Instant Summons

← Back to Spell List

• Level: 6
• School: Conjuration
• Class: Wizard
• Casting Time: 1 minute or Ritual
• Range: Touch
• Components: V, S, M (a sapphire worth 1,000+ GP)
• Duration: Until dispelled

You touch the sapphire used in the casting and an object weighing 10 pounds or less whose longest dimension is 6 feet or less. The spell leaves an Invisible mark on that object and invisibly inscribes the object's name on the sapphire. Each time you cast this spell, you must use a different sapphire.

Thereafter, you can take a Magic action to speak the object's name and crush the sapphire. The object instantly appears in your hand regardless of physical or planar distances, and the spell ends.

If another creature is holding or carrying the object, crushing the sapphire doesn't transport it, but instead you learn who that creature is and where that creature is currently located.

Tactical Usage

Emergency Equipment: Instant Summons provides guaranteed access to critical equipment regardless of distance or planar barriers. Use for essential items that might be needed in emergency situations or when separated from supplies.

Bypass Restrictions: The spell can retrieve items from secure locations, locked containers, or other planes, making it valuable for situations where conventional access is impossible or dangerous.

Strategic Positioning: Place important items in secure locations, then use Instant Summons to access them instantly when needed. This allows equipment storage without carrying weight or risking loss.

Spell Combinations

Teleportation Circle Storage: Combine with Teleportation Circle to create secure storage locations accessible only through spell combinations. Store items in heavily warded locations, then summon them when needed.

Rope Trick Hiding: Hide important items using Rope Trick, then use Instant Summons to retrieve them later. The combination provides both concealment and instant access when circumstances change.

Magnificent Mansion Repository: Store multiple prepared items in Mordenkainen's Magnificent Mansion, then use Instant Summons to access specific items without returning to the mansion personally.

Material Component Details

Sapphire Investment: The 1,000+ GP sapphire represents substantial investment per item, limiting practical usage to truly essential equipment. Plan component acquisition and budget accordingly.

Unique Sapphires: Each casting requires a different sapphire, preventing reuse and creating ongoing component costs. This makes the spell expensive for regular usage but worthwhile for critical items.

Component Security: The sapphires themselves become valuable targets for theft or destruction. Consider security measures for protecting your collection of prepared sapphires.

Creator Notes

Carrying Limitation: If another creature is holding the item, crushing the sapphire provides location information instead of retrieval. This prevents theft of actively used items but allows tracking of stolen possessions.

Weight and Size Limits: The 10-pound, 6-foot limitation restricts usage to smaller items, preventing retrieval of vehicles, large weapons, or major equipment pieces.

Planar Functionality: The spell works across planar boundaries, making it valuable for extraplanar adventures where equipment might be left behind or lost during dimensional travel.

Environmental Interactions

Invisible Marking: The spell leaves invisible marks on objects, potentially detectable through magical means. Consider that marked items might be identified as magical through appropriate detection methods.

Name Inscription: The sapphire contains the object's name invisibly, creating a form of magical indexing system for multiple prepared items and their corresponding retrieval gems.

Antimagic Interaction: In antimagic fields, the spell fails to function, potentially trapping important items beyond reach when magical suppression is active.

Common Rulings & Clarifications

Magic Action Required: Crushing the sapphire requires a Magic action, preventing instant retrieval during combat scenarios where action economy is crucial.

Object Naming: You must speak the object's name exactly as inscribed during casting, requiring precise memory or record-keeping for multiple prepared items.

Retrieval Location: The object appears in your hand specifically, not just nearby. This ensures precise placement but requires having a free hand available for retrieval.

Alternative Applications

Evidence Preservation: Store important documents, evidence, or proof in secure locations, then retrieve them when needed for legal proceedings or investigation reveals.

Emergency Supplies: Prepare essential supplies like healing potions, spell components, or survival gear for instant access during emergencies or unexpected situations.

Valuable Storage: Secure precious items, heirlooms, or valuables by storing them in protected locations while maintaining instant access through sapphire activation.

Related Spells

Arcane Lock: Protects storage locations where items are kept before using Instant Summons. The combination provides both physical security and magical retrieval capability.

Teleport: Different approach to accessing distant items by traveling to them rather than bringing them to you. Compare based on whether personal travel or item retrieval better serves needs.

Find the Path: Helps locate secure storage locations where items are kept. The combination allows both storage location discovery and item retrieval through spell synergy.

Scaling Analysis

Mid-High Levels (11-16): Instant Summons becomes available when 6th-level spell slots are accessible but still represent significant resource investment requiring careful planning.

Resource Investment: The high component cost limits usage to truly essential items, making it most valuable for unique artifacts, critical tools, or emergency supplies.

Campaign Utility: Most valuable in campaigns involving extensive travel, planar adventures, or situations where equipment security and accessibility are major concerns.

Narrative Flavor

Sapphire Preparation: As you cast the spell, the sapphire glows with internal light while invisible magical script appears on its surface. The gem becomes warm to the touch as it forms its connection to the designated object.

Retrieval Moment: When you crush the sapphire, it explodes in a flash of magical energy that instantly transports the connected object across any distance. The item materializes in your hand with a faint shimmer of residual magic.

Connection Sensation: During the moment of retrieval, you briefly sense the object's location and circumstances, feeling its connection to you across space and time before the magical bond completes the transportation.