so, I was thinking to give my party a pet or two, I have the location of the small trapping village where all kinds of trappers trap all kinds of animals (mostly magic ones, and sometimes evil dragon eggs) I was thinking of letting them buy some magic pets but I don't know what good ones I could let them have?
The party is one level one sorcerer and the other a level one bard, they've also never played DnD before (I'm also a fairly new DM)
Be careful with granting magical pets. Something like a squirrel or a parrot is a decorative accessory, but a baby dragon is powerful enough to change the balance of the party. That's not necessarily a problem, you just need to be ready for it.
A good compromise is to give them something exotic, but harmless, for example a "Frost bunny", or something else familiar, but altered. The Frost Bunny is exactly like a regular bunny, but it might leave ice prints instead of foot prints, and always seems to be covered in a light dusting of snow, even when the weather is hot.
Whatever you give them, it will be your description that makes it special.
I would normally warn against pets for new DMs. They can result in players trying to get advantages all the time that really belong in other classes, can make encounter design difficult, and can make combats takes longer. So they usually take a little more experience in saying 'no' first.
But!
Having just two players, this might be a perfect chance for you and your players to have a lot of fun! Especially with small magical pets the way you are describing. And the pets might help the players survive a little better.
I think there is a perfect solution for you. One that wouldn't be overpowered. And one that fits the kind of pets you want just right.
I would suggest you essentially just give both players the Find Familiar spell as a free ritual that they know how to cast. All of the rules are right there and easy to use. And it gives the character a list of options for small magical friends. These are mostly small animals. But they come from another plane like the Feywild. So a cat might be green with small antlers. Or any other way you want to describe them. They'll just have normal stats, and if they die, they really just poof back to the plane they came from, and the character can summon them again with 10 minutes and some gold spent on supplies.
Since you want someone to sell the animals, you might say the merchant gives the characters an amulet or necklace or other trinket that is bound to each pet. And that the item is what gives them a connection and use of the spell. Then they can poof the pet into its amulet any time they want to, and call them back, like a pokeball.
That's my suggestion. I'm sure others might have different ones. Whatever you choose, good luck and I hope you all have fun!
Seeing as how you have to spell casters, you could give them something like a wolf, that is stronger and could become the muscle of the party. You could use the sidekick stats in Tasha's if you have them.
Also, you could give them some mysterious pet that they don't understand yet. I am playing a Druid who has adopted an egg with legs, which is a really large egg that has only partially hatched so the legs are the only things sticking out so that it can walk around. It has bird-like talons, but I don't know what it is yet and I am really excited to find out. You could use something like this, where the characters have to watch over and protect something and eventually their work will be rewarded and they get a new companion and adventuring buddy.
The find familiar idea works well too and allows the players to customize what they want their pet to appear as but it also provides them with useful mechanics.
Honestly any cute animal that maybe has a weird quirk like a strange coloration or maybe part from another animal (little wings, cute horns, strange eyes, etc.) would be fine. You can just use the stats of a normal animal and just give it a perk or two if you want.
Think a snake with hummingbird wings that can zip around through the air, or a baby jackalope rabbit with horn nubs, or a cat with a forked snake tongue.
Feel free to use them. Basically you can just use the Almiraj stats for the rabbit, Cat for the cat (but just say it has a cool tongue), and Weasel for the snake but say it flies.
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"The mongoose blew out its candle and was asleep in bed before the room went dark." —Llanowar fable
One time, one of my party's PC got a magic pet eagle that can be tiny to fit in a pocket, or can become huge so that the party could ride on it. We decided it was useless though because there're several different ways to fly you know!
I also love d̶̡̼̥̻͙̣̼̿͂͐͘ę̴̢̨̛̼̙̤̻̞̠̗̳̝̦̹̹̦͍̉̏͛̽͠͠sţ̵̢̼̹̭̖͔͎̞̪͇͚̞̇̀̇̀̒͂̇̍͊̏ru̸̮̭̪̠͆̑̍́̈́̑̾̒̑̂̕ͅc̶̢̜͓̮̩͎͕̄́͑̃̈͋̈͌̑̽͠ͅͅţ̵̢̼̹̭̖͔͎̞̪͇͚̞̇̀̇̀̒͂̇̍͊̏io̵̪̭̞̗̝͙̝̬̥͕̒ͅn̸̨͖̳͓͍̜̬̗̪̜̪̗̺͆̏̆̊́̈́̿̎̅̈͠͝͝ in my campaigns! In other words, i'm an evil DM.
so, I was thinking to give my party a pet or two, I have the location of the small trapping village where all kinds of trappers trap all kinds of animals (mostly magic ones, and sometimes evil dragon eggs) I was thinking of letting them buy some magic pets but I don't know what good ones I could let them have?
The party is one level one sorcerer and the other a level one bard, they've also never played DnD before (I'm also a fairly new DM)
If you're new, be careful - because then it's easy to lose the flavor of having pets. Especially magical ones.
I've been at this way too many years to count; but the party recently got a normal red panda cub (Monk wanted it), a blink dog (another monk got that one), and a faerie dragon (druid got that one). A lot of times they leave the pets behind if they adventure - so they're usually kept at an inn - and I have the blink dog blink out of the room and go to the kitchen and raid it for food; the faerie dragon has puffed on innocent people getting them "intoxicated" - so when the party comes back they either have an upset innkeeper or some charges for damages and food taken. :)
so, I was thinking to give my party a pet or two, I have the location of the small trapping village where all kinds of trappers trap all kinds of animals (mostly magic ones, and sometimes evil dragon eggs) I was thinking of letting them buy some magic pets but I don't know what good ones I could let them have?
