Dominate Person
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- 5th-level enchantment
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- 60 feet
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Concentration, 1 minute
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2024)
One Humanoid you can see within range must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration. The target has Advantage on the save if you or your allies are fighting it. Whenever the target takes damage, it repeats the save, ending the spell on itself on a success.
You have a telepathic link with the Charmed target while the two of you are on the same plane of existence. On your turn, you can use this link to issue commands to the target (no action required), such as "Attack that creature," "Move over there," or "Fetch that object." The target does its best to obey on its turn. If it completes an order and doesn't receive further direction from you, it acts and moves as it likes, focusing on protecting itself.
You can command the target to take a Reaction but must take your own Reaction to do so.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. Your Concentration can last longer with a spell slot of level 6 (up to 10 minutes), 7 (up to 1 hour), or 8+ (up to 8 hours).
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 5th-level enchantment
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- 60 feet
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- Concentration, 1 minute
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2014)
You attempt to beguile a humanoid that you can see within range. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for the duration. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw.
While the target is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey. You can specify a simple and general course of action, such as "Attack that creature," "Run over there," or "Fetch that object." If the creature completes the order and doesn't receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.
You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn't do anything that you don't allow it to do. During this time you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well.
Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the spell ends.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a 6th-level spell slot, the duration is concentration, up to 10 minutes. When you use a 7th-level spell slot, the duration is concentration, up to 1 hour. When you use a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the duration is concentration, up to 8 hours.
Dominate Person 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Dominate Person popularity
How popular is Dominate Person? It is a seldom seen spell in the game, and is chosen less than other options when available. This spell may fill a specific niche for a spellbook.
- Top 50% picked level 5 Wizard spell
- Top 50% of all level 5 spells
- Top 50% picked level 5 Bard spell
- Top 50% picked level 5 Sorcerer spell
- Bottom 50% of all 5e spells
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Dominate Person
Mass Suggestion 6th-level enchantment
It offers similar supernatural persuasion and command-based control, though it affects multiple creatures and lacks the ongoing telepathic direction of domination.
Players prefer Mass Suggestion over Dominate Person
Suggestion 2nd-level enchantment
Both enchantments influence a creature through spoken instructions after a failed save, but this spell is weaker and less directly controlling.
Players prefer Suggestion over Dominate Person
Dominate Beast 4th-level enchantment
This is the closest lower-level counterpart, combining a saving throw, concentration, charm-based control, and commands that consume the target's actions.
Players prefer Dominate Beast over Dominate Person
Compulsion 4th-level enchantment
Both are concentration-based enchantments that use magical commands to direct a target's movement and behavior.
Players prefer Compulsion over Dominate Person
Dominate Monster 8th-level enchantment
It uses the same sustained telepathic command concept, differing mainly in the kinds of creatures it can affect and its longer duration.
Players prefer Dominate Monster over Dominate Person
Geas 5th-level enchantment
A failed save lets the caster impose behavioral orders, with the same social-control purpose but a much longer duration and harsher consequences.
Players prefer Dominate Person over Geas