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The Devil's Tongue trait from SCAG states:

Devil's Tongue. You know the vicious mockery cantrip. When you reach 3rd level, you can cast the charm person spell as a 2nd-level spell once with this trait. When you reach 5th level, you can cast the enthrall spell once with this trait. You must finish a long rest to cast these spells once again with this trait. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for them. [...]

It's pretty clear that the trait enables the Tiefling to cast the two later spells from the trait once per long rest without using spell slots (due to it saying with this trait, instead of with a spell slot).

My Question

My question is, could the Tiefling, who is also a Sorcerer, cast them using spell slots during the rest of the adventuring day?

Questions I am not asking

  • I'm not asking "Can I cast a spell that isn't on my class' spell list?".

    • The general rule is that characters only have access to spells on their spell lists. The Devil's Tongue trait adds a specific rule that says you can cast this spell with this trait (which means you have access to it despite it not necessarily being on your class' spell list). This question is the next logical step, given that you have access to this spell from can you also cast it using your class' spell slots?
  • I'm also not asking "Do I have to use spell slots to cast these spells?"

    • As mentioned in my question I regard this as obvious that you can
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This is a relevant part of the general spellcasting rules:

Before a spellcaster can use a spell, he or she must have the spell firmly fixed in mind, or must have access to the spell in a magic item. Members of a few classes, including bards and sorcerers, have a limited list of spells they know that are always fixed in mind. The same thing is true of many magic-using monsters. Other spellcasters, such as clerics and wizards, undergo a process of preparing spells. This process varies for different classes, as detailed in their descriptions.

In every case, the number of spells a caster can have fixed in mind at any given time depends on the character's level.

These features that let you use an ability without a spell slot are an exception to this general rule- they say you can cast the spell a limited number of times through the trait, but do not say that the spell counts as a specific class' spell/as prepared/as known for you, so you cannot expend spell slots on them. You can only cast them through the trait.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ Unless you interpret the tiefling as being a magic-using monster, in which case it is "always fixed in mind" like a sorcerer with only one spell. I think you are probably right the rules as intended (see V2Blast's answer), but the passage you quote is sufficiently vague that it could be interpreted the other way - and in fact, that was how I initially read it, before seeing your interpretation. \$\endgroup\$
    – Benubird
    Commented May 18, 2018 at 15:00
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Jeremy Crawford addresses a similar question here:

do the spells known by a class include any racial spells they may know? so bards start off with 2 cantrips, would a tiefling's thaumaturgy count as one of them?

A class's spells are on that class's spell list. Sometimes you'll get a feature that adds spells to that list—features like the bard's Magical Secrets. Racial traits aren't added to your class's list unless your trait says otherwise.

As for whether you know the spells, the bard's spellcasting feature states, "You know four 1st-level spells of your choice from the bard spell list." The sorcerer's spellcasting feature is described similarly.

Per the wording of the racial spell feature, you don't "know" Charm Person or Enthrall. As such, you can't cast them with spell slots unless you learn them through your class.

It does state that you know the cantrip, but cantrips don't use spell slots anyway.

(In contrast, something like the Magic Initiate feat specifies, "You learn that spell and can cast it at its lowest level." In this case, you do in fact know the spell. The Sage Advice Compendium confirms that spells learned via Magic Initiate can be cast using spell slots only if you have the spellcasting feature from the class you chose for the feat - i.e. if you have at least one level in that class.

The racial feats from Xanathar's are also differently phrased, and explicitly state that you "learn" those spells. For instance, the Drow High Magic feat states, "You learn the detect magic spell [...] You also learn levitate and dispel magic"; Fey Teleportation states, "You learn the misty step spell"; and Wood Elf Magic states, "You also learn the longstrider and pass without trace spells".)

In short: No, racial spells aren't "known spells" unless the racial feature states that you learn those spells.

