Conjuration • Ninth-Circle Nature Summoning
Summon Nature’s Ally IX
Summon Nature’s Ally IX calls a formidable guardian of the wilderness or a company of lesser creatures. In Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e, its 9th-level progression is similar but its published creature lists and class access remain distinct. The separate historical Witch 9 archive is not a default Pathfinder or fifth-edition Witch spell grant.
Summon Nature’s Ally IX at a Glance
| 5.5e / 2024 | No spell by this exact name in SRD 5.2.1 |
|---|---|
| 5e / 2014 | No core spell by this exact name |
| Pathfinder 1e | Druid 9, Shaman 9; 1 round/level summons |
| D&D 3.5e | Druid 9; legacy Witch archive additionally lists Witch 9 |
Spell Rules by Edition
Summon Nature’s Ally IX — 2024
Status: no ninth-level spell of this exact name in SRD 5.2.1. The edition’s summoning spells have separate creature options, durations and concentration rules.
Summon Nature’s Ally IX — 2014
Status: no numbered Summon Nature’s Ally spell in the 2014 core rules. Do not import older creature lists into fifth edition automatically.
Summon Nature’s Ally IX — Pathfinder 1e
| School | Conjuration (Summoning) [see text] |
|---|---|
| Level | Druid 9, Shaman 9 |
| Components | V, S, DF |
| Casting Time | 1 round |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Effect | One or more creatures; see text |
| Duration | 1 round/level (D) |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | No |
Summon one creature from the Pathfinder 9th-level list, 1d3 creatures of the same kind from its 8th-level list, or 1d4+1 creatures of the same kind from a lower-level list. A summoned creature appears in a legal space, acts on the caster’s turn, and may not conjure more creatures or use teleportation or planar travel.
Source: Pathfinder Core Rulebook — Summon Nature’s Ally IX and creature lists.
Summon Nature’s Ally IX — D&D 3.5e
| School | Conjuration (Summoning) [see text] |
|---|---|
| Level | Druid 9; Witch 9 only in the preserved legacy Witch spell list |
| Components | V, S, DF |
| Casting Time | 1 round |
| Range | Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels) |
| Effect | One or more creatures, no two more than 30 ft. apart |
| Duration | 1 round/level (D) |
| Saving Throw | None |
| Spell Resistance | No |
The original spell functions as Summon Nature’s Ally I, except that it calls one 9th-level creature, 1d3 8th-level creatures of the same kind, or 1d4+1 lower-level creatures of the same kind. Alignment or elemental descriptors can apply under the older edition’s rules.
What Changed Between Editions?
Pathfinder and D&D 3.5e maintain separate summoning creature lists. Fifth edition does not preserve the numbered Summon Nature’s Ally sequence, and the historical Witch 9 listing does not automatically provide access in other editions.
Using Summon Nature’s Ally IX in Play
The caster chooses between one commanding protector and a group of lesser allies. Decide before the cast whether the encounter needs a single formidable creature, a blockade across several routes or several creatures supporting different companions. Use the active edition’s creature table rather than inventing creatures appropriate to the title.
Counterplay and Rulings
- A valid counterspell can interrupt the one-round casting; Dispel Magic may end the ongoing summoning by the applicable edition’s rules.
- Only summon creatures into an environment that supports them, and retain restrictions on additional summons, costly abilities and planar travel.
- Keep the summoned creatures within the placement rules and track rounds until dismissal or expiration.
- Do not conflate the 2024 or 2014 action economy with the legacy d20 casting time.
Preserved Legacy Entry
Read the original summoning progression and descriptors
Conjuration (Summoning) [see text]
Level Druid 9
Effect One or more creatures, no two of which can be more than 30 ft. apart
This spell functions like summon nature’s ally I, except that you can summon one 9th-level creature, 1d3 8th-level creatures of the same kind, or 1d4+1 lower-level creatures of the same kind.
When you use a summoning spell to summon an air, chaotic, earth, evil, fire, good, lawful, or water creature, it is a spell of that type.
Related Spells
Summon Nature’s Ally VIII · Dispel Magic · Witch Spell Lists
Mythical Context
Artemis was a Mistress of Animals in Greek art and myth, reflecting the idea that the wild possesses powers which no ruler has fully tamed. A ninth-circle summoning might be portrayed as the arrival of an entire forest’s will through one formidable creature. See the Metropolitan Museum’s Artemis and animals vase.
Historical Context
The surviving Greek vase showing Artemis accompanied by birds records an artistic tradition of divine animal guardianship, not actual summoning of creatures from elsewhere. It supplies historical texture for the story and the visual character of the spell. See a Greek vase showing Artemis and a hound.
Rules Sources and Licensing
Pathfinder 1e and D&D 3.5e rules derive from their respective Open Game Content under OGL v1.0a. The original Franz Marc painting and legacy source excerpt have been retained. There is no invented official fifth-edition conversion here.
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