Hypnotic Pattern — Complete D&D 5e Spell Guide

Table of Contents

• •Quick Answer
• •Overview
• •Stat Block
• •When NOT to Use This
• •Spell Slot Efficiency
• •Pro Tips
• •Common Mistakes to Avoid
• •Usage Tips
• •Rules Notes
• •Synergies
• •Anti-Patterns
• •Tactical Modules
• •Countermeasures
• •Hypnotic Pattern in the 2024 Rules
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answer

Hypnotic Pattern is a 3rd-level illusion spell for Bards, Sorcerers, Warlocks, and Wizards. You fill a 30-foot cube within 120 feet with a pattern of colors. Each creature in the area that sees it makes a Wisdom save. On a failure it is charmed for up to 1 minute (concentration), and while charmed it is incapacitated with a speed of 0. There is no repeat save. The effect ends on a creature only if it takes damage or someone else uses an action to shake it out of it.

Overview

Hypnotic Pattern takes enemies out of a fight in bulk. A 30-foot cube covers a lot of a battle map, and every creature in it that fails one Wisdom save stops acting until something wakes it.

Most control spells give the target a new save every turn. Hypnotic Pattern doesn't. A creature that fails stays hypnotized for the whole minute unless it takes damage, someone else spends an action to shake it, or you lose concentration. That makes the spell a way to split an encounter: fight the creatures that passed, then deal with the rest one at a time.

The weak points are friendly fire and damage. You don't choose who is affected, so allies in the cube roll too. And any damage, even 1 point from an ally's area spell, frees the creature it hits.

Stat Block

When NOT to Use This

• •Your allies are in the 30-foot cube. They make the save too.
• •The enemies are immune to being charmed. A ghoul, animated armor, and the four SRD golems can't be charmed in either edition, so the spell does nothing to them.
• •Your party's plan is area damage. A Fireball on hypnotized enemies wakes every one it damages.
• •There is only one enemy. A single-target spell like Hold Person gives repeat saves but lets the party attack with advantage.

Spell Slot Efficiency

When worth the slot: A big group of enemies, a fight you want to split, or a getaway.

When NOT worth the slot: Charm-immune enemies, a single target, or a party that only deals area damage.

Upcasting

Hypnotic Pattern has no higher-level effect in either edition. A higher slot does nothing extra.

Pro Tips

Tip #1: Fight the ones who passed.

Why it works: The hypnotized creatures stay out of the fight with no repeat save. Your party can focus everything on the creatures that passed, then handle the rest one at a time.

This avoids the mistake of: Attacking a hypnotized enemy first and waking it up.

Tip #2: Place the cube away from your front line.

Why it works: The spell affects every creature in the area that sees the pattern, friend or foe. At 120 feet range you can place it over the enemy back line before your fighters engage.

This avoids the mistake of: Hypnotizing your own paladin.

Tip #3: Catch enemy casters.

Why it works: Hypnotized creatures are incapacitated, and an incapacitated creature loses concentration. A mage that fails the save drops whatever concentration spell it was holding.

This avoids the mistake of: Letting an enemy caster keep its own control spell running.

Tip #4: Remember that allies can shake them awake.

Why it works: Any other creature can use an action to shake a hypnotized creature free. Enemies that passed will often spend their turns doing that, which also keeps them from attacking you.

This avoids the mistake of: Thinking the minute is guaranteed once the saves are rolled.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Giving hypnotized enemies a save every turn

Why it's bad: The spell has no repeat save. A creature that fails stays charmed until the spell ends, it takes damage, or someone shakes it.

Do this instead: Track which creatures failed and leave them alone until you are ready.

Thinking attacks against them have advantage

Why it's bad: The spell makes creatures charmed and incapacitated with speed 0. None of those conditions gives attackers advantage, and the first hit wakes the creature anyway.

Do this instead: Use the time to deal with other enemies, set up, or retreat.

Using it on creatures that can't see

Why it's bad: Only creatures that see the pattern make the save. A blinded creature isn't affected.

Do this instead: Check whether your targets can see the area before you cast.

Thinking the pattern stays in the air

Why it's bad: The pattern appears for a moment and vanishes. Creatures that walk into the area later are not affected.

Do this instead: Cast it when the enemies you care about are already inside the cube.

Usage Tips

• •Worked example, gnolls: A 5th-level bard with 18 Charisma has spell save DC 15. A 2014 gnoll has a Wisdom save of +0, so it fails on 14 or lower: 70%. Against six gnolls, you hypnotize 4.2 on average, and at least four fail about 74% of the time.
• •Worked example, ogres: An ogre has a Wisdom save of −2 and fails on 16 or lower: 80%. Against four ogres, at least three fail about 82% of the time.
• •Worked example, a mage: A 2014 mage has a Wisdom save of +4. It fails on 10 or lower: 50%.
• •Worked example, drow: A 2014 drow has Fey Ancestry, which gives advantage on saves against being charmed. It has to fail two rolls, so a 70% chance per roll becomes 49%.
• •Undead aren't automatically immune: a 2014 or 2024 zombie or skeleton has no charm immunity, so it can be hypnotized. A ghoul is immune to being charmed in both editions.
• •Monsters that cast it: in the 2024 SRD, the incubus can cast Hypnotic Pattern once per day (spell save DC 15). The 2024 succubus doesn't have it. See the succubus and incubus guide.
• •What the conditions do: charmed and incapacitated.
• •Related guides: Sleep is a 1st-level way to knock creatures out of a fight, and it also ends on a creature that takes damage.

