Summon Fey: Say Hello to My Little Friend

Usable By: Druid, Ranger, Warlock, Wizard

Spell Level: 3

School: Conjuration

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: 90 feet

Duration: Concentration, up to 1 hour

Components: V, S, M (a gilded flower worth at least 300 gp)

You call forth a fey spirit. It manifests in an unoccupied space that you can see within range. This corporeal form uses the Fey Spirit stat block. When you cast the spell, choose a mood. Fuming, Mirthful, or Tricksy. The creature resembles a fey creature of your choice marked by the chosen mood, which determines one of the traits in its stat block. The creature disappears when it drops to 0 hit points or when the spell ends.

The creature is an ally to you and your companions. In combat, the creature shares your initiative count, but it takes its turn immediately after yours. It obeys your verbal commands (no action required by you). If you don’t issue any, it takes the Dodge action and uses its move to avoid danger.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, use the higher level wherever the spell’s level appears in the stat block.

Fey Spirit

Small fey

Armor Class: 12 + the level of the spell (natural armor)

Hit Points: 30 + 10 for each spell level above 3rdSpeed: 40 ft.

STR: 13 (+1) DEX: 16 (+3) CON: 14 (+2) INT: 14 (+2) WIS: 11 (+0) CHA: 16 (+3)

Condition Immunities: charmed

Senses: darkvision 60 ft., passive Perception 10

Languages: Sylvan, understands the languages you speak

Challenge: —

Proficiency Bonus: equals your bonus

Actions

Multiattack. The Fey makes a number of attacks equal to half this spell’s level (rounded down).

Shortsword. Melee Weapon Attack: your spell attack modifier to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 1d6 + 3 + the spell’s level piercing damage + 1d6 force damage.

Bonus Actions

Fey Step. The fey magically teleports up to 30 feet to an unoccupied space it can see. Then one of the following effects occurs, based on the fey’s chosen mood.

Fuming. The fey has advantage on the next attack roll it makes before the end of this turn.

Mirthful. The fey can force one creature it can see within 10 feet of it to make a Wisdom saving throw against your spell save DC. Unless the save succeeds, the target is charmed by you and the fey for 1 minute or until the target takes any damage.

Tricksy. The fey can fill a 5-foot cube within 5 feet of it with magical darkness, which lasts until the end of its next turn.

Review by Sam West, Twitter:@CrierKobold

Tasha’s Cauldron of Everything introduced a new way to handle summoning magic that looks like it’ll be the new way D&D handles summoned monsters. This is one of, if not THE best quality of life update it opened up. Each varies in spell level from 2nd to 6th level, but all of them share a common mechanic that makes them feel streamlined and easy to use while maintaining a bit of the flexibility the original conjure spells like Conjure Minor Elementals had. Because you’re getting just one, and it requires your concentration, immediately a lot of the problems bulk low CR summoning magic created vanishes. Instead, each offers you a unique set of tools you can somewhat tailor by situation that reflects the strength of the summoned creature type. If you love casting and using your spirit friend, the up-casting benefits scale pretty well, and can be major threats even in the upper tiers. If you’re just curious as to if they’re powerful or useful, the answer, regardless of summon, is absolutely. Some more than others based on their spell level, but you will consistently find they open up new ways to navigate encounters in a big way.

Summon Fey specifically gives you three options as a 3rd level spell: Fuming, Tricksy, and Mirthful. All three come with a short-sword attack dealing 1d6+6 piercing + 1d6 force, which is fairly potent especially when multiattack is added with the up-cast. Each also comes with the fey step bonus action which is empowered depending on which version you selected. Fey step on its own is functionally Misty Step with unlimited uses. This results in them feeling really fast as they move and blink about the battlefield, especially when you consider their base speed is 40 ft. If you need them to be somewhere, chances are they can get there through a move, dash, and 30 ft. teleport.

Each specific teleport opens up clear directions for the three options. Fuming fey get advantage on their next attack roll after teleporting, positioning them as the default combat option to engage with.

Mirthful fey are exceptional, as they force a nearby creature to make a Wisdom save or become charmed by you and the fey for 1 minute, or until it takes any damage. No subsequent saves, notably. If a creature fails the save, it’s charmed for the duration or until something hits it. Even out of combat, having an at will charm effect is just good.

Tricksy have a neat little darkness ability, which is useful for blinding a single enemy within a space. If that creature doesn’t have darkvision, creatures with darkvision (notably including the fey) get advantage on their attacks against it, no save required. This also plays well with other effects that care about darkness: gloom stalker rangers, as an example, can use this darkness to get temporary invisibility from darkvision based creatures, making them blind to you. There is a lot of neat potential with Tricksy.

Summon Fey isn’t close to as broken as Conjure Woodland Beings, but it is a baller spell. Fuming fey are pretty standard and not all that exciting, but mirthful and tricksy give you a nifty selection of toys to play with that can fit beautifully into all kinds of different builds. I’m a big fan of Summon Fey. Give it a try on your next summoner.

5e Spells

Summon Fey: Say Hello to My Little Friend

Fey Spirit

Actions

Bonus Actions