8 wolves? How about 8 giant owls?!

[Dalebert]

Wolves are great for just dishing damage and tanking things to keep them off you but take a look at giant owls. I was kept from summoning wolves in a game but allowed to summon these.

Flyby
8 intelligence
60 ft movement

I had them fighting at first and despite only +3 to-hit, they were still 30% chance of doing 8 dmg to an AC 18 dragon and they could stay out of its reach with flyby. With 8 of them, several would hit each round. But later I learned to use them smartly. I had them assist the entire party! I was trying to land a Contagion spell so I REALLY wanted to hit on that and not waste a 5th level slot. They could alternately impede an enemy (I think?) if you're trying to protect someone, all without endangering themselves much due to flyby. I had them start grabbing PCs and moving them around the large area of the fight strategically, carrying them up an annoying cliff as needed. They were smart enough to administer goodberries to downed party members. It was CRAZY useful!

[hymer]

It's even better if your DM lets you mix up your conjured critters. A couple of owls to be clever, and wolves for the rest.

I find that giant owls can work quite well outside in open terrain. But due to their large size, they can really clutter up a dungeon, and the DM may choose to disallow their flying in cramped quarters, particularly if they need to fly through occupied squares. And then there's the question of how well they function in daylight.

[MrStabby]

How does a giant owl "administer" a goodberry to someone?

[MaxWilson]

You can also have them grapple enemies and fly up into the air with them. By Dashing, they can climb 60' per round even with a Medium-sized creature (by RAW, at least), which equates to 6d6 damage once they fall. First round, grapple and fly up 20-30'. Second round, Dash up another 60'. Eventually, or when the Owl dies, drop them for 20d6 damage.

Depending on the enemy's AC this can work out to significantly more DPR than making regular attacks.

Also, since Giant Owls can understand Common, you can use the Inspiring Leader feat on them.

[hymer]

How does a giant owl "administer" a goodberry to someone?

*snicker* I know how they feed their young. :smallyuk:

[NNescio]

I cast Conjure Animals: 8 wolves Wall of Fur.
or I cast Conjure Animals: 8 giant owls Wall of Feathers.

Also, etc, etc, summoners don't get to choose to exact beast as per Crawford's rulings (someone is bound to bring that up anyway), 'though I strongly disagree with that as it limits player agency and can be used to justify things like giving players a single CR 0 beast even if they asked for a CR 2 one. And that same kind of interpretation of RAW (that players don't get to choose unless the spell or feature explicitly say they do) can also be equally used to justify other rules-wankery like the DM deciding which creature your target gets Polymorphed into (it doesn't explicitly say you get to choose either), or the DM deciding how far Thorn Whip pulls the target you hit ("you pull the creature up to 10 feet closer to you.", it doesn't say you get to choose, so the DM picking any distance up to 10 ft fulfills that requirement).

[Dalebert]

*snicker* I know how they feed their young. :smallyuk:

Actually, that's probably exactly what they'd do. In this case, the DM said was all nasty and the PC had gross owl-claw gunk in her mouth. I promised I'd prestidigitation out her mouth after the fight. I love how "prestidigitate" has become a common verb in so many of the games I've played whenever something gross happens.


I was kept from summoning wolves in a game but allowed to summon these.

It was that ruling that kept me from summoning wolves. We were in a flying castle so I could only summon flying creatures.

[R.Shackleford]

How does a giant owl "administer" a goodberry to someone?

When I find a certain dorkly picture of Harry and Hedwig making out (comically) I'm going to make you pay for asking such a question (by linking to it).

It's a fantasy game, make some stuff up, figure it the hell out.

[Joe the Rat]

How does a giant owl "administer" a goodberry to someone?
As a wise man once said, "Better up than down"

Mixed summons would add a lot of utility, versatility, and paperwork.

Personally, I'd be tempted to go for flying snakes. Just for the visual.

[Temperjoke]

I'd thought about conjure animals after watching too much Naruto. I mean, summoning giant eagles while falling? Summoning giant toads and giant constrictor snakes? I've become convinced that the naruto-esque ninja is actually a combination of druid, ranger, and shadow monk.

[R.Shackleford]

I'd thought about conjure animals after watching too much Naruto. I mean, summoning giant eagles while falling? Summoning giant toads and giant constrictor snakes? I've become convinced that the naruto-esque ninja is actually a combination of druid, ranger, and shadow monk.

Sadly, D&D really hates those types of situations and falling happens instantly.

[Temperjoke]

Sadly, D&D really hates those types of situations and falling happens instantly.

Well, I wasn't thinking of above a small spike trap, more of a "somehow I was on the back of a flying dragon and now I'm no longer on the back of a flying dragon" sort of situation. You'd have enough time for the spell from that sort of height.

[R.Shackleford]

Well, I wasn't thinking of above a small spike trap, more of a "somehow I was on the back of a flying dragon and now I'm no longer on the back of a flying dragon" sort of situation. You'd have enough time for the spell from that sort of height.

Yeah, same here.