Detect Poison and Disease 5e: Range, Barriers, and Rituals
I like Detect Poison and Disease when the party has a specific reason to be suspicious, such as a tainted meal or a chest with a poisoned needle. Under the 2014 rules, it tells you where nearby poisons, poisonous creatures, and diseases are and what kind you found.
Detect Poison and Disease 5e — Quick Spell Reference
- Casting time
- 1 action
- Range
- Self
- Components
- V, S, M (A yew leaf.)
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 10 minutes
- Classes
- Cleric, Druid, Paladin, Ranger
For the duration, you can sense the presence and location of poisons, poisonous creatures, and diseases within 30 feet of you. You also identify the kind of poison, poisonous creature, or disease in each case.
The spell can penetrate most barriers, but it is blocked by 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt.
What Does Detect Poison and Disease Reveal?
You sense both the location and kind of each qualifying poison, creature, or disease within 30 feet. The spell has a range of Self because you’re the one sensing the hazards. The 30-foot area moves with you, so you can sweep a few rooms while you maintain concentration for up to 10 minutes. Tell your companions what you find so they can act on it.
For example, if a chest has a poisoned needle and its lining is thin enough for the spell to penetrate, you can locate and identify the poison before touching the latch. Check the latch separately to work out how the needle is triggered and how to disarm it.
What Materials Block Detection?
The 2014 spell can penetrate most barriers, including an ordinary wooden door. These materials block it at the listed thicknesses.
| Material | Thickness that blocks the 2014 spell |
|---|---|
| Stone | 1 foot |
| Common metal | 1 inch |
| Lead | A thin sheet |
| Wood or dirt | 3 feet |
A creature can be within 30 feet and still be hidden from the spell. If a room is sealed behind a two-foot stone wall, scan it from the doorway once you have an opening. The spell’s barrier rules give you a reason to change position before treating a room as clear.
Who Can Cast It as a Ritual?
Clerics, druids, paladins, and rangers have Detect Poison and Disease on their 2014 spell lists. Clerics and druids can cast it as a ritual when they have it prepared. A 2014 paladin or ranger needs a separate feature that lets them cast the spell as a ritual.
Casting it with a slot takes one action. Casting it as a ritual takes 10 minutes longer and saves the slot. Use the ritual when you can wait, such as before a meal or a room-by-room search. The yew leaf has no listed cost and can be reused. A component pouch or a spellcasting focus you can use for the spell can stand in for it.
Detect Poison and Disease: 2014 vs. 2024 Rules
| Rule | 2014 | 2024 |
|---|---|---|
| What you can locate and identify | Poisons, poisonous creatures, and diseases | Poisons, poisonous or venomous creatures, and magical contagions |
| Stone, wood, or dirt that blocks detection | 1 foot of stone or 3 feet of wood or dirt | 1 foot of any of those materials |
| Metal that blocks detection | 1 inch of common metal or a thin sheet of lead | 1 inch of metal or a thin sheet of lead |
The 2024 spell keeps the same 30-foot detection distance and 10-minute concentration limit. Under the 2024 ritual rules, paladins and rangers can also cast it as a ritual when they have it prepared.
Detect Poison and Disease FAQ
Can the spell tell if someone is poisoned or cure a disease?
It locates and identifies poison or disease that falls within the spell’s scope. The poisoned condition alone doesn’t tell you whether a detectable poison is present. Once you identify a hazard, use a separate remedy to treat the poison or disease. How you handle diseases in D&D depends on the disease and the rules your table uses.
Does a higher-level slot improve the spell?
The detection distance stays at 30 feet and the spell still lasts up to 10 minutes.