Rules Notes

• •Area: a 30-foot cube within 120 feet. The pattern appears for a moment and vanishes.
• •Who saves: each creature in the area that sees the pattern. You don't choose targets.
• •Failed save: charmed for the duration. While charmed by this spell, the creature is incapacitated and has a speed of 0.
• •Ending it: the spell ends on a creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake it out of its stupor. The text gives no range for the shake.
• •Concentration: if you lose concentration, every hypnotized creature is freed.
• •Charm immunity: a creature immune to being charmed can't be charmed, so the incapacitation never applies to it.
• •Concentration loss for targets: an incapacitated creature loses concentration on its own spells.

Synergies

• •Rope and manacles: Tie up hypnotized enemies. Binding them doesn't deal damage.
• •Focused fire: While half the enemies stand still, the party's single-target damage goes into the rest.
• •Retreat: Hypnotized creatures have a speed of 0 and can't follow. Cast it and walk away.
• •Positioning: Allies can move around and past hypnotized enemies without provoking opportunity attacks, since incapacitated creatures can't take reactions.

Anti-Patterns

• •Casting it with allies in the cube.
• •Following it with Fireball or any area damage on the same enemies.
• •Casting it on undead or constructs without checking for charm immunity.

Tactical Modules

• •Split the fight: Hypnotize the back half of a big group and fight the front half.
• •Escape: Hypnotize the pursuers and run. They can't move while it lasts.
• •Caster shutdown: Put the enemy caster and its guards in the same cube.

Countermeasures

• •Threat: Enemies who passed shake their friends awake. Response: Engage the ones still standing so they have to choose. Fallback: Each shake costs that enemy its action.
• •Threat: An enemy breaks your concentration. Response: Stay behind cover and out of reach. Fallback: Use the round they lost to reposition.
• •Threat: An ally's area spell wakes them. Response: Agree on single-target attacks before you cast. Fallback: Hypnotize again next round only if most of the group is still clustered.

Hypnotic Pattern in the 2024 Rules

The 2024 Player's Handbook keeps Hypnotic Pattern as a level 3 illusion spell for the same four classes, with the same range, 30-foot cube, Wisdom save, 1-minute concentration duration, and the same ways to end it. The spell itself changed very little:

• •Material component: a pinch of confetti, instead of incense or a phosphorescent vial.
• •Wording: "each creature in the area who can see the pattern" instead of "who sees the pattern." Either way, a creature that can't see isn't affected.

The conditions it applies were rewritten in 2024, which changes what a hypnotized creature can't do:

• •Incapacitated (2024): no action, Bonus Action, or Reaction, no speech, and its concentration is broken. If it is still incapacitated when initiative is rolled, it has disadvantage on the roll. The 2014 condition only said "can't take actions or reactions."
• •Fey Ancestry (2024 elves): advantage on saves to avoid or end the Charmed condition, the same practical effect as the 2014 trait.

Frequently Asked Questions

What does Hypnotic Pattern do in 5e?

Each creature in a 30-foot cube within 120 feet that sees the pattern makes a Wisdom save. On a failure it is charmed for up to 1 minute, and while charmed it is incapacitated with a speed of 0.

Does Hypnotic Pattern allow a save every turn in 5e?

No. There is only the initial save. The effect ends on a creature if it takes damage, if someone else uses an action to shake it, or when your concentration ends.

Does damage end Hypnotic Pattern in 5e?

Yes. Any damage to a hypnotized creature ends the spell on that creature, including damage from your own allies.

Does Hypnotic Pattern affect allies in 5e?

Yes. Every creature in the cube that sees the pattern makes the save. You can't exclude your party, so place the cube carefully.

Do attacks against a creature under Hypnotic Pattern have advantage in 5e?

No. Charmed, incapacitated, and speed 0 don't give attackers advantage. The first hit also ends the effect on that creature.

Does Hypnotic Pattern work on undead in 5e?

Only on undead that aren't immune to being charmed and can see. Zombies and skeletons can be affected. Ghouls are immune to being charmed in both editions.

Can you upcast Hypnotic Pattern in 5e?

No. Neither the 2014 nor the 2024 text has a higher-level effect.

Did Hypnotic Pattern change in the 2024 rules?

Only slightly. The material component is now a pinch of confetti and the wording says "can see." The 2024 Incapacitated condition is also more explicit: it names bonus actions and speech, which the 2014 condition didn't mention.

Citations: SRD 5.1 (2014 rules), SRD 5.2.1 (2024 rules)

Includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, licensed under CC BY 4.0.