Telekinesis: Mind Giving Me a Lift?
Spell Level: 5
School: Transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 60 feet
Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes
Components: V, S
You gain the ability to move or manipulate creatures or objects by thought. When you cast the spell, and as your action each round for the duration, you can exert your will on one creature or object that you can see within range, causing the appropriate effect below. You can affect the same target round after round, or choose a new one at any time. If you switch targets, the prior target is no longer affected by the spell.
Creature. You can try to move a Huge or smaller creature. Make an ability check with your spellcasting ability contested by the creature’s Strength check. If you win the contest, you move the upward but not beyond the range of this spell. Until the end of your next turn, the creature is restrained in your telekinetic grip. A creature lifted upward is suspended in mid-air.
On subsequent rounds, you can use your action to attempt to maintain your telekinetic grip on the creature by repeating the contest.
Object. You can try to move an object that weighs up to 1,000 pounds. If the object isn’t being worn or carried, you automatically move it up to 30 feet in any direction, but not beyond the range of this spell.
If the object is worn or carried by a creature, you must make an ability check with your spellcasting ability contested by that creature’s Strength check. If you succeed, you pull the object away from that creature and can move it up to 30 feet in any direction but not beyond the range of this spell.
You can exert fine control on objects with your telekinetic grip, such as manipulating a simple tool, opening a door or a container, stowing or retrieving an item from an open container, or pouring the contents from a vial.
Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold
Who hasn’t wanted to reach out and move stuff with their mind? From the TV remote, to a random truck on the side of the road, we’ve all had that moment where we’ve thought about how cool it would be to just telekinetically lift stuff off the ground. At least, I’m assuming we all do. Maybe I just still think like a five year old. Regardless, with Telekinesis, you can do exactly that.
Anything Huge or smaller is massive. You can move T-Rexes around with the power of your brain, restraining them as you do so, all for an action. The applications of this spell go far beyond what’s written, and can lead to some wild encounters you’ll be at the center of should you take this.
A neat easy trick to try is getting a sturdy, but light, object you and your fellow party members can climb on to and lifting in the air. So long as you’re moving less than half a ton, you functionally can build your own magic carpet. Telekinetically rip a door off its hinges, remove each and every bolt holding a tower hinge together, or lift roofs off of small houses, all with the power of Telekinesis.
Combatively, Telekinesis offers an action to attempt to restrain a creature for a round, and allows you to do that for up to ten minutes. Restrained creatures have a speed of 0; if you restrain a melee combatant, you’re functionally disabling them and putting them anywhere within thirty feet of your choice. Often, that will be thirty feet off the ground, meaning the subsequent 3d6 fall damage comes in as a lovely side effect you get for your time. Plus, with Telekinesis, you’ll get to ask the fun questions like “How much damage does an elephant do when it falls on somebody?”
The only thing I don’t love about this spell is that there aren’t higher level versions of it that let you control more stuff. Give me a 8th or 9th level Telekinesis that lets you spend actions to move around loads of things; better yet, just attach an up-cast bonus to this to let us do that! Try out Telekinesis if you get a chance. The spell is powerful, creative, and super fun to play around with. You’ll regularly make your DM baffled by the power of some very heavy objects.
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