Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 ft
Components: V, S, M
Duration: Concentration
, up to 1 hour
You create an invisible, magical eye within range that hovers in the air for the duration.
You mentally receive visual information from the eye, which has normal vision and darkvision out to 30 feet. The eye can look in every direction.
As an action, you can move the eye up to 30 feet in any direction. There is no limit to how far away from you the eye can move, but it can't enter another plane of existence. A solid barrier blocks the eye's movement, but the eye can pass through an opening as small as 1 inch in diameter.
Material Component:
a bit of bat fur
Verbal Component:
Aparecium Orbis di Arcanus
Verbal Component (Alternative):
Go forth now and for me spy, let me see through this arcane eye.
Classes: Wizard, Rogue, Artificer
Domain: Knowledge
Tags: Detection, Scrying
Source: Player's Handbook [5th Edition] (page 214)
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Spell FAQs
Below are commonly asked questions about this spell. Some of the information is pulled official D&D sources (such as books and the twitter feeds of D&D officials), but other information is derived from forums and online discussions. As always, it is up to the DM to decide how they wish to spell questions. If you have a FAQ about this spell that you feel other DM's may wish to know, please send us the message!
Does Arcane Eye require Stealth checks to avoid being discovered?
No. Arcane Eye creates a spell effect, not a creature, nor an object. Only creatures make Dexterity checks. If the eye is detected by something like a creature with truesight, the eye cannot be damaged any more than one could damage a fireball or magic missile, but it could be dispelled.
Other Planes and Effects
Below is information about this spell as it relates to other planes and area of effects (i.e. underwater). Some of the information is pulled official D&D sources (such as books and the twitter feeds of D&D officials), but other information is derived from forums and online discussions. As always, it is up to the DM to decide how they wish to handle spell effects.
Arcane Eye Under Water
This spell has no official clarification, and may require the DM to give their ruling. The spell description states:
You create an invisible, magical eye within range that hovers in the air for the duration.
It can be argued "that hovers in air" is a requirement to be cast, or that hovering is a function
after it is cast. Therefore, the DM needs to decide if
- the spell will not work underwater
- the eye cannot hover and will just float there
- the eye works normally [our ruling]
Underwater - Verbal Component
Official rules have been verified by Jeremy Crawford - "No rule prohibits verbal components from working underwater. Keep in mind that if you're talking, you're not holding your breath." Hence, while submerged underwater and holding its breath, a creature can cast a spell that requires a verbal component. After casting the spell, if the creature can't breathe underwater, it immediately runs out of breath. The creature can survive for a number of rounds equal to its Constitution modifier (minimum of 1 round).
