Can/Does the caster scan themselves with Detect Magic?

[gr8artist]

If a caster is unaware of a spell used on them, are they made aware of it if they cast Detect Magic?
Can they scan themselves specifically to search for enchantments and curses and such?
Are they alerted to the presence of a spell effect on them if they're scanning an enemy or piece of loot?

Official answers for 5th edition (or 3.5 / Pf) would be good, but I'm also interested to see what people think it would or wouldn't do.

[JackPhoenix]

They would sense the presence of active magic. After that, they can spend action to see magic aura around any visible object or creature. Assuming they look upon themselves, they'll see aura of magic. They can recognize its school: it's definitely divination (because they detect the Detect Magic spell itself), and, if present, any other relevant aura. They don't know what the spell does, though, only what school it belongs to.

[LeonBH]

Detect Magic doesn't tell you where magic is, just the presence of magic. It's essentially an on-off switch. Any magic in your vicinity will set the switch to "on" but you won't necessarily know where it's from.

You can spend time making the auras on any magic on an already visible item that is magically affected, visible. But it won't make you aware of a curse or something like that, because unless the curse is a spell, it won't give an aura.

[Tboy1492]

I imagine they would be able to see the magic aura, then make arcana checks to figure out the rest (still learning the 5e rules so bare with me please).

[Tanarii]

If you want to know what the spell affecting you (or another PC) is, you cast Identify. That's what it's for.

With the Xanathar's rules, if there is a perceivable effect for the spell, you could instead make an Arcana check. But many spells don't have perceivable effects. Hex, for example.

[Millstone85]

Detect Magic doesn't tell you where magic is, just the presence of magic. It's essentially an on-off switch. Any magic in your vicinity will set the switch to "on" but you won't necessarily know where it's from.

You can spend time making the auras on any magic on an already visible item that is magically affected, visible.So far, I agree.


But it won't make you aware of a curse or something like that, because unless the curse is a spell, it won't give an aura.But I don't know where you are getting that from.

[Tanarii]

But I don't know where you are getting that from.Yeah. The thing that is detected is "magic", not "magic created by spells".

I mean, it doesn't make it clear if it distinguishes between the background magic of the multiverse (ie Dragons or non-spell Ki), and active magics or whatever you want to call them. But that's a whole 'nother bag of hungry kittens. We probably don't want to stick our hands into it. :smallyuk:

[JackPhoenix]

Yeah. The thing that is detected is "magic", not "magic created by spells".

I mean, it doesn't make it clear if it distinguishes between the background magic of the multiverse (ie Dragons or non-spell Ki), and active magics or whatever you want to call them. But that's a whole 'nother bag of hungry kittens. We probably don't want to stick our hands into it. :smallyuk:

The only difference is that Detect Magic would be unable to discern the school of non-spell magic aura, as schools only affect spells (unlike 3.5e, where magic items had auras of different school depending on their effects).

[LeonBH]

But I don't know where you are getting that from.

The aura corresponds to a school of magic. You can detect its presence, but it wont have an aura unless it comes from a school of magic, which doesn't have to be the case for non-spell magic, like curses.

[Millstone85]

The aura corresponds to a school of magic. You can detect its presence, but it wont have an aura unless it comes from a school of magic, which doesn't have to be the case for non-spell magic, like curses.
If you sense magic in this way, you can use your action to see a faint aura around any visible creature or object in the area that bears magic, and you learn its school of magic, if any. Emphasis mine. There is such a thing as a school-less aura.

[LeonBH]

Emphasis mine. There is such a thing as a school-less aura.

Ah, it seems that you're right

[gr8artist]

Ok, so hypothetically if someone cast a subtle enchantment spell or curse on a wizard while he was sleeping, any Detect Magic he uses after waking will always return positive?
But unless he purposefully scans himself (if he gets a positive Detect but can't find the aura anywhere else) he won't be able to find it? Even if he does scan himself, he'll see an aura of Divination (from DM) + the school of the spell on him + any other auras he has from magic items or the like.

I feel like if that's the case, Detect Magic would always give a positive result. "Yes, there's magic in the area because you're casting Detect Magic."

[JackPhoenix]

Ok, so hypothetically if someone cast a subtle enchantment spell or curse on a wizard while he was sleeping, any Detect Magic he uses after waking will always return positive?
But unless he purposefully scans himself (if he gets a positive Detect but can't find the aura anywhere else) he won't be able to find it? Even if he does scan himself, he'll see an aura of Divination (from DM) + the school of the spell on him + any other auras he has from magic items or the like.

I feel like if that's the case, Detect Magic would always give a positive result. "Yes, there's magic in the area because you're casting Detect Magic."

Yep, you always get ping from Detect Magic itself. However, he doesn't have to "scan" himself: the action gives you the ability to see magic auras. All visible magic auras, not one object/creature at a time. And you usually see some part of yourself all the time... hands, or just the nose between your eyes.

[Millstone85]

I feel like if that's the case, Detect Magic would always give a positive result. "Yes, there's magic in the area because you're casting Detect Magic."
Yep, you always get ping from Detect Magic itself.That's probably a conflict between RAW and RAI, as it makes the first step of the spell, sensing the presence of magic, completely irrelevant.

[Talamare]

He might not even need to see his hand or the tip of his nose, he probably would be able to see the aura literally appearing infront of his eyes, acting as a very slight glare.

[JackPhoenix]

That's probably a conflict between RAW and RAI, as it makes the first step of the spell, sensing the presence of magic, completely irrelevant.

Not necessarily. There are ways to avoid pinging on Detect Magic: Nystul’s Magic Aura allows you to hide your own aura, while spells like Nondetection makes you outright immune to being picked up by any divination spell.

[Millstone85]

Not necessarily. There are ways to avoid pinging on Detect Magic: Nystul’s Magic Aura allows you to hide your own aura, while spells like Nondetection makes you outright immune to being picked up by any divination spell.It is still an odd design for the spell on its own.

[JackPhoenix]

It is still an odd design for the spell on its own.

On it's own? Yes, it is. However, I think it is the result of developers taking the old Detect Magic, changing it from a cone to caster-centered radius (it is easier to use that way) and not accounting for resulting consequences (you're inside the AoE, and Detect Magic has aura in itself). Note that with the 3e version, you couldn't use it on yourself by RAW, as cones originated at the corner of your space/square. It's just different kind of weirdness.