Find Steed 5e D&D Guide

Find Steed is a 2nd-level summoning spell belonging to the Paladin spell list.

Mortal steeds cannot live vicariously through their rider. Fighting alongside them will eventually cost them their lives.

If only there were magical steeds who fear not battle or death?

The Player’s Handbook states the following:

Find Steed 5e

2nd-level Conjuration

Casting Time: 10 minutes

Range: 30 feet

Components: V, S

Duration: Instantaneous

You summon a spirit that will assume the form of a strong, unusually intelligent, and loyal steed, creating a long-lasting bond with it.

The summon appears in an unoccupied space within range and takes on a form you choose: a warhorse, a mastiff, a camel, an elk, or a pony. (Your DM might also allow other animals to be summoned as steeds.)

Statistics

The steed will have the statistics of the chosen form, though it is a fiend, fey, or celestial (your choice) instead of its normal type.

Additionally, if your steed retains an Intelligence of 5 or less, its Intelligence will become 6, gaining the ability to understand one language of your choice that you speak.

Combat

Your steed will serve you as a mount, both in and out of combat. You also have an instinctive bond with it that lets you fight as a seamless unit.

While you’re mounted on your steed, you can also make any spell you cast that only targets you also target your steed.

When the mount drops to 0 hit points, it disappears, which leaves behind no physical form.

You can also choose to dismiss your steed at any time as an action, forcing it to disappear.

In either circumstance, casting this spell again summons an identical steed, restored to its hit point maximum.

Communication

While your mount is within 1 mile of you, you can speak with each other telepathically.

You cannot have more than one mount bonded by this spell at a time. Using an action, you can free the steed from its bond at any time, which causes it to disappear.

Which Classes Can Pick Find Steed?

The only traditional class that can freely unlock Find Steed is the Paladin.

A Paladin can unlock and use this spell at level 5.

No subclasses can freely unlock this spell.

Is Find Steed Good in 5e?

Find Steed is a very helpful spell that can help players in multiple ways. The summon will help you in and out of combat. Overall, it ticks a lot of boxes.

Advantages – Find Steed

No Action Used

Find Steed doesn’t use an action to be cast. It only takes 10 minutes of your time to cast the spell and summon your desired steed.

Even though you won’t be casting it in combat, having an action to spend is always good, especially in the early game.

No Material Component

Unlike many other spells, this one doesn’t require players to find or buy a Material component.

Players only need a Verbal and Somatic component to cast this spell effectively. Just be sure you can cast both.

Not being able to cast one will make the spell uncastable until whichever effect you have wears off.

No Concentration

Find Steed does use any concentration to focus the spell while and after casting. Therefore, being attacked by an enemy doesn’t dismiss the steed.

When the spell is complete, the steed will instantly appear. Lasting until it drops to 0 HP or its caster dismisses it.

Disadvantages – Find Steed

Class Availability

Unfortunately, only the Paladin has free access to Find Steed. Other classes wishing to unlock it either have to use their feats or specific abilities.

Just be sure to compare the other spells currently on your spell list. Some of your native spells might be a lot better than FInd Steed.

Spells Similar To Find Steed

Find Greater Steed is the big brother of Find Steed. Not only does it come with a wider variety of creatures, but they have a much higher CR.

When or How Should I Use Find Steed?

Traveling Long Distances

Traveling long distances can be arduous for your party. Your speed is relatively slow, and you’ll quickly become exhausted if you don’t take breaks every so often.

The most efficient way would be to travel using a steed.

A warhorse is the best summon, with a speed of 60ft and high Strength (meaning it has high carrying capacity).

In most cases, the warhorse can easily transport 2 party members and their equipment. Making it an ideal traveling option for most parties.

Carrying Equipment or Loot

After finishing a dungeon, you’ll be challenged to think wisely about the items you take. With a mount, it’ll be no different. However, there will be a lot of leeway.

Choosing not to ride the mount and instead loading it with valuable and rare loot could be a good option.

Selling the items could provide your party with some much-needed GP. So if you want to hoard, make sure you have a mount!

Add a Party Member

Using Find Steed essentially adds another member to your party.

It can do many things, such as fight in battles, move allies out of danger, neigh to communicate with you, and make traveling faster.

In retrospect, having a steed like this fills many gaps needed by smaller parties. It also doesn’t have a lifespan, so it can easily outlive your Gnome!

Frequently Asked Questions

Do You Require a Saddle for Find Steed?

Luckily, the steeds summoned by Find Steed don’t require a saddle to ride. The only requirements are those needed to cast the spell itself.

Do the Mounts Need Food?

The summoned steed will be a celestial, fey, or fiend which doesn’t require food to stay alive. Think of them more like a spiritual steed than a real one.

Can You Summon a Flying Mount With Find Steed?

Find Steed cannot summon flying mounts. However, its older brother, Find Greater Steed has the option to summon flying mounts such as a Griffon, Pegasus, or Peryton.

Final Thoughts

Find Steed is a spell all Paladins should at least look at. Traveling and combat are two things that are unavoidable in D&D.

So having a companion who is good at both comes in handy.

Its diverse steed choices and different applications give players a wide scale they can use.

You never know; maybe the steed will become a better companion than one of your party members!