How Does Speak with Animals Work?

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The ultimate guide on talking to critters and creatures in D&D
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Speak with Animals is arguably one of the most fun spells in Dungeons and Dragons. It allows the spellcaster to spend 10 minutes chatting with a creature of their choice as if they were talking to a close friend. In this article, we’ll break down how the spell works, why you’d want the spell, and what you can do to make utilizing the spell more enjoyable (both as a player and DM).

How Does Speak with Animals Work?

Speak with Animals is a relatively straightforward spell. It allows the spellcaster to communicate with any animal or beast as if the spellcaster and creature spoke the same language. How the interactions go are up to your DM, but it’s an extremely useful spell for non-combat roleplaying and puzzle solving.

Section 1 of 6:

Speak with Animals at a Glance

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    The The Player’s Handbook explains that when the spellcaster casts this 1st level spell, they gain “the ability to comprehend and verbally communicate with beasts.” Notably, the animal’s ability to communicate is gated by their intelligence. But beyond that, the spell allows you to ask animals about nearby locations, solicit help to complete tasks, or ask for small favors. [1]
    • Casting time: 1 action (or 10 minutes as a ritual )
    • Range: Self
    • Target: Self
    • Components: Visual, somatic
    • Duration: 10 minutes
    • As a note, only Bards, Druids, and Rangers can learn Speak with Animals. Forest Gnomes also get access to “Speak with Small Beasts,” which is slightly different than the Speak with Animals spell but in the same ballpark.
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Section 2 of 6:

What counts as an animal for Speak with Animals?

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    A beast refers exclusively to non-humanoid creatures that are a “natural part of the fantasy ecology.” Basically, is a creature the kind of creature that exists in the natural world you’re playing in? If so, it meets the criteria for
    • Animals that qualify as beasts: Birds, wolves, mice, rats, rocs, sharks, crabs, dinosaurs, mammoths, traxidors, moorbounders, yetis, scorpions, and bears.
    • Animals that wouldn’t qualify as beasts: Dragons, demons, elementals, beholders, aboleths, displacer beasts, cloakers, and mimics.
    • Pro tip: If you really want to use Speak with Animals on a non-beast, cast Polymorph first! Turn that magical dragon into a sparrow, for example. The sparrow will be able to talk.
    • Some beasts can have magic abilities, but as a general rule of thumb, most intelligent magic-using creatures are not going to be beasts.
Section 3 of 6:

Should I take Speak with Animals?

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    If your DnD campaign is all about combat and puzzles, Speak with Animals probably isn’t going to be very productive. But if your game involves a lot of roleplaying in natural settings (which is most games), Speak with Animals is an extremely useful spell. [2]
    • Speak with Animals can also be cast as a ritual , which means you don’t have to use a spell slot to cast it. This makes it a great spell if you find yourself running out of slots while travelling.
    • Remember, if you’re playing a druid you’re allowed to swap out your spells after every long rest. If you want to experiment with Speak with Animals, go for it! You can always swap it out for a more useful spell later if you aren’t enjoying it.
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Section 4 of 6:

What does Speak with Animals sound like?

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    There are a few potential options here when it comes to how a Dungeon Master plays out Speak with Animals. [3] Here are your options:
    • Animals now speak common and everyone can hear a Speak with Animals convo. This is a fun way to play it if you want to use these conversations for unique roleplaying opportunities everyone can enjoy.
    • The conversation happens telepathically with the spellcaster and the animal. This is best if you don’t want to roleplay unique voices for the animals and you want to focus on the “business” side of the spell and not the entertainment value. [4]
    • The spellcaster can now speak whatever animal language they need to use. This is a funny option that involves you and your player making animal noises (i.e. they bark like a dog to talk to a pug they encounter).
Section 5 of 6:

Use Cases for Speak with Animals (for Players)

