Level 1 •
Abjuration (Ritual
)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 30 ft
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 8 hours
You set an alarm against unwanted intrusion. Choose a door, a window, or an area within range that is no larger than a 20-foot cube. Until the spell ends, an alarm alerts you whenever a Tiny or larger creature touches or enters the warded area. When you cast the spell, you can designate creatures that won't set off the alarm. You also choose whether the alarm is mental or audible.
A mental alarm alerts you with a ping in your mind if you are within 1 mile of the warded area. This ping awakens you if you are sleeping.
An audible alarm produces the sound of a hand bell for 10 seconds within 60 feet.
Material Component:
a tiny bell and a piece of fine silver wire
Verbal Component:
Concutio
Verbal Component (Alternative):
From those who seek to do me harm, this place I ward to sound alarm
Classes: Ranger, Wizard, Rogue, Artificer
Tags: Detection
Source: Player's Handbook [5th Edition] (page 211)
View Alarm Spell Card
(New Window? )
Return to Previous Page
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 the Alarm caster know if alarm has been triggered by multiple creatures at the same time?
The Alarm spell states:
Until the spell ends, an alarm alerts you whenever a tiny or larger creature touches or enters the warded area.
Nothing in the spell mentions anything to do with timing. Two creatures have entered and so the alarm spell alerts the caster twice, and will continue to alert the caster if more creatures enter the area.
You might be thinking that the two sounds would overlap, hiding one alarm under the other but the simple rule is: Spells do what they say they do and this spell alerts the caster whenever a creature enters the zone.
When you cast alarm, is the password also spoken?
The spell description doesn't say that the password is spoken as part of the verbal components.
There's no reason to believe that the password has to be spoken for any other reason either, as it doesn't say it is spoken aloud as part of the spell effect like other spells do (like
Suggestion or
Command).
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).
