So I’m starting to get into D&D and I’m trying to see how creative I can get with spells. I heard someone used Thorn Whip to pull an enemy into a crater that the enemy themselves just created to save his ally from a ranged killing blow. I thought that was cool and creative, and being into druids I looked through their spells. My question is about the spell Giant Insect. I can create 5 giant wasps and they follow my commands. So! If there was a situation that needed it, could I use those wasps as mounts to fly? Either going over an obstacle or giving someone with a sight spell more visibility? Is this completely against the mount or summon rules, or is it at a DM discretion?
Yeah that is awesome haha but unfortunately it’s a timed and concentration :/ so no long term pets. It would mainly be for tactical purposes
Giant Insect
4 transmutation
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: 30 feet
Components: V S
Duration: Up to 10 minutes
Classes: Druid
You transform up to ten centipedes, three spiders, five wasps, or one scorpion within range into giant versions of their natural forms for the duration. A centipede becomes a giant centipede, a spider becomes a giant spider, a wasp becomes a giant wasp, and a scorpion becomes a giant scorpion. Each creature obeys your verbal commands, and in combat, they act on your turn each round. The GM has the statistics for these creatures and resolves their actions and movement. A creature remains in its giant size for the duration, until it drops to 0 hit points, or until you use an action to dismiss the effect on it. The GM might allow you to choose different targets. For example, if you transform a bee, its giant version might have the same statistics as a giant wasp.
So the real answer is...if your DM says so then yes! Yes you can! AND PLEASE DO BECAUSE THAT IS EPIC!
The more rules conscious answer is that in order to be used as a mount a creature must be willing to be ridden and be one size larger than you. The spell makes these Giant Wasps friendly to you, so that helps, however they are Medium sized creatures. So your character needs to be considered Small or Tiny to officially ride them. So I suggest checking out the Enlarge/Reduce spell to make all your Giant Wasp riding dreams come true!
i would say you'd need a variant of the giant wasp...like a giant sphecius speciosus since a regular giant wasp has a strength of 10 and can only carry 150 lbs (15 x Str), which includes you, all your gear, armor and whatever saddle/tackle you need for the mount (might still be okay if you're a light-traveling gnome i suppose). Two easy fixes:
just make a variant with a higher strength score (Carrying capacity = 15 x Str)
Add this: Beast of Burden. The wasp is considered to be a Large animal for the purpose of determining its carrying capacity (Carrying capacity = 15 x Str x 2).
on the saddle/tackle, i'd say since they obey your commands you might not need it (especially since that means you'd be carrying around a wasp saddle all day/every day...with maybe a fairly difficult animal handling DC to stay on if you get attacked while in flight....or during high wind or something (or just require both hands to hold on without a saddle). edit: and like jaysburn said, you can just forget about the saddle and have it carry you in its claws.
also keep in mind if your concentration breaks or your mount gets hit for 13 damage...you fall.
and as a bonus, chanting 'sphecius speciosus' is a very harry-potter sounding phrase so you're covered with the V component :)
Giant Insect is a 4th level spell with only a 10 minute duration. Conjure Animals is only a 3rd level spell and has a duration of 1 hour; you can use it to summon up to 8 Giant Owls at once. This is still dependent on your DM; some allow you to choose the beasts that appear, others reserve that right for themselves. As IamSposta points out, you still technically need an Exotic Saddle to ride them. A Giant Owl can carry up to 390 lbs, however, so maybe they can just grab your party and fly off with them, albeit at half speed.
Maybe, instead of targeting a wasp, you should target some killer bees.
an angry killer bee is no more danger dangerous as an angry wasp (i'd guess probably even less dangerous). killer bees are killer because they swarm in the thousands.
ya. thems scary...although they're smaller than the sphecius speciosus (which we have all over the southern US), apparently they're like a zillion times more aggressive.
