Are there any low-level creature summoning or conjuring spells?

[thorr-kan]

I'm noticing a real lack of low-level minion summoning/calling/conjuring in 5E. So far, the closest I've gotten are Animal Friendship, Animal Messenger, and Find Familiar. Is there anything like 3E's Summon Monster I, Summon Undead I, or Summon Woodland Creature I?

[JackPhoenix]

Summon Beast, level 2 druid spell from TCoE. Otherwise, stuff starts being available at level 5.

[RogueJK]

Unseen Servant is about the only other Level 1 summoning spell, and its combat applications are limited to basic object interactions like pouring oil or caltrops on the floor.

As noted, the Level 2 spell Summon Beast is the first viable combatant summoning spell, first becoming available to Level 3 Druids or Level 5 Rangers. The other combat summoning spells don't become available until you hit Level 3 spells.

[thorr-kan]

Well that's annoying.

I wasn't looking to summon a solar at first level, just something that would give me a disposable minion for Magical Initiate.

[Mastikator]

Summon familiar is a 1st level wizard spell. It can deliver touch spells and can receive dragon's breath (2nd level wizard spell)

[thorr-kan]

Summon familiar is a 1st level wizard spell. It can deliver touch spells and can receive dragon's breath (2nd level wizard spell)
Find Familiar? Again, not disposable.

[Quietus]

Find Familiar? Again, not disposable.

It can die and be resummoned for a pittance of coin. What are you looking to accomplish with this setup?

[Mastikator]

A fully disposable minion does not exist at level 1.

[NaughtyTiger]

A fully disposable minion should not exist at level 1

[ff7hero]

Y'all are making Unseen Servant sad. It's not a (very good) combat minion, but it is a minion.

[thorr-kan]

What we need is an Eldritch Invocation that lets you cast Unseen Servant or Animal Friendship at will, expending a spell slot or material components. Like Misty Visions does for Silent Image.

[Damon_Tor]

A fully disposable minion should not exist at level 1

I disagree, as long there's an action economy limitation on it. For example, a summoned minion that can take no action without the caster spending an action of his own. I wouldn't have any issue with that as a first level spell.

[NaughtyTiger]

What we need is an Eldritch Invocation that lets you cast Unseen Servant or Animal Friendship at will, expending a spell slot or material components. Like Misty Visions does for Silent Image.

there already is one: Book of Ancient Secrets.


I disagree, as long there's an action economy limitation on it. For example, a summoned minion that can take no action without the caster spending an action of his own. I wouldn't have any issue with that as a first level spell.

You mean beastmaster/warlock companion?

[Kane0]

Well we already have spells for beasts, celestials, fey, undead, fiends, elementals, aberrations, so what if a 1st level summon was a slime? Short duration and concentration coupled with their slow movement speed and low AC will limit their usefulness, but they would still be a useful sack of HP with a nonstandard damage type

[NaughtyTiger]

Well we already have spells for beasts, celestials, fey, undead, fiends, elementals, aberrations, so what if a 1st level summon was a slime? Short duration and concentration coupled with their slow movement speed and low AC will limit their usefulness, but they would still be a useful sack of HP with a nonstandard damage type

yes, another damage dealer/target would be useful.
Is it needed? No
Does it help the game? No
Does it step on the toes of other players? Likely...

[Quietus]

What we need is an Eldritch Invocation that lets you cast Unseen Servant or Animal Friendship at will, expending a spell slot or material components. Like Misty Visions does for Silent Image.

Ritual Caster?

[Kane0]

yes, another damage dealer/target would be useful.
Is it needed? No
Does it help the game? No
Does it step on the toes of other players? Likely...

Personally, for overall game health I agree. But it might be helpful for the OPs table specifically.

[thorr-kan]

there already is one: Book of Ancient Secrets.
Does not allow unlimited casting of a first level spell. Allows *ritual* casting, but Misty Vision is the guide I'm looking for.


Ritual Caster?
Nope, see above.

[Quietus]

Does not allow unlimited casting of a first level spell. Allows *ritual* casting, but Misty Vision is the guide I'm looking for.


Nope, see above.

