Will an enemy notice when you cast hex or hunters mark on them from stealth?

[Spacehamster]

Say for example your warlock pc sneaks into a room with a bugbear missing its perception check, will the bugbear be notice the hex being cast if he can't see the caster? Guess what I am trying to say does it hurt/any type of sensation felt when affected?

[Ruslan]

Unless a spell has a perceptible effect, a creature
might not know it was targeted by a spell at all. An effect
like crackling lightning is obvious, but a more subtle
effect, such as an attempt to read a creature’s thoughts,
typically goes unnoticed, unless a spell says otherwise.
I'd say Hex probably falls under the "more subtle" category.

If the target missed his perception check to hear/see the caster cast the spell (and he does get this check, since casting Hex has both a Verbal and Somatic component), he'll probably won't know he's been Hexed.

[Naanomi]

And definetly won't notice if you move it to them from a dead target (which appears to have no detectable signs at all)

[Slipperychicken]

They'll hear you say the verbal component.

Also, they may notice having disadvantage with an ability check. Might become more clumsy with dex, weaker with strength, or confused with int or wisdom.

[RickAllison]

First, I'm guessing we assume that the target doesn't see or hear the person casting (otherwise, it may be moot). With that being said, let's look at Charm Person and Detect Thoughts for a minute:


...When the spell ends, the creature knows it was Charmed by you...

...Either way, the target knows that you are probing into its mind...

These spells have text explicitly stating that the target knows they are being affected by a spell. Unless you ascribe the meaning to the text that the person suddenly knows exactly who did it even if unseen (a fair interpretation, if odd and giving quite a bit of power to the spell when you think about it), the purpose of these clauses seem to be that the target knows they were affected by the spell. If spells like Hex and Hunter's Mark gave themselves away to the target, this clause wouldn't be necessary. I feel it is a case that the text for those spells reiterates that spells without a sensory aspect to be detected are unknown to the target.

Obviously, if you point at someone and yell out "Thou art Hexed!" and they start tripping over themselves, they will probably figure out what happened.

[Dalebert]

Using stealth means you're trying really hard to be quiet. You're trying to not even make a little tiny noise with your footsteps or letting the items in your backpack bump together. Actually speaking means you're no longer being stealthy and remaining hidden (which is defined in 5e as being both unseen and unheard). I'd say your speech gives you away. There might be extenuating circumstances when it's possible like in a crowded and noisy room where your speech would just blend in with background speech.

But I see no reason to assume a spell has any more effects than what it says it does. It shouldn't know it's being affected by a spell without detect magic. Once you attack the creature, the DM might decide that the creature realizes it's taking extra necrotic damage but it would have to figure out why on its own.

[RickAllison]

Another point against a character knowing what spells are effective in it: Identify. If spells on a creature were known to it, the paragraph on this spell's effect on creatures becomes pointless unless used on an uncooperative target who can be kept in touch range for 1 minute.

[Naanomi]

Hex wisdom to make them even less aware...

[Slipperychicken]

Hex wisdom to make them even less aware...

Spell takes effect after verbal and somatic components are performed.

[Naanomi]

True but moving it onto someone once already cast (and initial target is down) takes a bonus action and no componants at all

[Osrogue]

I'd say Hex probably falls under the "more subtle" category.

If the target missed his perception check to hear/see the caster cast the spell (and he does get this check, since casting Hex has both a Verbal and Somatic component), he'll probably won't know he's been Hexed.

He might feel the effects of the disadvantage on certain ability checks, although unless he's been hexed often, or studied the arcane/occult, I don't think he'd be able to tell he'd been cursed.

[Spacehamster]

They'll hear you say the verbal component.

Also, they may notice having disadvantage with an ability check. Might become more clumsy with dex, weaker with strength, or confused with int or wisdom.

They won't hear it if you whisper the verbal component under your breath from a decent range away. :)

[wunderkid]

"You can’t hide from a creature that can see you, and if you make noise (such as shouting a warning or knocking over a vase), you give away your position"

Because of this line what you're asking is 100% GMs decision.

You are making a noise when you use V components. The entire idea of there being a verbal component is that noise must be made in order to cast the spell. For this reason bar special circumstances (like them standing next to loud machinery or other very loud noises going on) I wouldn't allow it to be cast from Stealth.

It also treads in the sorcerers subtle spell in a big big way.

Of course the other side of the argument is that the examples given are shouting or knocking over a vase which are loud noises. So that means it depends how loud you have to be to make a verbal component verbal.


So my two cents would be that bar a great distance or other loud things going on the only way to stealth and cast is sorcerer.

[Dalebert]

The verbal components of a spell require "chanting of mystic words" with "specific pitch and resonance" (PHB p. 203). That makes it sound impossible to do particularly quietly--definitely no whispering as that barely uses your voicebox, if at all. So again, I think the possibility of spellcasting discreetly absolutely calls for lots of distractions. A noisy tavern seems ideal. In battle, I'd say definitely not since people would be an alert for spellcasting in particular and such sounds would be quite distinct from battle sounds. Also, as was said, this would severely infringe on sorcerer class features.


He might feel the effects of the disadvantage on certain ability checks, although unless he's been hexed often, or studied the arcane/occult, I don't think he'd be able to tell he'd been cursed.

Also, if you hex wisdom, I think wisdom would be the way he senses such subtleties, so that one would be difficult to notice in particular. If you hexed dex, they seem more likely to realize that they suddenly feel particularly clumsy.

[Gurifu]

There's no hard and fast rule for this that I'm aware of, so it'd be up to the DM. Because they're bonus actions, I'd rule that if you're attacking a target unawares, the attack and the hex happen more or less simultaneously, and you'd therefore still get advantage for attacking a target who's not aware of you. (I'd rule similarly for multiple attacks.) Applying Hex/Mark several seconds before your attack would give your opponent a chance to hear you if you're close, and possibly notice the spell effect itself.

Hex and Hunter's Mark have ranges of 90ft, so it's very possible to Hex someone from far enough away that they won't be able to hear a soft speaking voice - again, subject to the DM's whim.