Detect Evil and Good
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- 1st-level divination
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- Self (30-foot radius)
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Concentration, 10 minutes
- Classes
- Cleric, Paladin
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2024)
For the duration, you sense the location of any Aberration, Celestial, Elemental, Fey, Fiend, or Undead within 30 feet of yourself. You also sense whether the Hallow spell is active there and, if so, where.
The spell is blocked by 1 foot of stone, dirt, or wood; 1 inch of metal; or a thin sheet of lead.
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 1st-level divination
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- Self
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Concentration, 10 minutes
- Classes
- Cleric, Paladin
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2014)
For the duration, you know if there is an aberration, celestial, elemental, fey, fiend, or undead within 30 feet of you, as well as where the creature is located. Similarly, you know if there is a place or object within 30 feet of you that has been magically consecrated or desecrated.
The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
Detect Evil and Good 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Detect Evil and Good popularity
How popular is Detect Evil and Good? It is a commonly found spell in the game, but is chosen less than other options when available. This spell may be situational for many spellbooks.
- Top 25% of all 5e spells
- Bottom 50% of all level 1 spells
- Bottom 50% picked level 1 Cleric spell
- Bottom 50% picked level 1 Paladin spell
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Detect Evil and Good
Detect Magic 1st-level divination
It is a 1st-level divination that uses concentration to sense magical phenomena within the same 30-foot radius.
Players prefer Detect Magic over Detect Evil and Good
Find Traps 2nd-level divination
As a low-level cleric divination, it reveals hidden dangers rather than dealing damage or directly affecting enemies.
Players prefer Find Traps over Detect Evil and Good
See Invisibility 2nd-level divination
Both are self-focused divinations designed to reveal otherwise hidden or difficult-to perceive entities.
Players prefer See Invisibility over Detect Evil and Good
Locate Object 2nd-level divination
The spell provides sustained divinatory tracking from the caster and shares several class lists with the target.
Players prefer Locate Object over Detect Evil and Good
Detect Poison and Disease 1st-level divination
Both are 1st-level cleric and paladin detection spells centered on the caster for 10 minutes of concentration.
Players prefer Detect Evil and Good over Detect Poison and Disease
Locate Creature 4th-level divination
This divination also helps clerics and paladins find creatures, though it searches much farther and lasts longer.
Players prefer Detect Evil and Good over Locate Creature