Conjure Animals for a level 5 Druid

[nickl_2000]

My DM has set his summon rules for our table. So, I'm trying to get the best set of summons. So, I would love advice on the summons.

The rules are as follows
Choose a set of animals for each available CR ratings. Meaning at level 5 you get
1 set of eight CR 1/4 beasts - I'm thinking Velociraptors for multiattack and pack tactics
1 set of four CR 1/2 beasts - Thinking the warhorse
1 set of two CR 1 beasts - Thinking Brown Bear or Giant Toad
1 set of one CR 2 beasts - Thinking Allosaurus right now

Each time I level I can add another set (of whatever CR I choose). So, what animals would you choose for each set?

Our group consists of a
Fiend Bladelock who wields a Lance most of the time. He has Mounted Combantant and often works with my moon druid as a mount
Half-Orc Stone Sorceror
Tabaxi EK/Rogue
My Moon Druid who prefers wildshapes and has Sentinel

I would like one of the summon groups to include something that would act well as a mount for the Bladelock, so it gives me more choices

Thank you!

[Sigreid]

Wolves could work for 1/4.

I think your DM has a reasonably good house rule to give you control without letting you get nuts.

[hymer]

So, what animals would you choose for each set?

I think your choices are good. I might consider substituting wolves for raptors if environmental factors are going to play in. A fight in winter could kill or incapacitate the little raptors well before their hour was up, e.g. Wolves help your party melee, too, by knocking enemies down. I The rogue may be ranged and not like that, though. There's also the wall of fur effect. Raptors can slip through enemy lines, but conversely can't form a wall of fur themselves.
That tier is the general damage-dealing tier, so I think I might go with a giant constrictor at CR 2. It's pretty durable and has control, but it can't serve as a mount for the warlock, I expect. They are all cool animals.

[KorvinStarmast]

The rules are as follows
Choose a set of animals for each available CR ratings. Meaning at level 5 you get
1 set of eight CR 1/4 beasts - I'm thinking Velociraptors for multiattack and pack tactics
1 set of four CR 1/2 beasts - Thinking the warhorse
1 set of two CR 1 beasts - Thinking Brown Bear or Giant Toad
1 set of one CR 2 beasts - Thinking Allosaurus right now

Have you considered for your CR 1/2:
Giant Goat: additional damage and knock prone on a charge: DC 13 Str (Maybe a choice for your bladelock?)
Crocodile: can sometimes grapple and restrain targets (DC 12)
Ape: Throw rocks and multi attack
Black Bear: multiple attacks
Warhorse: trampling charge when charge can happen (It's a nice choice, to be sure).

(Warg removed, thanks Hymer)

[some guy]

Giant Eagles are CR 1, with 16 strength and large size they could be used as flying mounts (with a longer duration than the fly spell). They also can understand common, which make them even better mounts.

In combat, there are other beasts which are better brutes, but giant vultures can also grapple a creature, fly upwards and drop it.

[hymer]

Worg: can knock targets prone. (DC 13 Str)
These bad boys are Monstrosities, not Beasts.

[nickl_2000]

I think your choices are good. I might consider substituting wolves for raptors if environmental factors are going to play in. A fight in winter could kill or incapacitate the little raptors well before their hour was up, e.g. Wolves help your party melee, too, by knocking enemies down. I The rogue may be ranged and not like that, though. There's also the wall of fur effect. Raptors can slip through enemy lines, but conversely can't form a wall of fur themselves.
That tier is the general damage-dealing tier, so I think I might go with a giant constrictor at CR 2. It's pretty durable and has control, but it can't serve as a mount for the warlock, I expect. They are all cool animals.

There is very little ranged combat going on most of the time. The warlock has cast EB maybe 3 times from level 1-5 and the Stone Sorcerer focuses on Booming/Green Flame blade reach weapon. So, I will check out the wolves and see if I like the knockdown effect or the multiattack better between the two choices. In grid based combat, tiny creatures still threaten/take up a 5ft section, right?

[Sigreid]

You might see if you have room for giant vultures in your list. Combat is great and all but if you can get a flying mount for an hour?

Giant spiders can also be good.

[KorvinStarmast]

These bad boys are Monstrosities, not Beasts. oops, thanks, brain flatulence. (I edited it out). :smallcool:

[nickl_2000]

You might see if you have room for giant vultures in your list. Combat is great and all but if you can get a flying mount for an hour?

Giant spiders can also be good.

Not a bad idea at all. I've got them as a wild shape form, so it wouldn't be an odd RP choice.


