Levitate: Your Lev Keeps Lifting Me Higher
Usable By: Artificer, Sorcerer, Wizard
Spell Level: 2
School: Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Components: V, S, M (either a small leather loop or a piece golden wire bent into a cup shape with a long shank on one end)
One creature or object of your choice that you can see within range rises vertically, up to 20 feet, and remains suspended there for the duration. The spell can levitate a target that weighs up to 500 pounds. An unwilling creature that succeeds on a Constitution saving throw is unaffected.
The target can move only by pushing or pulling against a fixed object or surface within reach (such as a wall or a ceiling), which allows it to move as if it were climbing. You can change the target’s altitude by up to 20 feet in either direction on your turn. If you are the target, you can move up or down as part of your move. Otherwise, you can use your action to move the target, which must remain within the spell’s range.
When the spell ends, the target floats gently to the ground if it is still aloft.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
With spells like Fly and Hold Person, they do what they advertise first and foremost. What does Fly do? It makes you fly. Hold Person holds a person. Levitate, at its surface, is the same; it levitates stuff! Mechanically, there is a ton more depth to this little spell that makes it something I think a lot more sheets should consider incorporating when stacked against these other single-use effects.
There are two main modes levitate offers you: you can levitate an ally or an enemy. On an ally, it's an exploration tool for exploration and protection from grounded foes. It gives you control of verticality, with horizontal movement having an engaging and interesting puzzle added in. If you want to move around, you need objects and surfaces to push off of and climb around on, meaning you have to do a little work to successfully navigate 3-D space.
On an enemy, this is just a save or die for Large or smaller melee-ranged creatures. An Owlbear is gutted by Levitate if they fail the first save- they’re stuck in the air until the spell ends, which normally is long past their death.
Sure, not every enemy in the game is going to care if its on the ground or not- flight beats this, as does decent ranged weapon attacks. Enough monsters will struggle against Levitate I’d consider it for that reason alone. Stack on top of that its excellent and cheap effectiveness at exploring the world and protecting a creature from multiple ground enemies and you’ve got a recipe for a spell I want on a lot of character sheets for its versatility and affordability.
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