Nothing at level 1 gives you unlimited casting of spells, outside of ritual casting. I don't think there's any issue with an invocation giving you unlimited casting of unseen servant, with a limit on how many you can have. Either just 1, up to maybe allowing a number equal to your proficiency bonus. But you won't get anything RAW that does what you're asking for, if rituals aren't acceptable.

[NaughtyTiger]

Does not allow unlimited casting of a first level spell. Allows *ritual* casting, but Misty Vision is the guide I'm looking for.


so you changed from 'summoning 1/day with magic initiate' to 'at-will casting of a combat spell'.
normally, that is a 17th level wizard ability, but sure, giving that to a 2nd level PC is reasonable

[MrStabby]

so you changed from 'summoning 1/day with magic initiate' to 'at-will casting of a combat spell'.
normally, that is a 17th level wizard ability, but sure, giving that to a 2nd level PC is reasonable

Well, to be fair there is a precedent for this kind of thing. The wizard gets the fighter's level 19 ability at level 4.

[animorte]

You could skip all that and convince the DM to accept your sidekicks rule. Choose a CR 1/2 monster and give it class levels. I've had some thoroughly enjoyable moments this way.

http://dnd5e.wikidot.com/sidekicks

[Rukelnikov]

I'm still not sure what the OP is trying to accomplish.

Find Familiar can do pretty much everything except for direct attacks (scout, trigger traps, hand potions, etc), I'm not sure why they are not disposable, if its because of the 10 gp... well, that's something I'd consider disposable.

If its a damage dealing minion you are looking for Investment of the Chain Master appears at level 3. Not the gratest, but its something.

[diplomancer]

Unseen Servant is about the only other Level 1 summoning spell, and its combat applications are limited to basic object interactions like pouring oil or caltrops on the floor.

Don't forget giving healing potions to fallen comrades! Many DMs won't allow familiars to do it because of their usual anatomy, but an Unseen Servant doesn't have that issue.

[Inevitability]

Create Bonfire is kinda like a low-level summon, in the sense that you create something which sticks around for the duration of combat (or concentration), it serves as a sort of area denial, and it deals damage independent of your actions.

It can't move like other summons (though I'm wondering if you could cast it on a plant caddy and roll it around?), but if you want something with summoning flavor at early levels it could be refluffed as a small immobile elemental (ask your DM to swap out fire for acid damage, and it would kinda fit the ooze summon Kane0 mentioned).

Cloud of Daggers, Flaming Sphere, and Dust Devil can also be represented as 'summons' in this sense, as they too provide battlefield presence and independent sources of damage.

Again, it'd help to hear what purpose you're going for. Familiars can do basically anything outside of combat, the spells above can be slightly refluffed to work fine in combat, and unseen servants are a solid mix of both.

[Warder]

That the iconic familiar - companion, assistant, confidant, friend - has been reduced to "disposable" in 5e is the greatest tragedy of all. :smalleek:

[animorte]

That the iconic familiar - companion, assistant, confidant, friend - has been reduced to "disposable" in 5e is the greatest tragedy of all. :smalleek:

My Warlock named his first Imp familiar Neville and was somewhat distraught when it died. I feel you

[Fynzmirs]

Does not allow unlimited casting of a first level spell. Allows *ritual* casting, but Misty Vision is the guide I'm looking for.


Nope, see above.


Also note that neither of those options allows you to cast Animal Friendship.

There is a way of gaining Animal Friendship at will at 1st level but it requires being a Yuan-ti Pureblood

[thorr-kan]

Nothing at level 1 gives you unlimited casting of spells, outside of ritual casting. I don't think there's any issue with an invocation giving you unlimited casting of unseen servant, with a limit on how many you can have. Either just 1, up to maybe allowing a number equal to your proficiency bonus. But you won't get anything RAW that does what you're asking for, if rituals aren't acceptable.
VHuman with Eldritch Adept feat for the Misty Vision or Armor of Shadow Eldritch Invocations give you unlimited, at-will, no material component castings of Silent Image or Mage Armor. Unlimited casting of a 1st-level spell as a 1st-level character.

But an actual, summonable creature as a similar power is probably too much.


so you changed from 'summoning 1/day with magic initiate' to 'at-will casting of a combat spell'.
normally, that is a 17th level wizard ability, but sure, giving that to a 2nd level PC is reasonable
No, you're right. I was moving the goalposts there.

