Phantom Steed: HORSE!

Usable By: Wizard

Spell Level: 3

School: Illusion (ritual)

Casting Time: 1 minute

Range: 30 feet

Duration: 1 hour

Components: V, S

A Large quasi-real, horselike creature appears on the ground in an unoccupied space of your choice within range. You decide the creature’s appearance, but it is equipped with a saddle, bit, and bridle. Any of the equipment created by the spell vanishes in a puff of smoke if it is carried more than 10 feet away from the steed.

For the duration, you or a creature you choose can ride the steed. The creature uses the statistics for a riding horse, except it has a speed of 100 feet and can travel 10 miles in an hour, or 13 miles at a fast pace. When the spell ends, the steed gradually fades, giving the rider 1 minute to dismount. The spell ends if you use an action to dismiss it or if the steed takes any damage.

Review by Sam West, Twitter: @CrierKobold

For the life of me I can’t figure out why I don’t see this spell cast more often: Phantom Steed is stellar. It does so many things, and it does them for free.

Phantom Steed is a ritual summon spell, meaning you’re getting an extra entity summoned into existence for the low cost of spending 11 minutes casting it. You don’t need to spend spell slots to get this free; if you want a 100 ft. move speed attached to a 1 hit point riding horse, all you need to do is extend the end of your rests by ten minutes and BAM! Free horse!

While it having functionally 1 hit point makes it something that isn’t typically lasting long in combat, it brings two major boons to fights.

First, if you’re acting early, having a one hundred foot speed mount which you’ll be controlling to get the bonus speed and free dash action on your turn is ludicrous. You’ll be one of the fastest creatures on any battle map on the ground, usually getting to the exact spot you want with the bonus dash the mount can take on your initiative count, no actions required by you. This will feel like better cunning action the first turn in combat- its nuts. There was no reason to bump up the speed by 40 from a regular draft horse, but they did. Yay wizards?

Second, if the mount ever is the target of a spell or attack roll, that creature is spending its actions on something that has cost you no resources beyond a spell in your spellbook. You’re perfectly fine being dismounted at this point, as your Phantom Steed soaked a blow that otherwise could have been aimed at you. And again, this doesn’t cost you anything.

Phantom Steed is the wizard version of Find Steed for paladins. This is more a class feature than actual spell, as you never have to prepare it to get the vast majority of its impactful text. It's a free bonus creature you control in combat that gives you a huge burst of speed. If it ever eats a hit, that’s also granting you free bonus hit points. It's a win-win. Phantom Steed is the kind of spell I’d expect to see on nearly every wizard character sheet. Take it, stick it in your spell book, and ritual cast this gem at the end of every short or long rest. It's a no-brainer.

5e Spells

Phantom Steed: HORSE!