Message: check its barriers even without a Verbal component

SRD 5.2.1 · Spell decisions

Before casting

At the table

1. Point toward a creature within 120 feet and whisper; only that target hears the message, and its whispered reply is heard only by you.
2. Through solid objects, be familiar with the target and know it is beyond the barrier.
3. Magical silence, one foot of stone, metal or wood, or a thin sheet of lead blocks the spell.

Example decision

A caster notes that Message lists no Verbal component and tries to send it through magical silence. Does the missing Verbal component remove this spell’s explicit silence barrier?

No; magical silence is separately listed as blocking Message.

The component list contains Somatic and Material requirements, but the description separately says magical silence blocks the spell. Both parts of the entry apply. The absence of a Verbal component therefore does not turn Message into an exception to its own blocking sentence. Keep the target, range and solid-object requirements in view too.

Watch for this mistake

Do not borrow Detect Magic’s one-inch metal limit. Message lists one foot of metal along with stone and wood, while a thin sheet of lead is enough to block it.

Ask the table

Is the target known and within range, and does the path include one of this spell’s stated barriers?

Source spell

Transmutation Cantrip (Bard, Druid, Sorcerer, Wizard) Casting Time: Action Range: 120 feet Components: S, M (a copper wire) Duration: 1 round You point toward a creature within range and whisper a message. The target (and only the target) hears the message and can reply in a whisper that only you can hear. You can cast this spell through solid objects if you are familiar with the target and know it is beyond the barrier. Magical silence; 1 foot of stone, metal, or wood; or a thin sheet of lead blocks the spell.

Source: SRD 5.2.1, 148–149. Online guide.