Bard Magic • Spell Reference
Confusion Spell
Arcane Disorder and Unpredictable Actions
The Confusion Spell destroys coordinated action. Creatures stop, wander, lash out unpredictably or turn on whoever happens to be nearest, making an organised group suddenly unreliable.
It is most effective when enemies depend on formation, mutual protection or a carefully planned sequence of actions.
Confusion at a Glance
| Bard access | Level 4 in 2024 and 2014; level 3 in Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e. |
|---|---|
| Role | Disrupt a group with random, edition-specific behaviour. |
| Resistance | Wisdom in modern D&D; Will with Spell Resistance in legacy versions. |
| Area | 10-foot-radius sphere in modern D&D; 15-foot-radius burst in legacy versions. |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute in modern D&D; 1 round/level in legacy versions. |
Spell Rules by Edition
Confusion — 5.5e / 2024
| Level | 4th |
|---|---|
| School | Enchantment |
| Classes | Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard |
| Casting Time | Action |
| Range | 90 feet |
| Area | 10-foot-radius Sphere |
| Components | V, S, M (three nut shells) |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute |
| Saving Throw | Wisdom |
Each creature in a 10-foot-radius Sphere centred on a point within range makes a Wisdom saving throw.
On a failed save, the target cannot take Bonus Actions or Reactions and rolls 1d10 at the start of each of its turns to determine its behaviour.
| 1d10 | Behaviour for the Turn |
|---|---|
| 1 | The target takes no action and uses all its movement to move in a randomly determined cardinal direction. Roll 1d4: north, east, south or west. |
| 2–6 | The target does not move or take actions. |
| 7–8 | The target does not move and takes the Attack action to make one melee attack against a random creature within reach. If no creature is within reach, it takes no action. |
| 9–10 | The target chooses its behaviour normally. |
At the end of each of its turns, an affected target repeats the Wisdom saving throw. A successful save ends the spell on that creature.
Higher-Level Spell Slots
The Sphere’s radius increases by 5 feet for each spell slot level above 4.
Rules source: System Reference Document 5.2.1.
Confusion — 5e / 2014
Rules source: System Reference Document 5.1.
| Level & school | 4th-level Enchantment |
|---|---|
| Classes | Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard |
| Casting time | 1 action |
| Range | 90 feet |
| Area | 10-foot-radius sphere |
| Components | V, S, M (three nut shells) |
| Duration | Concentration, up to 1 minute |
| Saving throw | Wisdom |
When the spell is cast, each creature in the sphere makes a Wisdom saving throw. A failed save subjects it to the spell’s unpredictable behaviour for the duration.
An affected target cannot take reactions and rolls 1d10 at the start of each of its turns to determine its behaviour for that turn.
| 1 | Use all movement to move in a random direction; roll 1d8 and assign a direction to each face. Take no action this turn. |
|---|---|
| 2–6 | Do not move or take actions this turn. |
| 7–8 | Use the action to make one melee attack against a randomly determined creature within reach. If there is none, do nothing this turn. |
| 9–10 | Act and move normally. |
At the end of each of its turns, an affected target can make another Wisdom saving throw, ending the effect on itself if it succeeds.
Higher-Level Spell Slots
The sphere’s radius increases by 5 feet for each slot level above 4.
This edition does not state the 2024 blanket prohibition on Bonus Actions. Apply the 2014 general bonus-action rules and the behaviour rolled for that turn. Its random-direction result uses 1d8 rather than 2024’s four cardinal directions.
Confusion — Pathfinder 1e
| School | Enchantment (Compulsion) |
|---|---|
| Descriptor | Mind-Affecting |
| Classes | Bard 3, Sorcerer 4, Witch 4, Arcanist 4, Bloodrager 4, Mesmerist 3, Occultist 4, Psychic 4, Sahir-Afiyun 4, Skald 3, Spiritualist 4, Wizard 4 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V, S, M/DF (three nutshells) |
| Range | Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) |
| Targets | All creatures in a 15-ft.-radius burst |
| Duration | 1 round/level |
| Saving Throw | Will negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
A creature that fails its Will save becomes Confused for the duration. Roll d% at the start of each affected creature’s turn.
| d% | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 01–25 | Act normally. |
| 26–50 | Do nothing but babble incoherently. |
| 51–75 | Deal 1d8 damage + Strength modifier to itself with an item in hand. |
| 76–100 | Attack the nearest creature; a familiar counts as part of the subject’s self for this purpose. |
If the creature cannot perform the rolled action, it does nothing but babble incoherently.
A confused creature that is attacked automatically attacks its attacker on its next turn if it is still confused. It does not make attacks of opportunity against creatures it is not already devoted to attacking.
Mythic Confusion
The mythic version replaces the normal behaviour table:
| d% | Mythic Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 01–25 | Act normally, but take a –2 penalty on attack rolls, skill checks and ability checks until the next turn. |
| 26–50 | Babble incoherently and take a –4 penalty to AC until the next turn. |
| 51–75 | Deal 2d8 damage + Strength modifier to itself with an item in hand. |
| 76–100 | Attack the nearest ally; a familiar counts as an ally. |
Augmented: expend two uses of mythic power when casting the spell to force one affected creature per round to roll twice on the mythic table and use the higher result.
