Monday, July 13, 2020

Perusals & Progressions: Detect Magic

Continuing through through the 1st-level cleric spells, we come to detect magic.  I don't expect that this spell will present too many problems or revelations as I go through its history, but you never know.

ORIGINAL D&D (1974)

Detect Magic: A spell to determine if there has been some enchantment laid on a person, place or thing. It has a limited range and short duration. It is useful, for example, to discover if some item is magical, a door has been "held" or "wizard locked", etc.

This is about as basic and uncomplicated as this spell can get.  It's the first spell described in OD&D, and note that the range and duration aren't defined with specific numbers.  It seems odd, given the game's origins in wargaming, that these categories wouldn't be numerically defined, but perhaps Dave and Gary didn't think that this spell required it.  They must have changed their minds pretty quickly, because a year later in Supplement I: Greyhawk it's given a range of 6" and a duration of 2 turns.

The cleric and magic-user versions of the spell are identical.

HOLMES D&D (1977)

Detect Magic — Level: 1; Range: 60 feet; Duration: 2 turns
A spell to determine if there has been some enchantment laid on a person, place or thing. It has a limited range and short duration. It is useful, for example, to discover if some item is magical, a door has been "held" or "wizard locked," etc.

This is the exact same wording as in OD&D, and the range and duration from Supplement I have been incorporated.

B/X (1981)

Detect Magic
Range: 60'
Duration: 2 turns
This spell determines if there has been an enchantment laid upon a person, place, or thing, causing any magic item within 60' to glow. Several items may be tested until the spell's duration has ended. It is useful, for example, to discover if some item is magical, if a door has been magically "held" or "wizard locked" (see Magic-user and Elf Spells), and so forth.

There are two minor changes here: the magic that is detected now glows, and there are very rough guidelines as to how many items can be "tested" during the spell's duration.  What this means is unclear; if everything magical within the range glows, why would items need to be tested at all?  There shouldn't be a limit on the number of items detected, as long as they're all within 60 feet.

BECMI (1983)

Detect Magic
Range: 0
Duration: 2 turns
Effect: Everything within 60'
When this spell is cast, the cleric will see magical objects, creatures, and places within range glow. It will not last very long, and should be saved until the cleric wants to see if something found during an adventure is, in fact, magical. For example, a door may be held shut magically, or a treasure found might be enchanted; in either case, the magic item, creature, or effect will glow when it is within the effect.

The glow caused by this spell is clarified to be something that only the caster can see. To reflect that, the range of the spell has been changed to 0, to indicate that it affects the caster rather than the magic being detected.

The magic-user version of the spell ends with a different example: "Shortly after casting this spell, a magic-user walks into a room containing a door locked by magic, a magical potion laying nearby, and a treasure chest containing a magic wand. All the magic will glow, but only the door and potion will be seen: the light of the glowing wand is hidden by the treasure chest."  This clarification that the spell is a line-of-sight effect, and doesn't work through solid objects, is a direct contradiction of AD&D.

RULES CYCLOPEDIA (1991)

Detect Magic
Range: 0
Duration: 2 turns
Effect: Everything within 60'
When this spell is cast, the cleric will see a glow surround magical objects, creatures, and places within the spell's effect. The glow will not last very long; clerics should normally use the spell only when they want to know if particular objects already within sight are, in fact, magical. For example, a door may be held shut magically, a stranger might actually be an enchanted monster, or a treasure might be enchanted.

This spell is pretty much exactly from BECMI, and just as in BECMI the magic-user version of the spell clarifies that the caster can only detect magic on things that are in plain sight.  It seems like a bit of an editorial oversight not to include that in both versions.

That's the Basic line done, and as usual it's all very consistent.  Now let's move to AD&D.

AD&D 1st EDITION (1978)

Detect Magic (Divination)
Level: 1
Range: 3"
Duration: 1 turn
Area of Effect: 1" path, 3" long
Components: V, S, M
Casting Time: 1 round
Saving Throw: None
Explanation/Description: When the detect magic spell is cast, the cleric detects magical radiations in a path 1" wide, and up to 3" long, in the direction he or she is facing. The caster can turn 60 degrees per round. Note that stone walls of 1' or more thickness, solid metal of but 1/12' thickness, or 3' or more of solid wood will block the spell. The spell requires the use of the cleric’s holy (or unholy) symbol.

