Detect Magic is the party’s magical Geiger counter. For up to 10 minutes (often as a ritual), you sense magic within 30 feet and can learn auras’ schools of magic.
This Detect Magic 5E guide covers ritual use, exploration habits, and what it does not do.
- Spell Level
- 1st
- Spell Type
- Divination (ritual)
- Casting Time
- 1 Action (or ritual)
- Range
- Self
- Component Requirements
- Verbal, Somatic
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 10 minutes
- Class
- Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Sorcerer, Wizard
How does Detect Magic work?
For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet. If you sense magic this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic if any.
The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt (exact barrier rules follow your PHB text).
Best habits
- Ritual-cast it before looting a wizard’s tower or vault
- Scan doors, chests, and statues for auras before touching
- Re-cast when the party enters a new “magic heavy” wing
What Detect Magic is not
- It is not Identify — you won’t get full item properties from Detect Magic alone
- It won’t automatically reveal invisible creatures unless they bear detectable magic and you can see the aura under the spell’s rules
- It competes for concentration with combat buffs — drop it when blades come out
Detect Magic vs Identify
| Spell | Job |
|---|---|
| Detect Magic | Find what’s magical and which school |
| Identify | Learn an item’s properties (often with a short rest / ritual depending on edition text at your table) |
Use Detect Magic to find candidates; Identify (or experimentation) to understand them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can Rangers and Paladins cast it?
Yes on class lists that include it — and ritual casting still requires the ritual tag and a class/feature that can ritual cast, or cast it with a slot.
Does it detect spell effects on creatures?
Often yes if the effect is magical and in range — confirm ongoing spell auras with your DM.
Should someone always prepare it?
In dungeon-heavy campaigns, yes. It’s cheap insurance against cursed loot and hidden wards.
