V, S, M (A pearl worth at least 100 gp and an owl feather)
Duration
Instantaneous
School
Divination
Level
1
You choose one object that you must touch throughout the casting of the spell. If it is a magic item or some other magic-imbued object, you learn its properties and how to use them, whether it requires attunement to use, and how many charges it has, if any. You learn whether any spells are affecting the item and what they are. If the item was created by a spell, you learn which spell created it.
If you instead touch a creature throughout the casting, you learn what spells, if any, are currently affecting it.
How Identify plays
You touch an object for the minute it takes to cast the spell. If it’s magical, you learn what it does and how to use it, whether it needs attunement, how many charges it has, and whether any spells are affecting it. Touch a creature instead, and you learn which spells are affecting it.
It needs a pearl worth at least 100 gp and an owl feather, but the spell doesn’t consume them, so one pearl lasts a career. Cast as a ritual it takes 11 minutes and no slot, so a bard or wizard can work through a whole treasure pile during a short rest.
When to pick Identify
Wizards should copy it into their spellbook as soon as they can. As a ritual it costs nothing to use.
Bards have to learn it as one of their limited spells known, so weigh it against combat spells. In a treasure-heavy campaign it earns its place.
Use it on people, too. Touching the suspiciously friendly baron tells you whether he’s under a charm or wearing a disguise spell.
Common questions
Does Identify consume the pearl?
No. The pearl and owl feather aren’t used up, so you can cast it as often as you like once you have them.
Does Identify reveal curses?
Usually not. The Dungeon Master’s Guide says most ways of identifying an item, including this spell, don’t reveal a curse. You often find out when you attune to it.
Can I identify a magic item without the spell?
Yes. In the Dungeon Master’s Guide, a character who spends a short rest focused on an item while touching it learns its properties. Items can also give hints, such as a command word etched inside a ring, and a small taste of a potion tells you what it does.
Can I cast Identify as a ritual?
Yes. It takes 11 minutes and no slot. Bards and wizards can cast rituals; wizards don’t even need it prepared.
What does Identify tell me about a creature?
Which spells, if any, are currently affecting it. It doesn’t reveal its type, class or hit points.
Does Identify work on artifacts?
The spell makes no exception, but many DMs keep some of an artifact’s properties hidden until the story reveals 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
1 minute or Ritual
Range
Touch
Components
V, S, M (a pearl worth 100+ GP)
Duration
Instantaneous
School
Divination
Level
1
Classes
Bard, Wizard
Tags
ritual
You touch an object throughout the spell's casting. If the object is a magic item or some other magical object, you learn its properties and how to use them, whether it requires Attunement, and how many charges it has, if any. You learn whether any ongoing spells are affecting the item and what they are. If the item was created by a spell, you learn that spell's name.
If you instead touch a creature throughout the casting, you learn which ongoing spells, if any, are currently affecting it.
2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.
