D&D 5E Animal Handling in 5e

DrunkWolf

Explorer

• Jan 27, 2018

• #1

How do you guys handle PCs wanting to train animals for combat?
It seems that 5e doesn't really encourage that. I remember having a blast with my Fighter and his 2 war dogs in Pathfinder.
How do you guys translate teaching new tricks and giving orders during combat using 5e rules? Would you consider giving an attack order an action or a bonus action?

 

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pukunui

Legend

• Jan 27, 2018

• #2

Look at how the beast master ranger handles it.

 

Li Shenron

Legend

• Jan 27, 2018

• #3

DrunkWolf said:

How do you guys handle PCs wanting to train animals for combat?

Click to expand...

Buy the animal.
Spend one chuck of downtime for training and bonding.
Spend some extra money for living expenses (cheapest option allowed).
Bring the pet to adventures, have it die at the first trap or encounter.

DrunkWolf said:

How do you guys translate teaching new tricks and giving orders during combat using 5e rules? Would you consider giving an attack order an action or a bonus action?

Click to expand...

No new tricks, base animal stats only.
Giving orders takes no action.

 

aco175

Legend

• Jan 29, 2018

• #4

Several times it has come up in the past with most of the animals dying and/or staying in the rear. The ranger may be the only one I would allow having this action. I would rather see the fighter hire a few henchmen over an animal. I hate saying no to a player who wants to try something, but it mostly seems like the player is trying to get more power and attacks per turn.

 

G

Greenstone.Walker

Adventurer

• Jan 29, 2018

• #5

DrunkWolf said:

How do you guys handle PCs wanting to train animals for combat?

Click to expand...

In all seriousness, I tell them to be a Ranger.

Animals in combat is a class feature, just like casting spells or entering rage or inspiring someone. If you want the feature then take the class.

I know it is a bit mean but it keeps things simple. I don't have to worry about how to make beast companions (and maybe familiars) somehow "better" than any animal that any character can purchase. I also don't have to worry about a player of a Ranger feeling upset because someone stole a bit of their limelight simply by buying an animal.

 

jgsugden

Legend

• Jan 29, 2018

• #6

It takes at least half a year of pretty intense focus to train a smart animal to fight well. Do your PCs have that time? If so, let them. Then allow them to guide the dogs generally with simple commands, but not be too crazy. Inn the end, trained war dogs are not gong to make that much of a power bump for PCs once they can hrow around fireballs.

 

S

Storyteller Hero

Adventurer

• Jan 31, 2018

• #7

The amount of time that it takes to train a beast for combat is usually not worth the effort (outside of extraordinary, possibly supernatural means), unless there's going to be a huge amount of downtime or significant time-skip in the campaign.

 

T

The Crimson Binome

Hero

• Jan 31, 2018

• #8

Treat them like any other NPC they might hire. As an NPC, their actions are controlled by the DM, but a successful Animal Handling check will allow a PC to make itself understood (though the animal may still choose to ignore them).

They get a full share of the experience. Level up as a Fighter (Champion), but they can't use weapons or armor unless it's appropriate for their anatomy.

 

jodyjohnson

Adventurer

• Feb 4, 2018

• #9

I'd use the rules in JoLydee's Beasts of Battle if someone wanted an animal pet (or really any extra NPCs including mounts).
Up to the point they started power gaming it and then I'd go back to the default.

Either way I'd allow death saves, short rest healing with hit dice, and equally divided XP (or maybe divide XP by player and then subdivide per player's characters) if they are contributing to combat.

 

77IM

Explorer!!!

Supporter

• Feb 5, 2018

• #10

I'd use the variant Loyalty rules in the DMG, with slight modification.

Increasing Loyalty takes training time and successful Wisdom (Animal Handling) checks -- as an initial guess, 1 check per week with DC = current Loyalty + 5. Losing Loyalty would work as normal. Max Loyalty would be equal to your passive Wisdom (Animal Handling).

An animal would then need 10 or more Loyalty to effectively defend you in combat or attack a superior foe at your command. Loyalty 1-9 means the animal will do normal un-frightening animal things at your command -- which might include attacking a non-threatening target if that's the kind of thing the animal might do (for example, predators might do that, but most herbivores won't, except certain ornery ones). Loyalty 0 or lower means the animal doesn't really cooperate with you.

I've used the Loyalty rules to manage NPC henchpeople and it's worked reasonably well.