D&D 5E How do you domesticate a wild animal?

[Zinnger]

A Druid wants to have an animal companion to take along similar to the Beast Master Ranger but only wants a small pet that would not attack. He wants to train the animal and be able to cast Beast Sense and use it as a scout. Any ideas on how to get a wild animal and make it a pet? Can you buy a domesticated bird? Can you train one yourself? What about a wolf? Any ideas would be appreciated. Thanks

 

[Cernor]

I think that it would work best if he found it himself and trained it in his downtime: spending 200 days and 200gp to train the animal (like learning a new tool) seems like a fair investment while avoiding stepping on the toes of the Beastmaster. Maybe reduce the time to 50 or 100 days so that while still a significant investment, it's possible for a campaign with little downtime (other than traveling).

 

[Bupp]

I don't have my books in front of me, but the animal handling skill sounds like the right approach to me.

 

[Astrosicebear]

As Cernor said, use the learn a new tool rules. In real life training animals takes years for intelligent animals like hawks, dolphins, etc. So if the driud wants something smart, he will need to spend at least a year. (Assuming the druid nature speeds things up a bit).

 

[GMMichael]

You domesticate a wild animal by selectively breeding it for generations.

You tame a wild animal with lots of physical abuse. And maybe some treats.

Astroicebears's advice is good, but you can handwave just about all of it by using "magic."

 

[Roger]

I'd probably just give it to them. Seems pretty Druidy. A chicken seems like a good start.

 

[Umbran]

You domesticate a wild animal by selectively breeding it for generations.

Correct. Domestication is a process on a population, not an individual creature.

You tame a wild animal with lots of physical abuse. And maybe some treats.

I hope you're trying to be funny. Folks today realize that negative reinforcement (physical abuse, causing pain, and so on) is at best an unreliable training tool. Positive reinforcement (like treats) is far more effective.

 

[Aimian_Silverflash]

Realize we are talking about a fantasy RPG here, and a person magically and divinely attuned to nature, animals and plants. We aren't talking Jeff Corwin here, we're talking Radagast from LotR, who can cast Animal Friendship and Speak with Animals at 1st level.

So yeah. I'd say that'd be pretty dang easy for him to do, honestly. If I were a DM, I'd make it a sidebar in a game, where they come across trappers that have an injured animal in a cage, and the druid needs to buy the animal from the trappers, or maybe some orc trappers that the party kills. The druid then needs to befriend the animal, heal the animal, and then train.

For balance purposes, I wouldn't let him get much advantage out of his pet though unless he judiciously uses Speak with Animals, Beast Sense, etc... But that's just me.

Also realize there's places that a wild animal won't go. A befriended wolf is still a wolf, and will really dislike going into a town or city. But others may be fine, like a small bird that you'd mentioned. Keep a nest under his hat, like Radagast.

 

[steeldragons]

I don't understand why Animal Friendship isn't the obvious answer for a druid PC.

You want "an animal companion" who you can have scout for you with spell cast on them? Find the animal you want, cast animal friendship on it. As long as you don't abuse it, keep it fed and safe, don't put it in obvious/outrageous harm (e.g. "Go scout out that bubbling lava cavern with the random bursts of flaming poisoned gas") it should be happy to hang out n' be buddies with your druid. What's the problem?

Just have the animal continue to hang out with the druid. DMPC it so that it sticks around, is loyal and helpful. A fox, rabbit, ferret or squirrel, a falcon, raven, blue jay or woodpecker? No big. If it's not going to be a fight for/with me kind of creature, who cares? If you want it to "attack" as in create a minor distraction for a round or two if the druid is being beaten on/in an emergency situation, I don't think anybody's going to care o its presence is going to create any kind of "unfair/imbalanced" issue.

 

[Aimian_Silverflash]

I hope you're trying to be funny. Folks today realize that negative reinforcement (physical abuse, causing pain, and so on) is at best an unreliable training tool. Positive reinforcement (like treats) is far more effective.

Not at all trying to be confrontational here, but unfortunately, I doubt he's trying to be funny, nor is he incorrect... It's the fairly well-known way of domesticating lions, tigers, elephants, etc. in the most efficient manner possible. Why do you think people are so against circuses lately?

Also, I grew up on a ranch, and it's the generally accepted way of breaking in young horses. I don't like thinking of what's done as "animal abuse", most horse owners love their horses more than they love people. But it's definitely some tough love. It may not be politically correct, and it may not sound very nice to those that didn't grow up in the country or around animals... But it is most definitely true.

Also, spend a day at a military/police dog training school... A whole lot of tough love goes into making those animals as awesome as they are.

Again, not trying to dive into some sort of crazy political debate or anything. Just pointing out facts.