D&D 5E Help finding a way for players to capture a monster and transport it easily.

[BraMithra]

I am currently DM in a game where my players were payed to fight in a arena. In the arena they had to fight monsters. These monsters are used to not only challenge the fighters in the arena but also get butts in the seats. The audience getting to see exotic monsters not native to the region is a draw. For some reason my players wanted to meet the crew that captured these monsters and told them if they captured monsters would the arena pay them. I said that yes they would be rewarded if they captured a monster.

What I now need, having not thought about the methods this crew used, is a effect magic item or spell this crew used to bring these monsters to the arena. Like a bag of holding or something. Jar of imprisonment perhaps. I need suggestions for practical ways of transporting a monster to a arena. I do not want to resort to handing out jars of imprisonment to my players.

The monsters they had to fight were not super large. Winter wolves, dire wolves, worgs things of that nature.

Thank you.

 

[Ath-kethin]

I don't really see why it needs to be a magic item. Keeping in mind that in 5e, reducing a creature to 0 hps carries the option of knocking it unconscious, I see no reason that a group of trained hunters couldn't just subdue, hogtie, and cart such creatures to the arena manually. If they don't use magic items, you don't need to worry about you PCs getting them. Problem solved.

 

[BraMithra]

That is very true. Thank you for the input. That is a way to capture a monster that lived near or around the arena. But these monsters were exotic to the region they were in, carting them would take weeks. I understand this was my own fault for explaining it they way I did, but I did not expect them to want to capture monsters for a reward. I explained it as a small crew, of one or two, captured winter wolves and brought them back from a different continent. I understand the bind I put myself in in explaining it that way.

So I need help in thinking of a way for one guy to transport a creature of large size to a arena. I also may have said there was even a Ankheg there. I understand I did this to myself, but with help I know the people here could help me solve this stupid problem I put myself in.

The fighting of the monster could be done by a crew, but I was envisioning the crew having a pack mule of sorts guy. In that ones guys backpack he had a way of caring with him 2 or 3 large monsters.

Thanks for all the help! If we solve this I will be forever in debt.

 

[FormerlyHemlock]

Also, use chains and manacles, for the times you need to let the monster wake up so it can eat and drink, etc.

If you want to solve the carrying problem for them in a cool way, give them... a magic art set. When you paint a sleeping or unconscious creature with this art set, it turns into a magical stick-on tattoo. (Requires 8 hours and a Dexterity (Performance) check with a DC equal to 10 + the creature's CR--painting tool proficiency can substitute for Performance.) The animal can't wake up until you take off the tattoo, and then it turns back into the creature.

The magic art set is good for 99 drawings, some of which will be failed drawings.

 

[ccs]

A crew of minor npcs, ropes, manicles, nets, traps, cages, maybe tranquilizers.
Boats & wagons as needed.

Just like people here in the real world use to capture & transport big game.

 

[BraMithra]

The art set is a very cool idea. Creating a magic item myself to solve this situation is something I may indeed have to do. I like the art set idea very much!

I know could have them do it without any magical means just like they would in the real world. But this is D&D, I was hoping people had done this before in some cool magical way. Perhaps a magical net of sizing that also sizes whatever is inside.

I will take any other ideas people can give to help me in this situation I created for myself.

 

[cheeseguy]

I am currently DM in a game where my players were payed to fight in a arena. In the arena they had to fight monsters. These monsters are used to not only challenge the fighters in the arena but also get butts in the seats. The audience getting to see exotic monsters not native to the region is a draw. For some reason my players wanted to meet the crew that captured these monsters and told them if they captured monsters would the arena pay them. I said that yes they would be rewarded if they captured a monster.

What I now need, having not thought about the methods this crew used, is a effect magic item or spell this crew used to bring these monsters to the arena. Like a bag of holding or something. Jar of imprisonment perhaps. I need suggestions for practical ways of transporting a monster to a arena. I do not want to resort to handing out jars of imprisonment to my players.

The monsters they had to fight were not super large. Winter wolves, dire wolves, worgs things of that nature.

Thank you.

Well probably simple nets and chains and a wagon. If magic is involved they by all means use the floating disk and carry then back.

For the wagon either assign them a guy to driven the wagon and possibly caravan full of hunters. Assign special weapons (tranq arrows, blow guns, nets) just simple capture equipment.

Floating disk... Uhh your choice on that one.

And for other bigger monsters then make them like special tier or something to capture them. They start of capturing simple animals and then they have to get a bear to move on to the next step which will be more exotic, so on and so forth.

Sent from my Z963VL using EN World mobile app

 

[MarkB]

You could make something like a Collar of Obedience. The Collar can be refitted to a variety of sizes and types of creatures, but can only be applied to a creature that is unconscious on zero hitpoints. While wearing the Collar, the creature is unable to attack, use special abilities, or heal naturally. If the creature is healed to more than half of its maximum hitpoints, the Collar no longer affects it.

The Collar has a leash attached, and a person holding the leash can use an action to speak a command phrase followed by a simple verbal instruction. The creature automatically understands the instruction and is compelled to obey it.

That way, you can Collar a creature that has been defeated in combat, and then order it to accompany you under its own power, but it cannot fight on your behalf, and must be kept weak in order to maintain control. Essentially, it's good for capturing creatures without allowing players to use them in combat.

 

[barrowwight]

The Diorama of the Amphitheatre.
This small (usually, though some come in sizes as large as a room) glass enclosed diorama contains a exact miniature replica of a amphitheatre, colosseum or arena.
Using the command word any defeated creature is magically shrunken to scale and stored in the diorama. The creature is in semi stasis and not able to move, does not need to eat or drink but will heal wounds over time. The owner of the diorama can position the creature in the replica by hovering a finger above the creature and sliding the finger across the glass to a desired position. When released in the actual arena replicated by the diorama the creature will appear in the appropriate location. On command the user can release any or all creatures in the diorama. Usually done at the site of the actual arena as the user has control of positioning the creatures but accidents do happen and if the diorama is broken all captured creatures are return to normal size,temperament and with what health was recovered over time. The diorama can hold up to 10 creatures as long as the creatures would fit on floor of the replicated arena.


edit: Other types of dioramas certainly exists. Some speculate this is how certain tombs are stocked with fresh creatures or how certain creatures suddenly appear in cities. There is rumored to be a extremely powerful version that the interior replica can morph into any location known by the user. This artifact is known as Loki's playset

 

[Bupp]

This sounds more like your players need to find a solution, not you. As the DM, you present the challenge, and they have to figure it out.

As for how the current crew does it? "Trade secrets" that they don't want possible competition to know.

They may claim that it is only the two of them, figuring that the tribe of goblins that they've paid to do most tof the actual grunt work not worth mentioning.