Speak with Animals
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 DM's discretion.
At a Glance
Level
1st
School
Divination
Casting Time
1 action
Range
Self
Duration
10 minutes
Concentration
No
How Speak with Animals Works
| Casting Time | 1 action |
|---|---|
| Range | Self |
| Components | V, S |
| Duration | 10 minutes |
| Ritual | Yes — can be cast without a spell slot (adds 10 minutes) |
Available to:
BardDruidRanger
Common Mistakes
Common Mistake
Expecting beasts to have human-level intelligence and knowledge
Common Mistake
Forgetting that animals perceive the world differently (by scent, simple concepts, etc.)
Common Mistake
Not considering that animals might be uncooperative or want something in return
Common Mistake
Thinking all animals in an area will be friendly or helpful
DM Tips
DM Tip
Roleplay animals with limited perspective - they don't understand politics, just 'scary man' or 'food'
DM Tip
Animals remember things important to them: food sources, predators, territory
DM Tip
Consider what the animal cares about and how players might persuade them
DM Tip
This spell opens up creative problem-solving and should be rewarded with useful (if limited) information
Sources & Further Reading
- Speak with Animals — D&D 5e Wikidot — Full SRD text
- Speak with Animals — Roll20 Compendium — Structured reference
- Speak with Animals — D&D Beyond — Official digital reference