Bard Magic • Spell Reference
Hypnotic Pattern Spell
Hypnotic Pattern suspends creatures in a captivating display. Modern editions use a brief cube of colour; the older spell fascinates a limited number of Hit Dice in a smaller spread.
Hypnotic Pattern at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | Bard 3 • Illusion • 30-foot Cube • Wisdom save |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | Bard 3 • Illusion • 30-foot cube • Wisdom save |
| Pathfinder 1e | Bard 2 • Illusion (pattern) • 10-foot-radius spread • Will save |
| D&D 3.5e | Bard 2 • Illusion (pattern) • 10-foot-radius spread • Will save |
Spell Rules by Edition
Hypnotic Pattern — 5.5e / 2024
Rules source: System Reference Document 5.2.1.
| Level & School | 3rd-level Illusion |
|---|---|
| Classes | Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard |
| Casting Time | Action |
| Range | 120 feet |
| Area | 30-foot cube |
| Components | S, M (a pinch of confetti) |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute |
| Saving Throw | Wisdom |
You create a twisting pattern of colours in a 30-foot cube within range. The pattern appears for a moment and vanishes. Each creature in the area that can see the pattern must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is Charmed for the duration; while Charmed by this spell it is Incapacitated and its Speed is 0.
The spell ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake it out of its stupor. It also ends when your Concentration ends or the duration expires. There is no recurring saving throw in the spell’s text.
Hypnotic Pattern — 5e / 2014
Rules source: System Reference Document 5.1.
| Level & School | 3rd-level Illusion |
|---|---|
| Classes | Bard, Sorcerer, Warlock, Wizard |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | 120 feet |
| Area | 30-foot cube |
| Components | S, M (a glowing stick of incense or a crystal vial filled with phosphorescent material) |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute |
| Saving Throw | Wisdom |
You create a twisting pattern of colours in a 30-foot cube within range. The pattern appears for a moment and vanishes. Each creature in the area that can see the pattern must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it is Charmed for the duration; while Charmed by this spell it is Incapacitated and its speed is 0.
The spell ends for an affected creature if it takes any damage or if someone else uses an action to shake it out of its stupor. It also ends when your Concentration ends or the duration expires. There is no recurring saving throw in the spell’s text.
Hypnotic Pattern — Pathfinder 1e
Rules source: Archives of Nethys — Hypnotic Pattern.
| Level & School | Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Affecting] |
|---|---|
| Classes | Arcanist 2, Bard 2, Mesmerist 2, Psychic 2, Red Mantis Assassin 2, Skald 2, Sorcerer 2, Wizard 2 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) |
| Effect | Colourful lights in a 10-foot-radius spread |
| Components | V (Bard only), S, M (a stick of incense or a crystal rod); see text |
| Duration | Concentration + 2 rounds |
| Saving Throw | Will negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
A twisting pattern of shifting colours fascinates creatures within the spread. Roll 2d4 and add your caster level, capped at +10, to determine the total Hit Dice affected. Affect the creatures with the fewest Hit Dice first; among equal Hit Dice, affect those closest to the pattern’s point of origin first. Any Hit Dice insufficient to affect another creature are wasted.
Affected creatures are Fascinated; sightless creatures are unaffected. A Wizard or Sorcerer need not utter a sound to cast it, but a Bard must perform as the Verbal component. Use the legacy Fascinated condition, rather than the modern Charmed and Incapacitated conditions.
Hypnotic Pattern — D&D 3.5e
Rules source: D&D 3.5 SRD — Hypnotic Pattern. This spell’s legacy mechanics are Open Game Content under the OGL v1.0a.
| Level & School | Illusion (Pattern) [Mind-Affecting] |
|---|---|
| Classes | Bard 2, Sorcerer/Wizard 2 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) |
| Effect | Colourful lights in a 10-foot-radius spread |
| Components | V (Bard only), S, M; see text |
| Duration | Concentration + 2 rounds |
| Saving Throw | Will negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
A twisting pattern of subtle, shifting colors weaves through the air, fascinating creatures within it. Roll 2d4 and add your caster level (maximum 10) to determine the total number of Hit Dice of creatures affected. Creatures with the fewest HD are affected first; and, among creatures with equal HD, those who are closest to the spell’s point of origin are affected first. Hit Dice that are not sufficient to affect a creature are wasted. Affected creatures become fascinated by the pattern of colors. Sightless creatures are not affected.
A wizard or sorcerer need not utter a sound to cast this spell, but a bard must sing, play music, or recite a rhyme as a verbal component.
Material Component A glowing stick of incense or a crystal rod filled with phosphorescent material.
