Hunter's Mark
1st-level divination · 1d6 Force damage, average 3.5
3.5 average Force damage · 1–6
Roll Hunter's Mark
Press a roll button. The dice land here.
Spell details
- Level
- 1st-level
- School
- Divination
- Casting time
- Bonus Action
- Range
- 90 feet
- Components
- V
- Duration
- Concentration, up to 1 hour
- Classes
- Ranger
Hunter's Mark: a small bonus on every hit, as long as you keep hunting one target
At the table. Hunter's Mark is a Bonus Action with a 90-foot range. The creature you mark takes an extra 1d6 Force damage every time you hit it with an attack roll, and you have Advantage on Wisdom (Perception or Survival) checks to find it. When the target drops to 0 Hit Points, you can move the mark with another Bonus Action instead of casting the spell again. Concentration lasts up to an hour, or 8 hours from a level 3-4 slot and 24 hours from a level 5+ slot.
What changed from 2014. In SRD 5.1 the extra 1d6 was untyped and applied only to weapon attacks. In SRD 5.2.1 it's Force damage, which few creatures resist, and it applies to any attack roll you hit with, spell attacks included.
How much it adds. We worked out the averages, including the extra die on a critical hit:
| Ranger | Attacks vs AC | Damage a round | Hunter's Mark adds |
|---|---|---|---|
| Level 1, +5, longbow 1d8+3 | one vs AC 13 | 5.1 | 2.45 |
| Level 5, +7, longbow 1d8+4 | two vs AC 15 | 11.5 | 4.9 |
So at level 1 it adds almost half your damage, while you're hitting the same target.
The choice that matters is the target. The mark pays per hit, so put it on something with a lot of Hit Points that you'll be shooting for several rounds, not on the goblin that dies to the next arrow. Moving it costs a Bonus Action, which is the one you might want for something else.
The common mistake is treating it as free. Casting it on turn one uses your Bonus Action, and it's Concentration, so it can't stand next to another Concentration spell and a hit can break it.
The human angle. A mark makes the fight about one goal: bring that thing down. Kivetz, Urminsky and Zheng found people speed up as they get closer to a clear goal, and that a visible bit of progress makes them push harder. Every tick of 1d6 on the marked target is that progress bar, and players lean in as it drops.
Source: Kivetz, R., Urminsky, O., & Zheng, Y. (2006). The goal-gradient hypothesis resurrected: Purchase acceleration, illusionary goal progress, and customer retention. Journal of Marketing Research, 43(1), 39–58. doi:10.1509/jmkr.43.1.39
Hunter's Mark damage by level
| Cast at | Dice | Average | Range |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1st slot | 3.5 | 1–6 |
The odds of 1d6
| Total | Chance |
|---|---|
| 2 or more | 83% |
| 4 or more | 50% |
| 5 or more | 33% |
| 6 or more | 17% |
Hunter's Mark against other 1st-level damage spells
By average damage on one target, Hunter's Mark ranks 13th of 15 1st-level damage spells in the SRD. Area, saves and riders are not counted here; read each spell.
| Spell | Dice | Average |
|---|---|---|
| Guiding Bolt | 4d6 | 14 |
| Hellish Rebuke | 2d10 | 11 |
| Inflict Wounds | 2d10 | 11 |
| Burning Hands | 3d6 | 10.5 |
| Dissonant Whispers | 3d6 | 10.5 |
| Magic Missile | 3d4 + 3 | 10.5 |
| Divine Smite | 2d8 | 9 |
| Ray of Sickness | 2d8 | 9 |
| Thunderwave | 2d8 | 9 |
| Ice Knife | 1d10 | 5.5 |
| Ensnaring Strike | 1d6 | 3.5 |
| Hex | 1d6 | 3.5 |
| Hunter's Mark | 1d6 | 3.5 |
| Searing Smite | 1d6 | 3.5 |
| Divine Favor | 1d4 | 2.5 |
Rules text
You magically mark one creature you can see within range as your quarry. Until the spell ends, you deal an extra Force damage to the target whenever you hit it with an attack roll. You also have Advantage on any Wisdom (Perception or Survival) check you make to find it.
If the target drops to 0 Hit Points before this spell ends, you can take a Bonus Action to move the mark to a new creature you can see within range.
At higher levels. Your Concentration can last longer with a spell slot of level 3-4 (up to 8 hours) or 5+ (up to 24 hours).
This page includes material from the System Reference Document 5.2.1 (“SRD 5.2.1”) by Wizards of the Coast LLC, available at dndbeyond.com/srd. The SRD 5.2.1 is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License. The averages, odds and tables are ours.