Speak with Animals 5e spell

1st-level divination (ritual) · 2024 version below

Casting time: 1 action (ritual)
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 10 minutes
School: Divination
Level: 1

You gain the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts for the duration. The knowledge and awareness of many beasts is limited by their intelligence, but at minimum, beasts can give you information about nearby locations and monsters, including whatever they can perceive or have perceived within the past day. You might be able to persuade a beast to perform a small favor for you, at the GM's discretion.

Classes that can cast Speak with Animals

Class	First available	Spellcasting ability
Bard spells	1st character level	Charisma
Druid spells	1st character level	Wisdom
Ranger spells	2nd character level	Wisdom

Speak with Animals 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:

Added to the Warlock spell list.

Casting time: Action or Ritual
Range: Self
Components: V, S
Duration: 10 minutes
School: Divination
Level: 1
Classes: Bard, Druid, Ranger, Warlock
Tags: ritual

For the duration, you can comprehend and verbally communicate with Beasts, and you can use any of the Influence action's skill options with them.

Most Beasts have little to say about topics that don't pertain to survival or companionship, but at minimum, a Beast can give you information about nearby locations and monsters, including whatever it has perceived within the past day.

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

Other 1st-level divination spells

Browse: all 1st-level spells · divination spells · ritual spells