(non)magical damage conjuration spells

[PoeticDwarf]

I have a question about conjure spells, if I cast for example conjure animals, is the damage the animals deal magical or nonmagical damage.
My DM says that it probably isn't, because conjuring the animals is a magical effect, but the animals aren't magical, but he also says that if most of you think it counts as magical he says it counts as magical. Is there a rule for this or can the DM decide?

[Daishain]

The creatures summoned aren't animals. They're fey spirits in an assumed form, these spirits are inherently magical beings.

Now, this doesn't quite settle the question, as not all magical beings have attacks that count as magical, but I'd say that the possibility is certainly there. At my table I would probably rule that the attacks are magical for the purpose of bypassing resistances.

[R.Shackleford]

I have a question about conjure spells, if I cast for example conjure animals, is the damage the animals deal magical or nonmagical damage.
My DM says that it probably isn't, because conjuring the animals is a magical effect, but the animals aren't magical, but he also says that if most of you think it counts as magical he says it counts as magical. Is there a rule for this or can the DM decide?

Good question actually...

Depends on your DM but ask him or her this.

The acid from Acid Splash is conjured, is it magical or just normal acid?

Magic Acid: Them why can't the creatures summoned also count as magic.

Normal acid: then why does it bypass non-magical resistances?

[Lord Il Palazzo]

Good question actually...

Depends on your DM but ask him or her this.

The acid from Acid Splash is conjured, is it magical or just normal acid?

Magic Acid: Them why can't the creatures summoned also count as magic.

Normal acid: then why does it bypass non-magical resistances?I don't know how much this helps because I haven't seen anything with resistance/immunity to non-magical acid; creatures either resist/are-immune-to acid or they don't. Magical/non-magical damage (as far as I've seen and I'm sure someone will correct me if I'm wrong) only really gets checked for bludgeoning/slashing/piercing weapon attacks.

As a DM, I wouldn't rule that creatures natural weapons were magical just because magic had summoned them. The magic got them there; it didn't power them up unless the summoning spell specifically stated that it did.

[SharkForce]

summoned creatures do not inherently deal magical weapon damage (they potentially could, but only if the creature does so when not summoned as well).

in the absence of a rule making a change, there is no change.

[Demonic Spoon]

Any creature whose attacks count as magical for bypassing DR say so in their statblock. It is not an assumed part of a creature just because a creature's origin is magical.

[NNescio]

If the creatures' attacks don't count as magical in their statblock, then they don't count even when conjured (and despite them being technically fey spirits taking on the forms of beasts).

You could bend the rules and let the conjured creatures' attacks count as magical, but I'm leery of boosting the power of Conjure Woodland Beings even further.

[Vogonjeltz]

I have a question about conjure spells, if I cast for example conjure animals, is the damage the animals deal magical or nonmagical damage.
My DM says that it probably isn't, because conjuring the animals is a magical effect, but the animals aren't magical, but he also says that if most of you think it counts as magical he says it counts as magical. Is there a rule for this or can the DM decide?

Page 196 of the PHB:

"Each weapon, spell, and harmful monster ability specifies the damage it deals."

If the conjured monster is attacking you, it deals whatever damage the ability it is using says. If it's not a spell, and the ability doesn't say the thing is magical, then it isn't.

If you're referring to resistance/immunity to non-magical weapon damage, then look at the stat block of the creatures that get conjured. If their attacks are not considered magical weapons in the stat blocks, they aren't. That they are conjured creatures has no bearing.


summoned creatures do not inherently deal magical weapon damage (they potentially could, but only if the creature does so when not summoned as well).

in the absence of a rule making a change, there is no change.

What they said.

[Safety Sword]

Normal acid: then why does it bypass non-magical resistances?

Hydrogen ions are magic.

[Talyn]

By that argument, the Cloud of Daggers (2nd level conjuration, deals slashing damage) doesn't hurt monsters who are immune to slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

After all, the description of the spell doesn't say that the daggers you are conjuring from thin air are magical...

[Lord Il Palazzo]

By that argument, the Cloud of Daggers (2nd level conjuration, deals slashing damage) doesn't hurt monsters who are immune to slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

After all, the description of the spell doesn't say that the daggers you are conjuring from thin air are magical... Mechanically speaking, Cloud of Daggers is a spell that deals damage and not "slashing damage from (magical/non-magical) weapons" so resistance to weapons of whatever property doesn't apply.

A better parallel/example would be an actual magically conjured weapon: a warlock's pact blade. The rules specify that it counts as magical for overcoming resistance and immunity which at least implies that it wouldn't count as magic without that rule.

[Coidzor]

By that argument, the Cloud of Daggers (2nd level conjuration, deals slashing damage) doesn't hurt monsters who are immune to slashing damage from non-magical weapons.

After all, the description of the spell doesn't say that the daggers you are conjuring from thin air are magical...

OTOH, I believe that was the case in previous editions as well, where some spells created a physically damaging effect that interacted with the mundane damage system rather than bypassing it by virtue of being a spell.

Also, completely separate things, really, summoned monsters which are attacking as an indirect result of a spell and an attack made as a direct result of a spell.

[PoeticDwarf]

So RAW the damage of (for example) conjure animals isn't magical, but how would you rule this?

[NNescio]

So RAW the damage of (for example) conjure animals isn't magical, but how would you rule this?

Nonmagical, Conjure spells are strong enough.