Giant Eagles are CR 1, with 16 strength and large size they could be used as flying mounts (with a longer duration than the fly spell). They also can understand common, which make them even better mounts.

In combat, there are other beasts which are better brutes, but giant vultures can also grapple a creature, fly upwards and drop it.

We haven't had a lot of combat in the open where those are choices, but that is a great idea for some useful control.


Have you considered for your CR 1/2:
Giant Goat: additional damage and knock prone on a charge: DC 13 Str (Maybe a choice for your bladelock?)
Crocodile: can sometimes grapple and restrain targets (DC 12)
Ape: Throw rocks and multi attack
Black Bear: multiple attacks
Warhorse: trampling charge when charge can happen (It's a nice choice, to be sure).

(Warg removed, thanks Hymer)

I looked at the Goat, would you consider that better than the Warhorse? They seemed really similar to me. The Ape would be a good choice for the next level since I need that tier for a mount for the Warlock right now.

[sambojin]

A few less thought of ones, if you're going for flavour, or just want something different:

CR1/4. Constrictor Snake: A bit of blindsight and tonnes of grapple/restrained with a fairly good DC for the level. All the joys of prone, without annoying your shooters. Kind of like faerie fire, damage, and HP damage/action sponging all in one.
Giant Owl: Still large flying beasts, and with 13Str can carry 390lbs. 8 of them, rather than two eagles.
Giant Badger: That's a lot of digging. 8x(10'x5') trenches a turn is plenty of battlefield alteration.
Giant Poisonous Snake: Blindsight, 10' reach, and save for half poison damage. May as well read as 1d4+9 against non-poison-immunes. The reach is handy in heavy melee parties and for making OpAtt "nets". Better than it looks.
Draft Horse: hits hard, with a pretty good attack roll. Surprisingly murdery, yet inconspicuous and ridable.


CR1. Female Steeder: Good as a druid form, pretty good as a summon. Can be ridden for jumping antics.
Vargoulie: Flying frighten/stun "fireballs". Weird, weak, but cool. Does hit your own party with the effect though.

CR2. Quezulcoatlus: Your Porsche Eagle. Goes a bit faster, is a bit flashier, but you only drive one at a time.

When you get to pick, any summon is good. Your list looks fine, although I would suggest a flyer of some sort just for the utility. Owls doing flyby attacks are great against melee (and only get in the way when you want them to), and are a nice versatile choice with 120' darkvision. Not as good at combat as some, but very versatile. Grab a flyer on your next level if you want to fill your combat slots first.

[History_buff]

I like giant constrictor snake for CR 2. Blindsight 10 feet, and constrict applying restrained condition on a hit.

That they have to use an action to break out of.

[History_buff]

These bad boys are Monstrosities, not Beasts.

True but Dire Wolves are very similar and they are beasts. Summon two and there’s pack tactics working for you too.

[sambojin]

Tonnes of HP as well.

I'd hazard that normal sized constrictor snakes are almost as good though (8 of them, rather than one). But 1/4CR is chock full of good things.

While you wouldn't think it (and most things do anyway), constrictor snakes explode skeletons pretty well. There's actually a lot of bludgeoning damage on the beast list, so if you're in an undead heavy campaign, be sure to grab one.

[History_buff]

Whenever I do have the spell I tend to only use the CR 1 and CR 2 options.

8 1/4 Wolves slows the game down tremendously and I’d rather not annoy the dm and other players by hogging the combat.

[KorvinStarmast]

I looked at the Goat, would you consider that better than the Warhorse? They seemed really similar to me. The Ape would be a good choice for the next level since I need that tier for a mount for the Warlock right now. They are similar, and the Warhorse does have a higher DC for his charge attack. It's as much flavor as anything, though I think that in some terrains the Goat might be an advantage. FWIW, if being used as a mount, it is less likely to get knocked over. Close enough to where your gut feel probably wins.

The horse is a bit more likely to hit, with the 18 versus 17 str.


Sure-*‐Footed. The goat has advantage on Strength and Dexterity saving throws made against effects that would knock it prone. Toss up?

[sambojin]

Whenever I do have the spell I tend to only use the CR 1 and CR 2 options.

8 1/4 Wolves slows the game down tremendously and I’d rather not annoy the dm and other players by hogging the combat.

I'm the same, but since this is a limited choice situation, may as well give all the options allowed.

