- Casting time
- 1 action (ritual)
- Range
- 30 feet
- Components
- V, S, M (A morsel of food)
- Duration
- 24 hours
- School
- Enchantment
- Level
- 2
By means of this spell, you use an animal to deliver a message. Choose a Tiny beast you can see within range, such as a squirrel, a blue jay, or a bat. You specify a location, which you must have visited, and a recipient who matches a general description, such as "a man or woman dressed in the uniform of the town guard" or "a red-haired dwarf wearing a pointed hat." You also speak a message of up to twenty-five words. The target beast travels for the duration of the spell toward the specified location, covering about 50 miles per 24 hours for a flying messenger, or 25 miles for other animals.
When the messenger arrives, it delivers your message to the creature that you described, replicating the sound of your voice. The messenger speaks only to a creature matching the description you gave. If the messenger doesn't reach its destination before the spell ends, the message is lost, and the beast makes its way back to where you cast this spell.
At higher levels
If you cast this spell using a spell slot of 3nd level or higher, the duration of the spell increases by 48 hours for each slot level above 2nd.
Animal Messenger in the 2024 rules
The 2024 Player’s Handbook revised many spells, and the SRD 5.2 carries the new text. What changed from the 2014 version above:
Same level, casting time, range, components, duration and dice; the text is reworded for the 2024 rules glossary.
- Casting time
- Action or Ritual
- Range
- 30 feet
- Components
- V, S, M (a morsel of food)
- Duration
- 24 hours
- School
- Enchantment
- Level
- 2
- Classes
- Bard, Druid, Ranger
- Tags
- ritual
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 description, 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 destination 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 duration increases by 48 hours for each spell slot level above 2.
2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.
