Phantom Steed, Ritual Casting, and Casting while riding

[Chrizzt]

Hello Folks!

Phantom steeds allows you to conjure a horse for 1h, not requiring concentration. I have a few points I'm unsure about this however.

1. Can you ritually conjure more than one steed? Or does the old one vanish when a new one is conjured?

2. Can you ritually cast it while sitting and travelling on a previously conjured one? So that in fact you can continually use it for long travels without stopping for 11 min for casting it?

3. If answer to question 1 is that you can have multiple ones and answer to question 2 is yes, does that mean you can continually provide steeds for up to 5 people without break by casting phantom steed as a ritual all the time? (5 x 11 minutes for each cycle)

Thank you!

[Contrast]

1. Can you ritually conjure more than one steed? Or does the old one vanish when a new one is conjured?

Summon as many as you like.


2. Can you ritually cast it while sitting and travelling on a previously conjured one? So that in fact you can continually use it for long travels without stopping for 11 min for casting it?

Unclear in the rules. Ask your DM. Ritual casting does require concentration.

[BloodSnake'sCha]

In my table you can cast it as you raid but you can navigate or do see stuff as all you do is casting.

Make someone guide your horse if you don't want to raid into a tree.


RAW there is nothing that stop you from casting as you move.

[LudicSavant]

Hello Folks!

Phantom steeds allows you to conjure a horse for 1h, not requiring concentration. I have a few points I'm unsure about this however.

1. Can you ritually conjure more than one steed? Or does the old one vanish when a new one is conjured?

2. Can you ritually cast it while sitting and travelling on a previously conjured one? So that in fact you can continually use it for long travels without stopping for 11 min for casting it?

3. If answer to question 1 is that you can have multiple ones and answer to question 2 is yes, does that mean you can continually provide steeds for up to 5 people without break by casting phantom steed as a ritual all the time? (5 x 11 minutes for each cycle)

Thank you!

1) Yes. There is no limit to the number of active steeds save the duration.

2) Yes. Rituals do not require you to stand still, they only require you to extend the casting time by ten minutes (per pg201, "Rituals"). While casting a spell in this way, you must Concentrate and use your Action each round for the duration of the casting, but you can otherwise move freely (per pg202, "Longer Casting Times").

3) Yes. You can keep your entire party on Phantom Steeds.

[Chronos]

Doesn't riding a horse require rolls to maintain concentration, though? It'd be almost impossible to go 360 rounds without a failure. Or am I just remembering that from 3e?

[LudicSavant]

Doesn't riding a horse require rolls to maintain concentration, though?

Normal activity, such as moving and attacking, doesn’t interfere with concentration.

You could have your Concentration interrupted if you are damaged, incapacitated, killed, or cast a different Concentration spell.

[Contrast]

Normal activity, such as moving and attacking, doesn’t interfere with concentration.

You could have your Concentration interrupted if you are damaged, incapacitated, killed, or cast a different Concentration spell.


The DM might also decide that certain environmental phenomena, such as a wave crashing over you while you're on a storm-tossed ship, require you to succeed on a DC 10 Constitution saving throw to maintain concentration on a spell.

Other effects can prove disruptive to concentration. It's up to a DM to decide what exactly (though if you're having this discussion with your DM it is a reasonable point that the rigours of combat are presumably more stressful/distracting than riding a horse generally).

Personally I'd prolly throw out a test for every 'x' minutes depending on how hard you were riding but I know other DMs who would disallow ritual casting completely or require it to be on a cart or the like.

The rules don't offer clear guidance so you'd need to talk to your DM.

[Chronos]

OK, riding a horse along normal roads is certainly less disruptive than getting smacked by a rogue wave on a storm-tossed ship. A bucking horse, maybe, but a phantom steed isn't going to try to throw the caster off.

[Chrizzt]

Thanks for the replies, everyone. Strictly RAW there does not seem to be a problem if you refer to the usual meaning of what counts as threatening concentration. From a wider perspective, for some it might seem unplausible, however, to do it without some checks or someone guiding your horse.

[Quoz]

One additional question, regarding steeds in combat. The spell specifically states that once the spell ends (by damage, dismissal, or duration) the steed gradually fades and gives a minute to dismount. Does this mean it is still active and can function normally during that time? The value of this spell goes up quite a bit for me if you get 10 guaranteed rounds of mounted combat.

[Chronos]

I'd rule that the fade-time is just enough to keep you from being dumped off of your <equine> onto your <other word for equine>, but that it's not functional for that minute. If it's flying, then it'll move straight down at a manageable speed, but no other movement.

[Chrizzt]

RAW it does not say that it stops functioning after being hit. Hm..