The range, duration, and area of effect are all changed, and the spell can detect things through solid objects (to a point).  I always find it odd how different Gary went with some things in AD&D, and that Moldvay and Mentzer didn't follow his lead on the Basic line for consistency.  There's also some trademark Gygaxian overcomplication here, with the spell being blocked by 1/12' of metal; just call it an inch, Gary!

The magic-user version of the spell has a duration of 2 rounds/level, an area of effect that stretches to 6", and a casting time of 1 segment.  It also doesn't require a holy symbol, obviously.

Druids can cast this spell, and their version has a duration of 4 rounds/level, an area of effect 4" long, and a casting time of 3 segments.  Illusionists cast it as a 2nd level spell, but their version is otherwise the same as that for magic-users.

AD&D 2nd EDITION (1989)

Detect Magic (Divination)
Sphere: Divination
Range: 30 yards
Components: V, S, M
Duration: 1 turn
Casting Time: 1 round
Area of Effect: 10-foot path
Saving Throw: None
When the detect magic spell is cast, the priest detects magical radiations in a path 10 feet wide and up to 30 yards long, in the direction he is facing.  The intensity of the magic can be detected (dim, faint, moderate, strong, overwhelming). The caster has a 10% chance per level to determine the sphere of the magic, but unlike the wizard version of the spell, the type of magic (alteration, conjuration, etc.) cannot be divined. The caster can turn, scanning a 60-degree arc per round. A stone wall of 1 foot or more thickness, solid metal of one-inch thickness, or a yard or more of solid wood blocks the spell.
The spell requires the use of the priest's holy symbol.

The magic-user version of the spell has different range and duration as in 1e, and as noted above can detect the type/school of magic.  It also ends with the following paragraph that's not in the cleric version.

Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may confuse or conceal weaker radiations. Note that this spell does not reveal the presence of good or evil, or reveal alignment. Other-planar creatures are not necessarily magical.

It's interesting that the cleric version of the spell has had its range converted to yards, whereas the magic-user version is still using feet.  In previous editions the magic-user spell had more range, but now they've been swapped.  Just as it did with detect evil, 2e introduces the idea of different aura intensities, but doesn't show how they are actually determined.

AD&D 2nd EDITION REVISED (1995)

No need to reproduce these versions of the spell, because they're identical to those in 2e except for some minor formatting changes.

D&D 3rd EDITION (2000)

Detect Magic
Universal
Level: Brd 0, Clr 0, Drd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Quarter circle emanating from you to the extreme of the range
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No 
You detect magical auras. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject: 
1st Round: Presence or absence of magical auras. 
2nd Round: Number of different magical auras and the strength of the strongest aura. 
3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Spellcraft skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura; DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + half caster level for a non-spell effect.) 
Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may confuse or conceal weaker auras. 
Aura Strength: An aura’s magical power and strength depend on a spell’s functioning spell level or an item’s caster level. 
Strength Functioning Spell Level Item Caster Level
Dim 0-level or lingering aura Lingering aura
Faint 1st-3rd 1st-5th
Moderate 4th-6th 6th-11th
Strong 7th-9th 12th-20th
Overwhelming Artifact or deity-level magic Beyond mortal caster

If an aura falls into more than one category, detect magic indicates the stronger of the two. 
Length Aura Lingers: How long the aura lingers depends on its original strength: 
Original Strength Duration
Faint 1d6 minutes
Moderate 1d6 x 10 minutes
Strong 1d6 hours
Overwhelming 1d6 days

Note: Each round, you can turn to detect things in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it.  Outsiders and elementals are not magical in themselves, but if they are conjured, the conjuration spell registers.

Just as detect evil did, 3rd edition adds a lot in terms of determining the strength of an aura.  The area of effect, which started as a sphere in OD&D and became a narrow line in AD&D, is now a quarter circle.  The only simplification that's been done is that the cleric and magic-user versions of the spell are the same, rather than having their own arbitrarily different ranges and durations.  I should also mention that it's become a 0-level spell, effectively a cantrip, which means that it's much more likely to see use during a game.  The school has also changed from divination to universal, probably so that there won't be any specialist wizards who don't have access to it.

