Hello spellcasters of all shapes and sizes! Welcome to my spellbook and thank you so much for checking out the 20th episode of our 3rd level spell series. Today we have a pretty cool spell in store for us. Whether or not i’d allow in my game i don’t know i’d have to see someone who’s at first but it is pretty cool, regardless we’re looking at dnd 5e fast friends spell. This spell is usable by the bard, cleric and the wizard and it is found in the acquisitions incorporated.
So acquisitions incorporated it’s not really official wizards of the coast had a hand in producing it but it’s not really under their banner as it were. So if you want to use this spell please run it past your dm because technically speaking you’re not supposed to i guess. But in any case let’s take a quick look at its mechanics so you can kind of understand the spell a little bit better.
Table of Contents
Mechanics
The effect at a glance is as followed: On a failed save a target is charmed by you and will follow instructions to the best of its abilities and with a friendly attitude. You can give new tasks, causing the creature to remake the save if it questions the instructions. The save is made with advantage if the creature is in combat with you or your companions. The task cannot result in death for the creature.
- Casting Time: 1 Action
- Range/Area: 30 ft
- Components: V
- Duration: 1 Hour (Concentration)
- School: Enchantment
- Attack/Save: WIS Save
- Damage/Effect: Charmed
Now there’s actually some like very specific wording stuff that we’ll get into a little bit here but until then let’s just quickly go through the rest of its mechanics.
The cast time is one action. The range is 30 feet, the duration is 1 hour and it is concentration. The saving throw is a wisdom and on a success there is no effect. At higher levels you can target one extra creature for each spell slot level above 3rd. The components are just verbal and the school is enchantment.
Now needless to say this is most likely a spell meant to be used by like jim, darkmagic type casters that use kind of like politics and persuation to their advance anything else but ultimately i do love it so so much. But before we get into the details as to why i’m such a huge fan of it let’s quickly go over the full description here and go from there.
Description:
When you need to make sure something gets done, you can’t rely on vague promises, sworn oaths, or binding contracts of employment. When you cast this spell, choose one humanoid within range that can see and hear you, and that can understand you. The creature must succeed on a Wisdom saving throw or become charmed by you for the duration. While the creature is charmed in this way, it undertakes to perform any services or activities you ask of it in a friendly manner, to the best of its ability.
You can set the creature new tasks when a previous task is completed, or if you decide to end its current task. If the service or activity might cause harm to the creature, or if it conflicts with the creature’s normal activities and desires, the creature can make another Wisdom saving throw to try to end the effect.
This save is made with advantage if you or your companions are fighting the creature. If the activity would result in certain death for the creature, the spell ends. When the spell ends, the creature knows it was charmed by you.
At Higher Levels: When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 4th level or higher, you can target one additional creature for each slot level above 3rd.
Very interesting stuff! I love acquisitions incorporated, their spells are super interesting both mechanically and just thematically as well. So this really does seem like just a stronger version of suggestion so i do think it fits relatively well within the third level bracket. Do you know how long is 1 minute in d&d?.
However some things i kind of want to point out this spell can technically cause harm to a creature without ending it’s only when the death is certain does the spell end. So you could technically have a guard approaches captain and attack him basically and there’s only when he starts to face certain death does it spell end at least that’s kind of how i read through it.
That being said, something that i do think makes this spell a little bit stronger than it ought to is that you can use it while the target is in direct combat with you, i don’t really know how i feel about that, i feel like divination wizards especially can get a huge amount of bang for their buck out of this spell but that’s just me personally.
Another thing i do want to point out is the to the best of its ability part. That means if you cast this on a caster and it means that caster will cast spells on your behest. It’s pretty interesting and naturally anything else with resource dependant abilities would use those resources if the situation called for it.
So it is really interesting i’d be very curious to see how this plays in a game. i’m yet to play a game that allows all the acquisitions incorporated spells so if you’ve played one please let me know down beneath in the comment section. If you’re curious with a charmed condition as well,
“a charmed creature can’t attack the charmer or target the charmer with harmful abilities or magical effects. The charmer has advantage on any ability check to interact socially with the creature.”
This is all pretty cool stuff! I really do love the charmed condition, ultimately i do feel like the usefulness of this spell might depend on a lot of circumstances and just game style in general but that being said, let’s get into some alternative uses. Don’t miss the comparision article between the 5e fast friends vs charm person.
Alternative Uses
So one of the more obvious ones is kind of using it to manipulate political figures to benefit you and your group. I think that’s probably the way this was actually intented to be used but they put a lot of extra stuff in there. Another great way to use this is to balance of encounters in your favor. It’s all fine and dandy and you could be in a terrible position until you cast a spell on the big bat himself.
And through your use of divination magic, you make him intentionally flunk that dice roll. Then you know it might not be too too much of a challenge for you to take out his peons. Also check out how does the haste spell work?
That being said, another great way to use this is for information gathering. What i recommend this you know depends on the circumstances i guess but ultimately it’s still a valid use i will probably recommend is using suggestion 5e or even the friends spell 5e for this depending on what the info is but it’s been still valid use.
Conclusion
That being said, let me know what you think of fast friends dnd 5e down beneath in the comment section. Also let me know if you have any thoughts, questions, comments or concerns regarding it or other uses. That being said, i hope you all have a great day and as always happy spellcasting everyone. Don’t miss these articles life transference 5e | charm person 5e | incite greed 5e.