Just because some 1st-level spells can be acquired at will doesn't mean all of them should be acquirable. Summon Me An Ultra Minor Minion is probably one that shouldn't, in spite of the Yuan-Ti Animal Friendship example. Unseen Servant has some possibilities, though.


That the iconic familiar - companion, assistant, confidant, friend - has been reduced to "disposable" in 5e is the greatest tragedy of all. :smalleek:
I hear you. I play mainly 2E; the missing consequences in 5E are a Thing, but not the Thing I'll discuss here. Note that I due play and enjoy 5E. And that's why, just not a familiar. Supposedly, you give a d*mn about a familiar; a random summon? Not so much.

[sandmote]

Lost Laboratory of Kwalish does include a Flock of Familiars spell, which creates 2-3 additional familiars that you don't really care about; it's a 2nd level spell though.

5e has the philosophy that there shouldn't be many spell with overlapping mechanics. So there's one level 1 summon you are expected to care about (the familiar) and one level 1 summon for when you want something disposable (the Unseen Servant).

Aside from that, I think combat summons at 1st level could quickly become a balance issue, due to 5e's attempts at bounded accuracy. Whatever you summon at 1st level in 5e is still able to reasonably hit things at the point when 3.5e enemies would all have AC 19 points higher than its attack bonus.

Although if you do want a 5e 1st level summon spell, I'd maybe do something with swarms. Concentration for 1 minute and unless you spend an action to dissipate the swarm before the spell ends, it remains hostile for a few rounds before dissipating? So you can get the tools to be a summoner at 1st level, but its risky enough that everyone doesn't take it as a backup option.

[Sigreid]

I don't really see an issue with a level 1 spell that summons a cr1/4 critter to serve you for a few minutes. Net effect at low levels would be way under the value of Sleep for example.

[LordShade]

I'm noticing a real lack of low-level minion summoning/calling/conjuring in 5E. So far, the closest I've gotten are Animal Friendship, Animal Messenger, and Find Familiar. Is there anything like 3E's Summon Monster I, Summon Undead I, or Summon Woodland Creature I?

I gave the PC necromancer in my campaign a spell called "Bone Dance," from 2e. It's basically a level 1 animate dead that creates one skeleton or zombie. Whatever balance problems it might have caused were outweighed by the fun factor it offered at the table.

[sambojin]

Find Familiar owl + Shocking Grasp + some caltrops/BBs/Oil is great as a summon. It does take up another of your MI picks, and it does use your action and the familiar's reaction to hit with, but precisely what were you expecting for a lvl1 summon from a feat? It's got 60' flyby movement, can still do a help action on the turn it shocking grasps, and does a little bit of battlefield control with the items it drops as well. Even better if you've got something viable to do with your own bonus action.

That's pretty good IMO. Chuck Minor Illusion or Mage Hand or even Light on there from MI, and it's a veritable toolkit at your disposal from that one feat. Or just take Firebolt for setting off the oil drops.

(Or, you know. Just be a lvl2-3 druid. They get tonnes of early game summon options. Or just buy a mastiff or warhorse or something. Not a summon, but still pretty good)

[JackPhoenix]

Find Familiar owl + Shocking Grasp + some caltrops/BBs/Oil is great as a summon. It does take up another of your MI picks, and it does use your action and the familiar's reaction to hit with, but precisely what were you expecting for a lvl1 summon from a feat? It's got 60' flyby movement, can still do a help action on the turn it shocking grasps, and does a little bit of battlefield control with the items it drops as well. Even better if you've got something viable to do with your own bonus action.

That's pretty good IMO. Chuck Minor Illusion or Mage Hand or even Light on there from MI, and it's a veritable toolkit at your disposal from that one feat. Or just take Firebolt for setting off the oil drops.

(Or, you know. Just be a lvl2-3 druid. They get tonnes of early game summon options. Or just buy a mastiff or warhorse or something. Not a summon, but still pretty good)

If you're delivering a touch spell, flyby is useless. It has to be next to the target for it.

[Ogun]

Could we borrow from 5 nights at Freddy's and "dress" the unseen servant in a skin suit?
I've often thought an unseen servant spell might be used to manipulate a marionette or mannequin, but making unseen servant spell that requires a body of some kind might be good, if you gave it more autonomy as a trade off.

