[RPG] Do spells with a range of “Self” target the caster

class-featurednd-5erangerspellstargeting

I'm new to D&D, and was thinking about creating a Beast Master ranger.

Do spells with a range of "Self" target the caster?

There's some debate in my group on this subject. Unlike spells such as cure wounds – which specifies "A creature you touch" – there's technically no mention of a target in a "Self"-range spell within the description.
A fair amount of people in my playgroup come from a TCG background, where the presence (or lack thereof) of keywords like "target" are essential for determining interaction.

Would paladins' smite spells or the thunderwave spell count as "targeting" yourself, and therefore be affected by the Beast Master ranger's Share Spell feature?

Best Answer

I asked Jeremy Crawford the same question and they clarified the situation with this tweet:

A range of self means the caster is the target, as in shield, or the point of origin, as in thunderwave (PH, 202).

In your example, spells like Thunderous Smite or Wrathful Smite could be made to also affect the caster's beast companion through the Share Spells feature of the Beast Master. However, Thunderwave would not work because it is an area of effect spell and thus it lacks a target.