | None | 3 | Evocation | No | No |
| Meld into Stone | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Nondetection | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Phantom Steed | None | 3 | Illusion | No | No |
| Plant Growth | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| Protection from Energy | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Remove Curse | None | 3 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Revivify | None | 3 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Sending | None | 3 | Evocation | No | No |
| Sleet Storm | None | 3 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Slow | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| Speak with Dead | None | 3 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Speak with Plants | None | 3 | Divination | No | No |
| Spirit Guardians | Radiant | 3 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Stinking Cloud | None | 3 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Tiny Hut | None | 3 | Evocation | No | No |
| Tongues | None | 3 | Divination | No | No |
| Vampiric Touch | Necrotic | 3 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Water Breathing | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Water Walk | None | 3 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Wind Wall | Bludgeoning | 3 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Arcane Eye | None | 4 | Divination | No | No |
| Banishment | None | 4 | Abjuration | No* | No |
| Black Tentacles | Bludgeoning | 4 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Blight | Necrotic | 4 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Compulsion | None | 4 | Enchantment | No? | Yes |
| Confusion | None | 4 | Enchantment | Yes | Yes |
| Conjure Minor Elementals | None | 4 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Conjure Woodland Beings | None | 4 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Control Water | Bludgeoning | 4 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Death Ward | None | 4 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Dimension Door | None | 4 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Divination | None | 4 | Divination | No | No |
| Dominate Beast | None | 4 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Fabricate | None | 4 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Faithful Hound | None | 4 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Fire Shield | Fire / Cold | 4 | Evocation | No | No |
| Freedom of Movement | None | 4 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Giant Insect | None | 4 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Greater Invisibility | None | 4 | Illusion | No | No |
| Guardian of Faith | None | 4 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Hallucinatory Terrain | None | 4 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Ice Storm | Cold | 4 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Locate Creature | None | 4 | Divination | No | No |
| Phantasmal Killer | Psychic | 4 | Illusion | No | No |
| Polymorph | None | 4 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Private Sanctum | None | 4 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Resilient Sphere | None | 4 | Evocation | No | No |
| Secret Chest | None | 4 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Stone Shape | None | 4 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Stoneskin | None | 4 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Wall of Fire | Fire | 4 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Animate Objects | Bludgeoning | 5 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Antilife Shell | None | 5 | Abjuration | No* | No |
| Arcane Hand | Force | 5 | Evocation | No | No |
| Awaken | None | 5 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Cloudkill | Poison | 5 | Conjuration | Yes | Yes |
| Commune | None | 5 | Divination | No | No |
| Commune with Nature | None | 5 | Divination | No | No |
| Cone of Cold | Cold | 5 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Conjure Elemental | None | 5 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Contact Other Plane | None | 5 | Divination | No | No |
| Contagion | None | 5 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Creation | None | 5 | Illusion | No | No |
| Dispel Evil and Good | None | 5 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Dominate Person | None | 5 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Dream | None | 5 | Illusion | No | No |
| Flame Strike | Fire & Radiant | 5 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Geas | Psychic | 5 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Greater Restoration | None | 5 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Hallow | None | 5 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Hold Monster | None | 5 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Insect Plague | Piercing | 5 | Conjuration | Yes | Yes |
| Legend Lore | None | 5 | Divination | No | No |
| Mass Cure Wounds | None | 5 | Evocation | No | No |
| Mislead | None | 5 | Illusion | No | No |
| Modify Memory | None | 5 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Planar Binding | None | 5 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Raise Dead | None | 5 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Reincarnate | None | 5 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Scrying | None | 5 | Divination | No | No |
| Seeming | None | 5 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Telekinesis | None | 5 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Telepathic Bond | None | 5 | Divination | No | No |
