Silence is a 2nd-level illusion spell for Bards, Clerics, and Rangers that can be cast as a ritual. For up to 10 minutes (concentration), no sound can be created in or pass through a 20-foot-radius sphere centered on a point within 120 feet. Creatures and objects entirely inside are immune to thunder damage, creatures entirely inside are deafened, and nobody inside can cast a spell with a verbal component. There is no saving throw.
Silence makes a 40-foot-wide bubble where sound doesn't exist. Its main use in combat is shutting down spellcasters. Most spells have a verbal component, and a creature inside the sphere can't cast any of them.
The spell has no save and no attack roll. Magic Resistance and Legendary Resistance do nothing against it, because the target never rolls. A caster caught inside either walks out, which costs movement and often its position, or fights without most of its spells.
It has limits. The sphere sits on a fixed point and doesn't follow anyone. A caster can step out of it, and spells cast from outside work normally, including spells aimed at targets inside. Abilities that aren't spells, such as a breath weapon or the 2024 mage's Arcane Burst, are unaffected. And Counterspell has only a somatic component, so an enemy inside can still counter your spells.
| Property | Value |
|---|---|
| Level | 2 |
| School | Illusion |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | 120 feet |
| Components | V, S |
| Material | None |
| Duration | Up to 10 minutes |
| Concentration | Yes |
| Ritual | Yes |
| Save/Attack | None |
| Classes | Bard, Cleric, Ranger |
| Metric | Assessment |
|---|---|
| Slot Efficiency | Very high against a spell-dependent caster. Close to zero against monsters that don't cast spells. |
| Action Economy | One action can take away most of an enemy caster's options for as long as it stays inside. |
| Opportunity Cost | Concentration for up to 10 minutes. Cast as a ritual outside combat, it costs no slot at all. |
When worth the slot: A boss spellcaster stuck in melee with your fighters, or a group of cultists guarding a doorway.
When NOT worth the slot: Monsters that rely on weapons, breath weapons or other non-spell abilities.
Silence has no higher-level effect in either edition. Casting it with a higher slot changes nothing.
Why it works: The sphere has a 20-foot radius. A caster at the center needs 20 feet of movement to leave, and your melee allies can make that walk cost an opportunity attack or two.
This avoids the mistake of: Clipping the caster with the edge of the sphere so it takes one step and casts.
Why it works: Silence works best when the caster is already in melee. To get out, it has to move away from your fighters and provoke opportunity attacks. If it is grappled, its speed is 0 and it can't leave at all.
This avoids the mistake of: Silencing a caster with nobody nearby to stop it from walking away.
Why it works: Range is 120 feet. You don't need to be inside, and staying out means your own verbal spells still work.
This avoids the mistake of: Standing in your own Silence and losing access to Healing Word and Cure Wounds.
Why it works: Sound can't pass through the sphere, so guards outside won't hear a door being forced or a fight inside it. Cast as a ritual, it takes 10 extra minutes and no spell slot.
This avoids the mistake of: Spending a 2nd-level slot on a sneaking job that had time for a ritual.
Why it's bad: It stops spells with verbal components cast inside the sphere. Spells cast from outside work. Spells with only somatic or material components work. Monster abilities that aren't spells work.
Do this instead: Read the enemy's stat block. Count which of its threats are verbal spells.
Why it's bad: Counterspell has only a somatic component in both editions. A lich, mage or archmage inside your Silence can still counter your spells.
Do this instead: Expect the counter. Bait it with a cheaper spell before your important one.
Why it's bad: There is no saving throw. Players sometimes let the target roll anyway, which throws away the spell's best feature.
Do this instead: If the creature is entirely inside, the effects apply.
Why it's bad: Only creatures and objects entirely inside the sphere are immune to thunder damage, and only creatures entirely inside are deafened.
Do this instead: Move fully into the sphere before an enemy's Thunderwave or Shatter.
The 2024 Player's Handbook keeps Silence almost word for word. It is still a 2nd-level illusion spell for Bards, Clerics and Rangers with the same 120-foot range, 20-foot-radius sphere, 10-minute concentration, thunder immunity, deafening and ban on verbal spells. The casting time reads "Action or Ritual".
The bigger changes are in the surrounding rules. In 2014, only classes with a Ritual Casting feature (Bards and Clerics among Silence's casters) could cast it as a ritual, so Rangers couldn't. In 2024, anyone who has a ritual spell prepared can cast it as a ritual. The 2024 monster stat blocks also move a lot of caster damage from spells to attacks like Arcane Burst and Eldritch Burst, which Silence doesn't stop.
In the 2014 rules, Circle of the Land druids with the desert land type always have Silence prepared from druid level 3. The 2024 SRD's land types don't include it.
Silence creates a 20-foot-radius sphere within 120 feet where no sound exists for up to 10 minutes. Creatures inside are deafened, everything fully inside is immune to thunder damage, and no one inside can cast a spell with a verbal component.
It stops spells with a verbal component cast by a creature inside the sphere. Spells with only somatic or material components still work, and so does any spell cast from outside the sphere.
Yes. Counterspell has only a somatic component in both 2014 and 2024. An enemy inside your Silence can still counter you, and you can still counter from inside.
No. The effects apply to any creature entirely inside the sphere. Magic Resistance and Legendary Resistance don't help, since there is no save to roll.
Yes, while you are entirely inside the sphere. A deafened creature can't hear and automatically fails ability checks that require hearing. The condition works the same way in 2014 and 2024.
No. It is centered on a point you choose when you cast it. Creatures can leave it, and the sphere stays where it is.
Yes, it has the ritual tag. In the 2014 rules you need a Ritual Casting feature, which Bards and Clerics have and Rangers don't. In 2024, any caster with Silence prepared can cast it as a ritual.
Yes, for creatures and objects entirely inside the sphere. They are immune to thunder damage. A creature partly outside the sphere takes thunder damage normally.
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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