[sandmote]

If you're delivering a touch spell, flyby is useless. It has to be next to the target for it. I'm not following along with this, but it seems kind of important if true. Last I checked, delivering the touch spell doesn't use up movement. The owl can therefore use its reaction to deliver the touch spell, then use its remaining movement to leave the enemy's reach without disengaging. So why's it useless that owl can get out of reach without risking an opportunity attack?

[ff7hero]

I'm not following along with this, but it seems kind of important if true. Last I checked, delivering the touch spell doesn't use up movement. The owl can therefore use its reaction to deliver the touch spell, then use its remaining movement to leave the enemy's reach without disengaging. So why's it useless that owl can get out of reach without risking an opportunity attack?

The owl can't use its movement on your turn (when you can cast a touch spell for it to deliver). There's many common (and often unintentional) House Rules that get around this, but RAW the Familiar has its own turn separate from its master.

[JackPhoenix]

I'm not following along with this, but it seems kind of important if true. Last I checked, delivering the touch spell doesn't use up movement. The owl can therefore use its reaction to deliver the touch spell, then use its remaining movement to leave the enemy's reach without disengaging. So why's it useless that owl can get out of reach without risking an opportunity attack?

As already noted by ff7hero, familiar has its own initiative and its own separate turn. To be able to deliver a touch spell, it has to be within touch range of the target, which means on its turn it has to move in melee reach and wait there for the caster's turn. On the caster's turn, it uses its reaction to deliver the touch spell, but it can't move until its own turn (readying an action to move also takes its reaction, so it can't both deliver the spell and use readied action to move away). And it has to deliver the spell when the caster cast it, so you can't get around it by readying the spellcasting action, as in such case, the spell is still cast on the caster's turn, the release is not the same thing as casting.

[Unoriginal]

I'm noticing a real lack of low-level minion summoning/calling/conjuring in 5E. So far, the closest I've gotten are Animal Friendship, Animal Messenger, and Find Familiar. Is there anything like 3E's Summon Monster I, Summon Undead I, or Summon Woodland Creature I?

Fathomless Warlock gives you access to the Tentacle of the Deep at level 1.

[sandmote]

As already noted by ff7hero, familiar has its own initiative and its own separate turn. Thanks to both of you for the clarification on this. I suppose that's also why they didn't consider the owl unbalanced to list as a familiar.

[NaughtyTiger]

If you're delivering a touch spell, flyby is useless. It has to be next to the target for it.

Wiz: Ready action to cast shocking grasp when my familiar is in range of an enemy
-cast shocking grasp and hold

Hootie: Hoot, I fly within touch range of OrcBlood and do Help action, Hoot

Wiz: I use my reaction to release Shocking Grasp with advantage

Hootie: I use my reaction to, Screech, deliver it, and fly away.

OrcBlood: ouch.

[JNAProductions]

Wiz: Ready action to cast shocking grasp when my familiar is in range of an enemy
-cast shocking grasp and hold

Hootie: Hoot, I fly within touch range of OrcBlood, Hoot

Wiz: I use my reaction to release Shocking Grasp

Hootie: I use my reaction to, Screech, deliver it, and fly away.

OrcBlood: ouch.

That does take Concentration. It's not a bad combo at low levels, but at higher levels, you almost certainly have better things to Concentrate on.

[ff7hero]

And it has to deliver the spell when the caster cast it, so you can't get around it by readying the spellcasting action, as in such case, the spell is still cast on the caster's turn, the release is not the same thing as casting.

Because this.

[JackPhoenix]

Wiz: Ready action to cast shocking grasp when my familiar is in range of an enemy
-cast shocking grasp and hold

Hootie: Hoot, I fly within touch range of OrcBlood and do Help action, Hoot

Wiz: I use my reaction to release Shocking Grasp with advantage

Hootie: I use my reaction to, Screech, deliver it, and fly away.

OrcBlood: ouch.

Wiz: Ready action to cast Shocking Grasp when my familiar is in range of an enemy
-Cast Shocking Grasp and hold, using up his concentration and waiting for something
Hootie: Hoot, I fly within touch range of OrcBlood
Wiz: I use my reaction to release Shocking Grasp because I specified the trigger as when the familiar got in range, not after it used Help action
Hootie: I do Help action, Hoot. I can't use my reaction to, Screech, deliver it because I can only do that when the spell was cast, which happened on the wizard's turn, so my only option is to fly away.
OrcBlood: Haha, fools.

