Creating a system of magic in any medium is no easy feat. It takes time, effort, and enormous attention to detail to iron out the contradictions, redundancies, and other oversights that can occur when inventing a set of rules to govern the arcane. Fortunately, Dungeons & Dragons has had fifty years and five (ish) editions to refine their spells and the laws that guide them, creating a relatively ironclad magic system for this beloved tabletop game.
Yet, even after decades of revisions, there are still a few gaps in the system. Some have limitations that make sense in terms of gameplay, but not so much from an in-universe perspective. Others have less-than-clear descriptions, or seem to have little practical use. For any of these reasons, there are some spells that still just don't make a lot of sense in D&D.
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Alter Self
2nd Level Transmutation
Through this spell, D&D players can change their bodies to suit new purposes, using one of three choices. One option is Aquatic Adaptation, which grants the user gills and webbed feet. Another is called Natural Weapons, with which the user grows horns, fangs, or claws that they can use in combat. The main reason this spell doesn't make sense is the third effect choice: Change Appearance. This basically mimics the effect of the spell Disguise Self, which is a lower-level spell and more commonly learned spell to begin with.
Both the other effects are physical changes that impact how the user interacts with the world: they can breathe underwater or deal slashing damage with their new claws. With Change Appearance effect, the user can take on the appearance of another race, but none of their stats change, suggesting that (like Disguise Self) the effect is illusory rather than physical. Instead of tacking on the effects of another spell, why not give players additional body-altering options that they can't find elsewhere?
Sending
3rd Level Evocation
Sending can be a valuable spell, especially if the party finds themselves split up. It allows the user to send a message, up to 25 words long, to a creature they are familiar with, who then hears the message in its mind. There are no limits on distance with this spell, though sending messages to other planes has a 5% chance of failing.
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The question remains, though: why 25 words? From a game design standpoint, it's obvious: limiting the message keeps the spell from becoming overpowered, and forces players to think creatively. But in-universe, it does feel a bit arbitrary. How does the spell determine when you've reached the word count? Are hyphenated terms, like "in-depth" or "large-scale," one word or two? Certain players can get pedantic over these details.
Invisibility
2nd Level Illusion
Invisibility is a classic in any fantasy setting. Drink a potion, cast a spell, or pull up the hood of a cloak, and simply vanish. Several casting classes in D&D can turn themselves or another willing creature invisible using this relatively low-level spell. However, it's not infallible.
The effect ends when the invisible creature casts a spell, makes an attack roll, or causes damage — but why? There's no other spell or condition in the game that ends this way. It's not a matter of breaking concentration, because these actions don't cause concentration to fail (except for casting a new spell that requires concentration). From a gameplay balance standpoint, it makes sense. Being able to run around invisibly and attack with impunity would make many encounters trivial. In-universe, though, there's no explanation.
Conjure Animals
3rd Level Conjuration
This spell earns a mention here because its name is misleading. When casting this spell, the creatures that the player summons are not in fact animals, but nature spirits that take the form of beasts. The player can choose the bestial form they take, but they will appear as spectral, rather than fully-formed.
This is an important distinction in terms of gameplay. Nature spirits are typically fey, who might be affected differently by certain spells or conditions than actual animals would. Players who want to use this spell to summon animal companions may find themselves in for a surprise when they get fey minions instead.
Legend Lore
5th Level Divination
Available to a wide variety of spellcasting classes, Legend Lore allows the user to instantly learn any significant lore about a famous person, place, or thing. It can be an incredibly useful way to gain information about a magic item the party is seeking, or even a mysterious foe. However, some of the specifications in the spell's description are open to interpretation.
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How "famous" does a person, place, or thing have to be for the spell to work? The description states that if the chosen item/person/location is not actually famous, the spell will fail, accompanied by a sad musical sting. Does "famous" mean that the subject must be known throughout the campaign's setting? Or is it enough if it's held in high esteem by a few people, such as a sacred site of a secretive cult? The spell can reveal little-known secrets about a chosen subject, but then, what makes it famous? Of course, all of this is up to the DM's discretion, but the spell's nebulous description can make it tricky to use.
Banishment
4th Level Abjuration
This spell seems fairly simple on the surface. The user targets a creature, who must succeed a Charisma saving throw or be transported to another plane of existence. If that creature originated from a different plane, they will be sent back there and will not return.
However, if the creature is native to the plane from which it was banished, it instead is sent to a harmless demiplane where it remains for the spell's duration — which lasts a whopping one minute. This calls into question whether the spell can even be considered useful against creatures who are not extraplanar entities. What's the point of banishing a foe from this plane, only for them to reappear a minute later?
- Franchise
- Dungeons & Dragons
- Original Release Date
- 1974
- Publisher
- Wizards of the Coast
- Designer
- E. Gary Gygax, Dave Arneson