Locate Creature

  • Level & School
    4th-level divination
  • Casting Time
    Action
  • Range
    Self
  • Components
    V, S, M (fur from a bloodhound)
  • Duration
    Concentration, up to 1 hour
  • Classes
    Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Wizard

Describe or name a creature that is familiar to you. You sense the direction to the creature's location if that creature is within 1,000 feet of you. If the creature is moving, you know the direction of its movement.

The spell can locate a specific creature known to you or the nearest creature of a specific kind (such as a human or a unicorn) if you have seen such a creature up close—within 30 feet—at least once. If the creature you described or named is in a different form, such as under the effects of a Flesh to Stone or Polymorph spell, this spell doesn't locate the creature.

This spell can't locate a creature if any thickness of lead blocks a direct path between you and the creature.

Locate Creature 5e 2024 vs. 2014 edition differences

The 2024 version specifies "up to 1 hour" duration, clarifying it's not a fixed duration. It states "if that creature is within 1,000 feet" instead of "as long as," clarifying the range. It adds "any thickness of lead" blocking the path, replacing "running water at least 10 feet wide." It explicitly states "under the effects of a Flesh to Stone or Polymorph spell" for form changes.