Casting Time: 1 bonus action
Range: Touch
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 minute
The wood of a club or quarterstaff you are holding is imbued with nature's power. For the duration, you can use your spellcasting ability instead of Strength for the attack and damage rolls of melee attacks using that weapon, and the weapon's damage die becomes a d8. The weapon also becomes magical, if it isn't already. The spell ends if you cast it again or if you let go of the weapon.
Material Component:
mistletoe, a shamrock leaf, and a club or quarterstaff
Verbal Component:
Virgam di Naturae
Verbal Component (Alternative):
Imbue this staff with natures might, a power force to aid my fight.
Class: Druid
Tags: Buff, Damage
Source: Player's Handbook [5th Edition] (page 275)
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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!
If I cast shillelagh on my quarterstaff and have the Polearm Master feat, does the bonus attack use a d4 or a d8 for damage?
Use a d4. The benefit from Polearm Master applies to the opposite end of the weapon and always uses a d4 for damage rather than the weapon's normal damage die. This is true for a quarterstaff enhanced with shillelagh just as it is for a normal one. [source: Sage Advice Compendium]
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.
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).
