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5E D&D Metamagic Twinned Spell

Play Your Next 5E D&D Game with Twinned Spell Metamagic Mastery

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Over at Nerdarchy the YouTube channel Nerdarchists Dave and Ted master the Metamagic for fifth edition Dungeons & Dragons to find out what spells make best use of Twinned Spell. This versatile and powerful feature gives sorcerers the ability to duplicate the effects of a spell they cast and double the effect (with certain restrictions). While they discuss the best spells to twin I thought it might be useful for 5E D&D players and Dungeon Masters to compile a list of all the spells eligible for Twinned Spell. Thankfully D&D Beyond makes searching and filtering information super easy so all I need to do now is go through all 515 spells currently included as part of official 5E D&D content. After that for fun I’ll go through the spells we’ve created in our products for Twinned Spell candidates too. So let’s get into it.

5E D&D Twinned Spell eligible spells

Before getting to the list it’s worthwhile to include the parameters for Twinned Spell. This Metamagic option becomes available to sorcerers at 3rd level when they can choose two of the options, adding a third at 10th level and a fourth at 17th level.

Twinned Spell

“When you cast a spell that targets only one creature and doesn’t have a range of self, you can spend a number of sorcery points equal to the spell’s level to target a second creature in range with the same spell (1 sorcery point if the spell is a cantrip).

To be eligible, a spell must be incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level. For example, magic missile and scorching ray aren’t eligible, but ray of frost and chromatic orb are.”

In addition to the text in the Player’s Handbook, Sage Advice offers further clarification on Twinned Spell. One of the components of the Sage Advice entry impacts this Metamagic tremendously. Here is the Sage Advice entry regarding Twinned Spell:

You can use Twinned Spell on a spell that …

  • targets only one creature
  • doesn’t have a range of self
  • is incapable of targeting more than one creature at the spell’s current level

If you know this rule yet are still unsure whether a particular spell qualifies for Twinned Spell, consult with your DM, who has the final say. If the two of you are curious about our design intent, here is the list of things that disqualify a spell for us:

  • The spell has a range of self.
  • The spell can target an object.
  • The spell allows you to choose more than one creature to be affected by it, particularly at the level you’re casting the spell. Some spells increase their number of potential targets when you cast them at a higher level.
  • The spell can force more than one creature to make a saving throw before the spell’s duration expires.
  • The spell lets you make a roll of any kind that can affect more than one creature before the spell’s duration expires.

In my opinion some of these more noodly interpretations feel like a stretch, or simply an errata to account for new spell content developed since the PHB release. Nevertheless, these are the parameters for Twinned Spell. At any rate let’s get to the spells!

Cantrips

  • Booming blade
  • Chill touch
  • Eldritch blast (until 5th level)
  • Fire bolt
  • Friends
  • Frostbite
  • Guidance
  • Infestation
  • Lightning lure
  • Mind sliver
  • Poison spray
  • Ray of frost
  • Resistance
  • Sacred flame
  • Sapping sting
  • Shocking grasp
  • Spare the dying
  • Thorn whip
  • Toll the dead
  • True strike
  • Vicious mockery

1st level

  • Animal friendship (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Beast bond
  • Cause fear (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Ceremony (Atonement, Coming of Age and Dedication only)
  • Charm person (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Chromatic orb
  • Command (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Compelled duel
  • Cure wounds
  • Dissonant whispers
  • Gift of alacrity
  • Guiding bolt
  • Healing word
  • Heroism (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Hex
  • Hunter’s mark
  • Inflict wounds
  • Jump
  • Longstrider (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Mage armor
  • Protection from evil and good
  • Ray of sickness
  • Sanctuary
  • Shield of faith
  • Tasha’s hideous laughter
  • Witch bolt

2nd level

  • Animal messenger
  • Barkskin
  • Beast sense
  • Blindness/deafness (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Crown of madness
  • Darkvision
  • Earthbind
  • Enhance ability (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Enlarge/reduce
  • Fortune’s favor (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Hold person (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Invisibility (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Lesser restoration
  • Levitate
  • Melf’s acid arrow
  • Mind spike
  • Mind thrust (UA) (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Nystul’s magic aura
  • Phantasmal force
  • Protection from poison
  • Ray of enfeeblement
  • Spider climb
  • Suggestion
  • Tasha’s mind whip
  • Vortex warp

3rd level

  • Bestow curse
  • Dispel magic
  • Enemies abound
  • Fast friends (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Feign death
  • Fly (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Gaseous form
  • Haste
  • Intellect fortress
  • Life transference
  • Nondetection
  • Protection from energy
  • Remove curse
  • Revivify
  • Tongues

4th level

  • Banishment (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Blight
  • Charm Monster (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Death ward
  • Dominate beast
  • Elemental bane (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Freedom of movement
  • Greater invisibility
  • Intellect fortress (UA) (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Otiluke’s resilient sphere
  • Phantasmal killer
  • Polymorph
  • Raulothim’s Psychic Lance
  • Stoneskin

5th level

  • Awaken
  • Contagion
  • Dominate person
  • Enervation
  • Geas
  • Greater restoration
  • Hold monster (precludes At Higher Levels option)
  • Immolation
  • Modify memory
  • Negative energy flood
  • Planar binding
  • Raise dead
  • Reincarnate
  • Skill empowerment
  • Temporal shunt (precludes At Higher Levels option)

6th level

  • Disintegrate
  • Fizban’s Platinum Shield
  • Flesh to stone
  • Harm
  • Heal
  • Mental prison
  • Otto’s irresistible dance
  • True seeing

7th level

  • Finger of death
  • Power word pain
  • Regenerate
  • Resurrection
  • Sequester
  • Simulacrum

8th level

  • Clone
  • Dominate monster
  • Feeblemind
  • Maze
  • Mind blank
  • Power word stun
  • Reality break

9th level

  • Foresight
  • Imprisonment
  • Power word heal
  • Power word kill
  • Time ravage
  • True polymorph
  • True resurrection

5E D&D Metamagic Twinned Spell

Twinned Spell your Nerdarchy 5E D&D spells

Here’s the spells we’ve created either here on the website or included in various products eligible for Twinned Spell Metamagic. If you come across any other ones let us know! With dozens of products and thousands of posts here on the website I searched around for some time but there could be others out there somewhere.

Cantrips

1st level

2nd level

3rd level

4th level

5th level

6th level

Whew! Pouring over all these spells was a tedious task indeed but a worthwhile one because now we’ve got a solid resource for reference. I’m sure I don’t need to point this out but if you catch any mistakes or questionable spells that should or should not be on the list let us know. We plan to update this as new 5E D&D content gets released.

Our weekly Nerdarchy the Newsletter includes a Community Spotlight and we want to know what you’re up to around your gaming tables. Do you play a spellcaster who makes frequent use of Twinned Spell and other Metamagic in your 5E D&D games? Did you find inspiration from one of our videos, website posts or products? Let us know! Comment on this post, tag us on social media or send us a message and share your stories and images. We love making all sorts of content for you and we want to hear about your adventures too. You get a special coupon for $9.99 when you sign up for the newsletter too — perfect for adding any of those sources of Twinned Spells to your spell list. I recommend the Beardomancy + Hairable Ideas combo!

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Doug Vehovec

Nerditor-in-Chief Doug Vehovec is a proud native of Cleveland, Ohio, with D&D in his blood since the early 80s. Fast forward to today and he’s still rolling those polyhedral dice. When he’s not DMing, worldbuilding or working on endeavors for Nerdarchy he enjoys cryptozoology trips and eating awesome food.

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