Having to stop the game to first flip through the Dungeon Master’s Guide to find a Monsters by Challenge Rating list, find what elementals are on the list, then switch to the Monster Manualand find their statistics drags the game to a complete stop just because of one spell. These spells say “The DM has the creatures’ statistics,” but this doesn’t just make it difficult for players who want to be able to summon specific creatures, but it also puts an undue burden on the DM who is already juggling a dozen balls trying to keep the game running. Similar to the Beast Master ranger and Circle of the Moon druids, you need to have the Monster Manual on hand in order to make full use of your conjure spells. Conjuring up ConfusionĬonjure minor elementals is plagued by myriad tiny issues of organization. The same goes for spells that summon monsters, even little ones. The simple fact that the adventurers can take four times as many actions as the boss tips the encounter overwhelmingly in their favor. It’s why single powerful boss monsters are rarely as effective against a party of four characters as they feel they should be. Action economy-in this case, how many actions one “side” can take compared to the other in a single round of combat-has a huge impact on any combat’s outcome. It’s good that the spell has these severe limiting factors, because being able to summon up to eight minor elementals is incredibly powerful. They can’t have their concentration broken when concentrating on a conjuration spell, which lets them fight and explore boldly, without fear of a stray arrow of a failed Acrobatics check wasting a spell slot.) (Fortunately, wizards who choose the School of Conjuration get to overlook this drawback starting at 10th level. It encourages you to play defensively and tactically, using your conjured minions to do the dangerous work for you. Its concentration requirement is also a serious danger, since even one good hit from a powerful monster can cause your small army of elementals to disappear. One notable drawback is that conjure minor elementals requires you to spend 1 minute to cast it, meaning that you have to have this spell cast before combat begins, but no longer than 1 hour before combat because of its duration. Playing a conjuration wizard makes me feel kind of like playing a hero unit in Warcraft 3, commanding my small units to defend me while I keep laying down damage with my spells. Focusing on conjuration spells is a fun and unique way to play D&D. Essentially, it lets you turn the tables on your Dungeon Master, swarming the monsters with small, expendable minions instead of the other way around. This spell basically does exactly what it says it should do, it conjures a single CR 2 (“challenge rating 2”) elemental or a hoard of CR 1/4 elemental minions to fight for you. Despite being useful and balanced, the lack of options and clear guidelines available to players makes casting this spell more trouble than it’s worth. It's hard to use as a player, simply because the game itself makes it difficult to summon the creatures most players expect to be able to summon. Conjure minor elementals is one of Dungeons & Dragons’ most frustrating spells, especially for new players. Spell Spotlight is a series that focuses on excellent, problematic, underappreciated, overrated, or just plain weird spells in Dungeons & Dragons. Spell Spotlight: Conjure Minor Elementals
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