It's mostly why I like Owls at 1/4CR. Most of the time they're just a Fly spell for the entire party. They're also pretty smart, so can be given complex orders. But they can do combat too. You're just going to pick something better for combat most of the time. But even when you do pick them, they're pretty simple to run (no extra rolls or conditions applied to keep track of). Not great, but 8xFly spell for an hour is still easily worth the spot. Though, seriously, watch out for fireballs.

By the time the OP is at around lvl9-10, they'll have heaps of combat options anyway.

[Caelic]

Cows are highly underrated as a CR 1/4 choice.

If positioned properly upon summoning, the initial charge attack can do a LOT of damage. 3d6+4 per cow is nothing to sneeze at. Cows also have the advantage of being ubiquitous; nobody's going to try to claim that your character hasn't seen a cow before.

If rarity isn't an issue, you can always go for Stench Kows for the resistances and stench cloud.

[FabulousFizban]

raven swarms are the best thing you can get with conjure animals

[Caelic]

raven swarms are the best thing you can get with conjure animals


You can't actually get swarms; a "swarm of beasts" is not the same thing as a beast. It's been confirmed a number of times by WotC WoG.

[nickl_2000]

They are similar, and the Warhorse does have a higher DC for his charge attack. It's as much flavor as anything, though I think that in some terrains the Goat might be an advantage. FWIW, if being used as a mount, it is less likely to get knocked over. Close enough to where your gut feel probably wins.

The horse is a bit more likely to hit, with the 18 versus 17 str.

Toss up?

I do find the idea of making the warlock ride a giant goat. It may be worth it just to make the Don Quixote jokes while he is wielding a lance.

[nickl_2000]

Thanks for the suggestions everyone. I think I have some great ideas and plans for what to do in the future. I am somewhat limited by what I have seen in game, also by the fact that we have been in tight quarters for a lot of the campaign so far.

[Tanarii]

Did the DM specify they all have to be the same kind of beast? All your suggestions were that way, but that's probably worth double checking if you don't know the answer.

[nickl_2000]

Did the DM specify they all have to be the same kind of beast? All your suggestions were that way, but that's probably worth double checking if you don't know the answer.

Yes, you have to summon all one type of Beast at a time.

[KnotaGuru]

How about elk for another 1/4 CR? You can summon 8, they are large (rideable by medium creatures), 50' speed, and can deal some serious damage. A herd of elk can trample foes ;)

[Christian]

Cows are highly underrated as a CR 1/4 choice.

If positioned properly upon summoning, the initial charge attack can do a LOT of damage. 3d6+4 per cow is nothing to sneeze at. Cows also have the advantage of being ubiquitous; nobody's going to try to claim that your character hasn't seen a cow before.

Plus, you can do Abbott and Costello skits with your DM.

"I summon a bunch of cows."
"Herd."
"What?"
"Herd of cows."
"Of course I've heard of cows. I'm not an idiot."
"No, I mean a cow herd."
"I don't care if a cow heard, I said nothing to be ashamed of!"

[sithlordnergal]

Keep the velraptors, and if you can only ever summon raptors with the 1/4 choice. Gonna be honest, Wolves are nice if you don't have the option of raptors, but hooooo boy. If you can summon velocoraptors then do it. A double multiattack with pack tactics on a tiny creature that does 2d6+4 in total? They're gonna rip through anything long before they can be harmed.

Where as the wolf does a single attack of 2d4+2 with a small possibility of knocking something prone. Even with the wolf having higher hp, I think the raptors are deadlier.

[Cespenar]

Weren't Giant Bats CR 1/4, Large, and Flying?

Just saying.

[nickl_2000]

Weren't Giant Bats CR 1/4, Large, and Flying?

Just saying.

They are, and they have more strength than the Giant Owl. So, for a flight animal at the 1/4 tier it's a solid choice in coming levels.

[sambojin]

But they don't have flyby attack (which keeps owls alive). They do have a ridiculous amount of blindsight though. They've only got Int2 however, so you're probably limited to "squeak lots of you see something that isn't us". Owls can do way more than that.

Still pretty good though. Sorry for not mentioning them.

[KorvinStarmast]

I do find the idea of making the warlock ride a giant goat. It may be worth it just to make the Don Quixote jokes while he is wielding a lance. Sounds like good fun. :smallbiggrin:


Plus, you can do Abbott and Costello skits with your DM.
"I summon a bunch of cows."
"Herd."
"What?"
"Herd of cows."
"Of course I've heard of cows. I'm not an idiot."
"No, I mean a cow herd."
"I don't care if a cow heard, I said nothing to be ashamed of!" Heh, that could be fun if you both practice that before the game ... amuse the other players.

