D&D 5E Can You Milk A Conjured Cow?

[embee]

This question came up this week. My general ruling was "yes, by rules, the conjured cow can be milked. Milking isn't a hostile action, doesn't break concentration, and won't drop it to 0hp.

Now, the cow is, by rules, a fey creature in that it is a fey spirit that has taken the form of a beast (a cow). So that is another consideration. Also, it isn't food/drink that is being offered. It is being taken without invitation.

A) Do you think that a conjured cow could be milked?
B) If so, what would the effect of consuming fey food (in this case, milk) while in the Material Plane?

 

[billd91]

Has your conjured cow ever had a calf? Has it been consistently milked every day to ensure that it is still producing milk? If not, you can’t milk a conjured cow. Cows don’t naturally produce an infinite supply of milk. Their milk is farmed once they have a calf.

While all this is true, it also runs the risk of stepping into that area of excessive amount of real-world knowledge causing problems for the game. I used to see this a lot with fan-created material, particular netbooks back in 2e days. It can either be kind of cool to work in this real world knowledge and increase the game's verisimilitude or it can disrupt an interesting event in the game without adding anything - depending on your perspective.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

While all this is true, it also runs the risk of stepping into that area of excessive amount of real-world knowledge causing problems for the game. I used to see this a lot with fan-created material, particular netbooks back in 2e days. It can either be kind of cool to work in this real world knowledge and increase the game's verisimilitude or it can disrupt an interesting event in the game without adding anything - depending on your perspective.

Well...I mean...it's the equivalent of conjuring a dog in hopes to nurse a starving puppy. What are the odds you'll conjure a dog that is lactating? It seems like common sense to me and not an over-use of real world knowledge. Not that I wouldn't allow it...I just might roll randomly to see if it works. Or just say 'yes' if it's a creative solution to a problem.

 

[Charlaquin]

Has your conjured cow ever had a calf? Has it been consistently milked every day to ensure that it is still producing milk? If not, you can’t milk a conjured cow. Cows don’t naturally produce an infinite supply of milk. Their milk is farmed once they have a calf.

True of real cows. But a fae spirit taking the form of a cow? I could see it getting its jollies from producing milk when you squeeze its udders.

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

True of real cows. But a fae spirit taking the form of a cow? I could see it getting its jollies from producing milk when you squeeze its udders.

I mean, fair enough. That seems like a DM call. Maybe Fairy cows can spontaneously produce milk. But, then, that should be true of any animal you summon. FWIW, I've never met a cow that enjoyed being milked but none of them were fairies.

 

[jgsugden]

Do we all realize that this is secretly a conversation about the "safety" of other uses of summon creatures? Hopefully not cows, but....

 

[TaranTheWanderer]

Do we all realize that this is secretly a conversation about the "safety" of other uses of summon creatures? Hopefully not cows, but....

Heh, yes.

I guess my answer is creative uses of summoning should be allowed. The details are up to the DM and Players.

 

[Amrûnril]

While all this is true, it also runs the risk of stepping into that area of excessive amount of real-world knowledge causing problems for the game. I used to see this a lot with fan-created material, particular netbooks back in 2e days. It can either be kind of cool to work in this real world knowledge and increase the game's verisimilitude or it can disrupt an interesting event in the game without adding anything - depending on your perspective.

If you're bringing in real world knowledge of cows producing milk (that's not in the stat block after all) I don't think it's a problem to bring in outside knowledge of the conditions under which it would do so. The again, if I'm letting a player choose to summon a cow, I'd let them choose what sort of cow.

The milk would disappear when the conjuration ended.
So you could drink the milk. But when the spell ended you would find yourself hungry and thirsty again, suddenly.

My immediate impulse would be to say that yes, it can be milked; but the milk vanishes when the cow does. You can drink it, but will get no nourishment from it.

This probably makes sense for a one hour summoning spell. If you get far enough into the process of digestion and cellular respiration, though, the chemical energy you obtain isn't necessarily being stored by the same atoms and molecules that made up the milk. If you're able to extend the summoning to that point, does that mean you get to keep the energy?

Or maybe once the milk's no longer part of the cow it returns to the feywild on its own when it takes sufficient damage from stomach acid, instead of sticking around until the cow returns?

 

[J.Quondam]

True of real cows. But a fae spirit taking the form of a cow? I could see it getting its jollies from producing milk when you squeeze its udders.

Domain of delight, indeed!

 

[BookTenTiger]

I think that is an incredibly fun idea. Real milk strengthens your bones, so I'd say Fey milk strengthens your magic! Maybe it...

Gives you Darkvision for an hour...

Grants you the ability to cast Detect Magic for an hour...

Gives you proficiency in Sylvan for ten minutes...

Randomly changes your eye and hair color...

Grants you advantage on Deception Checks, but disadvantage on Insight Checks, for an hour...

Tastes like the finest mead for anyone Chaotic, like milk to anyone neutral, and like spoiled milk to anyone lawful!

 

[Oofta]

If its a milk cow, sure. for me, anything conjured can do it's normal "stuff", whatever that is. But when the conjuring ends, it leaves behind nothing. Only it's impacts on the material world remain (just like damage it does), but it's milk or other parts go away.

That is, until my players try to use such in a way to break the game, then it detonates like a 9th level fireball!

In my campaign it would just trigger ...