Dominate Person 5e spell

5th-level enchantment (concentration) · 2024 version below

Casting time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, Up to 1 minute
School: Enchantment
Level: 5
Saving throw: Wisdom

You attempt to beguile a humanoid that you can see within range. It must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or be charmed by you for the duration. If you or creatures that are friendly to you are fighting it, it has advantage on the saving throw.

While the target is charmed, you have a telepathic link with it as long as the two of you are on the same plane of existence. You can use this telepathic link to issue commands to the creature while you are conscious (no action required), which it does its best to obey. You can specify a simple and general course of action, such as "Attack that creature," "Run over there," or "Fetch that object." If the creature completes the order and doesn't receive further direction from you, it defends and preserves itself to the best of its ability.

You can use your action to take total and precise control of the target. Until the end of your next turn, the creature takes only the actions you choose, and doesn't do anything that you don't allow it to do. During this time you can also cause the creature to use a reaction, but this requires you to use your own reaction as well.

Each time the target takes damage, it makes a new Wisdom saving throw against the spell. If the saving throw succeeds, the spell ends.

At higher levels

When you cast this spell using a 6th-level spell slot, the duration is concentration, up to 10 minutes. When you use a 7th-level spell slot, the duration is concentration, up to 1 hour. When you use a spell slot of 8th level or higher, the duration is concentration, up to 8 hours.

Classes that can cast Dominate Person

Class	First available	Spellcasting ability
Bard spells	9th character level	Charisma
Sorcerer spells	9th character level	Charisma
Wizard spells	9th character level	Intelligence

Dominate Person in the 2024 rules

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: 60 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
School: Enchantment
Level: 5
Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
Tags: concentration

One Humanoid you can see within range must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or have the Charmed condition for the duration. The target has Advantage on the save if you or your allies are fighting it. Whenever the target takes damage, it repeats the save, ending the spell on itself on a success.

You have a telepathic link with the Charmed target while the two of you are on the same plane of existence. On your turn, you can use this link to issue commands to the target (no action required), such as "Attack that creature," "Move over there," or "Fetch that object." The target does its best to obey on its turn. If it completes an order and doesn't receive further direction from you, it acts and moves as it likes, focusing on protecting itself.

You can command the target to take a Reaction but must take your own Reaction to do so.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. Your Concentration can last longer with a spell slot of level 6 (up to 10 minutes), 7 (up to 1 hour), or 8+ (up to 8 hours).

2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.

Other 5th-level enchantment spells

Browse: all 5th-level spells · enchantment spells · concentration spells