[Estoma]

I saw someone mention a flying mount (giant eagle) which sounds like an amazing visual! But please remember that conjure animals is a concentration spell, and you wouldn’t want to lose concentration while your ally is 50 feet off the ground on your giant eagle!

[8wGremlin]

If you have access to plane shift Ixalan (https://media.wizards.com/2018/downloads/magic/plane-shift_ixalan.pdf)

Frilled Deathspitter
Small beast,
unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 4 (−3) 12 (+1) 6 (−2)
Skills Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages -
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Actions
Multiattack.
The deathspitter makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6(1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6(1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Spit Poison. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 15/30 ft., onetarget. Hit: The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw,taking 18 (4d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as muchdamage on a successful one. In addition, a creature that fails itssaving throw is blinded until the end of the Deathspitter's next turn.

[nickl_2000]

I saw someone mention a flying mount (giant eagle) which sounds like an amazing visual! But please remember that conjure animals is a concentration spell, and you wouldn’t want to lose concentration while your ally is 50 feet off the ground on your giant eagle!

Depends on my feelings about the Warlock :)

"Oh I got hit and lost concentration"
"What do you mean I didn't even roll? Of course I rolled Oh by the way your take 5d8 falling damage"


In truth, I probably won't use flying mounts in combat until I pick up Warcaster or Resilient Con for that exact reason. However, they would be great to get out of a situation quickly.

[nickl_2000]

If you have access to plane shift Ixalan (https://media.wizards.com/2018/downloads/magic/plane-shift_ixalan.pdf)

Frilled Deathspitter
Small beast,
unaligned
Armor Class 13
Hit Points 18 (4d6 + 4)
Speed 40 ft.
STR DEX CON INT WIS CHA
12 (+1) 16 (+3) 13 (+1) 4 (−3) 12 (+1) 6 (−2)
Skills Perception +3
Senses passive Perception 13
Languages -
Challenge 1/2 (100 XP)

Actions
Multiattack.
The deathspitter makes three attacks: one with its bite and two with its claws.

Bite. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6(1d6 + 3) piercing damage.
Claw. Melee Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, reach 5 ft., one target. Hit: 6(1d6 + 3) slashing damage.

Spit Poison. Ranged Weapon Attack: +5 to hit, range 15/30 ft., onetarget. Hit: The target must make a DC 13 Constitution saving throw,taking 18 (4d8) poison damage on a failed save, or half as muchdamage on a successful one. In addition, a creature that fails itssaving throw is blinded until the end of the Deathspitter's next turn.

I don't have access to any creatures from any of the Plainshift, but that would be an amazing summon if I did

[nickl_2000]

Plus, you can do Abbott and Costello skits with your DM.

"I summon a bunch of cows."
"Herd."
"What?"
"Herd of cows."
"Of course I've heard of cows. I'm not an idiot."
"No, I mean a cow herd."
"I don't care if a cow heard, I said nothing to be ashamed of!"

Okay, what is so weird about this is that my DM was wearing a new T-Shirt with a baseball diamond on it and marked in each position were Who, What, I don't know, Tomorrow, Todat, etc. Then one of the players hadn't heard of Abbott and Costello so we ended up pulling the bit up on a phone for him to watch on the spot

[Estoma]

Depends on my feelings about the Warlock :)

"Oh I got hit and lost concentration"
"What do you mean I didn't even roll? Of course I rolled Oh by the way your take 5d8 falling damage"


In truth, I probably won't use flying mounts in combat until I pick up Warcaster or Resilient Con for that exact reason. However, they would be great to get out of a situation quickly.

Hahaha...my avarial druid 'failed a strength check' and dropped the chaotic evil ranger. Oh no...what a shame...so sad...

Keep in mind creatures with blindsight such as bats! Since they're so low CR you can summon rather a lot of them and have them sweep for invisible creatures. This is a pretty hard feature to get otherwise.

[Christian]

Okay, what is so weird about this is that my DM was wearing a new T-Shirt with a baseball diamond on it and marked in each position were Who, What, I don't know, Tomorrow, Todat, etc. Then one of the players hadn't heard of Abbott and Costello so we ended up pulling the bit up on a phone for him to watch on the spot

Heh. The little dialogue I posted is pretty much verbatim, by my memory, from an actual A&C skit. I'll let you guess whether or not I know the entire baseball routine by heart. And if so, how many versions. :smallbiggrin:

[FabulousFizban]

You can't actually get swarms; a "swarm of beasts" is not the same thing as a beast. It's been confirmed a number of times by WotC WoG.

why do they always ruin my fun?