Find Greater Steed is a spell in Dungeons and Dragons (D&D) 5th edition that allows players to summon a powerful, intelligent mount to aid them in battle or travel. The spell is a 4th-level spell, which means that only higher-level characters with the appropriate spellcasting ability can use it. In this article, we will discuss Find Greater Steed in detail and compare it to other similar spells available in D&D 5E. We will also answer some frequently asked questions about this spell at the end of the article.
Overview of Find Greater Steed
Find Greater Steed is a divine spell that appeared in the Xanathar’s Guide to Everything supplement for D&D 5E. This spell allows the caster to summon a powerful creature to serve as a mount. The creature summoned by this spell must be a celestial, elemental, or fiend, and it must be of a challenge rating of 2 or lower. The mount is loyal, intelligent, and is capable of understanding basic commands from the caster. This spell opens up a wide range of tactical and strategic possibilities for players, especially in combat situations.
The mount summoned by the spell has a lot of abilities that make it a valuable asset to the player. Firstly, it is incredibly fast, and it can travel up to 100 feet in a single turn. This enables players to quickly outrun enemies or maneuver around obstacles on the battlefield. It is also surprisingly sturdy, as it has a lot of hit points and can take a lot of damage before being destroyed. Additionally, the mount has a strong combat prowess, and it can attack creatures using its own set of attacks. This can be particularly helpful if the player’s character is a spellcaster, as it allows them to focus on casting spells while their mount does the heavy lifting in combat.
Finally, the mount has some mechanics that make it particularly resilient. For example, if the mount takes enough damage to die, it instead disappears, and it can be summoned again the next time the spell is cast. This means that players do not need to worry about their mount dying permanently and losing it forever. One caveat is that the spell has a casting time of 10 minutes, which means that the mount cannot be summoned quickly in response to a sudden threat. However, this is a small downside that is outweighed by the number of benefits that the spell provides.
Comparison with Similar Spells
Find Greater Steed is not the only spell in D&D 5E that allows players to summon mounts. There are several other similar spells that provide similar effects. Two of the most popular of these spells are Find Steed and Find Familiar. Let’s compare these spells to Find Greater Steed and see how they measure up.
Find Steed is a 2nd-level spell that allows players to summon a lesser creature to serve as a mount. The creature must be a warhorse, pony, camel, elk, or mastiff. The mount is intelligent, loyal, and has a telepathic link with the caster. The mount is also capable of understanding basic commands. The mount summoned by Find Steed is significantly weaker than the one summoned by Find Greater Steed, as it has fewer hit points and lacks any special abilities. However, it is still a useful spell, especially if the player does not have access to higher-level spells.
Find Familiar is a 1st-level spell that allows players to summon a creature that serves as a companion to the caster. The creature can take on the form of a specific animal or even take on the form of an object, such as a book or a ring. The creature has a limited number of abilities, such as the ability to communicate with the caster telepathically and perform simple tasks. However, the creature is not a mount and cannot be ridden by the caster.
In comparison to Find Steed and Find Familiar, Find Greater Steed is a much more powerful spell. It provides access to a fast, intelligent, and powerful mount that can serve as an effective combat asset. Its only downside is its longer casting time, but this is a small price to pay for the benefits it provides.
FAQs
Q. Can the mount summoned by Find Greater Steed attack while carrying the player?
A. Yes, the mount can attack creatures while carrying the player. This makes it a very useful asset in combat, especially if the player is a spellcaster that can’t engage in melee combat.
Q. Can the mount be hurt or killed while carrying the player?
A. Yes, the mount can be hurt or killed while carrying the player. However, if the mount dies, it will disappear and can be summoned again the next time the spell is cast.
Q. Can the caster use spells or ranged attacks while riding their mount?
A. Yes, the caster can use spells, ranged attacks, or other abilities while riding their mount. This allows casters to maintain mobility in combat while still being able to cast spells or attack enemies.
Q. Can the mount be conjured in a location that the caster cannot see?
A. No, the mount must be summoned in a location that the caster can see. This means that the caster must have a clear line of sight to the location where they want to summon their mount.
Q. Can non-casters use Find Greater Steed?
A. No, only characters with spellcasting ability can use Find Greater Steed. The spell requires the caster to have a minimum of 7th-level spellcasting ability.