Speak with Plants
2024 Rules
- Level & School
- 3rd-level transmutation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- Self
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 10 minutes
- Classes
- Bard, Druid, Ranger
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2024)
You imbue plants in an immobile 30-foot Emanation with limited sentience and animation, giving them the ability to communicate with you and follow your simple commands. You can question plants about events in the spell's area within the past day, gaining information about creatures that have passed, weather, and other circumstances.
You can also turn Difficult Terrain caused by plant growth (such as thickets and undergrowth) into ordinary terrain that lasts for the duration. Or you can turn ordinary terrain where plants are present into Difficult Terrain that lasts for the duration.
The spell doesn't enable plants to uproot themselves and move about, but they can move their branches, tendrils, and stalks for you.
If a Plant creature is in the area, you can communicate with it as if you shared a common language.
2014 Rules
- Level & School
- 3rd-level transmutation
- Casting Time
- Action
- Range
- Self (30-foot radius)
- Components
- V, S
- Duration
- 10 minutes
- Classes
- Bard, Druid, Ranger
- Source
- Player's Handbook (2014)
You imbue plants within 30 feet of you with limited sentience and animation, giving them the ability to communicate with you and follow your simple commands. You can question plants about events in the spell's area within the past day, gaining information about creatures that have passed, weather, and other circumstances.
You can also turn difficult terrain caused by plant growth (such as thickets and undergrowth) into ordinary terrain that lasts for the duration. Or you can turn ordinary terrain where plants are present into difficult terrain that lasts for the duration, causing vines and branches to hinder pursuers, for example.
Plants might be able to perform other tasks on your behalf, at the DM's discretion. The spell doesn't enable plants to uproot themselves and move about, but they can freely move branches, tendrils, and stalks.
If a plant creature is in the area, you can communicate with it as if you shared a common language, but you gain no magical ability to influence it.
This spell can cause the plants created by the entangle spell to release a restrained creature.
Speak with Plants 5.5e 2024 vs. 5e 2014 edition differences
Speak with Plants popularity
How popular is Speak with Plants? It is a commonly found spell in the game, and is often chosen over other options when available. This spell is a reliable addition to any spellbook.
- Top 25% picked level 3 Bard spell
- Top 50% of all 5e spells
- Top 50% picked level 3 Druid spell
- Bottom 50% of all level 3 spells
- Bottom 50% picked level 3 Ranger spell
Read about how this popularity data is calculated.
Spells similar to Speak with Plants
Commune with Nature 5th-level divination
This is a higher-level nature utility spell that similarly provides broad environmental information to druids and rangers.
Players prefer Commune with Nature over Speak with Plants
Plant Growth 3rd-level transmutation
Both are 3rd-level transmutations on the bard, druid, and ranger lists, with plant-focused effects that can reshape terrain.
Players prefer Plant Growth over Speak with Plants
Speak with Animals 1st-level divination
It shares the same self-targeted, 10-minute conversation format and lets a nature-focused character gather information from living creatures.
Players prefer Speak with Animals over Speak with Plants
Speak with Dead 3rd-level necromancy
Both let the caster question a nontraditional source for information about recent events, and each lasts 10 minutes at 3rd level.
Players prefer Speak with Plants over Speak with Dead
Locate Animals or Plants 2nd-level divination
Its nature-centered information gathering and shared bard, druid, and ranger lists make it a close exploration companion.
Players prefer Speak with Plants over Locate Animals or Plants
Hallucinatory Terrain 4th-level illusion
Although deceptive rather than communicative, it is a nature-capable utility spell that substantially alters terrain for an extended period.
Players prefer Speak with Plants over Hallucinatory Terrain