D&D: Five Conjuration Spells That Will Let You Summon Victory
In D&D, Conjuration spells are a potent tool in any spellcaster’s arsenal. Especially with the new rules fully operational. Take a look.
In D&D, the right spell at the right time is basically an “I win” button. And in the new edition, Conjuration spells are very often a correct choice, if not the correct choice. From summoning otherworldly allies, to conjuring up beacons of celestial power, or calling down bolts of lightning from a stormless sky, Conjuration spells are a surprisingly diverse bag of tricks.
One of the new changes to spellcasting rules that makes some Conjuration spells especially potent is the way emanations and ongoing area of effect spells damage creatures. Now they often strike whenever creatures enter or leave the space. And a few even give potent damage boosts that have already warranted correction from WotC (but don’t worry, they’re still pretty good).
So if you want some potent spells, here’s why you ought to study your Conjuration text books.
Conjure Minor Elementals
We may as well start with the spell that was so potent it was nerfed int he first batch of errata for D&D 5.5E. Because even though it’s not as powerful it once was, Conjure Minor Elementals is still an excellent spell. It’s on both the Druid and Wizard spell lists (and is available to Eldritch Knights and Arcane Tricksters). What makes it deadly is that it conjurs a 15-foot zone of elemental spirits around you—and while they’re summoned, any attack you make deals an extra 2d8 damage when you hit a creature in that zone.
Combo that with a spell like Scorching Ray, which does multiple attacks with a single spell (in the form of three 2d6 rays of fire starting at 2nd level) and you’re dishing out something like 6d6 + 6d8 per casting of the spell.
At higher levels, Conjure Minor Elementals does an extra 1d8 per level higher than 4th (down from an extra 2d8). So it’s still good. A 9th-level CME will still do an extra 7d8 per hit (instead of 12d8 per hit). Which is still pretty potent. Not “wipe any monster off the board in a single volley” but a 2nd level scorching ray still gets you 21d8 + 6d6 and you can pump it up even higher from there. This spell is also good on Bards and Eldritch Knights and people that make multiple attacks.
Giant Insect
One of the best things Conjuration Spells can do is give you friends. In D&D, whoever has the most actions on their side has an advantage. And a spell like Giant Insect gives you an extra “ally” on your side in the form of a giant centipede, spider, or wasp.
And one of the things you have to know about the giant spider is that it fires bolts of webbing at your enemies and when it hits them, it not only deals 1d10 + 3 damage, it automatically reduces their speed to 0 on hit. So you can stop enemies in their tracks with this little (giant) bug.
Misty Step
A spell so nice, almost everyone can find a way to add it to their lists, or cast it once per day without a spell slot. It’s part of species features, class features, even feats. There’s a plethora of ways to get access to this 2nd-level Conjuration spell.
It’s pretty simple, but always handy. As a Bonus Action, you can teleport up to 30 feet to a space you can see. Clean, straightforward, but it adds tactical value to almost any encounter. Use it to escape a hard spot. Or to get into melee with a hard-to-reach adversary.
Evard’s Black Tentacles
This is one of the all-time great Conjuration spells. It is absolutely a “win this encounter” button when used in the right place. It is a potent spell that can absolutely shut down folks in their tracks. Because it conjures a massive area—a 20-foot square—that is full of tentacles that are difficult terrain and that also can Restrain creatures, dealing bludgeoning damage to them in the process.
Even if you take an Action to try and escape (no guarantee, because you have to make an Athletics check vs. the DC of the spell), you still have to fight your way through difficult terrain to escape; meaning you’re very likely to be held in place and crushed to death by tentacles every round, while the rest of the caster’s allies riddle you with arrows, eldritch blasts, and other ranged attacks from safety.
Conjure Animals
Finally, Conjure Animals, which is enjoying a nice new upgrade in 5.5E. This spell offers a lot to Rangers and Druids—or anyone else who can get it on their list. It’s a Conjuration spell that conjures up a pack of spectral animals in a Large area on the board. In a ten foot emanation around this Large spectral pack, your enemies suffer. They take 3d10 slashing damage on a failed save. And this happens whenever the pack moves within 10 feet (it can move on your turn) or whenever enemies move within 10 feet of the pack or end their turns there. So, you can shut down a pretty sizable area with a single spell.
Plus you get Advantage on Strength saving throws within 5 feet of the pack. And they’re cool spectral animals that you get to decide what animal form they take. Sure, there are plenty of wolves and snakes and such out there, but you could also have spectral capybara or badgers or newts. Or sharks.
Conjure victory at every turn!
