System Reference Document 5.2.1
108
or one of your allies deals damage to the target, the 
spells ends.
 Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You can target 
one additional Beast for each spell slot level above 1.
Animal Messenger
Level 2 Enchantment (Bard, Druid, Ranger)
Casting Time: Action or Ritual
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S, M (a morsel of food)
Duration: 24 hours
A Tiny Beast of your choice that you can see within 
range must succeed on a Charisma saving throw, 
or it attempts to deliver a message for you (if the 
target’s Challenge Rating isn’t 0, it automatically 
succeeds). You specify a location you have visited 
and a recipient who matches a general descrip -
tion, such as “a person dressed in the uniform of 
the town guard” or “a red-haired dwarf wearing a 
pointed hat.” You also communicate a message of 
up to twenty-five words. The Beast travels for the 
duration toward the specified location, covering 
about 25 miles per 24 hours or 50 miles if the Beast 
can fly.
 When the Beast arrives, it delivers your message 
to the creature that you described, mimicking your 
communication. If the Beast doesn’t reach its desti -
nation before the spell ends, the message is lost, and 
the Beast returns to where you cast the spell.
 Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. The spell’s dura-
tion increases by 48 hours for each spell slot level 
above 2.
Animal Shapes
Level 8 Transmutation (Druid)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: 24 hours
Choose any number of willing creatures that you 
can see within range. Each target shape-shifts into 
a Large or smaller Beast of your choice that has a 
Challenge Rating of 4 or lower. You can choose a dif -
ferent form for each target. On later turns, you can 
take a Magic action to transform the targets again.
 A target’s game statistics are replaced by the 
chosen Beast’s statistics, but the target retains its 
creature type; Hit Points; Hit Point Dice; alignment; 
ability to communicate; and Intelligence, Wisdom, 
and Charisma scores. The target’s actions are lim -
ited by the Beast form’s anatomy, and it can’t cast 
spells. The target’s equipment melds into the new 
form, and the target can’t use any of that equipment 
while in that form.
 The target gains a number of Temporary Hit 
Points equal to the Hit Points of the first form into 
which it shape-shifts. These Temporary Hit Points 
vanish if any remain when the spell ends. The trans -
formation lasts for the duration or until the target 
ends it as a Bonus Action.
Animate Dead
Level 3 Necromancy (Cleric, Wizard)
Casting Time: 1 minute
Range: 10 feet
Components: V, S, M (a drop of blood, a piece of flesh, 
and a pinch of bone dust)
Duration: Instantaneous
Choose a pile of bones or a corpse of a Medium or 
Small Humanoid within range. The target becomes 
an Undead creature: a Skeleton  if you chose bones 
or a Zombie if you chose a corpse (see “Monsters” 
for the stat blocks).
 On each of your turns, you can take a Bonus Ac -
tion to mentally command any creature you made 
with this spell if the creature is within 60 feet of 
you (if you control multiple creatures, you can 
command any of them at the same time, issuing the 
same command to each one). You decide what action 
the creature will take and where it will move on 
its next turn, or you can issue a general command, 
such as to guard a chamber or corridor. If you issue 
no commands, the creature takes the Dodge action 
and moves only to avoid harm. Once given an order, 
the creature continues to follow it until its task is 
complete.
 The creature is under your control for 24 hours, 
after which it stops obeying any command you’ve 
given it. To maintain control of the creature for an -
other 24 hours, you must cast this spell on the crea-
ture again before the current 24-hour period ends. 
This use of the spell reasserts your control over up 
to four creatures you have animated with this spell 
rather than animating a new creature.
 Using a Higher-Level Spell Slot. You animate or 
reassert control over two additional Undead crea-
tures for each spell slot level above 3. Each of the 
creatures must come from a different corpse or pile 
of bones.
Animate Objects
Level 5 Transmutation (Bard, Sorcerer, Wizard)
Casting Time: Action
Range: 120 feet
Components: V, S
Duration: Concentration, up to 1 minute
Objects animate at your command. Choose a num -
ber of nonmagical objects within range that aren’t 
being worn or carried, aren’t fixed to a surface, and 
aren’t Gargantuan. The maximum number of objects 
is equal to your spellcasting ability modifier; for 
this number, a Medium or smaller target counts as 