Attackers gain no special advantage merely because a creature is confused.
Rules source: Archives of Nethys — Confusion and Mythic Confusion.
Confusion — D&D 3.5e
| School | Enchantment (Compulsion) |
|---|---|
| Descriptor | Mind-Affecting |
| Classes | Bard 3, Sorcerer 4, Wizard 4, Trickery domain 4 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V, S, M/DF |
| Range | Medium (100 ft. + 10 ft./level) |
| Targets | All creatures in a 15-ft.-radius burst |
| Duration | 1 round/level |
| Saving Throw | Will negates |
| Spell Resistance | Yes |
A creature that fails its Will save has its actions determined randomly at the beginning of each of its turns.
| d% | Behaviour |
|---|---|
| 01–10 | Attack the caster with melee or ranged weapons, or move toward the caster if an attack is not possible. |
| 11–20 | Act normally. |
| 21–50 | Do nothing but babble incoherently. |
| 51–70 | Flee away from the caster at the highest possible speed. |
| 71–100 | Attack the nearest creature; a familiar counts as part of the subject’s self for this purpose. |
If the indicated action cannot be carried out, the creature does nothing but babble incoherently.
A creature that is attacked automatically attacks its attacker on its next turn if the spell is still affecting it. It does not make attacks of opportunity against creatures it is not already devoted to attacking.
Arcane material component: a set of three nut shells.
Attackers gain no special advantage merely because a creature is confused.
Rules source: Revised System Reference Document — Confusion.
What Changes by Edition?
| Bard level | Level 4 in modern D&D; level 3 in Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e. |
|---|---|
| 2024 | Every affected target loses Bonus Actions and Reactions, even on a 9–10 result. A roll of 1 uses one of four cardinal directions; 7–8 expressly permits no movement. |
| 2014 | No reactions; apply its own behaviour table and general bonus-action rules. The random-direction roll uses 1d8. A target can repeat its Wisdom save at each turn’s end. |
| Pathfinder 1e | The percentile table includes normal action, babbling, self-damage and attacking the nearest creature. Mythic Confusion has a separate replacement table. |
| D&D 3.5e | The percentile table includes attacking or approaching the caster, normal action, babbling, fleeing the caster and attacking the nearest creature. |
| Legacy retaliation | An attacked confused creature attacks its attacker next turn if still affected. The modern spell has no automatic-retaliation clause. |
Using Confusion in Play
The spell is strongest against groups whose effectiveness depends on cooperation. Bodyguards cease protecting their principal, creatures holding a narrow line may fail to act, and nearby enemies can suddenly become threats to one another.
It is less predictable than direct control. A fortunate target may act normally, while another may lose its entire turn or attack someone nearby. Cast it when disorder itself is valuable rather than when one precise outcome is essential.
Position also matters. In the modern spell, placing the Sphere where several opponents are packed together increases the chance that the random melee-attack result has a valid target. In the older editions, tightly grouped enemies likewise give randomly aggressive creatures more possible victims.
Confusion Spell Rulings
Does D&D 5.5e Confusion apply the Confused condition?
No. The modern spell gives its own specific restrictions and behaviour table. It does not tell the target to gain a separately defined Confused condition.
Can a 5.5e target use a Bonus Action or Reaction?
No. A creature that fails the initial Wisdom save cannot take Bonus Actions or Reactions while affected.
Can a 5.5e creature escape before Concentration ends?
Yes. Each affected target repeats the Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turns. Success ends the spell for that creature.
Does an affected creature always attack its allies?
No. Every edition uses a random behaviour table, and several results involve doing nothing or acting normally. The spell creates unreliable behaviour rather than guaranteed betrayal.
Does attacking a confused creature change what it does?
In Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e, yes. A creature that is attacked automatically attacks its attacker on its next turn if it is still under the spell.
The modern spell has no equivalent automatic retaliation rule.
Confusion Magic in 1454
On a battlefield, sudden irrational behaviour can be more destructive than casualties. A formation depends on soldiers recognising orders, maintaining position and knowing who stands beside them. This magic attacks all three.
In a gatehouse, shipboard fight or narrow urban street, a few affected combatants can obstruct their own allies even when they never land a blow. Mercenary captains and household guards therefore treat mind-altering casters as threats to command itself, not merely as another source of battlefield damage.
Learned magical natural philosophers use the spell when debating the relationship between intention and action. A victim may remain physically capable and apparently conscious while losing reliable command of what they do next—a disturbing demonstration that the will and the body are not always the same thing.
Related Spells
Sources & Licensing
- D&D 2024 Basic Rules — Confusion
- Archives of Nethys — Confusion and Mythic Confusion
- Revised D&D 3.5 System Reference Document — Confusion
SRD 5.1 supplies the 2014 panel.
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