D&D 5E Am I missing something about Conjure Animal

[Hussar]

Each player *other than the caster* runs one or two of the conjured animals, determining their actions and rolling as needed, immediately after their character's turn.

This way, the spell accomplishes the *character's* goal, but does not give the caster's *player* all the spotlight and table time.

Not a bad idea. Depends on how many critters he's summoning I suppose. Typically, it's probably going to be 1, 2 or 4, by and large. Not too many more than that and 2 seems to be a pretty decent compromise. On the plus side, it's pretty fast to run most animals - one, maybe two attacks and that's about it. It's not like in previous editions where summonings could get seriously out of hand.

 

[MechaTarrasque]

Each player *other than the caster* runs one or two of the conjured animals, determining their actions and rolling as needed, immediately after their character's turn.

This way, the spell accomplishes the *character's* goal, but does not give the caster's *player* all the spotlight and table time.

Good plan, and "everyone gets a pet" will make the caster's player popular with the other players (particularly if you formalize it by having the caster tell each critter to go help a particular PC).

 

[devincutler]

i havn't played yet and i have just been reading my players handbook that i bought and i thought Druid of the moon was cool then saw everyone calling it overpowered and like to ban the whole class from their games, so i thought maybe ranger beastmaster and i saw conjure animals in the spells they could learn and thought it was cool.

Why does everything i like have to be overpowered? i just like animals.

Druids of the Moon are a funny class. They are probably overpowered at very low levels. After all, a 2nd level moon druid can turn into a giant hyena twice per short rest, which basically means 90 hp plus the druid's starting hp. Assume a 14 Con and you effectively have a 2nd level PC with about 107 hp to burn through. That's a lot!

But, the benefits of wild shape start to decrease relative to the other PC power levels and, IMO, by 6-9 level they are on par with PCs and at higher levels they fall behind. Animal forms just cannot keep up hp and attack wise with other PC abilities.

Overall, if playing the druid for an entire career from 1st level to 20th level, it is probably somewhat underpowered.

 

[Hussar]

Just to add to that. Being a bit up gunned at levels 1-3 isn't going to matter too much in 5e. We're talking what, five game sessions, maybe six? Out of an entire campaign that isn't something to get too worried about. As [MENTION=6684551]devincutler[/MENTION] says, by 5th level, the moon druid's wild shape isn't any more powerful than any other combat heavy class - that raging bear totem barbarian has effectively about 150 HP to burn through and is probably dealing more damage with a higher AC. The problem with the wild shapes is you get beaten like a pinata in combat because pretty much every attack is going to hit you.

I mean, think about it, that Giant Hyena has an AC of 12 and does a d6+3 points of damage per round. He's not rocking anyone's world. Good grief, the wizard is out damaging that character with cantrips.

 

[Immoralkickass]

Just one Conjure Animal spells have you all shaking? What a bunch of rookies. I'm going to hit Level 5 soon, and my DM already gave my druid a Staff of the Python, and a Bag of Tricks (Gray). I sure hope he can handle my beast army of Conjure Animals, a Giant Constrictor Snake, and possible Dire Wolf/Giant Elk/Boar/Panther. I spent a lot of money on the minis!

 

[Paul Farquhar]

Whenever the party have NPC allies I share them out between the players, because DM vs DM isn't much fun. To be fair, my players don't abuse it.

If I know that a player is likely to use summons, I try to have stat blocks handy for likely creatures to speed things up.

As for druid of the moon, I don't let druids change into something they aren't familiar with. How many people can honestly say they have seen a giant hyena? Or even a normal sized one in a typical pseudo-European setting? There is a fair chance the fiercest beast a second level druid has seen is an angry bull.

 

[Hussar]

Well to be fair, bears work just as well. It’s not like there aren’t options. Personally I liked giant spiders for the movement, stealth and poison. Fantastic scout.

 

[Riley37]

As for druid of the moon, I don't let druids change into something they aren't familiar with. How many people can honestly say they have seen a giant hyena? Or even a normal sized one in a typical pseudo-European setting? There is a fair chance the fiercest beast a second level druid has seen is an angry bull.

True. On another hand, players have put some thought into how druids can *actively seek* high-CR animals. A druid who wildshapes into a fox or squirrel, and searches a forest for a bear, is gonna find one much faster than a normal human could... and, once it finds the bear, can then break contact, much more easily than a normal human could. YMMV.

 

[Iry]

A *CREATIVE* DM can find ways around broken and/or unfun mechanics.

It's true in the sense that there is no amount of power or mechanical combination that can ever threaten a DM. But that doesn't make the experience enjoyable or fun to fix. And it absolutely can make the other players feel miserable and useless, which is baaad juju.

 

[Paul Farquhar]

True. On another hand, players have put some thought into how druids can *actively seek* high-CR animals. A druid who wildshapes into a fox or squirrel, and searches a forest for a bear, is gonna find one much faster than a normal human could... and, once it finds the bear, can then break contact, much more easily than a normal human could. YMMV.

They aren't likey to find a giant hyena in the forest, however long they look though.

Bears aren't as strong for their CR as the giant hyena.