What would you do for Animal Training in Downtime?

[Thrasher92]

My players have 3 to 4 weeks of downtime in between their adventuring and plenty of money (each has between 15,000 and 20,000gp). One of my players, a druid, has collected a few animals which include a dire wolf puppy, a raven, and a few adder eggs.

She would like to spend her month training her animals (and waiting for the eggs to hatch).

I have been looking for ideas for resources, resolutions, possible checks (animal handling is obvious), and possible complications for the training.

I've been looking at the downtime examples in the DMG and Xanathar's as well as the Unearthed Arcana. I want to give her positive benefits from good rolls, I don't plan on taking any of the animals away from her. At most, if she has a few really bad rolls one of the animals might be kidnapped or run away and she'll have a small in-town quest to recover the animal.

Any ideas from my fellow players and DMs?

[stoutstien]

Flea circus

[Man_Over_Game]

My players have 3 to 4 weeks of downtime in between their adventuring and plenty of money (each has between 15,000 and 20,000gp). One of my players, a druid, has collected a few animals which include a dire wolf puppy, a raven, and a few adder eggs.

She would like to spend her month training her animals (and waiting for the eggs to hatch).

I have been looking for ideas for resources, resolutions, possible checks (animal handling is obvious), and possible complications for the training.

I've been looking at the downtime examples in the DMG and Xanathar's as well as the Unearthed Arcana. I want to give her positive benefits from good rolls, I don't plan on taking any of the animals away from her. At most, if she has a few really bad rolls one of the animals might be kidnapped or run away and she'll have a small in-town quest to recover the animal.

Any ideas from my fellow players and DMs?

Great question!

I've been wracking my brain trying to come up with a good animal handling formula, based off of existing crafting rules or whatever, but it's actually quite difficult to come up with a formula I'm happy with.


After scratching my head for a while, what I'd do is have a "training level" for a creature, with a list of actions it'd be willing to do for you.

For reference:


Level 5: Follow you, makes noise when detecting threats, will not engage any threats.
Level 10: Will protect you when you are dying or at less than half life, flees when it appears there are multiple threats. Will stand guard at night.
Level 15: Will follow basic orders, such as to scout for targets, gather food, or to stand watch. Will engage weakened targets.
Level 20: Will attempt to communicate and will act on commands without needing supervision. Will engage targets, but will flee when at half health, depending on threat level.
Level 25: Will fight to the death if needed to. More intelligent than some humans.
Level 30: Experienced and knowledgeable, is able to start earning Experience and taking levels from the Sidekick UA


If you are training the animal for the day, make an Animal Handling check. If it surpasses their training level, their training level increases by +1. Neutral Creatures start at 0, hostile may start at a negative value, and creatures born under your care start at +5 with no parent or +10 with a trained parent.

If you command them to take an action that's equal or less than their Training Level, they'll do it. Doing so requires your action.

If you command them to take an action that's beyond their level, you make an Animal Handling check with disadvantage, and they will obey if you succeed.