Choosing animal companions for ease of mobility, tastiness and nutrition.

[Moonstone Spider]

So. . . you need to use the spell to summon a cow* that's currently lactating. Then you at least have milk on hand.

*Actually you could summon any mammal but rabbit milk isn't as plentiful.

 

[Hypersmurf]

Summon (as in Summon Nature's Ally) wouldn't work; it faces the same problem that Summon Monster does. The moment the creature drops to 0 hp, it disappears, heading back to wherever it was summoned from.

You don't eat the Summons; you use it as bait.

Think about all the pigeons you could attract with Summon Swarm, for instance...

-Hyp.

 

[Sejs]

No berries around for Goodberry, eh?

Sounds like a good use for Baleful Polymorph, as well. Keep a couple of spiders or mice on hand. When the time comes - poof, polymorph 'em into sheep and dig in.

 

[cignus_pfaccari]

I would not penalize the druid for sacrificing their animal companion to feed the party, though he might have been able to use a combination of summons or animal empathy to sway a creature to show up that they could then slaughter for food. The natural realm's not very pretty and sometimes situations cause people to hunt for food; a druid should understand that.

In our Planescape game, the animal companion was the more or less disposable meatshield.

And, well, waste not, want not. Just need enough hot sauce.

Brad

 

[Hypersmurf]

No berries around for Goodberry, eh?

Sounds like a good use for Baleful Polymorph, as well. Keep a couple of spiders or mice on hand. When the time comes - poof, polymorph 'em into sheep and dig in.

Interesting - doesn't look like 'reverts to natural form upon death' from Polymorph applies to Baleful Polymorph.

An alternative suggestion, along the same them: Baleful Polymorph a few cows into toads ahead of time. (Easy to carry, and can't run as fast as a mouse if you drop one, and permanent duration!) When food becomes an issue, dispel the Baleful Polymorph - instant cow!

-Hyp.

 

[Dannyalcatraz]

My mother's advice based on personal experience: It tastes better if you did not give it a name.

I'll have to differ here, having once eaten a snapping turtle named George who was quite tasty.

The caveat, though, is that I didn't KNOW it was George at the time. I had been told George had gone over the fence.*

*I was 4 years old.

As for the original premise, I'd say this was abuse of the power. No eating of animal companions unless they're already dead by the hands of another (in other words, not slaughtered for the purpose of eating them).

 

[Xyanthon]

Does the predator/prey relationship automatically track to an evil/good anaology?

Isn't Nature served by the predator/prey relationship?

Isn't it the proper and natural role for a prey animal to be eaten by a predator?

What if the animal companion volunteers?

While not really related to being a druid, I think there is precendence in mythology for eating your animal companions. Didn't Thor have two goat companions that he would slaughter and eat as needed and they would reappear alive and whole at a later time? I don't think it would cause a moral conundrum if it was done out of survival. Actually that I think about it, I'm sure you can go back through all kinds of myths and legends and find cases of valued animal companions being eaten (I can't give any other examples off the top of my head but I'm pretty sure that it was not an uncommon theme).

 

[Slife]

Shrink item + stone to flesh. Instant food for the whole family!



Or just the cast create food and water. For you old fuddy-duddies out there.

 

[Driddle]

We eat 'em with catsup and a hefty dollop of respect.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

I'll have to differ here, having once eaten a snapping turtle named George who was quite tasty.

The caveat, though, is that I didn't KNOW it was George at the time. I had been told George had gone over the fence.*

*I was 4 years old.

Over the fence? That turtle must have great jumping legs.

I suspect the taste would have been different if you had known the name of your meal at dinner time.