Best Beasts To Tame In D&D

Key Takeaways

Dragons Wyrmlings are coveted allies due to their intelligence, power, and potential as mounts in D&D campaigns.
Taming an Owlbear can be challenging due to their hostility towards humanoids, low intelligence, and brutal nature.
A Faerie Dragon is a powerful magical creature that requires patience, treats, and a pact to be tamed in D&D campaigns.

As an old-time Dungeon Master with more than a few gray hairs to show for it, I must say that these creature descriptions are a delight to read! Each one brings a unique flavor and potential role to any campaign, from the loyal Guard Drake to the mischievous Faerie Dragon.

One captivating aspect in the game Dungeons & Dragons is the mechanic known as Taming. Few players of this tabletop role-playing game realize that taming a wild creature is possible for anyone, given certain requirements are met. When fans envision Tamed Beasts, they often picture Rangers and Druids utilizing their Animal Handling or Speak With Animals skills.

Instead of focusing on the Best Beasts to Tame, let me share some ideas about the Perfect Pets to Domesticate and Train throughout a Dungeons & Dragons campaign. These pets, with the Dungeon Master’s approval, can transform into formidable allies to help players achieve their goals or even serve as mounts they can ride on.

10 Dragon Wyrmlings

Cute When Young, Deadly When Full Grown

Type: Dragon (Small)
Alignment: Chaotic Evil/Evil (Chromatic) – Lawful Good/Neutral (Metallic)
Taming Difficulty: High (DC 15-20+)
Strong Points: Smart, Grows into Large Creature (potential Mounts), Powerful, Breath Weapon, Multiattack, Blindsight, Darkvision, Elemental Immunities, Good Trackers, Good Fighters, Can Learn To Speak Languages
Weak Points: Could resist taming, Dragons are prideful and intelligent creatures, so they will not follow any master just because

In the realm of Dungeons & Dragons, Wyrmlings are the most renowned and sought-after pets. They’re known for their intelligence, ferocity, and potential to be formidable allies. These young dragons grow rapidly within a span of 1 to 6 years, provided they’ve had enough nourishment since hatching. However, to advance to later stages of their life, it takes them hundreds of years.

At the adolescent phase, dragons transform into vast creatures, capable of being ridden. However, it’s important to note that Chromatic Dragons are generally malevolent and tend to reject masters who do not share their alignment, unless there’s a compelling reason for such an exception. Players may potentially subdue one of these formidable creatures through skillful maneuvers.

9 Owlbear

A Massive Killing Machine

Type: Monstrosity (Large)
Alignment: Unaligned
Taming Difficulty: (DC 15-20+)
Strong Points: Large Creature (potential Mounts), Powerful, Leap Attack, Multiattack, Good Ranger Partners, Good Tanks, Excellent Tracker and Spotter
Weak Points: Brutal, Eats A Lot, Cannot Be Stabled, Hostile To Most Humanoids, Low Intelligence

The dream of every Ranger and Druid is an Owlbear partner. They’re strong, versatile, and ideal for tracking down prey in forests and wild environments in general. They’re also surprisingly good in battle once they are tamed. But, there lies the problem: taming an Owlbear is not easy, since these monstrosities are not fond of humanoids and will attack them on sight.

To amplify the challenge, the Owlbear boasts a minimal intelligence level (3), making it extremely hard for Druids, Rangers, or even Paladins with Speak with Animals spell in effect to establish rapport with this beast. The idea of Paladins attempting to domesticate this creature as their mount is perilous at best; however, if the Dungeon Master grants some leniency based on a compelling background or lore connection, this fearsome creature could transform into an exceptional ally, blending the beneficial traits of bears and owls.

8 Blink Dog

A Loyal Companion For The Righteous

Type: Fey Creature (Small)
Alignment: Lawful Good
Taming Difficulty: Medium (DC 10-15+)
Strong Points: Loyal, Smart, Good Hearted, Will Protect His Master Until His Last Breath, Understands Sylvan and has its own Language, can Teleport at will (even carrying objects/equipment) and attack at the same time, Proficient Tracker and Spotter
Weak Points: Low Constitution (12) and Armor Class (13), too easy to lose it in battle

Blink Dogs are among the various beings native to the Feywild that people from the Realms have been able to bring back with them. Typically, it’s magic-users who do this, as these hunting dogs are commonly prized pets of High-Ranking Faë Nobility. These creatures are incredibly loyal, forming lasting bonds with their masters, particularly those who embody Lawful Good values.

Characters who lean towards good alignments or lawful neutrality, such as Paladins, Rangers, Clerics (of the Archfey), and Warlocks might discover an excellent companion in a Blink Dog. The challenge lies in keeping it alive long enough to justify the effort of finding and training one. However, let’s save that story for another time. What I can tell you is that the combat prowess, particularly its supportive role, of this creature is exceptional.