What Changed Between Editions
| Modern versus legacy level | Hypnotic Pattern is a level-3 Bard spell in 2024 and 2014, but a level-2 Bard spell in Pathfinder and D&D 3.5. |
|---|---|
| Area and eligible creatures | Modern rules use a 30-foot cube at 120 feet and affect every creature in it that sees the momentary pattern and fails its save. Legacy rules use a 10-foot-radius spread, level-scaled medium range, and a limited pool of 2d4 + caster level (maximum +10) Hit Dice. |
| Conditions and duration | Modern targets become Charmed and Incapacitated with Speed 0 for up to 1 minute while Concentration lasts; damage or another creature’s action releases a target. Legacy targets become Fascinated, and the duration is Concentration + 2 rounds. |
| Components | Neither modern version has a Verbal component. 2024 uses confetti; 2014 uses glowing incense or a phosphorescent crystal vial. Legacy rules require a Bard’s Verbal performance, and 3.5 names glowing incense or a phosphorescent crystal rod. |
Using Hypnotic Pattern in Play
The modern spell is useful for pausing a group while allies escape, cross a defended room, or deal with opponents outside the cube. Place the area carefully: it does not inherently spare allies, and every potential target must see the brief pattern.
Agree on the party’s follow-up before dealing damage. One hit can release a creature, and an unaffected ally can spend an action to shake a target awake. Your own Concentration remains the shared limit on every affected target.
In legacy play, calculate the Hit Dice pool and allocation before resolving the effect. Lower-Hit-Dice creatures consume the pool first, so a crowd can absorb the pattern before a stronger foe is reached. Resolve distractions and threats using the selected edition’s Fascinated condition.
Rules Sources and Licensing
This work includes material taken from the System Reference Document 5.1 (“SRD 5.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC and available at https://dnd.wizards.com/resources/systems-reference-document. The SRD 5.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at https://www.dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
The Pathfinder and 3.5 spell mechanics and their tables are Open Game Content under the Open Game License v1.0a. Artwork and original setting prose are excluded from that designation.
Open Game License v1.0a and copyright notices
Permission to copy, modify and distribute the files collectively known as the System Reference Document (“SRD”) is granted solely through the use of the Open Gaming License, Version 1.0a.
This material is being released using the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a and you should read and understand the terms of that license before using this material.
The text of the Open Gaming License itself is not Open Game Content. Instructions on using the License are provided within the License itself.
The following items are designated Product Identity, as defined in Section 1(e) of the Open Game License Version 1.0a, and are subject to the conditions set forth in Section 7 of the OGL, and are not Open Content: Dungeons & Dragons, D&D, Player’s Handbook, Dungeon Master, Monster Manual, d20 System, Wizards of the Coast, d20 (when used as a trademark), Forgotten Realms, Faerûn, proper names (including those used in the names of spells or items), places, Red Wizard of Thay, the City of Union, Heroic Domains of Ysgard, Ever-Changing Chaos of Limbo, Windswept Depths of Pandemonium, Infinite Layers of the Abyss, Tarterian Depths of Carceri, Gray Waste of Hades, Bleak Eternity of Gehenna, Nine Hells of Baator, Infernal Battlefield of Acheron, Clockwork Nirvana of Mechanus, Peaceable Kingdoms of Arcadia, Seven Mounting Heavens of Celestia, Twin Paradises of Bytopia, Blessed Fields of Elysium, Wilderness of the Beastlands, Olympian Glades of Arborea, Concordant Domain of the Outlands, Sigil, Lady of Pain, Book of Exalted Deeds, Book of Vile Darkness, beholder, gauth, carrion crawler, tanar’ri, baatezu, displacer beast, githyanki, githzerai, mind flayer, illithid, umber hulk, yuan-ti.
All of the rest of the SRD is Open Game Content as described in Section 1(d) of the License.
More information on the Open Game License can be found at www.wizards.com/d20.
The terms of the Open Gaming License Version 1.0a are as follows:
OPEN GAME LICENSE Version 1.0a
The following text is the property of Wizards of the Coast, Inc. and is Copyright 2000 Wizards of the Coast, Inc (“Wizards”). All Rights Reserved.
