Message: check its barriers even without a Verbal component
Message delivers a private whispered exchange to a creature within range. Its component list and its own blocking rules are separate parts of the spell.
Before casting
| Casting detail | SRD 5.2.1 requirement |
|---|---|
| Casting time | Action |
| Range | 120 feet |
| Components | S, M (a copper wire) |
| Duration | 1 round |
Use it at the table
- Point toward a creature within 120 feet and whisper; only that target hears the message, and its whispered reply is heard only by you.
- Through solid objects, be familiar with the target and know it is beyond the barrier.
- Magical silence, one foot of stone, metal or wood, or a thin sheet of lead blocks the spell.
Make the call
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?
The ruling
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?
The source spell
SRD 5.2.1, pages 148–149. Read the official PDF.
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 and reuse
This work includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License, available at creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/legalcode.
The explanation, example and table prompt are Table Ready adaptations; source text has been reflowed. This guide and its printable card are available under the same CC BY 4.0 license. Independent reference; no official affiliation. These rules are optional for our system-neutral adventures.