Otto's Irresistible Dance

A
Control

Otto's Irresistible Dance is a Control spell. Control spells restrict enemy options through debuffs or denial effects.

See all Control spells →
 spell that turns a foe’s charm into comic dancing, leaving it vulnerable and unable to act normally.
social influence

Otto's Irresistible Dance is a Social Influence spell. Social Influence spells create ways to communicate, persuade, and alter behavior.

See all Social Influence spells →

2024 Rules
Level & School
6th-level enchantment
Casting Time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V
Duration
Concentration, up to 1 minute
Classes
Bard, Wizard

One creature that you can see within range must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a successful save, the target dances comically until the end of its next turn, during which it must spend all its movement to dance in place.

On a failed save, the target has the Charmed condition for the duration. While Charmed, the target dances comically, must use all its movement to dance in place, and has Disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls, and other creatures have Advantage on attack rolls against it. On each of its turns, the target can take an action to collect itself and repeat the save, ending the spell on itself on a success.

2014 Rules
Level & School
6th-level enchantment
Casting Time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V
Duration
Concentration, 1 minute
Classes
Bard, Wizard

Choose one creature that you can see within range. The target begins a comic dance in place: shuffling, tapping its feet, and capering for the duration. Creatures that can't be charmed are immune to this spell.

A dancing creature must use all its movement to dance without leaving its space and has disadvantage on Dexterity saving throws and attack rolls. While the target is affected by this spell, other creatures have advantage on attack rolls against it. As an action, a dancing creature makes a Wisdom saving throw to regain control of itself. On a successful save, the spell ends.

Otto's Irresistible Dance 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

The 2024 version adds an initial Wisdom save. On a success, the target only dances until the end of its next turn. On a failure, it gains the Charmed condition for the duration, and it can use an action on each of its turns to repeat the save and end the spell on a success.

Spells similar to Otto's Irresistible Dance

  • Mass Suggestion 6th-level enchantment

    A level 6 enchantment that imposes a lasting, social-style compulsion on targets, so it occupies the same niche of long-duration interpersonal control.

  • Dominate Person 5th-level enchantment

    Both are enchantments that seize control of a single humanoid's behavior and allow repeated saves to end the effect, making them tactically similar in combat control.

  • Crown of Madness 2nd-level enchantment

    This spell forces a target to act against its normal interests and requires concentration, sharing the theme of compelled actions and battlefield disruption.

  • Compulsion 4th-level enchantment

    Compulsion similarly forces creatures to move and disrupts enemy positioning over a sustained, concentrated duration, making it a close mechanical analogue for battlefield manipulation.

  • Geas 5th-level enchantment

    Geas is another social-control enchantment that compels behavior over an extended period, offering a nonviolent way to enforce actions that resembles the target's coercive intent.