7 Displacer Beast

A Deadly Underdark Predator

Type: Monstrosity (Large)
Alignment: Lawful Evil
Taming Difficulty: Extreme (DC 20-25+)
Strong Points: Ferocious, Agile, Strong, Can Climb Walls, Extreme Detection Abilities, Teleports (only out of combat), understands Common (if taught), Loyal to its master (especially Drows), Ideal Pack Hunters, Intrinsic Illusion Abilities, Multiattack
Weak Points: Whimsical, Extreme Distrust For Strangers, Highly perceptive of humanoid emotions – Will attack anything that even thinks of threatening its master, Hard to control when enraged

In many Underdark environments, the Displacer Beast is a highly sought-after pet due to its status as the preferred predator among the residents of Menzoberrazam, especially the Drow nobility. These creatures can be found not only in the Underdark but also in swamps, deep forests, and mountain ranges. Known for their power and speed, these feline-like hunters often work in teams and value their partners deeply, considering them as if they were part of the same pack. The Displacer Beast has a unique ability to blend into its surroundings, making it hard to hit, and it takes reduced damage on every hit when the saving throw fails, or no damage at all if the save is successful.

It is said that a Displacer Beast will eat its master’s corpse if it has been dead for more than one day (even if the body is treated by Preservation Magic to be resurrected later). The bad thing is that this same loyalty makes it distrustful of others, and a Displacer Beast in the wrong place at the wrong time can jeopardize the party’s play. Since this is a Lawful Evil creature, it will only obey Masters of similar alignments (unless a Chaotic Evil Master mistreats it). This beast is moderately intelligent and will learn Common slowly but steadily until it can comprehend it perfectly.

6 Fox

Underestimate This Creature, And It Will Make You Suffer

Type: Beast (Tiny – Small)
Alignment: Unaligned
Taming Difficulty: Easy (DC 5-10)
Strong Points: Easy To tame and train, Stealthy, Good Infiltrator, Fast, Best Partner for urban settings, can climb, can swim, can jump, can burrow itself, good at acrobatics, can be taught lots of tricks and diversion tactics, some species can Grow into mounts depending on the setting of the campaign (Giant Fox from the Feywild)
Weak Points: Weak, squishy, not fit for combat

Often overlooked by many gamers and Dungeon Masters, the seemingly ordinary Fox possesses hidden strength when properly trained. Clever and nimble, these creatures might not be the brightest, but they can be tamed and taught skills. With a bit of assistance from a skilled DM, Bards and Druids can even imbue them with consciousness through the process known as Awakening, transforming them into intelligent companions capable of understanding languages and speaking one of their choice.

The spell can last up to 30 days and needs to be recast. But, a wise DM could grant a Permanency spell to the party if they find a willing spellcaster who wants to help them create the perfect animal companion. Once this is done, the Fox will be even more cunning and useful for non-combat tactics. Exploration and infiltration are the Fox’s strongest points, but an Awakened Fox can steal keys, send messages, trick people to make them fall from a guard post, kidnap certain targets (yes, remember there are evil-aligned players), activate mechanisms, and deploy certain traps. The possibilities are near endless, if players are wise enough to see the Fox’s potential, they won’t regret having it as a pet.

5 Griffon

The Dream Mount Of Every Paladin

Type: Monstrosity (Large)
Alignment: Unaligned
Taming Difficulty: High (DC 18-20)
Strong Points: Flies, Serves as A Mount, Loyal, Perfect at hunting, and spotting, good in Open, Space Combat, Multiattack, Extreme Perception
Weak Points: Hard to tame, hard to train, and hard to gain its trust, the Griffon is a Proud predator, and as such, chooses its partner with extreme prejudice. Cannot fight in enclosed spaces for long

The Griffon, a marvel of nature, embodies the ferocity of a lion, the acute senses and flight capabilities of an eagle. This formidable creature, with its vast size, is admired by many – Paladins envision themselves riding it into battle, while Warriors and Mages yearn to possess it as a pet. Rangers, however, tend not to attempt taming these beasts, but exceptions do occur.

Griffins are often employed by skilled sorcerers as summoned defense animals, particularly by those who establish their strongholds in tall towers. This is because griffins excel in aerial battles and can swiftly transition to ground combat, making them excellent companions for adventurers who enjoy exploring the world. However, these creatures are hard to come by, as they tend to prefer the seclusion of mountain ranges and dense woodlands. Even when located, taming one can be quite difficult, even for seasoned animal trainers.

4 Flying Snake

Underrated, But Strong If Used Correctly

Type: Beast (Tiny)
Alignment: Unaligned
Taming Difficulty: Easy (DC 5-10)
Strong Points: Nimble, Fast, Flies, Great Support, Can Carry Messages, Can obey basic commands, Can Carry objects up to 3 pounds (Potions for example) and drop them in a designated area, can Bite and Inflict Deadly Poison, doesn’t provoke attacks of opportunity when disengaging, has Blindsight
Weak Points: Squishy, a good targeted bow shot or lucky melee strike can kill it, not too many combat options besides biting and inflicting poison

A Flying Snake is a great asset for Assassins and Sorcerers (or any other Spellcaster) who want to have the ideal Pet to help them conduct their activities. Since this beast is not as hard to tame as others, it is used by most classes as a companion, if they know where to find one. Flying Snake eggs can be bought for a price of 1200 Gold pieces in the Black Market, and tend to hatch in between 5 to 10 days.

