Vicious Mockery — 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
• •Vicious Mockery in the 2024 Rules
• •Damage by Level
• •Related Guides and Tools
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Quick Answer

Vicious Mockery is the bard's enchantment cantrip. You insult a creature you can see within 60 feet. In 2014 rules, if it can hear you, it makes a Wisdom saving throw. On a fail it takes 1d4 psychic damage and has disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. The damage rises to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th, and 4d4 at 17th. The 2024 version uses d6s instead and drops the hearing requirement.

Overview

Vicious Mockery is a cantrip that trades damage for defense. The damage is small, but a failed save also gives the target disadvantage on its next attack roll. Only Bards get it on their class list, and it is the signature bard cantrip.

It works best against a single hard-hitting monster that makes one big attack per turn. It works worst against enemies with many attacks, because disadvantage applies only to the first attack roll. It also does nothing to stop spells that use saving throws. The 2014 version has one more limit: the target has to be able to hear you. The 2024 version fixed both the low damage die and the hearing requirement.

Stat Block

When NOT to Use This

• •Against an enemy that will cast a spell with a saving throw instead of attacking. Disadvantage only affects attack rolls.
• •Against creatures with high Wisdom saves. Many casters and clerics will pass often.
• •Against a deafened target in 2014 rules. The target must be able to hear you.
• •Inside a Silence spell. Vicious Mockery has a verbal component, so you cannot cast it there.

Spell Slot Efficiency

When worth casting: On your turn when no leveled spell is needed and a big single attack is coming from one enemy.

When NOT worth casting: When a control spell or healing would change the fight more.

Pro Tips

Tip #1: Target the enemy with one big attack.

Why it works: The disadvantage applies to one attack roll. A creature that makes one heavy attack per turn loses much more than a creature making three small ones.

This avoids the mistake of: Mocking a creature with Multiattack and expecting all its attacks to suffer.

Tip #2: Check whether the next attack is coming before your next turn.

Why it works: The disadvantage lasts until the end of the target's next turn. If the target is unlikely to attack in that window, the debuff does nothing.

This avoids the mistake of: Mocking a creature that is fleeing or casting spells.

Tip #3: Target low-Wisdom monsters.

Why it works: Brutes like ogres and giants often have poor Wisdom saves, so they fail most of the time.

This avoids the mistake of: Mocking a high-Wisdom caster or cleric who passes easily.

Tip #4: Cast it with your hands full or while restrained.

Why it works: It has only a verbal component. You can cast it while holding a weapon and a shield, or while restrained, as long as you can speak.

This avoids the mistake of: Thinking you need a free hand to cast a spell.

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Applying disadvantage to every attack.

Why it's bad: The target has disadvantage only on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn. Its second and third attacks roll normally.

Do this instead: Track the first attack only. Use the condition tracker if your table has trouble remembering.

Applying disadvantage to saving throws or spells.

Why it's bad: It affects attack rolls only. A dragon's breath weapon or an enemy's Hold Person is not an attack roll.

Do this instead: Mock creatures that are about to attack, not ones about to use a save-based ability.

Forgetting the hearing requirement (2014).

Why it's bad: In 2014 rules, a target that cannot hear you is unaffected. A deafened creature is immune.

Do this instead: Under 2014 rules, pick a target that can hear you. Under 2024 rules, hearing does not matter.

Assuming psychic immunity stops the disadvantage.

Why it's bad: The spell's effects are tied to the failed save, not to the damage. A creature immune to psychic damage takes no damage but, read literally, still gets disadvantage.

Do this instead: Psychic-immune creatures can still be worth mocking for the debuff alone. Ask your DM if they rule it differently.

Usage Tips

• •Worked example: a 1st-level bard with 16 Charisma has a spell save DC of 13. An ogre has Wisdom 7 (−2), so it needs a 15 to succeed and fails 70% of the time.
• •The ogre's greatclub has +6 to hit and deals 13 damage on average. Against an AC 14 fighter, it hits on an 8 or higher, which is 65%. With disadvantage it hits about 42% of the time (0.65 × 0.65).
• •That is about 3 damage prevented each time the ogre fails (13 × 0.23). Multiplied by the 70% fail chance, each casting prevents about 2 damage on average, ignoring critical hits.
• •The 2014 damage adds 2.5 on a fail, or 1.75 expected per casting. The 2024 damage adds 3.5 on a fail, or about 2.45 expected per casting.
• •At 5th level, the damage is 2d4 (2014) or 2d6 (2024). Compare it with your other options in the damage calculator.

