D&D General The Owlbear Druid: How Would You Do It? (A Poll)

[DND_Reborn]

I kinda want to play an owlbear warlock now

Oi! Here we go... LOL

Patron of the Monsters?

 

[TwoSix]

Perhaps when the next revision/version comes around, they will examine each creature along a more rigid system, and define the lore more clearer in cases like owlbears. Like I wrote above, maybe once owlbears were created by magic, but then were able to breed and continue their species without magic? If that was the established lore, fine.

For owlbears, I definitely think it's a case where the narrative around them in the popular imagination is changing faster than the books are.

 

[DND_Reborn]

For owlbears, I definitely think it's a case where the narrative around them in the popular imagination is changing faster than the books are.

Very well could be, given this was never even brought up on the forum (to my knowledge) until the movie trailer came out...

Some people say "I've allowed Owlbears" already, but others are now "Oh, yeah, that's cool. Just make them beasts." So, I don't think it has been something that has been changing so the books haven't been able to keep up. I think it is a sudden jump due to the movie trailer.

Now, if someone had previously posted about allowing monstrosities as Wild Shape, I missed it I guess.

 

[WarDriveWorley]

Oi! Here we go... LOL

Patron of the Monsters?

Wellllll I mean I would prefer to go with the Shadowcat patron from the Compendium of Forgotten Secrets so my owlbear can stalk dreams and shadows, but we could work out something with a Patron of Monsters

 

[Minigiant]

I suppose if WotC retooled the ideas to be along these lines, but for me an easy way to judge it is if the creatures reproduce or not? To they have to all be created by magic or do they carry on their own species?

I could easily see owlbears and pegasi carrying on their own, but chimera I would have to imagine are somehow "born" of magic. The others might have been once upon a time but turned out that they could mate and reproduce, no longer needing magic to continue the line.

Anyway, bottom line for me is they aren't beasts, so normally druids can't wild shape into them. Although I think a Circle of Monsters might be cool, to me it would have to be carefully balanced versus Moon Druids, otherwise Moon Druids would likely no longer be used by players.

But hey, that is the trend with new things according to WotC, they don't seem to care if it makes prior things obsolete.

To me, owlbears are beasts because no wizard is creating more owlbears.

Owlbears are not immortal. They grow, mate, reproduce, and die. They lack a magical aura nor supernatural aspects. It's existence is back by deities or godlings.

To me, a monstrosity requires epic high magic, divine magic, a history from a magical creature or a powerful curse to keep the monstrosity together and alive for PCs to encounter it.

Owlbears is "a wizard did it" but it's so different from the fey or divine origins of the other monstrosities. And it lacks the magic of the other arcanely created monstrosity.

Ten Bucks says, owlbears being monstrosities is a druidic conspiracy to hide the actions of a well known druid. They always could turn into owlbears. Druids don't so they can deny that they made owlbears naturally.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Owlbears is "a wizard did it" but it's so different from the fey or divine origins of the other monstrosities. And it lacks the magic of the other arcanely created monstrosity.

Ok, so I brought up Hippogriffs before. What is your thought on them?

By those statements, I would imagine you would consider Hippogriffs beasts as well?

 

[darjr]

So. I think I remember a cert in Adventurers League that allowed this. So they are playing in an AL game, at a convention!

 

[DEFCON 1]

If I had a player saying they wanted to do it, I'd probably just create a lower CR'd owlbear statblock... or heck just use any of the almost 60 "owlbear cub"-like statblocks on D&D Beyond that have a CR of 1/2 or less. Then as the druid levels, just keep leveling the statblock and its CR to match.

 

[Minigiant]

Ok, so I brought up Hippogriffs before. What is your thought on them?

By those statements, I would imagine you would consider Hippogriffs beasts as well?

Hippogriffs are related to griffons.

To me, griffons have divine origins and this divine unnatural creation separates them and all other "griffs" from nature.

To me a monstrosity has a not-natural origin, magical powers, or is formed from pieces of an unnatural magical being.


2 or more animals jammed together with no magical powers, no divine/dragon/giant/fey/psionic origin, and beast intelligence is a beast to me.

 

[Minigiant]

To me I think a lot of the monstrosity vs beast thing might be generational.

I grew up on 80s and 90s cartoons and they ran with weird looking things being normal animals.
Fast Forward to a decade back and you have the Avatar series where combo-beasts are norm and normal bears are the confusing thing to inhabitants.

BTW statting badgermoles and swarms of turtleducks

 

[DND_Reborn]

2 or more animals jammed together with no magical powers, no divine/dragon/giant/fey/psionic origin, and beast intelligence is a beast to me.

So, Hippogriffs then are beasts:

2 or more animals? Check! Eagle + Horse
No magical powers? Check!
No divine/dragon/giant/fey/psionic origin? Check!
Beast intelligence? Check! (INT 2)

(FWIW, the are not related to griffons.)

 

[Minigiant]

So, Hippogriffs then are beasts:

2 or more animals? Check! Eagle + Horse
No magical powers? Check!
No divine/dragon/giant/fey/psionic origin? Check!
Beast intelligence? Check! (INT 2)

(FWIW, the are not related to griffons.)

View attachment 254927

Hippogiff's origin is unknown.
This is unlike the owlbear which has a "wizard did it" origin.

 

[DND_Reborn]

Hippogiff's origin is unknown.

It's magical. It might be lost to history, but it is magical. Not divine/dragon/giant/fey/psionic. So, check!

This is unlike the owlbear which has a "wizard did it" origin.

As was discussed upthread, this is just one possible origin. The other being it is from the Feywild, which would violate your origin condition since fey is part of that list...

 

[TwoSix]

So, Hippogriffs then are beasts:

2 or more animals? Check! Eagle + Horse
No magical powers? Check!
No divine/dragon/giant/fey/psionic origin? Check!
Beast intelligence? Check! (INT 2)

(FWIW, the are not related to griffons.)

View attachment 254927

I'd definitely consider hippogriffs beasts. Heck, couldn't rangers get them as animal companions in 2e?

 

[Minigiant]

possible origin. The other being it is from the Feywild, which would violate your origin condition since fey is part of that list...

But if they are from the fey wild, then owlbears would be fey, right?

 

[DND_Reborn]

But if they are from the fey wild, then owlbears would be fey, right?

Which was why I suggested if they are not monstrosities, they should be fey, while others suggested beasts.

While I am not keen on the idea of a Circle of Monsters, a Circle of Fey would make some sense to me for druids....

 

[DND_Reborn]

I'd definitely consider hippogriffs beasts. Heck, couldn't rangers get them as animal companions in 2e?

I don't know about animal companions, but followers certainly (along with several others):

Even in 1E (DMG for Rangers):

 

[Azzy]

Remember wen 3x make dinosaurs Beasts just to hose druids?

Pepperidge Farms remembers.

 

[doctorbadwolf]

I allow all beasts, monstrosities, plants, and Fey, of appropriate CR, and don’t enforce the movement type restriction.

 

[Azzy]

I'd revise owlbears and some other to be Monstrosities rather than Beasts and be done with it.