Edition note: This guide targets 2014 5E (legacy PHB-style rules). If your table uses the 2024 Player's Handbook, confirm wording, class lists, and any renamed features before locking a build.
Mind Sliver is the controller's cantrip. Psychic damage on a failed Intelligence save is nice; the real prize is subtracting 1d4 from the target's next saving throw before the end of your next turn.
Spell Level: Cantrip
Spell Type: Enchantment
Casting Time: 1 Action
Range: 60 feet
Component Requirements: Verbal
Duration: 1 round (penalty rider)
Class: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard (confirm your source list)
How does Mind Sliver work?
You drive a disorienting spike of psychic energy into one creature you can see. The target must succeed on an Intelligence saving throw or take psychic damage and subtract 1d4 from the next saving throw it makes before the end of your next turn.
Exact damage dice scale with level like other cantrips — check your print.
Why the -1d4 matters more than the damage
Intelligence is a weak save for many monsters. Even when they pass, you learned something. When they fail, your ally's Hold Person, Banishment, or Hypnotic Pattern suddenly sticks more often.
Typical sequence:
- You cast Mind Sliver (Action).
- An ally (or you next turn, if timing allows) forces a save they care about.
- The -1d4 applies to that save.
Best pairings
| Follow-up | Why Mind Sliver helps |
|---|---|
| Hold Person | Wisdom save paralysis |
| Banishment | Charisma save removal |
| Hypnotic Pattern | Wisdom save lockdown |
| Slow / Fear | Multi-target softens when focused |
When not to cast it
- You need raw DPR this turn and the enemy has strong Intelligence.
- No one will force a meaningful save before the rider expires.
- The target is immune to psychic damage and you only wanted chip damage (the penalty still matters if the save fails).
Related hubs
Frequently Asked Questions
Does Mind Sliver stack with Bane or other penalties?
Different effects can stack if they are not the same named game effect. Your table should follow the usual combining-effects rules — the -1d4 is usually welcome alongside Bless on your side.
Can the target choose which save the -1d4 hits?
No. It applies to the next saving throw they make within the window.
Is Mind Sliver better than Toll the Dead?
For damage: usually no. For setting up save-or-suck spells: yes. Controllers take Mind Sliver; pure blasters often skip it.