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    Normally, a party will have to duke it out with a random pack of angry wolves if they stumble across them on their travels. But if your party is low on health or you’ve got more pressing matters, why not try negotiating?! You could use Speak with Animals to offer some meat to the wolves in exchange for leaving you alone, or offer to help them avenge a friend if they let you pass in peace. [5]
    • Remember, the animals you speak with are gated by their intelligence. This means you’ll have an easier time brokering a peace treaty with aggressive dolphins than a gang of rabid squirrels.
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    Lost in the woods? Ask the nearest raccoon to point out where the exit is. Looking for a hidden passage to a temple in the forest? Call out to the eagle in the trees and trade some dead mice for help spotting the temple from above. [6]
    • Keep in mind that not every animal is going to be interested in helping you. It helps to have something the animal wants if you’re going to ask for support!
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    One of the great things about Speak with Animals is that you can use it to ask your mount, magical familiar, or pet what they’re up to. Whether you’re a Ranger with a barn owl on their shoulder or a Bard with a pack mule, who doesn’t want to know how their animal homies are doing? [7]
    • Remember, Speak with Animals can be cast a ritual. If you’ve ever got downtime while traveling, cast the spell as a ritual and chat with your animal companions! No spell slots are needed.
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    Use the Find Familiar spell , cast Animal Friendship, or employ Animal Messenger to help build your own creature-based recon team. Send your critter friends out to collect information, report on enemy movements, or fetch you some fancy medicinal herbs you’ve been looking for.
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    Want to mess with your DM (in a fun and playful way)? Use the Conjure Animals spell to summon a fey beast from the void of time and space. Then, cast Speak with Animals and ask the creature about the nature of the multiverse, where it came from, or how magic manifests itself. [8]
    • You can also test your DM’s patience by using the Raise Dead spell and Speak with Animals spell to talk to animals about what the woodland creature afterlife looks like.
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Section 6 of 6:

Tips for Managing Players Using Speak with Animals (for DMs)

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    Speak with Animals is one of those non-combat spells that only has utility so long as you allow the spell to do something meaningful as a DM. When your players use Speak with Animals, avoid letting your players feel like they wasted the spell. [9]
    • In other words, if players want to talk to a stray dog, avoid saying something like, “The dog doesn’t really want to talk. It ignores you and keeps walking.” Instead, maybe take that fun speech you had saved for the vegetable vendor and give it to the dog. Players will feel rewarded by the interaction.
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    Maybe the squirrel they ask for directions has the lowdown on a buried pile of treasure nearby, or perhaps that platypus they talk to while washing their weapons in the river is actually a polymorphed wizard who needs help getting smuggled out of enemy territory. [10]
    • Want to increase the odds players use Speak with Animals with the “right” targets? Give the animals something unique. Maybe make the special deer albino, or give the special housecat a goofy little fez.
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    It’s very easy to get caught up in the roleplaying when it comes to Speak with Animals, but it’s important to differentiate for gameplay reasons. The best way to do this is to always shape your RP based on the intelligence scores of the creatures in the Monster Manual . [11]
    • For example, imagine a player is asking a mouse, “Where does the owner of this house hide their treasure?” A mouse might say, “Treasure? Like their cheese and crumbs?” while a parrot might say, “My owner has never shown me, but he does have a locked drawer in his chest that would be a promising place to look.”
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      References

      1. ↑ https://orkerhulen.dk/onewebmedia/DnD%205e%20Players%20Handbook%20%28BnW%20OCR%29.pdf
      2. ↑ https://www.caverns-and-creatures.com/5e-spells/speak-with-animals
      3. ↑ https://orkerhulen.dk/onewebmedia/DnD%205e%20Players%20Handbook%20%28BnW%20OCR%29.pdf
      4. ↑ https://www.caverns-and-creatures.com/5e-spells/speak-with-animals
      5. ↑ https://www.alexmaven.com/speak-with-animals-5e-guide/
      6. ↑ https://www.alexmaven.com/speak-with-animals-5e-guide/
      7. ↑ https://www.caverns-and-creatures.com/5e-spells/speak-with-animals
      8. ↑ https://www.alexmaven.com/speak-with-animals-5e-guide/
      9. ↑ https://www.plusonetogaming.com/blog-episodes/top-10-first-time-dungeon-master-tips-for-dnd-5e
      1. ↑ https://www.plusonetogaming.com/blog-episodes/top-10-first-time-dungeon-master-tips-for-dnd-5e
      2. ↑ https://orkerhulen.dk/onewebmedia/DnD%205e%20Players%20Handbook%20%28BnW%20OCR%29.pdf

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