So I’m starting to get into D&D and I’m trying to see how creative I can get with spells. I heard someone used Thorn Whip to pull an enemy into a crater that the enemy themselves just created to save his ally from a ranged killing blow. I thought that was cool and creative, and being into druids I looked through their spells. My question is about the spell Giant Insect. I can create 5 giant wasps and they follow my commands. So! If there was a situation that needed it, could I use those wasps as mounts to fly? Either going over an obstacle or giving someone with a sight spell more visibility? Is this completely against the mount or summon rules, or is it at a DM discretion?
Wow that sounds amazing I would love to have a giant wasp as a pet!🐝
Yeah that is awesome haha but unfortunately it’s a timed and concentration :/ so no long term pets. It would mainly be for tactical purposes
Giant Insect
Each creature obeys your verbal commands, and in combat, they act on your turn each round. The GM has the statistics for these creatures and resolves their actions and movement.
A creature remains in its giant size for the duration, until it drops to 0 hit points, or until you use an action to dismiss the effect on it.
The GM might allow you to choose different targets. For example, if you transform a bee, its giant version might have the same statistics as a giant wasp.
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InsiderSo the real answer is...if your DM says so then yes! Yes you can! AND PLEASE DO BECAUSE THAT IS EPIC!
The more rules conscious answer is that in order to be used as a mount a creature must be willing to be ridden and be one size larger than you. The spell makes these Giant Wasps friendly to you, so that helps, however they are Medium sized creatures. So your character needs to be considered Small or Tiny to officially ride them. So I suggest checking out the Enlarge/Reduce spell to make all your Giant Wasp riding dreams come true!
Find me on Twitter: @OboeLauren
Don’t forget, a Saddle, Exotic is required to ride a flying mount too.
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i would say you'd need a variant of the giant wasp...like a giant sphecius speciosus since a regular giant wasp has a strength of 10 and can only carry 150 lbs (15 x Str), which includes you, all your gear, armor and whatever saddle/tackle you need for the mount (might still be okay if you're a light-traveling gnome i suppose). Two easy fixes:
on the saddle/tackle, i'd say since they obey your commands you might not need it (especially since that means you'd be carrying around a wasp saddle all day/every day...with maybe a fairly difficult animal handling DC to stay on if you get attacked while in flight....or during high wind or something (or just require both hands to hold on without a saddle). edit: and like jaysburn said, you can just forget about the saddle and have it carry you in its claws.
also keep in mind if your concentration breaks or your mount gets hit for 13 damage...you fall.
and as a bonus, chanting 'sphecius speciosus' is a very harry-potter sounding phrase so you're covered with the V component :)
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Giant Insect is a 4th level spell with only a 10 minute duration. Conjure Animals is only a 3rd level spell and has a duration of 1 hour; you can use it to summon up to 8 Giant Owls at once. This is still dependent on your DM; some allow you to choose the beasts that appear, others reserve that right for themselves. As IamSposta points out, you still technically need an Exotic Saddle to ride them. A Giant Owl can carry up to 390 lbs, however, so maybe they can just grab your party and fly off with them, albeit at half speed.
Maybe, instead of targeting a wasp, you should target some killer bees.
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
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an angry killer bee is no more danger dangerous as an angry wasp (i'd guess probably even less dangerous). killer bees are killer because they swarm in the thousands.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
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Okay, how about murder hornets then?
A fool pulls the leaves. A brute chops the trunk. A sage digs the roots.
My Improved Lineage System
ya. thems scary...although they're smaller than the sphecius speciosus (which we have all over the southern US), apparently they're like a zillion times more aggressive.
Guide to the Five Factions (PWYW)
Deck of Decks
Yup. But I think most DM's will "rule of cool" this one away for summoned creatures that are under your command.
So the answer to OP is YES if you are a goblin or halfling (both very good options for shepherd druids) and your DM isn't a jerk.
Can’t argue with the Rule of Cool.
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Aren't the Wasps those flying insects that either uses the mouth to bite enemies, and also the sting to attack ???
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