Initially, they fail to identify their master, becoming aggressive towards anything nearby. However, with perseverance and devotion (alongside some successful Animal Handling checks), players could transform these creatures into an airborne delivery service for poison or potions. This service costs only three Acid Spray scrolls. Not a shabby deal!

3 Raven

Ideal For Tricksters And Rogues

Type: Beast (Tiny)
Alignment: Unaligned
Taming Difficulty: Easy (DC 5-10)
Strong Points: Fast, Flies, Good Infiltrator, Can Be used for surveillance (Spellcasters), can be both Familiar and tamed beast, can be trained in pickpocketing (Hilarious), can be taught simple words, and will drive enemies nuts, really hard to target and hit
Weak Points: One arrow (or bolt) and the fun is over, they’re tricky and can steal the wrong object at the wrong time and bring it to their masters, or provoke the wrong NPCs

Raven, a trustworthy and virtuous bird, is often highly valued by Mages, Sorcerers, Witches, Warlocks, as well as Rogues, Rangers, and Inquisitors. Remarkably, Ravens may not be the smartest of birds in terms of their intelligence rating, but they possess the ability to mimic simple sounds, which can prove incredibly useful for many characters.

In the annals of history, it’s not unusual for empires to crumble at the hands of a cunning trickster, often accompanied by a cleverly trained Raven as their companion. This bird may lack significant combat abilities, but in an urban environment or amid political intrigue, it can prove incredibly valuable. Players never know when this stealthy creature might snatch a crucial piece of information from unsuspecting nobles.

2 Guard Drake

A Loyal Draconic Best Friend

Type: Dragon (Medium)
Alignment: Unaligned
Taming Difficulty: Moderate (15-18)
Strong Points: Tanky, Can Understand Draconic (cannot speak), depending on the type, it can climb, swim, and even burrow, has Darkvision, has Multiattack, loyal, guard-dog like, can serve as Mount for Medium humanoids
Weak Points: Extremely Hard To Find, Expensive, Black Market beast traffickers covet them (so do Nobles, and Beast Fight Ringmasters) which causes many problems for the players, they’re forbidden in many cities and towns, so they cannot be stabled with ease

Interestingly enough, the Guard Drake isn’t actually a Dragon, but rather a specific type of its subspecies. These creatures are primarily bred for guarding treasures and fortresses, and they tend to prefer the company of their kin or their beloved masters. They exhibit an exceptional loyalty towards a caring master and are known to retaliate against those who ill-treat them by biting off their arms.

These creatures excel in combat due to their potent Tail Sweeps. They’re also suitable mounts for Dwarven Warriors, Paladins, Halfling Sorcerers, and Rangers. Dungeon Masters who opt to provide these instead of War Horses to players can cut down on lengthy sessions when traversing challenging terrains because Guard Drakes can navigate various environments, including climbing, swimming, and burrowing (depending on their sub-types). Awakened Guard Drakes are formidable companions for Rangers and Druids, posing a significant threat to unforewarned Masters.

1 Faerie Dragon

An Extremely Smart Creature, Loves Candy, Shinies, And Pranks

Type: Dragon
Alignment: Chaotic Good
Taming Difficulty: Moderate (15-18) depending on the age of the creature, it can climb up to Extreme (25+)
Strong Points: Extremely Intelligent, Fast, Powerful Magic User, Innate Magic that evolves with age (can even become small humanoids from age 50 and forward), can turn Invisible at will
Weak Points: Whimsical, Pranksters, They enjoy good company but despise stubborn/stiff behaviors (Paladins beware) and above all else: cannot be forced to obey, need to be wooed into a sort of pact to be “tamed”

Faerie Dragons are the small tricksters of the draconic world. They are the size of a medium cat (like the Pseudodragons) and boast beautiful color patterns in their butterfly-like wings and scales. As a Faerie Dragon matures, their color pattern changes, from Red (younger) to Purple (older), and so do its magical capabilities, mostly associated with the Illusion school.

Faerie Dragons are often good-willed, though prone to childish pranks and mischief, and smart players always carry some sweet treats and shiny valuables with them, so these species prefer approaching those who willingly share their precious things with them. But don’t let their size and quirky demeanor fool you: these are powerful magical creatures that will pursue vengeance on those who offend them, so be careful. A player that manages to befriend a Faerie Dragon enough to earn his trust and company will be settled for life with a powerful ally spellcaster, which can evolve until becoming a force to be reckoned with. If the campaign lasts enough for this creature to survive the passing of time, that is.

2024-11-27 11:34