Hello magic casters of all shapes and sizes! Welcome to my spellbook and thank you so much for checking out the 79th episode of our second level spell series, also the final episode of this series until they add in some more content which i have known that they’re going to but still kind of a big milestone.
Today we are taking a look at dnd 5e zone of truth spell which sounds kind of like a gameshow name to me so it’s kind of funny. In any case this spell is usable by the bard, cleric and the paladin and it is found in the good old players handbook and it is a truly righteous spell.
This is one of my all-time favorite spells in terms of role-play potential and really flexing that creative brain. It’s also a great way of being able to turn the it’s what my player would do back on the characters cuz there’s a lot of meta gaming elements that often happen with this spell. And it is your job as a good DM this snuff those out as soon as they come out. But in any case let’s take a look at the spells mechanics to figure out exactly how it works.
Table of Contents
Mechanics
- Level: 2nd
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range/Area: 60 ft (15 ft Sphere)
- Components: V, S
- Duration: 10 Minutes
- School: Enchantment
- Attack/Save: CHA Save
- Damage/Effect: Control
The effect at a glance is as followed: On a failed save, creatures within the area cannot tell a deliberate lie. Targets are made aware that they are affected. You can also read this zone of truth and speak with dead.
The cast time is one action, the range is 60 feet but the actual area of effect is a 15 foot radius of sphere which is actually pretty decent. The duration is 10 minutes and this is not a concentration spell awesome. The saving throw is charisma and on a success there is no effect which makes sense. Also read 5e can anyone use a spell scroll.
The components are verbal and somatic and the school is enchantment which also makes a lot of sense. Now let’s take a look at the full description and break this spell down a little bit further and we all will know what is the point of the zone of truth?. Please read this too on 5th level spell scroll 5e cost.
Description
You create a magical zone that guards against deception in a 15-foot-radius sphere centered on a point of your choice within range. Until the spell ends, a creature that enters the spell’s area for the first time on a turn or starts its turn there must make a Charisma saving throw. On a failed save, a creature can’t speak a deliberate lie while in the radius. You know whether each creature succeeds or fails on its saving throw.
An affected creature is aware of the spell and can thus avoid answering questions to which it would normally respond with a lie. Such a creature can be evasive in its answers as long as it remains within the boundaries of the truth.
Very interesting stuff! I see a lot of players use this as a cop-out but it is your job as a good DM to be able to counter that by talking your way around the question almost. A good example of that is when you’re dealing with a demon that you think might have killed a king let’s say for example. It makes sense we just ask the demon if he killed them.
But did he want to be like i was not there when he died. When in reality the demon did stab him, did kill him but left the room before the king died or the demon could just outright said, no it was not me who killed him because it was the dagger that actually they killing you know what i mean. Also read this can you lie by omission in a zone of truth?.
Like that’s kind of how i like answering it and it’s quite effective because it really like stumps the party a little bit and then they’re like oh wait i’m dealing with the demon, maybe there’s a lot more to this than meets the eye. That’s kind of my way around it, that being said though let’s take a look at some alternative uses here. Also read this can you cast zone of truth on yourself?.
Alternative Uses
So i thnk one of the best ones is using it to make sure what you’re being promised is actually what’s going to happen. So use it on influential figures or quest givers or things of that nature just to check the validity of their statements. Outside of that this is a great spell to be used for planning out encounters and by that i mean like moreso reconnaissance things of that nature.
Along that same vein of thought this is just a great way of gathering information of all shapes and sizes! If you’re building a profile on someone to better solve a murder mystery for example, this is a great way of questioning everyone else.
They get a better full piece of the picture really, like just used purses of elimination as opposed to just asking a direct question, it is for that reason that this is one of my all-time favorite role-playing spells.
Here are some questions regarding this spell classes such as can bards learn zone of truth? yes of course they can learn. Do clerics get zone of truth? cleric also get this 5e spell. Also read does zone of truth affect the caster.
Conclusion
If you can come up with any alternative uses, ideas, stories, thoughts, questions, comments, concerns please put them beneath in the comment section i really do appreciate it. That being said, i hope you all have a wonderful day and as always happy spell-casting everyone. Keep reading detect thoughts 5e | hold person 5e | command 5e | lesser restoration 5e |