Snare
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 1st-level abjuration
- Casting Time
- 1 minute
- Range
- Touch
- Components
- S, M (25 feet of rope, which the spell consumes)
- Duration
- 8 hours
- Classes
- Artificer, Druid, Ranger, Wizard
- Source
- Xanathar's Guide to Everything
As you cast this spell, you use the rope to create a circle with a 5-foot radius on the ground or the floor. When you finish casting, the rope disappears and the circle becomes a magic trap.
This trap is nearly invisible, requiring a successful Intelligence (Investigation) check against your spell save DC to be discerned.
The trap triggers when a Small, Medium, or Large creature moves onto the ground or the floor in the spell's radius. That creature must succeed on a Dexterity saving throw or be magically hoisted into the air, leaving it hanging upside down 3 feet above the ground or the floor. The creature is restrained there until the spell ends.
A restrained creature can make a Dexterity saving throw at the end of each of its turns, ending the effect on itself on a success. Alternatively, the creature or someone else who can reach it can use an action to make an Intelligence (Arcana) check against your spell save DC. On a success, the restrained effect ends.
After the trap is triggered, the spell ends when no creature is restrained by it.
Snare 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Snare is currently only available in the 2014 edition.
Snare popularity
How popular is Snare? It is a commonly found spell in the game, but is chosen less than other options when available. This spell may be situational for many spellbooks.
- Top 50% of all 5e spells
- Bottom 25% picked level 1 Wizard spell
- Bottom 25% of all level 1 spells
- Bottom 10% picked level 1 Artificer spell
- Bottom 10% picked level 1 Druid spell
- Bottom 10% picked level 1 Ranger spell
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Snare
Ensnaring Strike 1st-level conjuration
Both use a Dexterity save to restrain a creature with magical bindings, making them excellent single-target ambush tools.
Players prefer Ensnaring Strike over Snare
Cordon of Arrows 2nd-level transmutation
This is another long-duration, touch-cast trap that waits for creatures to enter a prepared area before forcing a saving throw.
Players prefer Cordon of Arrows over Snare
Hold Person 2nd-level enchantment
Its central combat function is similarly to restrain one creature after a failed save, though it targets humanoids directly rather than using a hidden trap.
Players prefer Hold Person over Snare
Entangle 1st-level conjuration
The spells turn terrain into a restraint hazard and rely on a saving throw to hinder creatures moving through the affected space.
Players prefer Entangle over Snare
Glyph of Warding 3rd-level abjuration
Both are touch-cast magical traps that remain in place and trigger when a creature enters or interacts with their area.
Players prefer Glyph of Warding over Snare
Maximilian's Earthen Grasp 2nd-level transmutation
A failed save leaves one creature physically held in place, closely matching Snare's single-target restraint despite its shorter range and duration.
Players prefer Maximilian's Earthen Grasp over Snare