An old mechanic in Dungeons & Dragons is now accessible to everyone, making you as a group even more powerful

How does Circle Magic work in the new books? With the new Circle Magic, all characters capable of casting spells can enhance their magic with the help of other players or NPCs and work together as a group.

For this, you need a primary spellcaster who performs the desired spell and any number of secondary spellcasters who enhance a desired effect.

With which spells can Circle Magic be conducted? You can use Circle Magic with any spell, provided you spend a spell slot for it. Cantrips cannot be modified.

When is the spell executed? The spell is completed and executed in combat when each participant has invested the necessary number of rounds into the spell.

What happens if the spell is interrupted? If the spell fails during its casting because it is countered or if one of the participants loses concentration or becomes unconscious, you retain your spell slot. However, the magical effect does not occur.

Does it matter which classes connect for Circle Magic? According to the rules, all classes that have any form of magic with spell slots can enhance each other. Whether you want to use that in roleplaying is up to you as always.

Start video

Dungeons & Dragons brings the World of Warcraft to the tabletop

Autoplay

These effects you can achieve with Circle Magic in Dungeons & Dragons

To modify a spell and cast it together, at least 2 characters must connect their magic – one as the primary, and one as the secondary spellcaster. For this, all participating secondary spellcasters must invest a spell slot at least equal to the initial spell to achieve one of the following 6 effects:

Replace
- This reduces the cost of a single component per spellcaster by 50 gold for each participant.
  - Example: You can reduce the cost of the diamond for Revivify from 300 gold to 100 if 4 secondary spellcasters participate.
Expand
- If your cast spell has an area of effect, you can increase one of the dimensions by 3 meters (9 Feet) through Circle Magic.
  - Example: If a spell has a width of 1.5 meters and a length of 90 meters, you can enhance one of them – either the width or the length.
Protect
- This allows you to exclude a 1.5-meter (5-foot) cube per participating spellcaster from the effect in area spells in addition to your spell modifier. The cubes can be arranged in any way, but must touch at least one other.
Extend
- This allows you to extend the duration of your spell if it is at least 1 minute or 10 rounds.
  - 1-3 spellcasters extend to 1 hour
  - 4-6 spellcasters extend to 8 hours
  - 7+ spellcasters extend to 24 hours
Enhance
- This allows you to increase the range of your spell by 300 meters (1,000 feet) per secondary spellcaster, up to a maximum of 1.6 kilometers (1 mile), provided the base spell has a minimum range of 1.5 meters (5 feet).
Distribute
- This allows you to distribute the necessary concentration for the spell among all participating spellcasters. As long as at least 1 spellcaster in the circle maintains concentration, the effect of the spell remains.

Are there also other effects? Some spells from the newer rulebooks, such as “Forgotten Realms: Heroes of Faerûn” and “Forgotten Realms: Adventures in Faerûn”, have special effects that only occur when using Circle Magic. This is noted in the “Cast as Circle Spells” section.

Can multiple effects be applied? No, you can only apply one effect at a time. If you want another, you must cast the spell together again and invest the spell slots.