Arcane Eye

A
Utility

Arcane Eye is a Utility spell. Utility spells solve problems outside of combat or provide unique situational advantages.

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 spell that sends an invisible eye to scout from afar, giving you
crucial information

Arcane Eye is a Information spell. Information spells provide ways to transmit, perceive, detect, or reveal hidden or unknown information.

See all Information spells →
 with swift
bonus action movement

Arcane Eye is a Action Economy spell. Action Economy spells grant you more choices on future turns.

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.

2024 Rules
Level & School
4th-level divination
Casting Time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S, M (a bit of bat fur)
Duration
Concentration, 1 hour
Classes
Artificer, Wizard
Source
Player's Handbook (2024)

You create an Invisible, invulnerable eye within range that hovers for the duration. You mentally receive visual information from the eye, which can see in every direction. It also has Darkvision with a range of 30 feet.

As a Bonus Action, you can move the eye up to 30 feet in any direction. A solid barrier blocks the eye's movement, but the eye can pass through an opening as small as 1 inch in diameter.

2014 Rules
Level & School
4th-level divination
Casting Time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S, M (a bit of bat fur)
Duration
Concentration, 1 hour
Classes
Artificer, Wizard
Source
Player's Handbook (2014)

You create an invisible, magical eye within range that hovers in the air for the duration.

You mentally receive visual information from the eye, which has normal vision and darkvision out to 30 feet. The eye can look in every direction.

As an action, you can move the eye up to 30 feet in any direction. There is no limit to how far away from you the eye can move, but it can't enter another plane of existence. A solid barrier blocks the eye's movement, but the eye can pass through an opening as small as 1 inch in diameter.

Arcane Eye 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

The eye is now invulnerable, its movement takes a Bonus Action instead of an action, and its vision is slightly different: it no longer has normal vision, just all-around sight plus darkvision 30 feet. The 2024 version also drops the old “can’t enter another plane” and unlimited-distance wording.

How popular is Arcane Eye in 5e?

Arcane Eye is the #8 most popular level 4 spell (of 60) and the #1 most picked level 4 Wizard spell (of 43).

Among level 4 spells, Arcane Eye ranks just below Freedom of Movement and just above Death Ward in popularity.

Read about how this popularity data is calculated and see Arcane Eye visualized with all 5e spells.

Spells similar to Arcane Eye