Disguise Self

A
Utility

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

See all Utility spells →
 spell for
social deception

Disguise Self is a Social Influence spell. Social Influence spells create ways to communicate, persuade, and alter behavior.

See all Social Influence spells →
, letting you alter your appearance and gear to slip past suspicion.

2024 Rules
Level & School
1st-level illusion
Casting Time
Action
Range
Self
Components
V, S
Duration
1 hour
Classes
Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

You make yourself—including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person—look different until the spell ends. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear heavier or lighter. You must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs as you have. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you.

The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing.

To discern that you are disguised, a creature must take the Study action to inspect your appearance and succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.

2014 Rules
Level & School
1st-level illusion
Casting Time
Action
Range
Self
Components
V, S
Duration
1 hour
Classes
Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard

You make yourself-including your clothing, armor, weapons, and other belongings on your person- look different until the spell ends or until you use your action to dismiss it. You can seem 1 foot shorter or taller and can appear thin, fat, or in between. You can't change your body type, so you must adopt a form that has the same basic arrangement of limbs. Otherwise, the extent of the illusion is up to you.

The changes wrought by this spell fail to hold up to physical inspection. For example, if you use this spell to add a hat to your outfit, objects pass through the hat, and anyone who touches it would feel nothing or would feel your head and hair. If you use this spell to appear thinner than you are, the hand of someone who reaches out to touch you would bump into you while it was seemingly still in midair.

To discern that you are disguised, a creature can use its action to inspect your appearance and must succeed on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC.

Disguise Self 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

You can no longer end the disguise early by using your action to dismiss it; it now lasts until the spell ends.

Disguise Self popularity

Disguise Self is a commonly chosen level 1 spell. Choosing it adds an established option to your spellbook.

Spells similar to Disguise Self

  • Seeming 5th-level illusion

    It directly alters how creatures appear to others to enable social manipulation and covers the same disguise concept but for many targets at once.

  • Alter Self 2nd-level transmutation

    Both change your physical form for an hour and are used for roleplay, infiltration, or social tricks, though this one is a true bodily change rather than a pure illusion.

  • Invisibility 2nd-level illusion

    It’s an illusion that modifies how others perceive you for up to an hour, making it a close tactical alternative for sneaking or avoiding social detection.

  • Silent Image 1st-level illusion

    This spell creates a convincing visual illusion and is often chosen for deceptive appearances and trickery in social or infiltration scenarios.

  • Minor Illusion Illusion cantrip

    As a small, cheap illusion that can fake objects or sounds, it shares Disguise Self’s trick-oriented utility for deception and roleplaying.