[NaughtyTiger]

And it has to deliver the spell when the caster cast it, so you can't get around it by readying the spellcasting action, as in such case, the spell is still cast on the caster's turn, the release is not the same thing as casting.

source?


Finally, when you Cast a Spell with a range of touch, your familiar can deliver the spell as if it had cast the spell.
Unless, deliver has a specific meaning I don't know, the caster delivers a spell when the trigger is met if cast as a readied action.

As a stretch, the familiar can deliver the spell as if it had been cast could mean the caster casts per normal, familar could hold the spell until the trigger is met... meaning the familiar is concentrating.. but that is surely not intended.

[JackPhoenix]

source?

Unsurprisingly, PHB: Find Familiar: "Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch..."
Ready action: "When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs."

It's the same reason why you can use Ready to get around Counterspell: Cast your spell out of range/in cover/out of sight of the counterspeller, get in position, release. There's nothing to counter during the last part, the spell has already been cast.

[NaughtyTiger]

Unsurprisingly, PHB: Find Familiar: "Finally, when you cast a spell with a range of touch..."
Ready action: "When you ready a spell, you cast it as normal but hold its energy, which you release with your reaction when the trigger occurs."

when you "Ready a spell", "you cast it as normal", so "when you cast" requirement is met.

you are making the claim that "deliver" means "cast and release in the same action".
I don't see that in text.


It's the same reason why you can use Ready to get around Counterspell: Cast your spell out of range/in cover/out of sight of the counterspeller, get in position, release. There's nothing to counter during the last part, the spell has already been cast.

If you see a sorc casting fireball, but hasn't released it, why cant you counterspell it?

[JackPhoenix]

when you "Ready a spell", "you cast it as normal", so "when you cast" requirement is met.

Yes. The requirement is met THEN. The requirement is NOT met later, on the familiar's turn.
Reaction can only happen when the specific trigger for that reaction is met ("A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind"). The trigger for the spell delivery reaction mentioned in Find Familiar's description is "When you cast a spell with a range of touch". It's not "When the familiar is in the range of the enemy on its next turn after the turn you've cast a spell with a range of touch."


If you see a sorc casting fireball, but hasn't released it, why cant you counterspell it?

If you can see the sorcerer cast Fireball, and the sorcerer is within 60', and you have Counterspell and an available reaction, you can. If he's not within 60', or not visible when he casts the spell, you don't get to use Counterspell, because the trigger for the reaction hasn't been met. Just like you can't Counterspell a Mage Armor 2 hours after it was cast, you can't Counterspell a Fireball that was cast behind full cover before the caster walked out to release it.

[NaughtyTiger]

Yes. The requirement is met THEN. The requirement is NOT met later, on the familiar's turn.
Reaction can only happen when the specific trigger for that reaction is met ("A reaction is an instant response to a trigger of some kind"). The trigger for the spell delivery reaction mentioned in Find Familiar's description is "When you cast a spell with a range of touch". It's not "When the familiar is in the range of the enemy on its next turn after the turn you've cast a spell with a range of touch."

ah, your argument hinges on the part you AREN'T quoting. Feels wierd that I have to provide evidence for your own argument.


and it must use its reaction to deliver the spell when you cast it.

This is pretty strong evidence to your point. I will concede.



If you can see the sorcerer cast Fireball, and the sorcerer is within 60', and you have Counterspell and an available reaction, you can. If he's not within 60', or not visible when he casts the spell, you don't get to use Counterspell, because the trigger for the reaction hasn't been met. Just like you can't Counterspell a Mage Armor 2 hours after it was cast, you can't Counterspell a Fireball that was cast behind full cover before the caster walked out to release it.

right, it is about the casting, not the delivery.
so absolutely nothing like delivering a spell through your familiar.

and mage armor is a total non-sequitor for counterspell and find familiar.

[JackPhoenix]

ah, your argument hinges on the part you AREN'T quoting. Feels wierd that I have to provide evidence for your own argument.

This is pretty strong evidence to your point. I will concede.

