You attempt to charm a humanoid you can see within range. It must make a Wisdom saving throw, and does so with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. If it fails the saving throw, it is charmed by you until the spell ends or until you or your companions do anything harmful to it. The charmed creature regards you as a friendly acquaintance. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.
At higher levels
When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 2nd level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 1st. The creatures must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.
How Charm Person plays
Pick a humanoid you can see within 30 feet. It makes a Wisdom saving throw, with advantage if you or your companions are fighting it. If it fails, it’s charmed by you for an hour and regards you as a friendly acquaintance. It can’t attack you or target you with harmful abilities or magic, and you have advantage on ability checks to interact socially with it.
It isn’t mind control. The target doesn’t obey you, it just likes you, the way it would like a friendly stranger it met at the inn. And when the hour is up, it knows you charmed it. The spell also ends early if you or your companions do anything harmful to it.
When to pick Charm Person
Social scenes, not fights. Out of combat the target saves normally, and advantage on Persuasion and Deception checks can turn a hostile guard into a helpful one for an hour.
Plan for the ending. A charmed noble who realizes afterwards that you used magic on them may turn into an enemy. Use it on people you won’t see again, or ones who can’t hold a grudge.
In combat, it’s weak. The target has advantage on the save, and a charmed enemy can still attack your friends. A spell like Command or Hideous Laughter does more.
Common questions
Does the target know it was charmed?
Not while it lasts. When the spell ends, after an hour or because you harmed it, the creature knows you charmed it.
Does Charm Person make the target do what I say?
No. It regards you as a friendly acquaintance, can’t attack you, and you have advantage on social ability checks to interact with it. It still makes its own choices; to give it orders you need Suggestion or Dominate Person.
Can Charm Person be used in combat?
Yes, but the target has advantage on its saving throw if you or your allies are fighting it. If it fails, it can’t attack you, though it can still attack your companions.
What counts as a humanoid?
Anything whose stat block says humanoid: humans, elves, dwarves, goblins, orcs, gnolls and most NPCs. Beasts, fey, giants, undead and monsters aren’t affected; Animal Friendship handles beasts. In the 2024 Monster Manual goblins are fey and gnolls are fiends, so they’re no longer targets.
How many people can I charm when I upcast it?
One more humanoid per slot level above 1st. Under the 2014 rules they must be within 30 feet of each other when you target them.
The 2024 Player’s Handbook revised many spells, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed from the 2014 version above:
Same level, casting time, range, components, duration and dice; the text is reworded for the 2024 rules glossary.
Casting time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S
Duration
1 hour
School
Enchantment
Level
1
Classes
Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
One Humanoid you can see within range makes a Wisdom saving throw. It does so with Advantage if you or your allies are fighting it. On a failed save, the target has the Charmed condition until the spell ends or until you or your allies damage it. The Charmed creature is Friendly to you. When the spell ends, the target knows it was Charmed by you.
Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You can target one additional creature for each spell slot level above 1.
2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.
