A rush of energy courses through your body and spills forth in a brilliant burst of light.
From the shimmering glow emerges a creature of wild magic, fierce and primal, ready to heed your every command and defend you with tooth and claw.
With this spell at your fingertips, you are never truly alone in your adventures.
Summon Beast 5e
2nd-level Conjuration
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet
Components: V, S, M (a fish tail inside a gilded acorn that’s worth a minimum of 200 GP, a tuft of fur, and a feather)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour
You summon a bestial spirit. It appears in a visible open area and inside your field of vision. The Bestial Spirit stat block is used by this corporeal form.
When you cast Summon Beast, choose a specific environment: Water, Land, or Air.
The creature’s stat block is determined by specific features based on an animal of your choosing that is native to the environment you have selected.
Note: When the creature drops to 0 HP or the spell ends, it vanishes.
Spectral Ally
You and your companions have the creature’s support. The monster shares your initiative count during combat, but it takes its turn right after yours.
It complies with your spoken orders; no physical action is necessary on your part. If you don’t provide any, it does the Dodge action and uses its move to get out of harm’s way.
At Higher Levels: When you cast Summon Beast with a 3rd-level or higher spell slot, use the higher level where the spell’s level will appear on the stat block.
| Bestial Spirit | |||||
| Small Beast | |||||
| Armor Class: 11 + the spell’s level (natural armor) | |||||
| Hit Points: 30 (Land and Water only) or 20 (Air only) +5 for each spell level above 2nd | |||||
| Speed: 30 feet, climb 30 feet (Land only), fly 60 feet (Air only), swim 30 feet (Water only) | |||||
| STR | DEX | CON | INT | WIS | CHA |
| 18 (+4) | 11 (+0) | 16 (+3) | 4 (-3) | 14 (+2) | 5 (-3) |
| Senses: darkvision 60 feet, passive Perception 12 | |||||
| Languages: understands the language you speak | |||||
| Challenge: – | |||||
| Proficiency Bonus: equal your bonus | |||||
| Flyby (Air Only): The beast doesn’t provoke an opportunity attack when flying out of the reach of an enemy’s reach. | |||||
| Pack Tactics (Water and Land Only): The beast will have advantage on an attack roll against a creature if there is at least one of the beast’s allies within 5 feet of the creature, and the ally isn’t incapacitated. | |||||
| Water Breathing (Water Only): The best can breathe only underwater. | |||||
| Actions | |||||
| Multiattack: The beast makes several attacks equal to half the spell’s level (rounded down). | |||||
| Maul: Melee Weapon Attack: to hit, your spell attack modifier, reach 5 feet, one target. Hit: 4 + 1d8 + the spell’s level piercing damage. | |||||
Which Classes Can Pick Summon Beast 5e?
The only traditional classes that can unlock and use Summon Beast are the Druid and Ranger.
Druids can unlock and use Summon Beast at level 3, while Rangers can only unlock and use it at level 5.
Is Summon Beast Good in 5e?
Summon Beast has a good idea of what it wants to be and what it wants to accomplish; unfortunately, the spell isn’t worth the trouble.
The cost of the Material components and variety, and competition from other 2nd-level Druid/Ranger spells like Enhance Ability or Healing Spirit makes it difficult to justify taking Summon Beast.
Advantages – Summon Beast
Upcasting
Summon Beast can be upcasted, increasing many aspects of the spell, like its multi-attack and damage done on single attacks.
Another Party Member
While not indefinitely, Summon Beast provides a party with an extra member to help them in battles and provides a higher collective action economy.
Disadvantages – Summon Beast
Material Components
You don’t only need 3 different Material components to cast Summon Beast; you need to remember that they’re expensive, making this spell inaccessible to parties with low finances.
One Movement Type
You can only have the summon adopt one way of movement (climb, fly, or swim); you also can’t mount the creature as it is Corpeal!
Spells Similar to Summon Beast 5e
Spells similar to Summon Beast are; Find Familiar (1st-level), Conjure Animals (3rd-level), Conjure Woodland Beings (4th-level), and Conjure Celestial (7th-level).
When or How Should You Use Summon Beast?
Summon a Temporary Ally
Summon Beast lasts for up to 1 hour, adding the summoned creature to your party’s initiative order and increasing your numbers against a force of enemies.
Having a number advantage or at least gaining an ally can increase your chances of winning the battle without too much struggle; it also provides other party members extra support if needed.
Scouting
Rangers are expert scouts, but sending another party member with them might compromise their mission, as they won’t be as skilled as the Ranger.
Just send a summoned beast with them to stop that from happening, or summon it yourself. You can then give it some verbal commands, telling it to follow, protect, or inform you if it sees any suspicious activity.
Note: Having a Land or Air summon would probably work best, but just keep in mind that the Air summon won’t be able to hear your verbal commands if it’s far up in the sky.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I Choose What Form the Spirit Takes?
Yes, the spell’s description says that you choose both the environment and the creature’s resemblance (within the environment you chose).
Must You Have All Three Material Components at Hand?
Yes, the spell doesn’t provide you with a choice; instead, it says you must display all three simultaneously and consume all three.
A DM can change this if they want to.
Final Thoughts
Summon Beast is an obvious choice for spellcasters who seek a universal tool to explore and fight with.
Having a loyal companion traveling with your band of adventurers will not only up everyone’s morale but also provide extra aid in many battles to come.
After using Summon Beast, you’ll find traveling without another loyal companion challenging!