Minor Illusion
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- Illusion cantrip
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- 30 feet
- Components
- S, M (a bit of fleece)
- Duration
- 1 minute
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
You create a sound or an image of an object within range that lasts for the duration. See the descriptions below for the effects of each. The illusion ends if you cast this spell again. If a creature takes a Study action to examine the sound or image, the creature can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the illusion becomes faint to the creature.
Sound. If you create a sound, its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice, a lion's roar, a beating of drums, or any other sound you choose. The sound continues unabated throughout the duration, or you can make discrete sounds at different times before the spell ends.
Image. If you create an image of an object—such as a chair, muddy footprints, or a small chest—it must be no larger than a 5- foot Cube. The image can't create sound, light, smell, or any other sensory effect. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, since things can pass through it.
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- Illusion cantrip
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- 30 feet
- Components
- S, M (a bit of fleece)
- Duration
- 1 minute
- Classes
- Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
You create a sound or an image of an object within range that lasts for the duration. The illusion also ends if you dismiss it as an action or cast this spell again.
If you create a sound, its volume can range from a whisper to a scream. It can be your voice, someone else's voice, a lion's roar, a beating of drums, or any other sound you choose. The sound continues unabated throughout the duration, or you can make discrete sounds at different times before the spell ends.
If you create an image of an object-such as a chair, muddy footprints, or a small chest-it must be no larger than a 5-foot cube. The image can't create sound, light, smell, or any other sensory effect. Physical interaction with the image reveals it to be an illusion, because things can pass through it.
If a creature uses its action to examine the sound or image, the creature can determine that it is an illusion with a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC. If a creature discerns the illusion for what it is, the illusion becomes faint to the creature.
Minor Illusion 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Minor Illusion popularity
Minor Illusion is a commonly chosen cantrip. Choosing it adds an established option to your spellbook.
- #3 most popular Bard cantrip
- Top 25% Sorcerer cantrip
- #3 most popular Warlock cantrip
- Top 25% Wizard cantrip
Spells similar to Minor Illusion
Silent Image 1st-level illusion
It also creates a visual illusion you can position at range and is the closest higher-level analogue that expands the same image concept.
Major Image 3rd-level illusion
This is the more powerful version of creating convincing visual (and timed) illusions, sharing the same core use of tricking observers with sights and staged effects.
Magic Mouth 2nd-level illusion
It focuses on creating a persistent sound-based effect at range that can be used for deception or messages, similar to Minor Illusion's sound option.
Prestidigitation Transmutation cantrip
Both are low-level, flexible sensory cantrips used for small tricks, flavor, and utility rather than direct combat impact.
Dancing Lights Illusion cantrip
It produces simple visible effects at range for utility and misdirection, making it a comparable minor-illusion-style cantrip for visual manipulation.