Animal Shapes spell icon: a bear’s head
Icon by Delapouite, CC BY 3.0

Animal Shapes 5e spell

8th-level transmutation (concentration) · 2024 version below

Casting time
1 action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S
Duration
Concentration, Up to 24 hours
School
Transmutation
Level
8

Your magic turns others into beasts. Choose any number of willing creatures that you can see within range. You transform each target into the form of a Large or smaller beast with a challenge rating of 4 or lower. On subsequent turns, you can use your action to transform affected creatures into new forms.

The transformation lasts for the duration for each target, or until the target drops to 0 hit points or dies. You can choose a different form for each target. A target's game statistics are replaced by the statistics of the chosen beast, though the target retains its alignment and Intelligence, Wisdom, and Charisma scores. The target assumes the hit points of its new form, and when it reverts to its normal form, it returns to the number of hit points it had before it transformed. If it reverts as a result of dropping to 0 hit points, any excess damage carries over to its normal form. As long as the excess damage doesn't reduce the creature's normal form to 0 hit points, it isn't knocked unconscious. The creature is limited in the actions it can perform by the nature of its new form, and it can't speak or cast spells.

The target's gear melds into the new form. The target can't activate, wield, or otherwise benefit from any of its equipment.

Classes that can cast Animal Shapes

ClassFirst availableSpellcasting ability
Druid spells15th character levelWisdom

Animal Shapes 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:

Casting time
Action
Range
30 feet
Components
V, S
Duration
24 hours
School
Transmutation
Level
8
Classes
Druid

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 different 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 limited 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 transformation lasts for the duration or until the target ends it as a Bonus Action.

2024 version from the SRD 5.2. Most tables settle on one edition, so check which one yours uses.

Other 8th-level transmutation spells

Browse: all 8th-level spells · transmutation spells · concentration spells