Everything You Need to Know About Animal Messenger in D&D 5e

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Animal Messenger spell mechanics, pros, cons, and alternatives
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Choosing spells for a druid or ranger character in Dungeons & Dragons? Animal Messenger is a 2nd-level spell that lets you communicate with other creatures magically by giving an animal a brief message to deliver. It’s also a ritual spell, meaning you can cast it without using a spell slot. Read on for a complete overview of Animal Messenger, its mechanics, and the pros and cons of this whimsical spell!

Things You Should Know

  • Animal Messenger is a 2nd-level enchantment spell that lets your PC turn a nearby creature into a message carrier for 24 hours.
  • To cast the spell, give the animal a 25-word message, a location you’re familiar with, and a brief description of the recipient.
  • Animal Messenger can be cast as a ritual but delivers messages relatively slowly. Consider a spell like Sending when you need to communicate fast.
Section 1 of 5:

Animal Messenger in D&D 5e: Overview

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  1. Available to bards, druids, and rangers exclusively, Animal Messenger is an unorthodox but intriguing alternative to sending allies (or enemies) non-magical messages in D&D 5e. It lets you magically use animals as your message carriers instead! [1]
    • Level: 2 (ritual)
    • School: Enchantment
    • Casting time: 1 action
    • Range: 30 feet
    • Components: Verbal, somatic, material (a morsel of food)
    • Duration: 24 hours
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Section 2 of 5:

How does Animal Messenger work?

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  1. Upon casting the spell, find and pick a tiny-sized beast (such as a frog, squirrel, raven, bat, lizard, or cat) within range. Then, give the beast a message, a location (which you must have visited), and a description of the recipient. [2]
    • For example, you could describe the recipient as “A woman with freckles and a guard uniform” or “A bald man with blue eyes and a wide-brimmed hat.”
    • Remember: names don’t mean much to an animal, so just saying “Barcus” won’t ensure delivery.
    • If you’re unsure, ask your DM what qualifies as a tiny beast in the area.
  2. Choose your words carefully and be concise when giving the beast a message, because it can’t be longer than 25 words. Once your message and delivery instructions are given, the beast will travel to the destination for the duration of the spell.
    • Flying animal messengers can cover about 50 miles per 24 hours. [3]
    • Animals that can’t fly will cover about 25 miles per 24 hours.
  3. Assuming the animal reaches its destination within the duration of the spell, it’ll give the message to a creature matching your description. It’ll also deliver the message by replicating the sound of your PC’s voice! [4]
    • If the animal doesn’t reach its destination before the spell’s duration is up (24 hours), the spell simply ends, and the message is lost.
    • However, the duration of Animal Messenger increases by 48 hours for each spell slot level above 2nd used to cast it.
    • So: at the 3rd level, its duration is 72 hours; at the 4th level, its duration is 120 hours, and so on.
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Section 3 of 5:

Pros of Animal Messenger

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  1. In D&D 5e, ritual casting enables you to cast certain spells as rituals, meaning you take an extra 10 minutes to cast them but do so without using a spell slot. This is incredibly useful when you’re trying to preserve your PC’s spell slots for an important encounter or battle ahead! [5]
    • Animal Messenger might seem slow compared to other messaging spells, but its unreliability is balanced out by its low casting cost.
    • Thus, it’s an ideal spell to use if you want to get a message to someone but don’t need the message to arrive instantly.
Section 4 of 5:

Cons of Animal Messenger

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  1. Unfortunately, it’s impossible to know if a recipient got your message until you talk to them again in person (or get a message back from them) because the Animal Message spell doesn’t allow for replies. Thus, you’ll just have to trust that your message arrived when casting it. [6]
    • Depending on how by-the-book (or tricky) your DM is, they might rule that your messenger gets intercepted, too.
    • For example, a songbird might get intercepted by a hawk or owl—and a rat might get chased down by a cat.
    • Because there’s no confirmation that your message was received, the Animal Messenger spell can feel a bit risky.
  2. Animal Messenger is a slow spell; although enchanted, the animal you choose still has to travel by its own means—and there’s nothing in the spell specifying the pace it moves. So, your PC might actually deliver a message just as fast by walking there themselves! [7]
    • Still, if your goal is to avoid backtracking and still get a message to someone within a few days, there’s nothing wrong with using Animal Messenger.
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Section 5 of 5:

Alternatives to Animal Messenger

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  1. Sending is a 3rd-level evocation spell that lets you telepathically send a 25-word message to any creature you’re familiar with. The message is instantaneous, and the recipient can give you an immediate 25-word answer. Sending even works across different planes of existence (although there’s a 5% chance of failure). [8]
    • Compared to Animal Messenger, Sending is fast, convenient, and nearly always guaranteed to work.
    • So, if you’re in a hurry and need to make sure your message gets through, Sending is the safer choice.
    • Bards, clerics, and wizards all have access to the Sending spell.
  2. Message is a transmutation cantrip that lets you quietly whisper a message that only the recipient can hear. The recipient must be within 120 feet of you, but you don’t need to see them, and the message can pass through solid objects, openings, and around corners if you’re familiar with them. [9]
    • The recipient can also whisper a reply to your original message.
    • Message doesn’t have the same range and flexibility as Sending, but it’s a cantrip (so it won’t use a spell slot).
    • Therefore, Message is ideal for urgent, short-range communication when exploring with your party members.
    • Bards, sorcerers, and wizards all have access to the Message cantrip.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/animal_messenger/
      2. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/animal_messenger/
      3. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/animal_messenger/
      4. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/animal_messenger/
      5. ↑ https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/DnD_BasicRules_2018.pdf
      6. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/classes/ranger/spells/
      7. ↑ https://rpgbot.net/dnd5/characters/classes/ranger/spells/
      8. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/sending/
      9. ↑ https://5thsrd.org/spellcasting/spells/message/

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