The party is one level one sorcerer and the other a level one bard, they've also never played DnD before (I'm also a fairly new DM)
Be careful with granting magical pets. Something like a squirrel or a parrot is a decorative accessory, but a baby dragon is powerful enough to change the balance of the party. That's not necessarily a problem, you just need to be ready for it.
A good compromise is to give them something exotic, but harmless, for example a "Frost bunny", or something else familiar, but altered. The Frost Bunny is exactly like a regular bunny, but it might leave ice prints instead of foot prints, and always seems to be covered in a light dusting of snow, even when the weather is hot.
Whatever you give them, it will be your description that makes it special.
I would normally warn against pets for new DMs. They can result in players trying to get advantages all the time that really belong in other classes, can make encounter design difficult, and can make combats takes longer. So they usually take a little more experience in saying 'no' first.
But!
Having just two players, this might be a perfect chance for you and your players to have a lot of fun! Especially with small magical pets the way you are describing. And the pets might help the players survive a little better.
I think there is a perfect solution for you. One that wouldn't be overpowered. And one that fits the kind of pets you want just right.
I would suggest you essentially just give both players the Find Familiar spell as a free ritual that they know how to cast. All of the rules are right there and easy to use. And it gives the character a list of options for small magical friends. These are mostly small animals. But they come from another plane like the Feywild. So a cat might be green with small antlers. Or any other way you want to describe them. They'll just have normal stats, and if they die, they really just poof back to the plane they came from, and the character can summon them again with 10 minutes and some gold spent on supplies.
Since you want someone to sell the animals, you might say the merchant gives the characters an amulet or necklace or other trinket that is bound to each pet. And that the item is what gives them a connection and use of the spell. Then they can poof the pet into its amulet any time they want to, and call them back, like a pokeball.
That's my suggestion. I'm sure others might have different ones. Whatever you choose, good luck and I hope you all have fun!
Seeing as how you have to spell casters, you could give them something like a wolf, that is stronger and could become the muscle of the party. You could use the sidekick stats in Tasha's if you have them.
Also, you could give them some mysterious pet that they don't understand yet. I am playing a Druid who has adopted an egg with legs, which is a really large egg that has only partially hatched so the legs are the only things sticking out so that it can walk around. It has bird-like talons, but I don't know what it is yet and I am really excited to find out. You could use something like this, where the characters have to watch over and protect something and eventually their work will be rewarded and they get a new companion and adventuring buddy.
The find familiar idea works well too and allows the players to customize what they want their pet to appear as but it also provides them with useful mechanics.
I gave my party a magic gold fish named Steven who was dressed like a bellhop who navigates the ship the party travels on.
alright, thanks :D
:0 that sounds really nice! Thanks so much!
Honestly any cute animal that maybe has a weird quirk like a strange coloration or maybe part from another animal (little wings, cute horns, strange eyes, etc.) would be fine. You can just use the stats of a normal animal and just give it a perk or two if you want.
Think a snake with hummingbird wings that can zip around through the air, or a baby jackalope rabbit with horn nubs, or a cat with a forked snake tongue.
Omg my friends would love those so much!!
Feel free to use them. Basically you can just use the Almiraj stats for the rabbit, Cat for the cat (but just say it has a cool tongue), and Weasel for the snake but say it flies.
Or use the flying snake for the flying snake.
One time, one of my party's PC got a magic pet eagle that can be tiny to fit in a pocket, or can become huge so that the party could ride on it. We decided it was useless though because there're several different ways to fly you know!
Monsters: Brathkal
Weapons: Sword of Ni , Bow of Ni
Spells: Zone of Ni
I also love d̶̡̼̥̻͙̣̼̿͂͐͘ę̴̢̨̛̼̙̤̻̞̠̗̳̝̦̹̹̦͍̉̏͛̽͠͠sţ̵̢̼̹̭̖͔͎̞̪͇͚̞̇̀̇̀̒͂̇̍͊̏ru̸̮̭̪̠͆̑̍́̈́̑̾̒̑̂̕ͅc̶̢̜͓̮̩͎͕̄́͑̃̈͋̈͌̑̽͠ͅͅţ̵̢̼̹̭̖͔͎̞̪͇͚̞̇̀̇̀̒͂̇̍͊̏io̵̪̭̞̗̝͙̝̬̥͕̒ͅn̸̨͖̳͓͍̜̬̗̪̜̪̗̺͆̏̆̊́̈́̿̎̅̈͠͝͝ in my campaigns! In other words, i'm an evil DM.
If you're new, be careful - because then it's easy to lose the flavor of having pets. Especially magical ones.
I've been at this way too many years to count; but the party recently got a normal red panda cub (Monk wanted it), a blink dog (another monk got that one), and a faerie dragon (druid got that one). A lot of times they leave the pets behind if they adventure - so they're usually kept at an inn - and I have the blink dog blink out of the room and go to the kitchen and raid it for food; the faerie dragon has puffed on innocent people getting them "intoxicated" - so when the party comes back they either have an upset innkeeper or some charges for damages and food taken. :)
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I was aiming for CR 0 creatures since these were just for fun pets. The Flying Snake has the potential to actually kill low level monsters.
EDIT: Though, I guess if you just remove the poison damage from its attack, that would be a good model.