Welcome to our top ten Illusion spell list! Just like we did for all of the classes, we will go through every Magic School and present the best that every school has to offer just in case you decide to make a Wizard who specializes in a specific school of magic. Each school has a certain set of abilities that they focus on – in the case of Illusion, they like to focus on fooling other characters. Because of that, I will be listing them in order of efficiency. So without further ado, here is our Illusion Spells 5E Rankings.
10. Project Image
- Classes: Bard, Wizard
- Level: 7th
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: 500 miles
- Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (small replica of yourself worth 5 gold)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 Day
The first spell on our Illusion Spells 5E rankings is Project Image. You make an exact replica of yourself in a completely different location that you can use your action to make the replica basic maneuvers – like walking, talking, running. If anything were to walk into it, they will pass right through the illusion. Any character can discern that the replica is an illusion by making an Investigation check against your DC.
9. Mislead
- Classes: Bard, Wizard
- Level: 5th
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self
- Components: Somatic
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 Hour
Just as you start to disappear, a copy of yourself appears in your place that will last the length of this spell’s duration. You can use your action for the turn to make the copy behave however you wantit to do – walk, talk, run, make gestures. Once the copy disappears, you can remain invisible. You will lose your invisibility if you attack or choose to end that effect of the Mislead spell.
8. Disguise Self
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Level: 1st
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self
- Components: Verbal, Somatic
- Duration: 1 Hour
For the duration of the spell, you make the belongings on yourself appear differently to everyone else. If anyone were to touch and force anything on you to move, they would not feel the illusion. If a character wants to discern if what is happening is an illusion, they can use an action to make an Investigation check against your DC.
7. Greater Invisibility
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard
- Level: 4th
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Touch
- Components: Verbal, Somatic
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 Minute
You or a target within touching distance of you becomes invisible until the spell ends. Everything that the target is wearing or carrying becomes invisible with the target. This is a very good way to sneak something out of a room.
6. Fear
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Level: 3rd
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self
- Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (a white feather or the heart of a hen)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
You create an image that is frightening to all opposing characters in a 30-foot radius, forcing them to drop their items and take the Dash action until they can no longer see your image. Before taking the Dash action, the character has to make a Wisdom check. If any character is successful, the Fear spell ends and the successful characters do not drop their belongings.
5. Phantom Steed
- Classes: Wizard
- Level: 3rd
- Casting Time: 1 Minute
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: Verbal, Somatic
- Duration: 1 Hour
You create a large, horse-like creature that you or anyone else can ride the creature. The creature has a speed of 100 miles, can walk 10 miles an hour and run 13 miles an hour. When the spell is about to end, the creature starts to fade away, giving the rider 1 minute to dismount or they will collapse.
4. Minor Illusion
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Level: Cantrip
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: 30 feet
- Components: Somatic, Material (fleece)
- Duration: 1 Minute
With Minor Illusion, You create a sound or an image of a small object within range for the duration of the spell. If you create a sound, the pitch of the sound can range from a whisper to a scream. If you create a small object, it does not create any sound, and any physical interaction with the object will cause it to disappear. Any character can discern if the sound or object is real by successfully making an Investigation check against your DC.
3. Hypnotic Pattern
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Level: 3rd
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: 120 feet
- Components: Somatic, Material (a glowing stick of incense or a crystal vial filled with phosphorescent material)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Near the top of our Illusion spells 5E list is Hypnotic Pattern. A twisting pattern creates a thirty-foot cube, catching the attention of everything in the area and forcing them to make a Wisdom saving throw. If the character fails the saving throw, they become charmed for the duration of the encounter, giving them a speed of zero. The spell’s effect ends if the character takes any damage or if someone else takes an action to knock the character out of their trance.
2. Invisibility
- Classes: Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Level: 2nd
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Touch
- Components: Verbal, Somatic, Material (an Eyelash encased in Gum Arabic)
- Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
A friendly target (including yourself) that you touch along with everything that they are carrying becomes invisible. If you prepare Invisibility in a higher spell slot, you can target an additional friendly character for each slot above the second level you prepare this at. Unfortunately, you cannot attack or take anything while invisible, or else it will break the spell. But it is the easiest way to escape from impending doom when necessary.
1. Mirror Image
- Classes: Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard
- Level: 2nd
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range: Self
- Components: Verbal, Somatic
- Duration: 1 minute
At the top of our Illusion Spells 5E list is Mirror Image. This spell also lands on our list of the Best Sorcerer Spells in 5E. Three copies of yourself appear next to you. They will not deal any damage, but they will copy every move that you make. If an opponent tries to do anything to you, you have to roll 1d20 to see if they are successful, and the number needed to roll is determined based off of the number of duplicates that are present – six or higher with three, eight or higher with two, and eleven or higher with two. Duplicates have an AC of ten, and one successful hit will make one of them disappear.