1. Definitions: (a)”Contributors” means the copyright and/or trademark owners who have contributed Open Game Content; (b)”Derivative Material” means copyrighted material including derivative works and translations (including into other computer languages), potation, modification, correction, addition, extension, upgrade, improvement, compilation, abridgment or other form in which an existing work may be recast, transformed or adapted; (c) “Distribute” means to reproduce, license, rent, lease, sell, broadcast, publicly display, transmit or otherwise distribute; (d)”Open Game Content” means the game mechanic and includes the methods, procedures, processes and routines to the extent such content does not embody the Product Identity and is an enhancement over the prior art and any additional content clearly identified as Open Game Content by the Contributor, and means any work covered by this License, including translations and derivative works under copyright law, but specifically excludes Product Identity. (e) “Product Identity” means product and product line names, logos and identifying marks including trade dress; artifacts; creatures characters; stories, storylines, plots, thematic elements, dialogue, incidents, language, artwork, symbols, designs, depictions, likenesses, formats, poses, concepts, themes and graphic, photographic and other visual or audio representations; names and descriptions of characters, spells, enchantments, personalities, teams, personas, likenesses and special abilities; places, locations, environments, creatures, equipment, magical or supernatural abilities or effects, logos, symbols, or graphic designs; and any other trademark or registered trademark clearly identified as Product identity by the owner of the Product Identity, and which specifically excludes the Open Game Content; (f) “Trademark” means the logos, names, mark, sign, motto, designs that are used by a Contributor to identify itself or its products or the associated products contributed to the Open Game License by the Contributor (g) “Use”, “Used” or “Using” means to use, Distribute, copy, edit, format, modify, translate and otherwise create Derivative Material of Open Game Content. (h) “You” or “Your” means the licensee in terms of this agreement.
2. The License: This License applies to any Open Game Content that contains a notice indicating that the Open Game Content may only be Used under and in terms of this License. You must affix such a notice to any Open Game Content that you Use. No terms may be added to or subtracted from this License except as described by the License itself. No other terms or conditions may be applied to any Open Game Content distributed using this License.
3.Offer and Acceptance: By Using the Open Game Content You indicate Your acceptance of the terms of this License.
4. Grant and Consideration: In consideration for agreeing to use this License, the Contributors grant You a perpetual, worldwide, royalty-free, non-exclusive license with the exact terms of this License to Use, the Open Game Content.
5.Representation of Authority to Contribute: If You are contributing original material as Open Game Content, You represent that Your Contributions are Your original creation and/or You have sufficient rights to grant the rights conveyed by this License.
6.Notice of License Copyright: You must update the COPYRIGHT NOTICE portion of this License to include the exact text of the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any Open Game Content You are copying, modifying or distributing, and You must add the title, the copyright date, and the copyright holder’s name to the COPYRIGHT NOTICE of any original Open Game Content you Distribute.
7. Use of Product Identity: You agree not to Use any Product Identity, including as an indication as to compatibility, except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of each element of that Product Identity. You agree not to indicate compatibility or co-adaptability with any Trademark or Registered Trademark in conjunction with a work containing Open Game Content except as expressly licensed in another, independent Agreement with the owner of such Trademark or Registered Trademark. The use of any Product Identity in Open Game Content does not constitute a challenge to the ownership of that Product Identity. The owner of any Product Identity used in Open Game Content shall retain all rights, title and interest in and to that Product Identity.
8. Identification: If you distribute Open Game Content You must clearly indicate which portions of the work that you are distributing are Open Game Content.
9. Updating the License: Wizards or its designated Agents may publish updated versions of this License. You may use any authorized version of this License to copy, modify and distribute any Open Game Content originally distributed under any version of this License.
10. Copy of this License: You MUST include a copy of this License with every copy of the Open Game Content You Distribute.
11. Use of Contributor Credits: You may not market or advertise the Open Game Content using the name of any Contributor unless You have written permission from the Contributor to do so.
12. Inability to Comply: If it is impossible for You to comply with any of the terms of this License with respect to some or all of the Open Game Content due to statute, judicial order, or governmental regulation then You may not Use any Open Game Material so affected.
13. Termination: This License will terminate automatically if You fail to comply with all terms herein and fail to cure such breach within 30 days of becoming aware of the breach. All sublicenses shall survive the termination of this License.
14. Reformation: If any provision of this License is held to be unenforceable, such provision shall be reformed only to the extent necessary to make it enforceable.
15. COPYRIGHT NOTICE
Open Game License v 1.0a Copyright 2000, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.
System Reference Document Copyright 2000-2003, Wizards of the Coast, Inc.; Authors Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, Skip Williams, Rich Baker, Andy Collins, David Noonan, Rich Redman, Bruce R. Cordell, John D. Rateliff, Thomas Reid, James Wyatt, based on original material by E. Gary Gygax and Dave Arneson.
Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. © 2009, Paizo Publishing, LLC; Author: Jason Bulmahn, based on material by Jonathan Tweet, Monte Cook, and Skip Williams. END OF LICENSE