Conjuration • Creation Magic
Major Creation
Major Creation temporarily creates objects from plant matter, stone, crystal, metal and other nonliving material. Harder and rarer substances last for less time.
Major Creation at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No spell by this name in SRD 5.2.1 |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No core spell by this name; Creation fills the modern niche |
| Pathfinder 1e | Witch 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| D&D 3.5e | Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| Witch archive | Preserved at 5th level in the legacy Witch list |
Spell Rules by Edition
5.5e / 2024
Status: no Major Creation spell in SRD 5.2.1. Use the current edition’s Creation spell where available.
5e / 2014
Status: Major Creation is not a separate 2014 spell; use Creation instead.
Pathfinder 1e
| School | Conjuration (Creation) |
|---|---|
| Level | Witch 5, Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| Components | V, S, M (a tiny sample of the material to be created) |
| Casting Time | 10 minutes |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Effect | One unattended, nonmagical object, up to 1 cubic foot per caster level |
| Duration | See material table |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | No |
This spell works like Minor Creation but adds stone, crystal and metals to the permitted materials. The created object is temporary and cannot be used as a material component for another spell; a complex object requires a suitable Craft check.
| Created material | Duration |
|---|---|
| Vegetable matter | 2 hours/level |
| Stone, crystal, base metals | 1 hour/level |
| Precious metals | 20 minutes/level |
| Gems | 10 minutes/level |
| Rare metals, including mithral and adamantine | 1 round/level |
Limit: cold iron cannot be created. Source: Pathfinder Core Rulebook; Witch 5 class list.
D&D 3.5e
| School | Conjuration (Creation) |
|---|---|
| Level | Sorcerer/Wizard 5 |
| Components | V, S, M (a tiny sample of the intended material) |
| Casting Time | 10 minutes |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Effect | One unattended, nonmagical object, up to 1 cubic foot per caster level |
| Duration | See material table |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | No |
Functions as Minor Creation, except mineral objects can also be created. Use the material-duration table in the Pathfinder panel above for the same published 3.5e intervals: vegetable matter 2 hours/level, stone/crystal/base metals 1 hour/level, precious metals 20 minutes/level, gems 10 minutes/level and rare metals 1 round/level. Cold iron cannot be created.
Source: D&D 3.5 SRD — Major Creation. This panel is an independent 3.5e rules reference; the original Witch archive does not automatically grant Sorcerer/Wizard spells to another class.
What Changed?
Fifth edition consolidates this niche under Creation rather than keeping Major Creation as a separate spell. Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e retain the older spell name.
Using Major Creation in Play
Because rare materials vanish quickly, the spell is strongest for temporary tools, barriers, replacement parts and short-lived objects rather than permanent wealth.
Player tactic: choose stable materials when preparing an obstacle or tool, and reserve precious metals or gems for brief deceptions rather than durable equipment.
GM ruling: settle the object’s volume, complexity and intended duration before the casting. A temporary object cannot be passed off as permanent wealth once its duration ends.
Counterplay and Edge Cases
Dispel Magic can terminate an ongoing magical creation in editions where it successfully dispels the effect. Counterspelling must happen during casting. The object is nonmagical but is sustained by magic; do not confuse this spell with permanently manufactured goods or an instantaneous Creation effect.
Boundaries: no living matter, no magical objects and no cold iron; items used as spell material components cannot replace real components. An object’s value does not make the spell permanent.
Mythical Context
Hephaestus is the divine craftsman of Greek myth, a maker whose skill produces marvellous things from ordinary material. Major Creation gains texture when its fabricated objects bear the marks of an imagined master artisan rather than appearing as featureless conjured props. See the Greek vase depicting Hephaestus with his axe.
Historical Context
The surviving red-figured Greek vessel showing Hephaestus preserves the place of metalworking and skilled makers in Greek storytelling. Material culture also shows that crafted objects required labour, tools and resources; historical artisans were not producing goods by instantaneous magical fabrication. See the British Museum’s ancient painted vessel.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Pathfinder 1e: Core Rulebook — Major Creation and Advanced Player’s Guide — Witch spell list. D&D 3.5e: SRD — Major Creation. Open Game Content of these older editions is governed by the applicable OGL v1.0a notices; the original prose and images are not designated as OGC. Modern edition panels are availability notes, not conversions.
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