D&D 5e Illusion Spells
The school of Illusion covers 27 spells in the D&D 5e SRD. Wizards who specialise in this school gain extra benefits when casting from it. Tap any spell for its full text.
27 results
- Minor IllusionCantrip
- Color Spray1st-level
- Disguise Self1st-level
- Illusory Script1st-level
- Silent Image1st-level
- Arcanist's Magic Aura2nd-level
- Blur2nd-level
- Invisibility2nd-level
- Magic Mouth2nd-level
- Mirror Image2nd-level
- Silence2nd-level
- Fear3rd-level
- Hypnotic Pattern3rd-level
- Major Image3rd-level
- Phantom Steed3rd-level
- Greater Invisibility4th-level
- Hallucinatory Terrain4th-level
- Phantasmal Killer4th-level
- Creation5th-level
- Dream5th-level
- Mislead5th-level
- Seeming5th-level
- Programmed Illusion6th-level
- Mirage Arcane7th-level
- Project Image7th-level
- Simulacrum7th-level
- Weird9th-level
The illusion spells in the SRD
27 spells, running from cantrip to 9th-level, and 6 2nd-level options and 4 1st-level options, with 17 more across other groups. 12 of the 27 require concentration. That ratio is the quickest read on how a school plays: a concentration-heavy school asks you to commit to one effect and protect it, while a school of instantaneous effects lets you cast something new every round.
What this school is for
Illusion creates false sensory information, and it is the school that depends most on the player and the DM agreeing on how belief works. Its power is entirely situational: a minor illusion in the right moment achieves more than a high-level spell, and the same illusion in an empty corridor achieves nothing. It is the most creative school and the hardest to adjudicate.
At the table
Rule it consistently and generously. The standard is that an illusion works until something proves it false — touching it, or a successful Investigation check made by a creature that has reason to be suspicious. The trap is requiring a check every time, which makes the school useless. Ask instead whether the situation makes the illusion plausible; if it does, let it work.
Common questions
- How many Illusion spells are in the D&D 5e SRD?
- There are 27 Illusion spells in the SRD across all levels. The SRD is the free subset of the rules, so the Player's Handbook contains more.
- Does a spell's school matter in D&D 5e?
- Yes, in specific cases. Wizard subclasses grant benefits for casting from a chosen school, some magic items and features key off school, and a few effects block a school outright. Outside those cases the school is descriptive rather than mechanical.
- Can any class cast Illusion spells?
- Schools are not restricted by class — what matters is whether the spell appears on your class's spell list. Most schools have entries spread across several classes, so browse by class as well to see what is actually available to your character.
From the shop
Printable Spell Cards
Every class spell as an illustrated, printable card — hand your players the spell instead of a rulebook page.
Browse Spell Cards on Etsy →