Conjure Animals in the 2024 rules

What the 2024 spell does

The System Reference Document 5.2 lists Conjure Animals as a level 3 Conjuration, cast as an Action, with a 60-foot range, verbal and somatic components, and Concentration for up to 10 minutes.

"Whenever the pack moves within 10 feet of a creature you can see and whenever a creature you can see enters a space within 10 feet of the pack or ends its turn there, you can force that creature to make a Dexterity saving throw. On a failed save, the creature takes 3d10 Slashing damage. A creature makes this save only once per turn." ... "The damage increases by 1d10 for each spell slot level above 3."

Source: System Reference Document 5.2, Wizards of the Coast LLC, CC-BY-4.0.

In plain terms: you create a Large, ghostly pack in a space you can see. It is a feature of the battlefield rather than a set of monsters. On your turn you can move it up to 30 feet, you get Advantage on Strength saving throws while you stand within 5 feet of it, and it forces saves from enemies it passes or that walk into it.

2014 vs 2024

The maths: expected damage by slot

The damage is a flat average per failed save. Here the spell save DC is 15 (a level 5 character with a +4 casting modifier: 8 + 3 proficiency + 4), and the columns show the enemy failing 70%, 60% or 50% of the time, which roughly matches enemies with a +0, +2 and +4 Dexterity save bonus. A success deals nothing.

All values are per creature, per trigger. The pack triggers a save when it moves near a creature on your turn, and again when a creature enters its range or ends its turn there. A creature only saves once per turn, and by the plain reading each creature's turn and your turn count separately, so one enemy can be made to save about twice a round: once on your turn, once on theirs. Ask your DM that this is how your table reads it, since it doubles the value.

Each extra slot level adds 5.5 damage on a failed save. A level 3 slot's 16.5 average becomes 27.5 at level 5.

Against the 2014 wolves

The 2014 spell is usually remembered as eight wolves. The SRD 5.1 wolf has AC 13, 11 hit points, a +4 bite for 2d4 + 2 (7 average) and Pack Tactics, which gives it Advantage while an ally is next to the target. This table shows what those eight wolves do each round if all can reach the same enemy, counting critical hits. Sixteen wolves is the 5th-level version.

Against one AC 15 enemy, eight wolves average about 46 damage a round. The 2024 spell at the same 3rd level averages about 10 per enemy at a 60% fail chance, or about 20 if you can force two saves in a round. To match eight wolves you need around five enemies each making one save, or two to three enemies making two saves each. That is the trade: much less damage in a duel, but it works the same on a crowd and has no hit points for enemies to chew through.

The 2014 version needed space for eight creatures, a DM to run them, and rolls for each attack. Wolves also died: an 11 hit point beast is gone after one solid hit. The pack has no hit points and can only be stopped by breaking your Concentration. Treat the 2014 numbers as a best case, and note that under the old text the DM supplies the beasts' statistics, so real tables varied.

Who gets it

The SRD 5.2 spell list puts Conjure Animals on two classes.

• Druid: prepared from your whole list, so it is easy to add when a fight involves groups. Druids with a high Wisdom have the strongest save DC.
• Ranger: a half-caster, so you get it at level 9 (a level 3 slot) and have few slots to spend. It competes with Hunter's Mark for concentration, so you can't keep both running.

Rulings and mistakes

• It uses your Concentration. Casting another concentration spell ends it, and being hit can break it. Keep Constitution saves in mind.
• The pack does nothing on its own. It has no turn of its own in the text: you move it on your turn, and saves happen as it or enemies move.
• You must be able to see the creature. The text makes the save optional ("you can force"), and it only applies to creatures you can see.
• No half damage. A successful save means no damage. That makes it swingy against high-Dexterity enemies and strong against slow, clumsy ones.
• Allies can be hit. The text says "a creature", not "an enemy". You choose whom to force to save, so you can leave allies alone.

Questions

Can I still summon wolves with the 2024 spell?

You can describe the pack as wolves, but it is only a look. It doesn't make attacks and has no stat block.

Is it better than Spirit Guardians?

They fill a similar job: an area that punishes enemies for standing near it, for Concentration. See the Spirit Guardians guide for the numbers.

Does the pack take damage?

The SRD 5.2 text gives it no hit points or Armor Class. It is a spell effect that lasts until the duration ends or you lose Concentration.

Should I upcast it?

Each level adds 5.5 damage per failed save, so upcasting pays off most against groups.