Phantasmal Killer

A
Damage

Phantasmal Killer is a Damage spell. Damage spells focus on dealing harm to enemies.

See all Damage spells →
spell that haunts one creature with its worst nightmares, sapping its mind and striking again as fear keeps hold.

2024 Rules

Level & School
4th-level illusion
Casting Time
Action
Range
120 feet
Components
V, S
Duration
Concentration, 1 minute
Classes
Bard, Wizard
Source
Player's Handbook (2024)

You tap into the nightmares of a creature you can see within range and create an illusion of its deepest fears, visible only to that creature. The target makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target takes 4d10 Psychic damage and has Disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls for the duration. On a successful save, the target takes half as much damage, and the spell ends.

For the duration, the target makes a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns. On a failed save, it takes the Psychic damage again. On a successful save, the spell ends.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above 4.

2014 Rules

Level & School
4th-level illusion
Casting Time
Action
Range
120 feet
Components
V, S
Duration
Concentration, 1 minute
Classes
Bard, Wizard
Source
Player's Handbook (2014)

You tap into the nightmares of a creature you can see within range and create an illusory manifestation of its deepest fears, visible only to that creature. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, the target becomes frightened for the duration. At the end of each of the target's turns before the spell ends, the target must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or take 4d10 psychic damage. On a successful save, the spell ends.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, the damage increases by 1d10 for each slot level above 4th.

Phantasmal Killer 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences

The save now works very differently. In 2024, a failed first save deals 4d10 psychic damage and gives the target disadvantage on ability checks and attack rolls, while a successful save deals half damage and ends the spell. The ongoing save also changed to deal damage on a failed end-of-turn save, and the frightened condition is gone.

Phantasmal Killer popularity

How popular is Phantasmal Killer? It is a commonly found spell in the game, and is often chosen over other options when available. This spell is a reliable addition to any spellbook.

Read about how this popularity data is calculated.

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