Rules Notes

• •Target: one creature you can see within 60 feet.
• •2014: the target must be able to hear you, though it does not need to understand you.
• •On a failed Wisdom save: psychic damage and disadvantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of its next turn.
• •On a successful save: nothing happens.
• •Damage scales with character level, not bard level. A multiclassed character uses total level.
• •Verbal component only. You need to be able to speak.

Synergies

• •Bane: reduces the target's attack rolls and saves by 1d4, and it stacks with disadvantage. See the Bane guide.
• •A high-AC frontliner: disadvantage plus high AC makes the target's one big attack very likely to miss.
• •Command: a 1st-level spell that can stop the attack entirely for one turn. Clerics and Paladins have it in 2014, and Bards gain it in 2024. See the Command guide.

Anti-Patterns

• •Mocking a creature that makes many weak attacks while a strong single-target enemy goes unmocked.
• •Mocking a caster who only uses saving throw spells.
• •Using it every turn when a leveled control spell would end the threat.

Tactical Modules

• •Boss Insult. When to use: A single big monster with one heavy attack per turn. Synergy: The tank's AC plus disadvantage makes a miss likely.
• •Hands-Full Bard. When to use: You are holding a weapon and shield, or restrained. Synergy: Verbal-only casting.
• •Finishing Line. When to use: An enemy is nearly dead. Synergy: Even the minimum damage roll can finish a creature with 1 or 2 hit points left.

Countermeasures

• •Threat: High-Wisdom enemies — Response: Target their lower-Wisdom allies. Fallback: Use a spell that targets a different save.
• •Threat: A deafened target (2014) — Response: Pick another target. Fallback: Use a spell with no hearing requirement.
• •Threat: Silence on the battlefield — Response: Step out of the area before casting. Fallback: Use a weapon attack.

Vicious Mockery in the 2024 Rules

The 2024 version is a direct upgrade. The damage die is now a d6: 1d6 at 1st level, 2d6 at 5th, 3d6 at 11th, and 4d6 at 17th. You can target one creature you can see or hear within 60 feet, and the target no longer has to hear you. Deafened creatures are no longer immune. The disadvantage effect, range, and Wisdom save are unchanged, and it is still a bard-only cantrip.

Damage by Level

Related Guides and Tools

• •Bane and Command: other ways to blunt enemy attacks.
• •Eldritch Blast and Chill Touch: damage cantrips with their own riders, for comparison.
• •Deafened: why it matters for the 2014 version.
• •Browse all spell guides.

Frequently Asked Questions

How much damage does Vicious Mockery do in 5e?

In the 2014 rules, 1d4 psychic damage, rising to 2d4 at 5th level, 3d4 at 11th, and 4d4 at 17th. In the 2024 rules, 1d6, rising to 2d6, 3d6, and 4d6 at the same levels.

Is Vicious Mockery good in 5e?

It is a solid default action. The damage is low, but a failed save also gives disadvantage on the target's next attack roll. It is best against a single monster with one big attack and weakest against enemies with many attacks.

Does Vicious Mockery work if the target doesn't understand you?

Yes. In the 2014 rules the target must be able to hear you but does not need to understand you. In the 2024 rules it does not even need to hear you.

Does Vicious Mockery work on deafened creatures?

Not in the 2014 rules, because the target must be able to hear you. In the 2024 rules, yes, because the hearing requirement is gone.

Does Vicious Mockery affect Multiattack?

Only the first attack. The disadvantage applies to the next attack roll the target makes before the end of its next turn, and later attacks roll normally.

Did Vicious Mockery change in 2024?

Yes. The damage die went from d4 to d6, and the target no longer needs to hear you. The disadvantage effect, Wisdom save, and range are the same.

Can you cast Vicious Mockery while silenced?

No. It has a verbal component, and spells with verbal components cannot be cast inside a Silence spell or while you are gagged.

Does Vicious Mockery give disadvantage on saving throws?

No. It only affects the target's next attack roll. Saving throws and ability checks are unaffected.

Citations: api:spells/vicious-mockery; SRD 5.1; SRD 5.2.1

Includes SRD content per CC BY 4.0. Sources: dnd5eapi.co, System Reference Document 5.1 and 5.2.1.