Quicken Spell — Magic at Battle Speed
A quickened spell is cast in the blink of an eye, leaving the caster free to move, strike or work another piece of magic. Its price is high, and the action economy differs sharply from one rules edition to another.
At a Glance
| D&D 2024 | Quickened Spell, Sorcerer Metamagic; 2 Sorcery Points, Action becomes Bonus Action |
|---|---|
| D&D 2014 | Quickened Spell, Sorcerer Metamagic; 2 Sorcery Points, Action becomes Bonus Action |
| Pathfinder 1e | Quicken Spell feat; spell uses a slot 4 levels higher; Swift Action; spontaneous spells allowed |
| D&D 3.5e | Quicken Spell feat; spell uses a slot 4 levels higher; Swift Action; core spontaneous casting excluded |
Quicken Spell Rules by Edition
Quickened Spell — D&D 2024
Type: Sorcerer Metamagic option, not a feat. Cost: 2 Sorcery Points. When you cast a spell with a casting time of an Action, change it to a Bonus Action for that casting.
Restriction: You cannot quicken a spell if you have already cast a level 1 or higher spell during the current turn; after you quicken a spell, you cannot cast a level 1 or higher spell on that turn. Apply the normal 2024 spellcasting and action rules as well. You can still use your Action for a non-spell activity or an eligible cantrip when other rules permit it.
Example: A Sorcerer quickens a level-1 spell for 2 Sorcery Points, then uses an Action to Dash rather than attempting to cast another level-1 spell.
Quickened Spell — D&D 2014
Type: Sorcerer Metamagic option, not a feat. Cost: 2 Sorcery Points. A spell normally cast as an Action can instead be cast as a Bonus Action. The 2014 Bonus Action spell rule then prevents casting another spell during that turn except for a cantrip with an Action casting time.
Example: Quickened magic missile can be cast with a Bonus Action, leaving the character’s Action free for a cantrip or a different action such as Disengage, but not another level-1 spell.
Quicken Spell — Pathfinder 1e
Type: Metamagic feat. Prerequisites: None. A spell with an eligible casting time can be cast as a Swift Action by preparing or using it with a spell slot four levels higher than normal. It does not provoke an attack of opportunity from casting.
Spontaneous casters: Pathfinder specifically permits using Quicken Spell on spells cast spontaneously without the usual increased casting time. This is an important difference from D&D 3.5e core rules.
Example: A quickened 1st-level spell normally uses a 5th-level slot. The caster may also use their Standard Action for another eligible activity or spell, subject to the normal action and spellcasting rules.
Quicken Spell — D&D 3.5e
Type: Metamagic feat. Prerequisites: None. A quickened spell uses a spell slot four levels higher than normal and is cast as a Swift Action. Only one quickened spell may be cast in a round. Casting it does not provoke an attack of opportunity. Spells with casting times longer than the feat permits are ineligible.
Core limitation: Under the original 3.5e feat, Quicken Spell cannot be applied to a spell being cast spontaneously, because spontaneous metamagic normally lengthens the casting time. The rules for clerics and druids using spontaneous spell conversion have the same limitation. Specific later features can override ordinary restrictions only when their rules say so.
Example: A prepared 2nd-level spell quickened using a 6th-level slot leaves the caster’s Standard Action available. The same feat does not automatically let a 3.5e Sorcerer quicken a spontaneously cast 2nd-level spell.
What a Quickened Spell Allows
The shorter casting time changes when a character can act, not how many targets the spell affects or how much damage it deals. A quickened spell still requires its components, a valid target and the same spell effects. A swift or bonus action cannot be spent twice merely because a feat or class feature makes something quick.
Related entries: Enlarge Spell · Empower Spell · Sorcerer · Feats.
Sources and Licensing
The Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e feats are sourced separately to their published core rules and legacy Open Game Content. D&D 2024 and 2014 Quickened Spell are Sorcerer Metamagic options with distinct spellcasting restrictions; they are not the legacy feat. Examples and editorial presentation are original.
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