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Conjure Animals

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Conjure Animals
  • Level: 3
  • School: Conjuration
  • Class: Druid, Ranger
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: 60 feet
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You conjure nature spirits that appear as a Large pack of spectral, intangible animals in an unoccupied space you can see within range. The pack lasts for the duration, and you choose the spirits' animal form, such as wolves, serpents, or birds.

You have Advantage on Strength saving throws while you're within 5 feet of the pack, and when you move on your turn, you can also move the pack up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space you can see.

Whenever the pack moves within 10 feet of a creature you can see and whenever a creature you can see enters a space within 10 feet of the pack or ends its turn there, you can force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 Slashing damage. A creature makes this save only once per turn.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above 3.

Tactical Usage​

Mobile Area Control: Conjure Animals creates a moveable zone of spectral creatures that deals significant damage and provides tactical support. This 3rd-level conjuration spell excels at battlefield control through positioning and persistent threat presence.

Optimal Timing: Most effective when you can maintain close positioning for the Strength save advantage while using the pack to control key battlefield areas.

Resource Management: Uses a 3rd-level spell slot - available from character level 5+. Concentration requirement demands protection but provides ongoing tactical value.

Target Selection: Use pack movement to threaten priority targets while maintaining personal positioning for maximum tactical advantage.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Positioning Spells: Misty step or dimension door to maintain optimal pack placement
  • Battlefield Control: Combine with difficult terrain or obstacles to funnel enemies through pack area
  • Concentration Protection: Shield or other defenses to maintain the summoning

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Wild Shape: Druids can maintain concentration while transformed
  • Beast Master: Rangers can coordinate with existing animal companions
  • Natural Explorer: Enhanced movement helps maintain positioning with the pack

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple nature casters can create overlapping pack areas for comprehensive battlefield control.

Material Component Details​

Component Acquisition: No material components required - only verbal and somatic components needed.

Component Handling: Simple V, S casting allows flexible deployment without resource management concerns.

Roleplay Opportunities: Choosing animal forms reflects character connection to different aspects of nature.

Economic Considerations: No costs make this spell economically viable for repeated tactical use.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Provides both damage and tactical positioning advantages. Consider how mobile area denial affects encounter design.

NPC Usage: Enemy druids can use this to control party movement and force positioning mistakes in tactical encounters.

Environmental Considerations: Large pack size requires adequate space. Tight areas limit pack movement and positioning options.

Campaign Integration: Excellent for wilderness encounters, druidic themes, or any scenario requiring mobile battlefield control.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Open areas allow maximum pack mobility. Cramped spaces limit movement options but concentrate the threat zone.

Weather Influence: No direct weather effects, though spectral nature makes environmental interaction thematically flexible.

Structural Interactions: Pack can move through unoccupied spaces. Walls and barriers affect positioning but don't block the spectral forms.

Elemental Interactions: Spectral animals adapt thematically to local environments while maintaining consistent mechanical effects.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Pack moves when you move on your turn. Damage triggers when creatures enter or end turns within 10 feet.

Target Limitations: You choose which creatures make saving throws when triggered. Pack affects creatures you can see within range.

Duration Interactions: Concentration up to 10 minutes. Pack persists and continues providing benefits until concentration ends.

Mechanical Interactions: Strength save advantage applies while within 5 feet of pack. Only one save per creature per turn regardless of multiple triggers.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Intimidation through spectral presence, crowd control, or environmental storytelling through animal spirit manifestation.

Social Encounters: Demonstrate druidic power, commune with nature spirits, or provide impressive displays during negotiations.

Exploration Applications: Scout ahead with mobile spectral presence, create diversions, or provide protection during wilderness travel.

Utility Functions: Persistent area denial for camp security, resource protection, or territorial marking.

Same School: Other conjuration spells like conjure minor elementals (4th level elemental spirits), conjure elemental (5th level major summoning), conjure fey (6th level fey creatures).

Similar Effects: spiritual weapon (2nd level mobile damage), guardian of faith (4th level area denial), conjure woodland beings (4th level nature spirits).

Progression Options: find familiar (1st level single companion), conjure minor elementals (4th level multiple spirits), conjure elemental (5th level powerful entity).

Complementary Magic: speak with animals (communicate with real animals), pass without trace (stealth for positioning), barkskin (defensive enhancement).

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Solid damage scaling and consistent tactical value make this useful throughout mid-to-high level play.

Upcast Benefits: Additional 1d10 damage per level makes higher-level casting significantly more threatening (4d10→5d10→6d10).

Campaign Phases: Peak effectiveness in mid-level play (5-12) where the damage and control remain relevant to most encounters.

Comparative Value: Good combination of damage and utility that competes effectively with other 3rd-level tactical options.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Spectral animal spirits answer your call, manifesting as a ghostly pack that moves with supernatural coordination and purpose.

Effect Manifestation: The ethereal pack flows across the battlefield like a living shadow, their spectral forms revealing glimpses of fangs, claws, and wild eyes.

Personal Style: Different druids might summon wolves, bears, birds, or serpents based on their connection to specific natural environments or animal totems.

World Integration: Represents intermediate nature magic that bridges the material and spirit worlds, calling upon the collective essence of animal spirits for protection and power.