Yeah, seems like in my attempt to shorten the quoted part, I've removed the relevant part. My bad.

[thorr-kan]

I gave the PC necromancer in my campaign a spell called "Bone Dance," from 2e. It's basically a level 1 animate dead that creates one skeleton or zombie. Whatever balance problems it might have caused were outweighed by the fun factor it offered at the table.
Complete Book of Necromancers FTW.


Lost Laboratory of Kwalish does include a Flock of Familiars spell, which creates 2-3 additional familiars that you don't really care about; it's a 2nd level spell though.
Yeah, I've pointed that spell out before. One could have a lot of fun with that spell.


Although if you do want a 5e 1st level summon spell, I'd maybe do something with swarms. Concentration for 1 minute and unless you spend an action to dissipate the swarm before the spell ends, it remains hostile for a few rounds before dissipating? So you can get the tools to be a summoner at 1st level, but its risky enough that everyone doesn't take it as a backup option.
Interesting idea. Summon Swarm was a 2nd-level 2E spell, but an appropriate swarm in 5E might be of low enough CR to merit a 1st-level spell.

[sandmote]

Interesting idea. Summon Swarm was a 2nd-level 2E spell, but an appropriate swarm in 5E might be of low enough CR to merit a 1st-level spell. Summon Beast gives an approximately CR 1 summon for 1 hour, when using a 2nd level spell slot. If you limit your 1st level spell to a much shorter time and a CR 1/4 creature, you're probably fine. I think a swarm would be a good idea given that the swarm trait says it "can’t regain hit points or gain temporary hit points," which helps keep it from becoming something you take care of while its summoned.

How's the following description sound? On a second glance it might we weak enough to allow a Swarm on Insects as well, depending on the duration you give it.


Summon Swarm
1st level enchantment
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 90 feet.
Components: V, S, M (a flute worth at least 2 gp)
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute.
You reach out, calling forth a multitude of nearby beasts, which begin to gather in an empty space within range. At the start of your next turn, a Swarm of Bats, Swarm of Rats, or Swarm of Ravens (your choice) appears in the space you chose. The swarm obeys any verbal commands that you issue to it (no action required by you). If you don't issue any commands to it, the swarm defends itself from hostile creatures, but otherwise takes no actions. As an action, you can command the swarm to dissipate, upon which the beasts leave and the spell ends. If the spell ends without you ordering the swarm to dissipate, the swarm become hostile to all creatures in the area, and the swarm spends its turns pursuing and attacking the nearest other creatures to the best of its ability. While hostile to all creatures, the swarm must make a Wisdom saving throw at the end of each of its turn, dissipating on a failed saving throw.

Edit: Text clarifying its a spell added, and the first drawback has been struck out. Conjuration could work just as well, but I listed enchantment because I was thinking the theme is that you're bringing in creatures from the area.

[JNAProductions]

Needs a DC-presumably your Spell DC, but it should be called out as such.

I'd only include one downside-that is, either the summon appears on your turn, but can turn hostile; or the summon appears on your next turn, but just disperses on spell end.

[JackPhoenix]

I don't think a level 1 spell summoning dozens or hundreds of creatures is appropriate, when it takes level 3 spell with similar functionality to summon 8 of the same. Besides, enchantment implies the animals are already within movement range, which is... weird. How are you calling nearby ravens when you're on, say, elemental plane of fire, or in the Underdark? And what happens to all those creatures once the swarm dissipates? They may not be a swarm anymore, but there's still ton of critters.

[thorr-kan]

We all missed the Infestation cantrip from Xanathar's Guide. Poison mites for one round forcing random movement.

[animorte]

We all missed the Infestation cantrip from Xanathar's Guide. Poison mites for one round forcing random movement.

I think most of us view summoning as intention for the creature(s) lasting longer than an one round (and then being immediately re-summoned for the same duration at will). But yes, that is technically correct. Nice

[thorr-kan]

With what I've learned in this thread, I think WotC has covered summoning from the ground up. Low level gives us Infestation, Animal Friendship, Unseen Servant, and Call Beast. That covers things up until 3rd level spells when things get interesting.

I can wish for more interesting options at lower levels, as in previous versions. But WotC is at least consistent in their summoning design across the levels.