Mental Prison Spell: Trapping the Mind in D&D 5e

“Mental Prison” is a spell from the 5th edition of the Dungeons & Dragons tabletop role-playing game. It is a 6th-level spell that is available to spellcasters who can use the enchantment school of magic. The spell’s description is as follows:

You plan to bind a creature within an illusory cell that only it perceives. One creature you’ll see within range must make an Intelligence saving throw. The target succeeds automatically if it’s resistant to being charmed. On a successful save, the target takes 5d10 psychic damage, and therefore the spell ends.

On a failed to save, the target takes 5d10 psychic damage, and you create the world immediately around the target’s space that appears dangerous thereto how you may cause the target to perceive itself as being surrounded by fire, floating razors, or hideous maws crammed with dripping teeth.

Whatever form the illusion takes, the target can’t see or hear anything beyond it and is restrained for the spell’s duration. If the target is removed from the illusion, makes a melee attack through it, or reaches any part of its body through it, the target takes 10d10 psychic damage, and therefore the spell ends.

 

Mental Prison 5e

Mental Prison 5e spell in dnd spells

  • Casting Time: 1 action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute

You attempt to bind a creature within an illusory cell that only it perceives. One creature you can see within range must make an Intelligence saving throw. The target succeeds automatically if it is immune to being charmed. On a successful save, the target takes 5d10 psychic damage, and the spell ends. On a failed save, the target takes 5d10 psychic damage, and you make the area immediately around the target’s space appear dangerous to it in some way.

You might cause the target to perceive itself as being surrounded by fire, floating in acid, or falling from a great height. Whatever form the illusion takes, the target can’t see or hear anything beyond it and is restrained for the spell’s duration. If the target is moved out of the illusion, makes a melee attack against it, or reaches any part of its body through it, the target takes 10d10 psychic damage, and the spell ends.

While frontloaded at level 1 the category drops off severely with its main strength being its extended spell list, not the category features. All it achieves is to breathe some life into the pact of the blade which it’s very blatant intended synergy with. Even then a warlock using Eldritch blast is going to be easier to play and achieve similar if not better results. Yes, the hexblade can use EB but they trade off doing increased damage on one target until level 14 for fewer useful abilities from 6-10 and therefore the level 14 abilities on the opposite warlocks are excellent. No, save removal from combat and 10d10 damage, for instance, is one among the alternatives.

In addition, since the target gets NO save after the initial one to interrupt the restrained/extra damage effect, you’ll stretch this out and keep attacking with advantage (or with spells that focus on DEX saves) for the whole duration of Mental Prison or until the target decides it’s had enough and moves/attacks and triggers the additional 10d10 psychic damage.

So not only is Mental Prison’s damage a minimum of as compared to other 6th-level spells, it’s rider effect affords great control, not unlike Otiluke’s Resilient Sphere, Banishment, or Force cage, except that with Mental Prison the target can still be attacked (I guess maybe, maybe not with Force Cage). Yes, the target can easily end the status/spell but at the value of 10d10 damage.

So as I discussed initially, only one of those factors (great damage, unbreakable status effect except through punitive damage, battlefield control) makes for a good spell. Mental Prison has it all. Personally, I feel this makes it unbalanced.

The spell targeted a clear creature within a variety of 60 feet (18 meters), inflicting damage to its mind. If unable to resist the spell, the target perceived the encircling terrain as extremely dangerous, like covered in fire, blades, or drooling maws, and will perceive nothing else but the illusion. The target remained confined to the present prison for up to 1 minute, as long as the target kept concentrating. If the target attempted to touch or attack the illusory prison, the spell dissipated, inflicting copious damage to the creature’s mind.

FAQs

Q: What level is the Mental Prison spell in D&D 5e?

A: The Mental Prison spell is a 6th-level enchantment spell in D&D 5e.

Q: What kind of damage does the Mental Prison spell deal?

A: The Mental Prison spell deals 5d10 psychic damage on a successful save, and 5d10 psychic damage plus an illusory restraint on a failed to save.

Q: What happens when a creature fails its saving throw against Mental Prison?

A: When a creature fails its saving throw against Mental Prison, it takes 5d10 psychic damage and is restrained by an illusory cell that only it perceives. The illusion takes the form of a dangerous environment, such as fire, acid, or falling from a great height, and the creature cannot see or hear anything beyond the illusion for the duration of the spell.

Q: How long does the Mental Prison spell last?

A: The Mental Prison spell lasts for up to 1 minute, as long as the caster maintains concentration on the spell.

Q: Can the restrained creature take any actions while under the effects of Mental Prison?

A: A creature restrained by Mental Prison cannot take any actions or move from its space while under the effects of the spell. However, it can still use its bonus action to attempt to break the illusion by succeeding on an Intelligence (Investigation) check against the caster’s spell save DC.

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