What is the difference between a spell with a range of "Self" and a spell with a range of "Self (XYZ)"?

Question

There are a number of spells with a range of "Self", and a number of spells with a range of "Self (XYZ)" where XYZ is some modifier.

Is the range of Self consistent between these two? Are the targeting rules different in each case? What is the difference between these two ranges?

Answer 1

In an unofficial tweet from November 2020, Lead Rules Designer Jeremy Crawford stated the following:

A note about D&D spells with a range of "Self (XYZ)": the parenthetical—which says "5-foot radius," "15-foot cone," or something else—means you are the spell's point of origin, but you aren't necessarily its target. You're creating an effect that originates in your space.

That is how the designers intended such spells to work. How it works at your table is up to your table.

The relevant rules for this situation are probably the following, from the "Range" section of the Spellcasting chapter of the PHB/basic rules:

Most spells have ranges expressed in feet. Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch. Other spells, such as the shield spell, affect only you. These spells have a range of self.

Spells that create cones or lines of effect that originate from you also have a range of self, indicating that the origin point of the spell's effect must be you (see “Areas of Effect” later in the this chapter).

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I personally do not want to address the various ramifications and interpretations of these terms as other questions already exist:

• What counts as a target for a spell?
• Do spells with a range of "Self" target the caster?
• Does the Distant Spell Metamagic double the range of area of effect spells that have a range of self?
• Do Booming Blade and the Spell Sniper feat stack?
• Can the spell Booming Blade be affected by the Twinned Spell metamagic?

Answer 2

The ranges "Self" and "Self (XYZ)" are different

The Player's Handbook (p202) gives us two definitions of the range of Self in the "Range" section of the Spellcasting chapter:

Most spells have ranges expressed in feet. Some spells can target only a creature (including you) that you touch. Other spells, such as the shield spell, affect only you. These spells have a range of self.

Spells that create cones or lines of effect that originate from you also have a range of self, indicating that the origin point of the spell's effect must be you (see “Areas of Effect” later in the this chapter).

So, we have two definitions of Self, and since D&D 5e is governed by the "Specific vs. General" rule, both are valid:

• "Self": means that the spell targets the caster
• "Self (XYZ)": means that the spell is an area-of-effect spell, whose point of origin must be the caster

So, if a spell has a Range of "Self (XYZ)", the caster is not a target of the spell, unless the spell's description includes them as a targeted creature (by being affected by the spell).