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    \$\begingroup\$ Has this been clarified in a Sage Advice Compendium entry, or in an Errata? Or is just based off of a tweet from Jeremy Crawford. It's also not really addressing the question. It's instead addressing the "do these spells count as <insert class here spells>"? \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:24
  • \$\begingroup\$ To put it another way, I'm not asking "Can I cast a spell that isn't on my classes spell list". The general rule is that characters only have access to spells on their spell lists. The trait adds a specific rule that says you can cast this spell with this trait (which means you have access to it despite it not necessarily being on your classes spell list). This question is the next logical step, given that you have access to this spell from <insert feature here> can you also cast it using your classes spell slots? \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:30
  • \$\begingroup\$ I've edited the question to clarify this, but the question isn't about whether or not they are "Known Spells" (relevant to the Sorcerer, Bard and Warlock class features), but instead if the Sorcerer can cast them using spell slots regardless. Is there a general rule that says characters can only use their spell slots to cast spells that are on their class spell list? Or that Sorcerers can only use their spell slots on "Known Spells"? If so please quote it, as that would back up your assertion. \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:49
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    \$\begingroup\$ From the Sage Advice Compendium response regarding Magic Initiate: "For example, if you pick sorcerer and you are a sorcerer, the Spellcasting feature for that class tells you that you can use your spell slots to cast the sorcerer spells you know, so you can use your spell slots to cast the 1st-level sorcerer spell you learn from Magic Initiate. Similarly, if you are a wizard and pick that class for the feat, you learn a 1st-level wizard spell, which you could add to your spellbook and subsequently prepare." \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 2:11
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    \$\begingroup\$ "...In short, you must follow your character’s normal spellcasting rules, which determine whether you can expend spell slots on the 1st-level spell you learn from Magic Initiate." \$\endgroup\$
    – V2Blast
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 2:11
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No. The per-rest usages of these spells are independent of the spell slots granted by the sorcerer class.

A sorcerer gets their spell slots from their Spellcasting class feature. These spells are cast using the sorcerer's spell slots, which depend on the sorcerer's level.

To cast one of these sorcerer Spells, you must expend a slot of the spell's level or higher.

These spell slots are specifically referring to the spells granted by the corresponding class:

In every case, the number of spells a caster can have fixed in mind at any given time depends on the character’s level.

By comparison, the Devil's Tongue trait makes no mention of classes or spell slots. In theory, a tiefling fighter could cast these spells just as effectively as a tiefling sorcerer of the same level. The tiefling's spells from Devil's Tongue are not cast using the spell slots of any class.

The trait is a special ability that lets creatures cast spells without proper spell slots:

Some characters and Monsters have Special Abilities that let them cast spells without using spell slots. For example, a monk who follows the Way of the Four Elements, a Warlock who chooses certain eldritch invocations, and a Pit Fiend from the Nine Hells can all cast spells in such a way.

This ability is completely independent of spell slots gained from the tiefling's class levels.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm not asking if you can cast them using the trait without using spell slots. Nor am I asking if they count against the Sorcer's known spells. Instead I'm asking if the Sorcerer knows the spells (or if they are cast by instinct), and can choose to cast additional castings of them using their spell slots. \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:16
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    \$\begingroup\$ Whether or not a spell is on a class list is relevant for various game features (like Q: Can the sorcerer replace one spell at level up with another? A: only if it's on their class spell list). Is there a general rule that says characters can only use their spell slots to cast spells that are on their class spell list? If so please quote it, as that would back up your assertion. \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:40
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Vicious Mockery is a cantrip, so it doesn't require a spell slot, regardless.

Enthrall, on the other hand is a second level spell. This would normally require a spell slot to cast. But, as it is stated in the trait description:

[...] When you reach 5th level, you can cast the enthrall spell once with this trait. You must finish a long rest to cast these spells once again with this trait.

There is no mention of consuming spell slots, which means that you can do it regardless of spell slots - you do not need to even be a caster to use this ability.

However, this does not allow you to cast these spells using Spell Slots - A trait granted to you by your race is different to your Spell Casting ability, granted by class. Additionally, while the Bard may have access to the Vicious Mockery cantrip, neither Sorcerer or Bard have access to the Enthrall spell - you would need to multiclass into another class that had access to it in their spell list.

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  • \$\begingroup\$ I'm not asking if you can cast them using the trait without using spell slots. The question assumes that you can. Instead it is asking if, after you have used the trait (or you choose not to activate the trait ability), you are able to cast them independently of the trait using your spell slots. \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:14
  • \$\begingroup\$ @illustro yes you can, if you have them in your spell list \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:18
  • \$\begingroup\$ Whether or not a spell is on a class list is relevant for various game features (like Q: Can the sorcerer replace one spell at level up with another? A: only if it's on their class spell list). Is there a general rule that says characters can only use their spell slots to cast spells that are on their class spell list? If so please quote it, as that would back up your assertion. \$\endgroup\$
    – illustro
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:42
  • \$\begingroup\$ There is no hard mention of this, but any mention of creating a spellcaster, or gaining a feat for the use of spellcasting, specifies a spell list to choose from. \$\endgroup\$
    – Ben
    Commented May 2, 2018 at 1:51

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