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Conjure Minor Elementals

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Conjure Minor Elementals
  • Level: 4
  • School: Conjuration
  • Class: Druid, Wizard
  • Casting Time: Action
  • Range: Self
  • Components: V, S
  • Duration: Concentration, up to 10 minutes

You conjure spirits from the Elemental Planes that flit around you in a 15-foot emanation for the duration. Until the spell ends, any attack you make deals an extra 2d8 damage when you hit a creature in the emanation. This damage is Acid, Cold, Fire, or Lightning (your choice when you make the attack).

In addition, the ground in the emanation is Difficult Terrain for your enemies.

Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The damage increases by 1d8 for each spell slot level above 4.

Tactical Usage​

Personal Elemental Aura: Conjure Minor Elementals creates a personal emanation that enhances your attacks and controls local terrain. This 4th-level conjuration spell excels at melee enhancement and area denial.

Optimal Timing: Most effective for melee-oriented casters who can stay in close combat to maximize attack bonuses and terrain control.

Resource Management: Uses a 4th-level spell slot - available from character level 7+. Concentration requirement demands protection but provides consistent combat enhancement.

Target Selection: Focus on staying within range of priority enemies to trigger extra damage while using terrain control defensively.

Spell Combinations​

Synergistic Spells:

  • Melee Enhancement: Combine with spells that improve attack accuracy or provide additional attacks
  • Positioning Spells: Misty step or dimension door to maintain optimal positioning
  • Concentration Protection: Shield and counterspell to maintain the elemental aura

Class Feature Interactions:

  • Wild Shape: Druids can maintain concentration while transformed, excellent for elemental-enhanced beast forms
  • Extra Attack: Multiple attacks benefit repeatedly from the 2d8 bonus damage
  • Spell Combat: Eldritch Knights can use weapon attacks enhanced by elemental damage

Multi-Caster Coordination: Multiple elemental auras can create overlapping difficult terrain zones for comprehensive area 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 during combat preparation.

Roleplay Opportunities: Elemental spirits swirling around the caster create impressive visual effects reflecting elemental mastery.

Economic Considerations: No costs make this spell economically viable for regular combat enhancement.

Creator Notes​

Encounter Balancing: Provides consistent extra damage and terrain control that affects encounter mobility and positioning.

NPC Usage: Enemy spellcasters can use this to enhance their melee capabilities while controlling party movement.

Environmental Considerations: Difficult terrain affects enemies only, providing significant tactical advantage in positioning.

Campaign Integration: Excellent for melee-focused spellcasters, elemental-themed encounters, or tactical combat scenarios.

Environmental Interactions​

Terrain Effects: Difficult terrain emanation affects movement regardless of existing terrain conditions.

Weather Influence: Elemental spirits adapt to local conditions while providing consistent mechanical benefits.

Structural Interactions: 15-foot emanation moves with you, creating a mobile zone of elemental influence.

Elemental Interactions: Choice of damage type allows adaptation to enemy resistances and environmental themes.

Common Rulings & Clarifications​

Timing Questions: Extra damage applies to any attack that hits creatures within the emanation when you make the attack.

Target Limitations: Difficult terrain affects enemies only. Extra damage applies to your attacks against creatures in emanation.

Duration Interactions: Concentration up to 10 minutes. Effects persist as long as concentration is maintained.

Mechanical Interactions: Choose damage type for each attack individually. Emanation moves with you automatically.

Alternative Applications​

Non-Combat Uses: Environmental demonstration of elemental control, intimidation through elemental display, or area territory marking.

Social Encounters: Impressive displays of elemental mastery, though the threatening aura typically escalates conflicts.

Exploration Applications: Difficult terrain can slow pursuing enemies, while elemental effects might interact with environmental challenges.

Utility Functions: Area control for crowd management, though the hostile effects make this unsuitable for most non-combat situations.

Same School: Other conjuration spells like conjure elemental (5th level major elemental), conjure animals (3rd level nature spirits), spirit guardians (3rd level divine aura).

Similar Effects: spirit guardians (3rd level divine aura), guardian of faith (4th level area denial), spike growth (2nd level difficult terrain).

Progression Options: magic weapon (2nd level weapon enhancement), conjure minor elementals (4th level personal aura), conjure elemental (5th level major spirit).

Complementary Magic: haste (additional attacks for more damage procs), misty step (positioning), concentration protection spells.

Scaling Analysis​

Level Progression: Solid damage enhancement that scales well with character level as attack frequency increases.

Upcast Benefits: Additional 1d8 damage per level makes higher-level casting significantly more effective (3d8→4d8→5d8).

Campaign Phases: Peak effectiveness in mid-level play (7-12) where extra damage remains significant for combat encounters.

Comparative Value: Good melee enhancement option that provides unique combination of damage and battlefield control.

Narrative Flavor​

Casting Description: Elemental spirits swirl around you in a constant dance of power, crackling with chosen elemental energy and reshaping the ground beneath your feet.

Effect Manifestation: The emanation pulses with elemental force, creating visible distortions in the air while the ground responds to elemental influence.

Personal Style: Different casters might manifest fire sprites, earth rumblings, lightning sparks, or frost patterns based on chosen element and magical tradition.

World Integration: Represents intermediate elemental magic that creates a personal connection to elemental forces, often associated with battle magic or elemental warrior traditions.