Illusion Magic • Sound and Misdirection
Ghost Sound
Ghost Sound creates convincing phantom noises: footsteps, voices, marching troops, animals or other sounds within the spell’s volume limit. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e keep it as a 0-level spell; fifth edition folds similar sound illusions into other magic.
Ghost Sound at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No spell named Ghost Sound; Minor Illusion fills a similar role |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No spell named Ghost Sound; Minor Illusion fills a similar role |
| Pathfinder 1e | 0-level Bard and Sorcerer/Wizard spell |
| D&D 3.5e | 0-level Bard and Sorcerer/Wizard spell |
| Witch archive | 0-level legacy Witch spell |
Spell Rules by Edition
Ghost Sound — 5.5e / 2024
Status: there is no separate Ghost Sound spell in SRD 5.2.1. Minor Illusion is the modern spell that covers creating illusory sounds.
Ghost Sound — 5e / 2014
Status: there is no separate Ghost Sound spell in the 2014 core rules. Minor Illusion provides the equivalent sound-illusion niche.
Ghost Sound — Pathfinder 1e
| School | Illusion (figment) |
|---|---|
| Level | Bard 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0 |
| Components | V, S, M |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Effect | Illusory sounds |
| Duration | 1 round/level (D) |
| Saving Throw | Will disbelief (if interacted with) |
| Spell Resistance | No |
You create a chosen type of sound that can rise, recede, approach or remain in one place. The basic character of the sound is chosen when the spell is cast and cannot then be changed.
The maximum volume scales with caster level, up to the noise of about twenty humans. The spell can imitate voices, marching, running, animals and similar sounds within that limit.
Material Component: a bit of wool or a small lump of wax.
Ghost Sound — D&D 3.5e
| School | Illusion (Figment) |
|---|---|
| Level | Bard 0, Sorcerer/Wizard 0 |
| Components | V, S, M |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Effect | Illusory sounds |
| Duration | 1 round/level (D) |
| Saving Throw | Will disbelief (if interacted with) |
| Spell Resistance | No |
The spell creates a selected kind of sound whose apparent movement can rise, recede, approach or remain fixed. Volume scales with caster level, up to approximately the noise produced by twenty humans.
Ghost Sound can strengthen a Silent Image by supplying sound, and can be made permanent with Permanency under the 3.5e rules.
Material Component: a bit of wool or a small lump of wax.
What Changed?
- 5.5e / 2024 and 5e / 2014: Ghost Sound is no longer a separate spell; Minor Illusion covers the same basic trick.
- Pathfinder 1e and 3.5e: Ghost Sound remains a 0-level figment with volume scaling by caster level.
- Witch use: it remains in the preserved legacy Witch spell archive, not automatically on the modern Witch lists.
Using Ghost Sound in Play
Ghost Sound is strongest when the caster thinks about what an observer expects to hear. Footsteps behind a guard, a shouted order from around a corner, dogs barking beyond a wall or the creak of an opening door can create openings without imitating an entire conversation.
Counterplay and Related Magic
Ghost Sound can be disbelieved when a creature interacts with the illusion under legacy rules, and silence or obvious physical contradiction can expose the trick. Compare Silent Image and Major Image. Dispel Magic can end an ongoing legacy illusion where normal dispelling rules apply.
Rules Sources and Licensing
The Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e panels preserve their edition mechanics. The fifth-edition panels identify the modern equivalent role rather than importing the old spell unchanged.
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