Suggestion

You suggest a course of activity (limited to a sentence or two) and magically influence a creature you can see within range that can hear and understand you. Creatures that can't be charmed are immune to this effect. The suggestion must be worded in such a manner as to make the course of action sound reasonable. Asking the creature to stab itself, throw itself onto a spear, immolate itself, or do some other obviously harmful act ends the spell. The target must make a Wisdom saving throw. On a failed save, it pursues the course of action you described to the best of its ability. The suggested course of action can continue for the entire duration. If the suggested activity can be completed in a shorter time, the spell ends when the subject finishes what it was asked to do.

At a Glance

Level
2nd
School
Enchantment
Casting Time
1 action
Range
30 feet
Duration
Concentration, up to 8 hours
Concentration
Yes

How Suggestion Works

Casting Time1 action
Range30 feet
ComponentsV, M (a snake's tongue and either a bit of honeycomb or a drop of sweet oil)
DurationConcentration, up to 8 hoursCONCENTRATION
Saving ThrowWisdom

Available to:

BardSorcererWarlockWizard

Common Mistakes

Common Mistake
Suggesting obviously harmful actions - these automatically fail
Common Mistake
Not making the suggestion sound reasonable from the target's perspective
Common Mistake
Forgetting the target must be able to hear and understand you
Common Mistake
Thinking the creature is charmed - it's not, it's just compelled to follow a reasonable suggestion

DM Tips

DM Tip
The key word is 'reasonable' - judge from the creature's perspective, not objectively
DM Tip
Creative wording can make seemingly harmful actions sound reasonable
DM Tip
Examples: 'Give me your sword for safekeeping', 'Go back to town and wait for us', 'Forget you saw us here'
DM Tip
This spell can bypass entire encounters with clever use

Sources & Further Reading