Level
6th
Casting Time
1 Minute
Range/Area
Self
Components
V, S, M *
Duration
Concentration
1 Day
School
Divination
Attack/Save
None
Damage/Effect
Detection
This spell allows you to find the shortest, most direct physical route to a specific fixed location that you are familiar with on the same plane of existence. If you name a destination on another plane of existence, a destination that moves (such as a mobile fortress), or a destination that isn't specific (such as "a green dragon's lair"), the spell fails.
For the duration, as long as you are on the same plane of existence as the destination, you know how far it is and in what direction it lies. While you are traveling there, whenever you are presented with a choice of paths along the way, you automatically determine which path is the shortest and most direct route (but not necessarily the safest route) to the destination.
* - (a set of divinatory tools--such as bones, ivory sticks, cards, teeth, or carved runes--worth 100 gp and an object from the location you wish to find)
The idea that this spell is useful if the party are "lost in the underdark and want to get home" etc is somewhat undercut by the 50gp cheaper, lower level, 1 minute teleportation circle that takes you straight there - and is actually useful to prepare for other things.
In my general experience playing with a lot of groups, most DMs tend to view unpriced components in two categories.
The first, and majority of unpriced components are generic components e.g. "some bat guano" or "a feather" - and for those, people tend to be fine with "oh you can just use a wand" - these are generally available objects that you can find in your day to day travels, or purchase from occult suppliers, and that "component pouch" users would reasonably have on their person.
But a select small number of unpriced components seem to be specific rather than generic, and not items you could just purchase from a magic s upplier. These exist as specific restrictions on casting of the spell. e.g. "an item from the location you wish to travel to" and "a vial of blood from a humanoid killed in the last 24 hours" are both unpriced. A large number of DMs don't allow these to be replaced by a wand, because it seems the intention of those components isn't purely "flavour" it's also to make the spell dependent on having done the prepwork.
So... If you're in a campaign and planning to claim find the path doesn't need an object from the target location, check with your DM first and see if they agree.
A practical example, current campaign is in the Underdark. We eliminate a threat at Location A, and find a hand written letter addressed to our now defeated enemy at Location A. The letter indicates that the sender is at another location (named location further along in the Underdark) with a bigger threat, and with Find the Path, you now have an object (letter) from the location you wish to find and the specific name of the location, even though you have never been there. So in our case, FtP is a very practical and appropriate method to reach our destination. Whether that's convenient bread crumbs from your DM, or appropriate use of an available spell, it has worked out as intended. So that's my take: it's a 6th level story-progression mechanic to get to the potentially unknown or difficult to find location. (And yes, the party possessed appropriate divinatory tools at the right value)
Except Teleportation Circle has a sharply limited pool of end destinations. If you need to get back to some place you don't have circle coordinates for, then you have to hope you've got a circle that's still close enough to be useful. Whereas if you need to retrace your steps to someplace that didn't afford you the courtesy of giving you a key to their back door or a year to set up and most of 20,000 gp to spare, look at how quickly the "useful" and "useless" labels are reversed. As a "return to base" spell it's rather limited, but as a "quickly find our way back to any point I thought to grab a component for" it's pretty good, ignoring the ability to use it to bread crumb your way to hidden locations.
While this spell definitely has potential uses, it's also definitely way too high a level for what it is; at the very least I'd drop the concentration requirement and maybe drop it down to 3rd-level at most, and even then I don't expect many players would take it.
The only time I've ever used this spell was running a boss monster who didn't have specific spell slots (just a shared pool for his 8/day spells so level didn't really matter) and that was because players abandoned some of their belongings so they could carry more loot, and he wanted to follow them after they got away. It's one of the most situational spells in the game, and I say that as a player who routinely tries to find ways to shoehorn his spells into situations.
I would say a niche use for this would be automatically succeeding on the saving throw needed to escape the Maze spell.
Find the Path really is such a garbage spell. It doesn't mechanically function for the purposes implied by its own description and there is really only one situation for which it's useful. You basically have to be in an unknown maze but have a chunk of something from a location you're familiar with. *However* you could just teleport there with low odds of missing thanks to the object and the likelihood you've already been there. Thanks WotC!
I agree with the majority here. This spell needs to be re-worked to be actually useful, a lower level, and it should be a ranger spell for sure. I guess ranger needed plenty of work, so seeing a spell that is a sort of rangery staple need some work too isn't surprising.
I suppose a Game Master could vary the ways it works depending on the character involved; even provide different paths, obstacles and choice for the caster and group to consider; it could manifest as a trail of arrows, religious runes, smells the caster only can see, a vision downloaded into the characters spirit and mind, a large projection the whole group could see; if the GM is especially stingy, as if $ and powers are more exciting that the story, teamwork, determination, taking care of each other and succeeding, the GM could test it be more effective at higher levels or reduce the spell level down to 3rd, then let the ideal, well formed, more powerful spell at 6th level
Make it 5th level or something.
5th maybe...
Idk, My pact of the Genie Warlock quite frequently mutters "I wish I knew the fastest way to get to XXXXX" as I use my 9th level mystic arcanum to replicate the effects of this spell without material components...
Of the classes which have access to this spell, only the Bard has access to teleport as well, and only the Bard and Arcane Domain Cleric have access to teleportation circle (which is only useful if there is a known permanent teleportation circle at your intended location.
If you’re a Druid, and you’re in an unknown maze, this is the best you’ve got.
As it happens, my Druid is currently lost in a labyrinth. And this is the best they’ve got. DM will allow me to use the knuckle bones of a Minotaur we killed as the divination tools, on account of a Minotaur’s affinity for labyrinths, and as a forager, I’ve got some stuff from a location outside the labyrinth.
But still, it’s a high cost, high requirement, niche spell whose outcome can be achieved in many other ways, both magic and mundane.