Horn of Valhalla 5e: Silver, Brass, Bronze and Iron Horns, and the 2024 Nerf

The Horn of Valhalla in 5e is a wondrous item you blow (an action, or a Magic action in 2024) to summon warrior spirits with the Berserker stat block within 60 feet. They fight for you for 1 hour or until they drop to 0 hit points, and the horn then needs 7 days to recover. There are four horns: silver and brass are rare, bronze is very rare, iron is legendary. In the 2014 rules they summon 2d4 + 2, 3d4 + 3, 4d4 + 4 or 5d4 + 5 berserkers; in the 2024 rules a flat 2, 3, 4 or 5. Brass, bronze and iron horns have a proficiency requirement, and if you don't meet it, the spirits attack you. No attunement. Verdict: a 2014 horn can swing a whole fight once a week; a 2024 horn is a decent rare item and a poor legendary one.

Table of Contents

• •Horn of Valhalla Rules Text
• •How the Horn of Valhalla Works
• •Horn of Valhalla: 2014 vs 2024
• •Who Should Use the Horn of Valhalla
• •Horn of Valhalla for DMs
• •Frequently Asked Questions

Horn of Valhalla Rules Text

Both SRDs print all four horns under one entry with a d100 table. The 2014 card (SRD 5.1) is first, the 2024 card (SRD 5.2.1) second.

The table's roll ranges and requirements are almost the same. The number of warriors is not.

How the Horn of Valhalla Works

The four horns

The GM picks the horn's type or rolls for it. You can roll a 2014 horn's warriors with the dice roller.

What you summon

Each warrior uses the Berserker stat block: CR 2, AC 13 from hide armor, 67 hit points, and a greataxe at +5 to hit for 9 (1d12 + 3) slashing damage. The 2014 berserker has Reckless (Advantage on its melee attacks, but attacks against it have Advantage too). The 2024 berserker has Bloodied Frenzy instead: Advantage on attacks and saving throws once it's at half hit points or fewer. The 2024 horn adds that the spirits look like living warriors and are immune to the Charmed and Frightened conditions.

Rough damage per round against AC 15: +5 needs a 10 or higher, 55%, for about 5.5 damage a swing (9.5 average, plus crits). A 2014 berserker attacking recklessly rolls with Advantage and hits about 80% of the time, about 8 damage. A 2024 berserker gets that only once Bloodied. Seven 2014 berserkers from an average silver horn put out around 55 damage a round and bring 469 hit points between you and the enemy.

Using the horn

Blowing it takes your action (Magic action in 2024). Warriors appear within 60 feet; in 2024, in unoccupied spaces. They leave after 1 hour or when they drop to 0 hit points. The horn then can't be used until 7 days have passed, which is a full week, not a dawn recharge.

The warriors "follow your commands." The horn doesn't price an order, but the general rules do: in both SRDs you can communicate through brief utterances and gestures on your turn without using your action ("hit the ogre" qualifies; a long explanation takes an action in 2024). The horn doesn't give them your Initiative count the way some summoning spells do, so they roll their own, and both SRDs have the GM make one roll for a group of identical creatures: the whole troop acts on one turn. What they do when you give no orders isn't stated. DM ruling: as Friendly fighters, they attack whatever is attacking you and your allies.

The requirement, and who meets it

If you blow the horn without meeting its requirement, the warriors attack you. Otherwise they're friendly to you and your companions (Friendly to you and your allies in 2024). Which classes meet each requirement at level 1:

Two changes matter. In 2024 every class has simple weapons, so a wizard can use a brass horn. And the 2024 druid has light armor and shields but no medium armor, so a 2024 druid can't safely blow a bronze horn. A feat or other feature that grants the right proficiency also meets the requirement.

The text says the spirits attack you. DM ruling: they go after the horn-blower first and treat anyone defending them as an enemy.

Horn of Valhalla: 2014 vs 2024

What it means at the table: the 2014 iron horn averages 17.5 berserkers, more than three times the 2024 iron horn's 5. The 2024 horn is fast to run and easy to balance; the 2014 horn can end a boss fight. The new charm and fear immunity stops an enemy from turning your summons against you with a single spell.

Who Should Use the Horn of Valhalla

Silver horn: anyone, since it has no requirement. It's the best fit for a party that's short on bodies: a three-person group, or one without a front line.

Iron horn: only a barbarian, fighter, paladin or ranger (or a character with martial weapon proficiency from another source). Anyone else summons 10 to 25 enemies (5 in 2024).

Compared with other summons. It needs no attunement and no spell slot, so it doesn't compete with anything for a slot. Once a week is the real cost. In 2024, two to five CR 2 warriors are useful at low and middle levels and fall behind as the party levels up. A 2024 iron horn is a legendary item in name only: five CR 2 berserkers barely threaten what a party of legendary-item level fights.

When it's a trap: blowing a horn you haven't identified. Cast Identify or study it during a short rest first, then check the requirement against your proficiencies.

Horn of Valhalla for DMs

Placement. Roll the d100 only if you're ready for every result. A 2014 iron horn at level 5 gives the party more fighters than most of your encounters have monsters. Choosing silver or brass is safer.

What it does to encounters. In 2014, one blow can double the party's damage for a whole fight. Expect players to save it for the boss. That's fine; build the boss fight knowing a horn might sound, with terrain the berserkers have to cross or a ranged enemy they can't reach. In 2024, plan for two to five extra CR 2 fighters.

Pricing (2024 SRD). Silver or brass 4,000 GP, bronze 40,000 GP, iron 200,000 GP, the same as any other legendary item. The 2014 SRD has no prices. The magic item rarity calculator can help when the horn is rolled in a hoard.

Running the spirits. The troop already shares one Initiative roll; give it one plan per turn ("half of them hit the ogre, half guard the cleric"), not twelve separate decisions. Keep one Berserker stat block and a hit point tally per warrior.

Hooks.

• •An old soldier's iron horn is willed to whichever of her three heirs can blow it safely. Only one of them ever trained with martial weapons.
• •A bandit chief who has never worn anything heavier than leather blows a looted bronze horn. The party hears it sound, then hears the screaming.
• •A town wall holds a silver horn in a glass case, with a sign: break in case of siege. The siege comes, and the case is empty.

Which horn the party found, and when they last blew it, is exactly what a recap should track. Loreify records the session and keeps the notes.

Frequently Asked Questions

How many berserkers does a Horn of Valhalla summon?

In 2014: 2d4 + 2 (silver), 3d4 + 3 (brass), 4d4 + 4 (bronze) or 5d4 + 5 (iron). In 2024: a flat 2, 3, 4 or 5 spirits using the Berserker stat block.

Does the Horn of Valhalla require attunement?

No. None of the four horns requires attunement in either edition, but the brass, bronze and iron horns require weapon or armor proficiency to use safely.

What happens if you blow the Horn of Valhalla without the requirement?

The summoned warriors attack you. Silver has no requirement; brass needs all simple weapons, bronze all medium armor, and iron all martial weapons.

How often can you use the Horn of Valhalla?

Once every 7 days. The warriors stay for 1 hour or until they drop to 0 hit points.

How much is a Horn of Valhalla worth?

Under the 2024 SRD, 4,000 GP for silver or brass (rare), 40,000 GP for bronze (very rare) and 200,000 GP for iron (legendary). The 2014 SRD gives no prices.

Item text: System Reference Document 5.1 (2014) and 5.2.1 (2024), Wizards of the Coast, CC-BY-4.0. Analysis, rulings and ideas are Loreify's own.