| Teleportation Circle | None | 5 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Tree Stride | None | 5 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Wall of Force | None | 5 | Evocation | No | No |
| Wall of Stone | None | 5 | Evocation | No | No |
| Blade Barrier | Slashing | 6 | Evocation | No* | Yes |
| Chain Lightning | Lightning | 6 | Evocation | No! | No |
| Circle of Death | Necrotic | 6 | Necromancy | Yes | Yes |
| Conjure Fey | None | 6 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Contingency | None | 6 | Evocation | No | No |
| Create Undead | None | 6 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Disintegrate | Force | 6 | Transmutation | No* | Yes |
| Eyebite | None | 6 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Find the Path | None | 6 | Divination | No | No |
| Flesh to Stone | None | 6 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Forbiddance | Radiant / Necrotic | 6 | Abjuration | No* | Yes |
| Freezing Sphere | Cold | 6 | Evocation | No | No |
| Globe of Invulnerability | None | 6 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Guards and Wards | None | 6 | Abjuration | No | Yes |
| Harm | Necrotic | 6 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Heal | None | 6 | Evocation | No | No |
| Heroes’ Feast | None | 6 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Instant Summons | None | 6 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Irresistible Dance | None | 6 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Magic Jar | None | 6 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Mass Suggestion | None | 6 | Enchantment | Yes | Yes |
| Move Earth | None | 6 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| Planar Ally | None | 6 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Programmed Illusion | None | 6 | Illusion | No | No |
| Sunbeam | Radiant | 6 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Transport via Plants | None | 6 | Conjuration | No | No |
| True Seeing | None | 6 | Divination | No | No |
| Wall of Ice | Cold | 6 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Wall of Thorns | Slashing | 6 | Conjuration | No | Yes |
| Wind Walk | None | 6 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Word of Recall | None | 6 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Arcane Sword | Force | 7 | Evocation | No | No |
| Conjure Celestial | None | 7 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Delayed Blast Fireball | Fire | 7 | Evocation | No* | Yes |
| Divine Word | None? | 7 | Evocation | No | No |
| Etherealness | None | 7 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Finger of Death | Necrotic | 7 | Necromancy | Yes | No |
| Fire Storm | Fire | 7 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Forcecage | None | 7 | Evocation | No | No |
| Magnificent Mansion | None | 7 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Mirage Arcane | None | 7 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Plane Shift | None | 7 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Prismatic Spray | Fire / Acid / Lightning / Poison / Cold | 7 | Evocation | Yes | Yes |
| Project Image | None | 7 | Illusion | No | No |
| Regenerate | None | 7 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Resurrection | None | 7 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Reverse Gravity | None | 7 | Transmutation | Yes? | Yes |
| Sequester | None | 7 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Simulacrum | None | 7 | Illusion | No | No |
| Symbol | Necrotic | 7 | Abjuration | Yes | Yes |
| Teleport | None | 7 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Animal Shapes | None | 8 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Antimagic Field | None | 8 | Abjuration | No* | No |
| Antipathy/Sympathy | None | 8 | Enchantment | No* | No |
| Clone | None | 8 | Necromancy | No* | No |
| Control Weather | None | 8 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| Demiplane | None | 8 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Dominate Monster | None | 8 | Enchantment | No? | No |
| Earthquake | Bludgeoning | 8 | Evocation | Yes | Yes |
| Feeblemind | Psychic | 8 | Enchantment | Yes | No |
| Glibness | None | 8 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Holy Aura | None | 8 | Abjuration | No | Yes |
| Incendiary Cloud | Fire | 8 | Conjuration | No? | Yes |
| Maze | None | 8 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Mind Blank | None | 8 | Abjuration | No | No |
| Power Word Stun | None | 8 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Sunburst | Radiant | 8 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Astral Projection | None | 9 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Foresight | None | 9 | Divination | No | No |
| Gate | None | 9 | Conjuration | No | No |
| Imprisonment | None | 9 | Abjuration | Yes | No |
| Mass Heal | None | 9 | Evocation | No | No |
| Meteor Swarm | Fire | 9 | Evocation | No | Yes |
| Power Word Kill | None | 9 | Enchantment | No | No |
| Prismatic Wall | Fire / Acid / Lightning / Poison / Cold | 9 | Abjuration | Yes | Yes |
| Shapechange | None | 9 | Transmutation | No | No |
| Storm of Vengeance | A lot | 9 | Conjuration | Yes | Yes |
| Time Stop | None | 9 | Transmutation | No | Yes |
| True Polymorph | None | 9 | Transmutation | Yes | No |
| True Resurrection | None | 9 | Necromancy | No | No |
| Weird | Psychic | 9 | Illusion | No | Yes |
| Wish | * | 9 | Conjuration | Yes | No |