D&D 3.5th EDITION (2003)

Detect Magic
Divination
Level: Brd 0, Clr 0, Drd 0, Sor/Wiz 0
Components: V, S
Casting Time: 1 standard action
Range: 60 ft.
Area: Cone-shaped emanation
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute/level (D)
Saving Throw: None
Spell Resistance: No 
You detect magical auras. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject: 
1st Round: Presence or absence of magical auras. 
2nd Round: Number of different magical auras and the power of the most potent aura. 
3rd Round: The strength and location of each aura. If the items or creatures bearing the auras are in line of sight, you can make Spellcraft skill checks to determine the school of magic involved in each. (Make one check per aura; DC 15 + spell level, or 15 + half caster level for a nonspell effect.) 
Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may distort or conceal weaker auras. 
Aura Strength: An aura’s power depends on a spell’s functioning spell level or an item’s caster level. If an aura falls into more than one category, detect magic indicates the stronger of the two.
Spell or ObjectFaintModerateStrongOverwhelming
Functioning spell (spell level)3rd or lower4th-6th7th-9th10th+ (deity-level)
Magic item (caster level)5th or lower6th-11th12th-20th21st+ (artifact)
Lingering Aura: A magical aura lingers after its original source dissipates (in the case of a spell) or is destroyed (in the case of a magic item). If detect magic is cast and directed at such a location, the spell indicates an aura strength of dim (even weaker than a faint aura). How long the aura lingers at this dim level depends on its original power. 
Original StrengthDuration of Lingering Aura
Faint1d6 rounds
Moderate1d6 minutes
Strong1d6x10 minutes
Overwhelming1d6 days
Outsiders and elementals are not magical in themselves, but if they are summoned, the conjuration spell registers. 
Each round, you can turn to detect magic in a new area. The spell can penetrate barriers, but 1 foot of stone, 1 inch of common metal, a thin sheet of lead, or 3 feet of wood or dirt blocks it. 
Detect magic can be made permanent with a permanency spell.

There have been some formatting changes, and a switch back to the divination school, but the 3.5e spell is much the same as that from 3e.  The major difference is that the durations for lingering auras have been greatly reduced, except for those of overwhelming power.

D&D 4th EDITION

Detect Magic (Trained Only)
Your knowledge of magic allows you to identify magical effects and sense the presence of magic. 
Identify Conjuration or Zone: Minor action.
DC: DC 15 + one-half the power’s level. You must be able to see the effect of the conjuration or zone.
Success: You identify the power used to create the effect and its power source and keywords.
Failure: You can’t try to identify the effect again during this encounter. 
Identify Ritual: Standard action.
DC: DC 20 + one-half the ritual’s level. You must be able to see or otherwise detect the ritual’s effects.
Success: You identify the ritual and its category.
Failure: You can’t try to identify the ritual again until after an extended rest. 
Identify Magical Effect: Standard action.
DC: DC 20 + one-half the effect’s level, if any. You must be able to see or otherwise detect the effect.
✦ Not a Power or a Ritual: The magical effect must be neither from a magic item nor the product of a power or a ritual.
Success: You learn the effect’s name, power source, and keywords, if any of those apply.
Failure: You can’t try to identify the effect again until after an extended rest. 
Sense the Presence of Magic: 1 minute.
DC: DC 20 + one-half the level of a magic item, power (conjuration or zone), ritual, or magical phenomenon within range.
✦ Area of Detection: You can detect magic within a number of squares equal to 5 + your level in every direction, and you can ignore any sources of magical energy you’re already aware of. Ignore all barriers; you can detect magic through walls, doors, and such.
✦ Success: You detect each source of magical energy whose DC you meet. You learn the magic’s power source, if any. If the source of magical energy is within line of sight, you pinpoint its location. If it’s not within line of sight, you know the direction from which the magical energy emanates, but you don’t know the distance to it.
✦ Failure: Either you detected nothing or there was nothing in range to detect. You can’t try again in this area until after an extended rest.

