Magic · Social Magic

Glibness

Glibness makes the caster unnaturally convincing, but the spell changed dramatically between legacy d20 and modern D&D. Modern versions are 8th-level magic that stabilises Charisma checks and defeats magical lie detection; Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e use the older Bard 3 Bluff-bonus model.

5.5e / 2024	Bard 8, Warlock 8 · Enchantment
5e / 2014	Bard 8, Warlock 8 · Transmutation
Pathfinder 1e	Bard 3 · Transmutation · +20 Bluff
D&D 3.5e	Bard 3 · Transmutation · +30 Bluff

Rules

Glibness by Edition

5.5e / 2024 5e / 2014 Pathfinder 1e D&D 3.5e

Glibness — 5.5e / 2024

Level	8th-level Enchantment
Classes	Bard, Warlock
Casting Time	Action
Range	Self
Components	V
Duration	1 hour

Until the spell ends, whenever you make a Charisma check, you can replace the d20 result with a 15. This is a floor, not a fixed total: modifiers are then applied normally.

Magic that tries to determine whether you are telling the truth reports that you are truthful regardless of what you say.

Glibness — 5e / 2014

Level	8th-level Transmutation
Classes	Bard, Warlock
Casting Time	1 action
Range	Self
Components	V
Duration	1 hour

The mechanical effect is the same as the modern version: a Charisma check can use 15 instead of the number rolled, and truth-detecting magic reads your statements as truthful.

Glibness — Pathfinder 1e

School	Transmutation
Level	Bard 3
Casting Time	1 standard action
Components	S
Range	Personal
Target	You
Duration	10 minutes/level (D)

You gain a +20 bonus on Bluff checks made specifically to convince someone that your words are true. The bonus does not apply to feints, hiding diversions or hidden-message uses of Bluff.

If magic would detect your lies or force you to speak truthfully, its user must succeed on a caster-level check against DC 15 + your caster level. On a failure, the magic neither exposes your lie nor compels truthful speech.

Glibness — D&D 3.5e

School	Transmutation
Level	Bard 3
Casting Time	1 standard action
Components	S
Range	Personal
Target	You
Duration	10 minutes/level (D)

You gain a +30 bonus on Bluff checks made specifically to convince another creature of the truth of your words. As in Pathfinder, the bonus does not apply to other uses of Bluff.

Magic that detects lies or compels truth must pass a caster-level check against DC 15 + your caster level or fail against you.

Edition Changes

What Changed?

Modern D&D raises Glibness from Bard 3 to 8th level and also gives it to Warlocks.
2024 changes the school from Transmutation to Enchantment; the modern mechanics otherwise remain the same as 2014.
Modern D&D removes the enormous Bluff bonus and instead lets the caster replace a Charisma-check roll with 15.
Pathfinder 1e reduces the legacy Bluff bonus to +20; D&D 3.5e uses +30.
Legacy truth magic uses a caster-level contest; modern Glibness simply causes truth-detecting magic to indicate that the caster is truthful.

Play

Using Glibness

Modern Glibness is broader than a deception spell because its 15-floor applies to any Charisma check. It is especially strong when the caster already has a large Charisma modifier or proficiency bonus.

Legacy Glibness is narrower but more explosive when a Bluff check is specifically about making a lie believable. Keep the Pathfinder +20 and D&D 3.5e +30 versions separate.

Rules lock: do not import the legacy +20/+30 Bluff bonus into 2024 or 2014, and do not replace the legacy caster-level check against truth magic with the modern automatic result.

Related Magic

Related Spells

Sources & Licensing

Rules Sources

The 2024 and 2014 panels follow their respective public D&D rules entries. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e use their open rules versions, with their different Bluff bonuses kept explicit.