Otiluke's Resilient Sphere

A
Control

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is a Control spell. Control spells restrict enemy options through debuffs or denial effects.

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 spell that traps a foe in an invulnerable sphere, creating
battlefield control

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is a Battlefield Shaping spell. Battlefield Shaping spells alter terrain, create obstacles, introduce hazards, and affect enemy positioning.

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 and a punishing
save-or-suck

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere is a Save or Suck spell. Save or Suck spells fall entirely flat if the target succeeds on a saving throw.

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 effect.

2024 Rules
Level & School
4th-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S, M (a glass sphere)
Duration
Concentration, up to 1 minute
Classes
Wizard

A shimmering sphere encloses a Large or smaller creature or object within range. An unwilling creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be enclosed for the duration. Nothing-not physical objects, energy, or other spell effects can pass through the barrier, in or out, though a creature in the sphere can breathe there. The sphere is immune to all damage, and a creature or object inside can't be damaged by attacks or effects originating from outside, nor can a creature inside the sphere damage anything outside it. The sphere is weightless and just large enough to contain the creature or object inside. An enclosed creature can take an action to push against the sphere's walls and thus roll the sphere at up to half the creature's Speed. Similarly, the globe can be picked up and moved by other creatures. A Disintegrate spell targeting the globe destroys it without harming anything inside.

2014 Rules
Level & School
4th-level evocation
Casting Time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S, M (a hemispherical piece of clear crystal and a matching hemispherical piece of gum arabic)
Duration
Concentration, 1 minute
Classes
Wizard

A sphere of shimmering force encloses a creature or object of Large size or smaller within range. An unwilling creature must make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature is enclosed for the duration.

Nothing-not physical objects, energy, or other spell effects-can pass through the barrier, in or out, though a creature in the sphere can breathe there. The sphere is immune to all damage, and a creature or object inside can't be damaged by attacks or effects originating from outside, nor can a creature inside the sphere damage anything outside it.

The sphere is weightless and just large enough to contain the creature or object inside. An enclosed creature can use its action to push against the sphere's walls and thus roll the sphere at up to half the creature's speed. Similarly, the globe can be picked up and moved by other creatures.

A disintegrate spell targeting the globe destroys it without harming anything inside it.

Otiluke's Resilient Sphere 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

Effectively the same spell. The 2024 version is reworded but functions identically.

Spells similar to Otiluke's Resilient Sphere

  • Banishment 4th-level abjuration

    Both remove an enemy from the fight for up to a minute on a failed save, making them topically similar as ways to neutralize a single foe without dealing damage.

  • Wall of Force 5th-level evocation

    It creates an almost-impermeable barrier that shapes the battlefield and can isolate creatures, matching Resilient Sphere's protective, containment-focused function.

  • Polymorph 4th-level transmutation

    Polymorph transforms and effectively incapacitates a creature for a duration after a save, serving a similar tactical goal of neutralizing a threat rather than killing it.

  • Maze 8th-level conjuration

    Maze banishes a creature into an extradimensional space for a prolonged time, which mirrors Resilient Sphere's design of taking a target out of immediate combat.

  • Evard's Black Tentacles 4th-level conjuration

    Although area-based, it constrains and controls enemy movement in a zone for up to a minute, offering a comparable battlefield-control option at the same spell level.