In 4th edition, detect magic is no longer a spell, and has become an application of the Arcana skill.  "Sense the Presence of Magic" is the use that's closest to the old spell, but its implementation is so different that there's not much point in comparing it to other editions.

D&D 5th EDITION (2014)

Detect Magic
1st-level divination (ritual)
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
For the duration, you sense the presence of magic within 30 feet of you. If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic. if any.
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.

5th edition pares things back, getting rid of the differing power levels and lingering auras.  The area of effect has returned to being a radius.

D&D Nth EDITION

This spell is fairly consistent in its basics across editions, with only two major contradiction.  The first of these is whether it can detect magic through barriers.  As I'll do in most instances, I'm going with the majority here, and ruling that it can.  The second is the spell's area of effect; is it a radius, a line, or a cone?  I prefer detect magic to be a fairly wide-ranging spell, so I'm going to go with a radius effect.

I've kept the detection of lingering auras, but have gone my own way with the durations, having them progress as rounds/turns/hours/days.  It's an easier progression to remember than either of the two used for 3e and 3.5e.

For aura strength, I considered consolidating the ranges used for spells and magic items, but I'm not yet sure how I'm dealing with things like caster level for magic items.  For now I'll stick with the 3e method until I've looked into things more closely.

Detect Magic
Divination
Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1
Components: V,S,(Clr M)
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 30 ft. radius
Target: Self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 turn
Saving Throw: None
Magic Resistance: No 
When the detect magic spell is cast, the caster detects the presence and location of all magical items, creatures, places and effects around them to a range of 30 feet. Those that can be seen will appear  to the caster to glow with a faint light. The amount of information revealed depends on how long you study a particular area or subject: 
1st Round: Presence and location of each magical aura. 
Subsequent rounds: The caster can determine the strength and school of one magical aura within range.  It takes 1 round to determine an aura's strength, and another to determine its school. 
Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may distort or conceal weaker auras. Extraplanar creatures are not magical in themselves, but if they are summoned, the conjuration spell registers. 
Aura Strength: An aura’s power depends on a spell’s functioning spell level or an item’s caster level. If an aura falls into more than one category, detect magic indicates the stronger of the two. 
Strength Functioning Spell (Spell Level) Magic Item (Caster Level)
Faint 3rd or lower 1st-5th
Moderate 4th-6th 6th-11th
Strong 7th-9th 12th-20th
Overwhelming 10th+ (deity level) 21st+ (artifact)

Lingering Aura: A magical aura lingers after its original source dissipates (in the case of a spell) or is destroyed (in the case of a magic item). If detect magic is cast and directed at such a location, the spell indicates an aura strength of dim (even weaker than a faint aura).  How long the aura lingers at this dim level depends on its original power. 
Original StrengthDuration of Lingering Aura
Faint1d6 rounds
Moderate 1d6 turns
Strong 1d6 hours
Overwhelming 1d6 days

The spell can penetrate 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. 
Detect magic can be made permanent with a permanency spell. 
Components: When cast by a cleric, this spell requires the use of a holy symbol.

The above version is for the Nth Edition emulation of AD&D and Modern D&D.  For Origjnal and Basic, it will be as below.

Detect Magic
Divination
Level: Cleric 1, Magic-User 1
Components: V,S,(Clr M)
Casting Time: 1 round
Range: 30 ft. radius
Target: Self
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 turn
Saving Throw: None
Magic Resistance: No 
When the detect magic spell is cast, the caster detects the presence and location of all magical items, creatures, places and effects around them to a range of 30 feet. Those that can be seen will appear  to the caster to glow with a faint light.
Magical areas, multiple types of magic, or strong local magical emanations may distort or conceal weaker auras. Extraplanar creatures are not magical in themselves, but if they are summoned, the conjuration spell registers. 
The spell can penetrate 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. 
Components: When cast by a cleric, this spell requires the use of a holy symbol.

2 comments:

  1. Have you considered adding Pathfinder and/or Sword&Wizardry versions, as the two went through some work to clean up the spell book? But then maybe they are more branches and just confuse people

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    1. I thought about it, but in the end there are just too many D&D variants. Do include Pathfinder? Hackmaster? All the retroclones? It's too much, so I'm drawing the line at the official editions (even though I'd probably get more out of checking Pathfinder than 4e).

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