Silliness, but I'm asking.

[TheHud]

As I mentioned before, I am somewhat new to 5th edition and am DM for my kids. My son loves llamas, and has an oversized llama as his mount (he helped raise it). The party recently acquired a Headband of Intellect and is my son wondering if he can have the llama wear it. I understand it needs to be attuned to work. Not sure if/how to allow this. Looking for interesting ideas/loops my son could jump through to make it happen. If it did work, I understand I would have a animal NPC to control as well...seriously thinking that it will want to become a monk eventually.

[Waterdeep Merch]

There's sidekick rules that you could apply to let the llama become a useful ally in battle. A final version's coming in an upcoming book, but there was an Unearthed Arcana article (link here (https://media.wizards.com/2018/dnd/downloads/UA_Sidekicks.pdf)) it will be based on that doesn't appear like it will see many changes. Treat them like somewhere between an NPC and a PC, depending on the moment and scene- let your son control their llama buddy in fights, but the llama's personality and attitude is more like that of an NPC.

[TheHud]

- let your son control their llama buddy in fights, but the llama's personality and attitude is more like that of an NPC.

Thanks for the link. That is pretty much what I was thinking play wise. As to how to get the headband working on a llama, I am kind of stumped.

[firelistener]

This thread was asking basically the same question lol. It's funny how often something like this must come up at different tables.
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?617020-non-intelligent-creatures-and-item-attunement-(by-RAW)&highlight=Headband+of+intellect

Personally, I think it sounds really funny. I like the suggestion of making an Animal Handling check to somehow get the animal to "concentrate" on the item long enough to attune it. Alternatively, just leaving it tied around the creature's head might be enough.

I would refrain from making it have class levels though, and try to just stick with its basic monster stat block. Much easier for me, as DM, and I wouldn't have to worry about it overshadowing the PCs.

Keep in mind, however, that high Intelligence doesn't automatically let the animal speak. It would probably learn and understand languages fairly easily, but the headband won't do anything besides make it super smart on its own.

[nickl_2000]

First of all, I say yes. Yes definitely let them do it and yes make it silly and fun for them. As for RAW, a creature can do it the DMG just says a creature (which a Llama is) it also says "Attuning to an item requires a creature to spend a short rest focused on only that item while being in physical contact with it." Tell this to the kids and let them figure out how they are going to make a llama focus on the item for 1 hour straight. Let their creativity flow in that!

As someone else said, they llama is now more intelligent than most creatures. However, it doesn't know a language, so you PCs are going to need to teach it common. RP that out and let them figure it out. Technically a llama doesn't have the vocal chords to produce words in common, but for the sake of fun you should definitely make the headband do that. Additionally, the llama is going to only have base instincts. When it comes to personal interactions it will have absolutely none, so it would be cool and great for the kids to have them teach the llama social norms.

Also, bonus points if you do the llama voice and personality like Kuzco in Emperor's New Groove.

[Joe the Rat]

Aaaah! Demon Llama!

One of the nice things about being the DM is that you always have the option of saying "why not?" and having it happen.

But in terms of rules...
The Sidekicks (UA, coming soon to a cauldron near you) gives you a good frame to grow the hyperintelligent ungulate as a character.

The hardest part of attunement is getting the llama to wear it, much less focus, for a short rest.

Awaken is a 5th level spell available to Bards and Druids. By the rules, if you can find a 9th level druid and 1,000gp gem, You have a llama with Int 10 and the ability to speak a language. From there attunement might be easy. Llamas are in the camel family, and the lot of them are known for their stubbornness. And spitting.

But that is a touch boring. I would much rather offer this as a Boon from a magic or nature spirit - a major Fey Lord or Lady, Hag, or Hamadryad, for example. Do a little quest, and auto-attune (and awaken) the llama. I also like this since it puts the focus of the awareness on the headband - without it, the llama is just a llama. Gives you some Frosty the Snowman plot options.

[TheHud]

Joe, i had not thought about awaken, thank you. And as a matter of fact, they recently impressed and befriended a minor fey lord.

[Lunali]

Personally, I think it sounds really funny. I like the suggestion of making an Animal Handling check to somehow get the animal to "concentrate" on the item long enough to attune it. Alternatively, just leaving it tied around the creature's head might be enough.

If the animal doesn't like it, it might focus on it until it gets it off or becomes smart enough to realize what it does. If it likes it, it might just forget it's wearing it and fail to attune. Would be funny if there were two of them, one that tried to get it off for an hour and then became the smartest in the party, the other that's a normal llama that runs around all the time wearing the headband.

[Quoz]

Another approach would be the Paladin spell Find Steed, which grants an intelligent mount with several benefits (spell sharing being one of the biggest). There are several ways to let non paladins cast it, the simplest being a ring of spell storing. I think there are several magic items like figurines of power that can also create magical animals that you could modify for the purpose.

[Zhorn]

This thread was asking basically the same question lol. It's funny how often something like this must come up at different tables.
https://forums.giantitp.com/showthread.php?617020-non-intelligent-creatures-and-item-attunement-(by-RAW)&highlight=Headband+of+intellect

speak of the devil, I'm the guy from the other thread. Heya :smallbiggrin:
@OP, the biggest advantage you have over the situation I was working on is a Llama would be a beast, instead of a monstrosity as I was working with, so you have more by-RAW options available to you.
Casting Speak with Animals
Firbolgs using Speech of Beast and Leaf
Casting Awaken on the Llama
Casting Sending and communicating with the Llama (it can understand and respond in kind so long as it has an Intelligence of at least 1)
Any of these will enable to you explain the process and attempt to convince them of attempting the attunement (1 hour/short rest of contact and concentrating on the item). It should be difficult considering most beasts have an INT of 2 or 3, so it would be reasonably unfocused or easily distracted, but this is all DM fiat at this point.

It should be noted that if the attunement is successful it is not the same as an Awaken spell. The Llama hasn't been granted a higher awareness and understanding of the world, it is just better AT understanding and thinking. It's like adding better ram and hardware into a computer but still using a lesser operating system. But again, DM fiat.

[AttilatheYeon]

My only contribution is, i hope your son names him Lorenzo, after the llama becomes aware.