Locate Object is a 2nd-level divination spell for Bards, Clerics, Druids, Paladins, Rangers, and Wizards. For up to 10 minutes (concentration), you sense the direction to an object familiar to you, if it is within 1,000 feet. It can find a specific object you have seen within 30 feet at least once, or the nearest object of a kind, such as a dagger or a chair. Any thickness of lead between you and the object blocks it.
Locate Object is a compass. It points to the thing you named and tells you which way it is moving. It doesn't tell you how far away it is, what is between you and it, or who is holding it.
It has two modes.
The specific mode finds one particular object you have seen up close: your stolen sword, the duke's signet ring you saw at dinner, the idol the cultists carried off. You must have been within 30 feet of it at least once.
The general mode finds "the nearest object of a particular kind," such as a certain kind of apparel, jewelry, furniture, tool, or weapon. You don't need to have seen the exact item, only to be familiar with that kind of object.
Six classes get it, so most parties can cast it. A heist, a theft, or a missing artifact makes it the best 2nd-level slot of the day; a dungeon crawl with nothing lost makes it dead weight.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | 2 |
| School | Divination |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | Self |
| Components | V, S, M |
| Material | A forked twig |
| Duration | Up to 10 minutes |
| Concentration | Yes |
| Ritual | No |
| Save/Attack | None |
| Classes | Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, Wizard |
| Metric | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Slot Efficiency | Excellent when the plot hinges on an object. Wasted otherwise. |
| Action Economy | One action for 10 minutes of tracking. |
| Opportunity Cost | Concentration and a 2nd-level slot, and it isn't a ritual. |
When worth the slot: Recovering a stolen item, tracking a thief who carries it, or finding a specific thing inside a building.
When NOT worth the slot: When the object could be anywhere in a city.
Locate Object has no higher-level effect in either edition. The range stays at 1,000 feet.
Why it works: The specific mode needs you to have seen the object "up close—within 30 feet—at least once." Get a good look at the relic you are guarding, the crown in the vault, or the party's most valuable item.
This avoids the mistake of: Trying to find an item you only heard described.
Why it works: The spell gives direction only. Move at a right angle to that direction and watch how much it turns. If you walk 100 feet east and the direction swings from due north to northwest, a 45-degree turn, the object is about 100 feet north of where you started. This is geometry, not a rule, and it works because the spell keeps pointing for the full 10 minutes.
This avoids the mistake of: Following the direction for 900 feet when the object was in the next building.
Why it works: "If the object is in motion, you know the direction of its movement." A thief running with your sword leads you to the thief.
This avoids the mistake of: Losing a fleeing pickpocket in a crowd.
Why it works: "The nearest object of a particular kind" can mean the nearest key, ladder, or lever, if you know what one looks like. The spell's examples are apparel, jewelry, furniture, tools, and weapons, and "such as" means the list isn't complete.
This avoids the mistake of: Saving the spell only for stolen treasure.
Why it's bad: You "sense the direction to the object's location." The spell gives no distance and no path.
Do this instead: Triangulate by moving, as in Tip #2.
Why it's bad: The spell locates objects. A creature isn't an object.
Do this instead: Find something the person carries. If you have seen their sword up close, find the sword.
Why it's bad: "Any thickness of lead" in the direct path blocks the spell. A vault lined with lead, or a lead box, hides what is inside.
Do this instead: If the spell finds nothing in an area where the item should be, suspect lead or the 1,000-foot limit.
Why it's bad: Beyond 1,000 feet you sense nothing, which tells you only that the object is far away or shielded.
Do this instead: Cast it in the district or building where you think the item is.
These are the 2014 rules. The 2024 changes are in their own section below.
The 2024 version is effectively unchanged. It is still a 2nd-level divination spell for the same six classes: Bard, Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger, and Wizard. The casting time, Self range, forked-twig material, 10-minute concentration duration, 1,000-foot range, 30-foot "seen up close" requirement, and "nearest object of a particular kind" option all match.
The only wording change is in the lead rule. The 2024 text says "any thickness of lead" blocks it and drops "even a thin sheet." Both versions block on any amount of lead.
The 2024 stat blocks add new casters. The green hag, night hag, and sea hag all list Locate Object under Coven Magic, usable once per long rest while two hag allies are within 30 feet. The 2024 sphinx of lore has it as a 1/day spell. Nondetection in 2024 still hides its target "from Divination spells," so it still blocks Locate Object.
It tells you the direction to a familiar object within 1,000 feet, and the direction it is moving if it is moving. It lasts up to 10 minutes with concentration.
No. It gives direction only. You can estimate distance by moving sideways and watching how much the direction changes.
No. It only finds objects. Find an object the creature carries instead.
Any thickness of lead between you and the object, the object being more than 1,000 feet away, or a Nondetection spell on the object, which hides it from divination magic.
For a specific object, yes: you must have seen it within 30 feet at least once. For the nearest object of a kind, you only need to be familiar with that kind of object.
Up to 10 minutes with concentration. You keep sensing the direction the whole time.
No, in either edition.
Bards, Clerics, Druids, Paladins, Rangers, and Wizards, in both 2014 and 2024.
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.
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1 by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. Loreify is not affiliated with Wizards of the Coast.
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