Augury — Complete D&D 5e Spell Guide

Table of Contents

• •Quick Answer
• •Overview
• •Stat Block
• •When NOT to Use
• •Comparisons
• •Spell Slot Efficiency
• •Pro Tips
• •Common Mistakes
• •Usage Tips
• •Synergies
• •FAQ

Overview

Hey, new caster buddy, pull up a chair—I've got 15+ years slinging spells at tables, and Augury is that quirky ritual in your cleric kit that punches above its weight if you use it smart. This 2nd-level Divination gem lets you toss bones or cards for an omen (weal good, woe bad, both mixed, nothing meh) on a specific action in the next 30 minutes. GM picks secretly, no accounting for curveballs like your wizard's Fireball changing the odds. It's not a crystal ball—vague and GM-fi at best—but as a ritual, it's FREE intel that averts wipes. Verdict: Situational powerhouse for clerics in exploration-heavy games; trap if your DM rolls eyes at divinations or you're slot-starved. Opportunity cost? Minimal since ritual skips the level 2 slot (save for Guiding Bolt's 14 avg radiant). Common misplay: treating it like precise prophecy. Pro move: probe 'Entering the vampire's crypt with fighter tanking' before committing. Stacks beautifully with Knowledge Cleric's foresight theme, but spam risks 25% random per extra cast (50% on third—long rest or bust). In my guides, it's a B-tier ritual: shines in Tomb of Annihilation-style delves, fizzles in hack-n-slash.

Stat Block

When NOT to Use This

• •In active combat or with <11 min safe time—1 min cast + ritual delay kills you.
• •For trivial choices like 'pick this lock'—waste vs rogue's 65% base success.
• •After 2 prior casts that day—random risk skyrockets to 50%.
• •With vague/uncontrollable plans—'wait for prophecy' ignores variables.
• •If DM houserules divinations unreliable—pick Detect Magic instead.

Spell Slot Efficiency

When worth the slot: Time-crunch pre-boss (e.g., 1 min cast during parley); never truly, but emergencies.

When NOT worth the slot: Always ritual if possible—slots for Spiritual Weapon (1d8+Wis x10 rounds= avg 55 dmg).

Pro Tips (Veteran Secrets)

Tip #1: Invest in durable 25gp tokens early (mithril runes > bones) and ritual exclusively

Why veterans know this: Slots are for damage/heals (Guiding Bolt 4d6=14 avg); rituals scale infinitely with levels

This avoids the mistake of: Rookies slot-dump on day 1, stranding heals later

Tip #2: Query party actions only, never solo—'We exploring east tunnel' vs 'I sneak east'

Why veterans know this: Spells ignore ally changes; group plans minimize variables for accurate omens

This avoids the mistake of: Solo asks flop when fighter buffs or rogue scouts

Tip #3: Track omen history in journal to pressure DM consistency

Why veterans know this: Reveals DM biases (stingy woe? Adjust expectations); meta-game edge

This avoids the mistake of: Blind faith leads to ignored weals

Tip #4: Combo with nondetection on tokens if anti-magic fields loom

Why veterans know this: Preserves ritual in high-magic prisons; vets preempt counters

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Vague phrasing like 'should we fight the orcs?'

Why it's bad: Triggers 'nothing' 80% time per my tables; wastes 11 min with zero value

Do this instead: Specify 'Charging 6 orcs in clearing with cleric backline healing' for actionable omen

Casting mid-combat or urgent timer

Why it's bad: 1 min cast fails under pressure; action economy disaster vs Dodge/Help

Do this instead: Pre-cast during safe lulls; if desperate, Guidance cantrip instead

Spamming 3+ times daily without rest

Why it's bad: 75% random on fourth mangles key reads; erodes spell reliability

Do this instead: Cap at 2, long rest, or batch into one precise mega-query

Dismissing woe as 'bad DMing' and proceeding

Why it's bad: Ignores risk signal, leading to wipes; opportunity cost of ignored intel

Do this instead: Woe = abort/replan; verify with Stealth scout

Usage Tips

• •Phrase your query hyper-specifically: 'My party charging the hill giant chieftain with the barbarian in front' yields better omens than 'attacking giants'—vague plans default to 'nothing'. Test your DM's style on low-stakes asks first to calibrate reliability. Always note the exact wording for post-omen arguments.
• •Ritual cast it during short rests or downtime for zero slot cost; the 11-minute total time (1 min + 10 min ritual) is fine outside combat but killer in timed puzzles. Pair with Mending to fix your 25gp tokens if they break.
• •Use post-Short Rest when slots are full but before risky pushes—'nothing' still beats blind commitment, buying time for Perception sweeps or rogue scouting.

