Divination is one of the eight schools of magic in Dungeons & Dragons, with diviners being able to see distant locations, as well as glimpses of the future. Divination would be a popular choice in real life if magic were real, but it can cause issues in D&D when used too often. DMs will need to put up roadblocks to stop the seers from spoiling the contents of the adventure, but they still bring plenty of positives.
The Wizards who choose D&D‘s School of Divination for their Arcane Tradition gain some great abilities. The 2nd level Portent ability lets the diviner roll two D20s and record the results, so they can be used later in the game. A couple of high Portent rolls can be a lifesaver. Expert Divination at 6th level is essentially free lower-level spell slots after casting divination spells, making it far more attractive to use magic to scout locations in the field. The 10th level The Third Eye ability is amazing, as it gives the player a choice between Darkvision, ethereal vision, the ability to read all languages, and the ability to see invisible objects, all in one power. These are likely to make up for the small number of high-level divination spells in the game, as there are currently no seventh or eighth level divination spells in D&D.
The Player’s Handbook lists all spells alphabetically, with the specific schools noted in the spell descriptions, rather than the initial lists. This guide contains all of the divination spells in D&D that are used by every class in the game, with notes next to all of the ritual spells. The guide also contains all of the divination spells that appear in official rulebooks, such as Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything and Xanather’s Guide to Everything, all of which are marked, so players know where to find these spells if they wish to learn more.
The Divination Spells In Dungeons & Dragons
Divination Cantrips
1st Level Divination Spells
- Beast Bond (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)
- Comprehend Languages (Ritual)
- Detect Evil and Good
- Detect Magic (Ritual)
- Detect Poison and Disease (Ritual)
- Fortune’s Favor (Explorer’s Guide To Wildemount)
- Gift of Alacrity (Explorer’s Guide To Wildemount)
- Hunter’s Mark
- Identify (Ritual)
- Speak with Animals (Ritual)
2nd Level Divination Spells
- Augury (Ritual)
- Borrowed Knowledge (Strixhaven: A Curriculum of Chaos)
- Beast Sense (Ritual)
- Detect Thoughts
- Find Traps
- Locate Animals or Plants (Ritual)
- Locate Object
- Mind Spike (Xanathar’s Guide to Everything)
- See Invisibility
3rd Level Divination Spells
4th Level Divination Spells
- Arcane Eye
- Divination (Ritual)
- Locate Creature
5th Level Divination Spells
- Commune (Ritual)
- Commune With Nature (Ritual)
- Contact Other Plane (Ritual)
- Legend Lore
- Rary’s Telepathic Bond (Ritual)
- Scrying
6th Level Divination Spells
- Find the Path
- True Seeing
7th Level Divination Spells
None
8th Level Divination Spells
None
9th Level Divination Spells
The identify spell is one of the most useful rituals in the game and it’s something that nearly every group will need access to, as it tells them how their magic items work. The final traps spell can only be taken by divine spellcasters, but it’s a great choice for parties that don’t have a Rogue in D&D. One thing that diviners need to be aware of is how much they can trust any spell that shows glimpses of the future. Using magic to spoil the adventure is opening the door for the DM to screw with the player. Spells like augury and divination might seem like cheating in Dungeons & Dragons, but they give the DM permission to turn into George R.R. Martin and use their prophetic questions as their undoing.
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