X challenge rating or lower on conjure spells

[holywhippet]

For spells like conjure animals where the caster picks the challenge rating and number of creatures summoned, how should I regard the "or lower" part? Is that a DM choice so if you pick one creature of CR 2 or lower they can pick any matching creature of CR 2, CR 1, CR 1/2 etc. Or is it a player choice so that they could pick one creature, but only have it at CR 1 if they so choose? I know by RAW/RAI the DM is supposed to choose what actually arrives but I wasn't sure if they can pick a lower CR themselves.

[Aett_Thorn]

I’m pretty sure that the caster picks the challenge rating (and therefore the number), but by RAI, the DM chooses the exact creatures that show up of that CR

[Galithar]

The 'or lower' portion allows a DM to give you an equal number of lower CR creatures is they do choose.

For example if I cast Conjure Animals and choose 1 CR 2 creature my DM *could* choose to give me a single 1/8 CR beast. These DMs are generally frowned upon and are encouraged to check their brakes before driving.

As a DM I have chosen to give a caster a lower CR creature before, I chose to do so by appropriately increasing the number in accordance to the new CR. This is NOT RAW though and I could have given him a single rat if I wanted to be the most hated DM ever :P

[Lunali]

DMs that choose to summon lower CR monsters will find that their players are far more likely to summon 8 creatures for them to keep track of.

[Galithar]

DMs that choose to summon lower CR monsters will find that their players are far more likely to summon 8 creatures for them to keep track of.

Yes. I would rather, as a DM, be given the option to force them to summon the big guy then the swarm they want then just piss them off giving the little CR in place of the big one they wanted

[JackPhoenix]

I’m pretty sure that the caster picks the challenge rating (and therefore the number), but by RAI, the DM chooses the exact creatures that show up of that CR

It's the other way, the caster choose the number of creatures, and gets creatures up to the CR allowed by that number, with the DM choosing the exact creatures (and also their CR, but as noted, giving lower than maximum CR is a richard move).

[Vorpalchicken]

I always laugh when my druid player gets a handful of crickets for the use of his 3rd level spell.

[MaxWilson]

For spells like conjure animals where the caster picks the challenge rating and number of creatures summoned, how should I regard the "or lower" part? Is that a DM choice so if you pick one creature of CR 2 or lower they can pick any matching creature of CR 2, CR 1, CR 1/2 etc. Or is it a player choice so that they could pick one creature, but only have it at CR 1 if they so choose? I know by RAW/RAI the DM is supposed to choose what actually arrives but I wasn't sure if they can pick a lower CR themselves.

As a DM, the only case I would ever use that clause involves warning the players in advance: "as you head into the deadlands, an oppressive weight seems to settle over your soul. A bit of experimentation on the first day reveals that the spirits of nature are unusually weak here and it is a struggle to call up even the weakest of them. Any Conjure Animals that you cast in the deadlands produces animals two steps weaker than normal."