Bard Magic • Spell Reference
Nondetection Spell
The Unseen Trail
A ward against magical discovery: Nondetection conceals a traveller, a treasured object, or a hidden meeting place from divination. Choose your edition before casting; the modern ward and the older caster-level contest work differently.
Nondetection at a Glance
| School | Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Bard level | 2024 / 2014: 3; Pathfinder / 3.5: absent from standard Bard lists |
| Purpose | Protection against divination and scrying |
| Duration | Modern: 8 hours; legacy: 1 hour/level |
| Concentration | None in the modern versions |
Spell Rules by Edition
Nondetection — 5.5e / 2024
Rules source: System Reference Document 5.2.1.
| Spell | Level 3 Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Classes | Bard, Ranger, Wizard |
| Casting Time | Action |
| Range | Touch |
| Components | V, S, M (a pinch of diamond dust worth 25+ GP, consumed) |
| Duration | 8 hours |
For the duration, you hide a target that you touch from Divination spells. The target can be a willing creature, or it can be a place or an object no larger than 10 feet in any dimension. The target can’t be targeted by any Divination spell or perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Nondetection — 5e / 2014
Rules source: System Reference Document 5.1.
| Spell | Level 3 Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Classes | Bard, Ranger, Wizard |
| Casting Time | 1 action |
| Range | Touch |
| Components | V, S, M (a pinch of diamond dust worth 25 gp sprinkled over the target, consumed) |
| Duration | 8 hours |
For the duration, you hide a target that you touch from divination magic. The target can be a willing creature, or it can be a place or an object no larger than 10 feet in any dimension. The target can’t be targeted by any divination magic or perceived through magical scrying sensors.
Nondetection — Pathfinder 1e
Rules source: Edition reference.
| School | Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Level | Alchemist 3, Antipaladin 3, Arcanist 3, Hunter 4, Inquisitor 3, Investigator 3, Medium 2, Mesmerist 3, Occultist 3, Psychic 3, Ranger 4, Sorcerer 3, Spiritualist 3, Summoner 3, Unchained Summoner 3, Wizard 3 |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Components | V, S, M (diamond dust worth 50 gp) |
| Range | Touch |
| Target | Creature or object touched |
| Duration | 1 hour/level |
| Saving Throw | Will negates (harmless, object) |
| Spell Resistance | Yes (harmless, object) |
The warded creature or object becomes difficult to detect by divination spells such as clairaudience/clairvoyance, locate object, and detect spells.
Nondetection also prevents location by such magic items as crystal balls. If a divination is attempted against the warded creature or item, the caster of the divination must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against a DC of 11 + the caster level of the spellcaster who cast nondetection. If you cast nondetection on yourself or on an item currently in your possession, the DC is 15 + your caster level.
If cast on a creature, nondetection wards the creature’s gear as well as the creature itself.
Nondetection — D&D 3.5e
Rules source: Edition reference.
| School | Abjuration |
|---|---|
| Level | Ranger 4, Sorcerer/Wizard 3, Trickery domain 3 |
| Components | V, S, M |
| Casting Time | 1 standard action |
| Range | Touch |
| Target | Creature or object touched |
| Duration | 1 hour/level |
| Saving Throw | Will negates (harmless, object) |
| Spell Resistance | Yes (harmless, object) |
The warded creature or object becomes difficult to detect by divination spells such as clairaudience/clairvoyance, locate object, and detect spells.
Nondetection also prevents location by such magic items as crystal balls. If a divination is attempted against the warded creature or item, the caster of the divination must succeed on a caster level check (1d20 + caster level) against a DC of 11 + the caster level of the spellcaster who cast nondetection. If you cast nondetection on yourself or on an item currently in your possession, the DC is 15 + your caster level.
If cast on a creature, nondetection wards the creature’s gear as well as the creature itself.
Material Component A pinch of diamond dust worth 50 gp.
Edition Differences
| Modern Bard access | Bard 3 in 2024 and 2014. Nondetection is absent from the standard Bard lists in Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e. |
|---|---|
| Protection | 2024 bars Divination spell targeting and magical scrying sensors; 2014 uses the broader wording “divination magic”. Pathfinder and 3.5 require a diviner’s caster-level check. |
| Legacy difficulty | DC 11 + ward caster level, or DC 15 + your caster level when warding yourself or an item currently in your possession. |
| Time and cost | Modern: 8 hours and 25 gp diamond dust consumed. Legacy: 1 hour/level and 50 gp diamond dust. |
Using Nondetection
Apply the ward before a courier departs or before a sensitive gathering begins. In the modern rules, a protected place or object must fit within the stated 10-foot size limit. In the older rules, a creature’s gear shares its ward, and self-cast protection is harder for a rival diviner to overcome.
Choose protection for the information your enemy is trying to obtain. Nondetection can frustrate a magical search, but guards, witnesses, tracks, and ordinary sight can still reveal a traveller. The spell grants no general concealment from physical observation.
Nondetection in the World
Couriers carrying royal seals, musicians moving between hostile courts, and collectors hiding a disputed relic all have reasons to seek this ward. Its diamond dust makes secrecy a recurring expense; a concealed journey can become a negotiation over who pays for the next casting.
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.
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