Enlarge Spell — Reach Beyond the Circle
A caster who can reach an enemy beyond arrow-shot, heal an ally across a chasm or project a spell from safety gains a tactical advantage. Lengthening a spell’s range is useful only when its target and casting conditions still permit the spell to work.
At a Glance
| D&D 2024 | Distant Spell: Sorcerer Metamagic option, costs 1 Sorcery Point |
|---|---|
| D&D 2014 | Distant Spell: Sorcerer Metamagic option, costs 1 Sorcery Point |
| Pathfinder 1e | Enlarge Spell: Metamagic feat, doubles eligible close/medium/long range; +1 spell-slot level |
| D&D 3.5e | Enlarge Spell: Metamagic feat, doubles eligible close/medium/long range; +1 spell-slot level |
| Prerequisites | None for the original Pathfinder and D&D 3.5e feats |
Rules by Edition
Distant Spell — D&D 2024
Type: Sorcerer Metamagic, not a feat. Cost: 1 Sorcery Point. When casting a spell with range of at least 5 feet, you may double its range. When casting a spell with range Touch, you may instead extend its range to 30 feet. The spell still needs a valid target, line of effect and any required sight or other targeting conditions.
Example: A spell normally reaching 60 feet can reach 120 feet when affected by Distant Spell. A Touch spell can affect a legal target within 30 feet.
Distant Spell — D&D 2014
Type: Sorcerer Metamagic, not a feat. Cost: 1 Sorcery Point. Doubling a spell’s distance is permitted when its range is 5 feet or greater; a Touch range becomes 30 feet. This option does not increase the spell’s area, its number of targets or the duration of its effects.
Example: A spell with a 30-foot range reaches 60 feet; any other targeting requirements still apply.
Enlarge Spell — Pathfinder 1e
Type: Metamagic feat. Prerequisites: None. Effect: Double the range of a spell whose range is expressed as close, medium or long. The enlarged spell occupies a slot one level higher than normal. It does not affect spells with touch, personal or other ineligible range categories.
Example: A spell with Medium range of 100 feet + 10 feet per caster level instead reaches 200 feet + 20 feet per caster level. Casting a 2nd-level spell with Enlarge Spell normally requires a 3rd-level slot.
Spontaneously cast metamagic can take longer under Pathfinder’s general metamagic rules. This feat does not change the spell’s actual level for saving-throw DCs.
Enlarge Spell — D&D 3.5e
Type: Metamagic feat. Prerequisites: None. Effect: Increase by 100% the range of a spell whose range is close, medium or long. Close becomes 50 feet + 5 feet per caster level, medium becomes 200 feet + 20 feet per level, and long becomes 800 feet + 80 feet per level. The spell uses a slot one level above its normal spell level.
Spells with fixed range categories outside these three, or with no distance-based range, gain no increase. The casting-time rules for spontaneous metamagic still apply.
Choosing the Right Metamagic
Extend the range when it keeps the caster out of danger, makes a distant ally reachable, or allows a spell to affect a target across difficult ground. Range is not the same as area: a spell with a larger range does not also gain a wider burst.
Related: Empower Spell · Quicken Spell · Sorcerer · Spell Components.
Sources and Licensing
The older Enlarge Spell feat rules derive from the D&D 3.5e SRD and the Pathfinder 1e Core Rulebook, under their respective Open Game Content provisions. Distant Spell in fifth edition is a separately published Sorcerer feature, not the same feat. Examples and editorial presentation here are original.
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