Rules Notes

• •The spell provides an omen only for the planned course of action within 30 minutes; any intervening changes (like buffs or allies joining) are ignored per RAW.
• •Multiple casts before long rest incur 25% cumulative random chance per extra casting, rolled secretly by GM—resets on long rest.
• •No upcasting benefit; higher_level is empty, so always cast at 2nd level.
• •RAI seems to intend GM discretion on omen vagueness, but RAW mandates one of four outcomes based on results.

Synergies

• •Knowledge Domain Cleric: Combos with Channel Divinity (Knowledge of the Ages) for +10 temp skill before probing plans, turning weal into guaranteed success.
• •Arcane Cleric subclass (Tasha's): Visions of the Future adds Portent dice to force good outcomes on weal omens, making this a TPK preventer.
• •Party rogue: Weal on 'disarming the trapped chest' lets them proceed confidently; woe prompts Detect Magic ritual instead.

Anti-Patterns

• •Spamming before every door or check: Hits random threshold fast (75% on fourth cast), wasting 11 minutes each time and eroding trust at table.
• •Ignoring the omen because 'it's just GM opinion': Undermines future casts; treat weal/woe as 70/30 odds shifter, not gospel.
• •Burning a level 2 slot instead of ritual: Opportunity cost is huge— that slot averages 28 damage via Spiritual Weapon vs free info.

Tactical Modules

• •Pre-Combat Probe — When to use: Before kicking in a boss door or ambushing a patrol, when party health is mid but commitment is high. Synergy: Weal: Pre-cast Bless (avg +5 hit/dmg for 3 allies); woe: Fall back to Pull the Goalie tactics like Spike Growth kite
• •Trap/Riddle Gamble — When to use: Prior to rogue disarming or solving environmental puzzle with permadeath risk. Synergy: Nothing/weal and woe: Send familiar ahead; woe pure: Abort and seek alternate path with Survival check
• •Negotiation Opener — When to use: Before haggling with shady merchant or parleying with faction leader. Synergy: Weal: Enhance Ability (Charisma) the face; woe: Prep Zone of Truth as backup enforcement

Countermeasures

• •Threat: Intervening events invalidate omen (e.g., enemy reinforcements arrive) — Response: Stick to the exact plan queried or recast post-long rest; don't deviate wildly. Fallback: Default to cautious approach: double Perception, 30ft spacing, ready actions
• •Threat: DM delivers 'nothing' repeatedly, stonewalling info — Response: Rephrase tighter or switch to lower-cost Guidance on key checks. Fallback: Rely on class features like Divine Sense for undead/fiends instead
• •Threat: Random reading from overcasting (e.g., 50% on third) — Response: Limit to 1-2 per adventuring day; long rest religiously. Fallback: Use Commune at next temple for reliable batch queries

Frequently Asked Questions

is augury good 5e

Situational excellent for clerics: ritual omen averts disasters in dungeons for free. Weak vs precise spells like Divination, but beats blind risks. Prep always on Knowledge clerics.

augury 5e ritual cleric

Yes, clerics ritual cast in 11 minutes no slot. Buy 25gp tokens day 1. Infinite uses separate from slot spam penalty.

augury vs divination 5e

Augury ritual cheap/vague omen; Divination 4th-level precise yes/no (3 questions). Augury early game, upgrade at 7th.

does augury work in combat 5e

No—1 minute casting impossible in initiative. Use pre-fight planning only. Fallback: Guidance cantrip.

best augury questions 5e

Specific actions: 'Party assaults goblin boss via south stairs with Bless active'. Avoid 'go north?'. Test small first.

augury random reading chance 5e

25% per extra cast before long rest: 0% first, 25% second, 50% third. GM secret roll; long rest resets.

can you upcast augury 5e

No benefit— no higher_level effects. Always level 2 ritual. Slots wasted.

augury worth preparing cleric 5e

Yes over Healing Word if exploration-heavy; drop for combat slots in boss rushes. Knowledge Domain auto-preps.

Citations: api:spells/augury

Includes SRD content per CC BY 4.0. Source: dnd5eapi.co.