New Changes to Wizard Spell in Dungeon & Dragons’ Player’s Handbook

The updated Player’s Handbook provides clarification and modifications to a high-level Wizard spell that has frequently caused disagreement among D&D players.

The Player’s Handbook (2024) marks the beginning of a new era for Dungeons & Dragons, as it is the first of three updated core rulebooks to be launched by February 2025.

The new PHB remains fully integrated with all current Fifth Edition materials and is also compatible with them. However, it introduces numerous alterations to elements such as classes and spells.

Significantly, the spell Simulacrum, which is available to seventh-level Wizards, has been modified in a manner that can be considered a significant decrease in power.

Artwork of a Wizard from D&D's Player Handbook (2024) — Wizards of the Coast

Despite the new regulations, the primary function of Simulacrum remains unchanged. By touching a creature and a heap of ice or snow, the user can still generate a benevolent clone of a Beast or Humanoid. This duplicate possesses the same statistics and capabilities as the original, except with a reduced HP and inability to gain levels or regain spell slots and class abilities through rests.

Despite its subtlety, the Player’s Handbook (2024) contains a crucial change that significantly affects the usefulness of the spell: Simulacrums are now unable to cast Simulacrum.

This recent addition to the rules addresses a loophole that allowed players to generate an unlimited number of duplicates. Despite the spell’s stated effect of immediately destroying any previous duplicates when cast again, the previous rules allowed for circumvention through the use of a simulacrum.

D&D enthusiasts have frequently debated the various ways in which this spell can be utilized and exploited. A user on D&D Beyond commented, stating that “If you happen to be in a snowy location, the possibilities are endless! With enough resources, one could even create a Tarrasque!”

Some players of Baldur’s Gate 3 have also acknowledged the overwhelming strength of Simulacrum, leading to speculation that its abilities may have played a role in the game’s level cap.

Despite the costly components (large amounts of snow or ice and a powdered ruby worth at least 1,500 gold, which is consumed during the 12-hour casting process), the spell is still somewhat balanced. However, it is unlikely that the developers intended for it to be used to create an infinite number of duplicates.

During the discussion of the revision of the rules, the designers of D&D stated that the purpose of many of the changes is to provide clarification to the existing rules, specifically in areas that were known to create confusion or affect the balance of the game.

While it may be disappointing for Wizards who intended to create armies of duplicates, it is reasonable to restrict simulacrums from casting the spell that brought them into existence, considering the implications.