Beast Rider

4th-level transmutation

Casting Time: 1 action

Range: Touch

Components: V, S

Duration: Concentration, up to 8 hours

You touch a willing beast, which must be Small or larger, and your body and gear meld into the creature. Your equipment cannot be used while you are melded, and it grants no benefit to the beast.

While melded with the beast, you have only a few options. You can use the beast’s senses as if they were your own and influence the general direction of its travel. You can also use your action make a DC 15 Wisdom (Animal Handling) check to direct the beast more precisely, such as making it willingly touch another beast. If the beast touches another beast, you can use your reaction to switch to the other beast.

You can use your action to cease being melded with the beast, and if you do so, you reappear in an unoccupied space within 5 feet of the beast. If no unoccupied space is available, you emerge prone in an occupied one. You can use none of your other abilities or class features while melded with the beast.

If the beast you are merged with suffers any harm, such as damage or a level of exhaustion, it can make a Wisdom saving throw against this spell. On a success, the beast ejects you and the spell ends. If the beast dies, you are ejected from its corpse, and the spell ends.

At Higher Levels. When you cast this spell using a spell slot of 5th level or higher, you can meld two additional willing Small or Medium creatures with you per slot level above 4th. You can meld a Large creature as if it were two Medium creatures. Creatures melded with you can use the beast’s senses, but use no other abilities. If you transfer to another beast, the creatures melded with you transfer with you automatically. When you emerge from the beast, whatever the reason, the creatures melded with you also emerge.