I can only assume the focus of the DM is really honed in on the balance and potential fun of the combat encounter they've envisioned. However, a DM that denies a PC who was raised by wolves the opportunity to use an Animal Handling check when interacting with wolves is really missing out on a beautiful opportunity for a character to roleplay.
Best thing to do is to calmly discuss with your DM outside of the session how you're hoping to participate and make use of your background. Tasha's Cauldron of Everything presents these ideas in the section on Dungeon Master's Tolls/Session 0/Game Customization. Sometimes PCs and DMs clash, and sometimes they simply need to communicate in a respectful manner about ways to compromise and get the most out of their shared participation.
I would allow a player to use animal handling to attempt to calm a wild animal, but probably with a pretty high DC (15?) and with disadvantage.
However, in the specific instance of a character who was raised by wolves, I would give them advantage on animal handling checks involving wolves and dogs, which would net out to a flat skill check roll.
The sage advice makes it pretty clear that it was a bad call on the DM’s part. It also makes clear that giving disadvantage on the allowed roll is also a bad call. That means that this particular character should probably have had advantage. The sage advice also makes a key point that taming and calming are NOT the same thing and that actually taming a wild creature is a far more difficult task. Domestication isn’t even on the table either - that is a multi generational activity not something any one person can do even with an elf’s life span. When you think taming keep in mind the attacks that happen regularly when the tamers (like Siegfried and Roy or Grizzly Adams) make a mistake even years later. You are really being tolerated by them for what you provide them not their masters, even if you raised them from infancy.
This happened in our recent Phandelver game. The same ranger who calmed the wolves later tried to calm a grick — also a pet (spoilers) — and failed.
The player and I went back and forth about it, but she read me the rules, so I allowed it, and had her roll an animal handling check vs. the grick's wisdom. She failed both times, but it would've been interesting had she succeeded.
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I can only assume the focus of the DM is really honed in on the balance and potential fun of the combat encounter they've envisioned. However, a DM that denies a PC who was raised by wolves the opportunity to use an Animal Handling check when interacting with wolves is really missing out on a beautiful opportunity for a character to roleplay.
Best thing to do is to calmly discuss with your DM outside of the session how you're hoping to participate and make use of your background. Tasha's Cauldron of Everything presents these ideas in the section on Dungeon Master's Tolls/Session 0/Game Customization. Sometimes PCs and DMs clash, and sometimes they simply need to communicate in a respectful manner about ways to compromise and get the most out of their shared participation.
If your DM says no then no... but I would say that was a BAD call from him.
The sage advice makes it pretty clear that it was a bad call on the DM’s part. It also makes clear that giving disadvantage on the allowed roll is also a bad call. That means that this particular character should probably have had advantage. The sage advice also makes a key point that taming and calming are NOT the same thing and that actually taming a wild creature is a far more difficult task. Domestication isn’t even on the table either - that is a multi generational activity not something any one person can do even with an elf’s life span. When you think taming keep in mind the attacks that happen regularly when the tamers (like Siegfried and Roy or Grizzly Adams) make a mistake even years later. You are really being tolerated by them for what you provide them not their masters, even if you raised them from infancy.
Wisea$$ DM and Player since 1979.
This happened in our recent Phandelver game. The same ranger who calmed the wolves later tried to calm a grick — also a pet (spoilers) — and failed.
The player and I went back and forth about it, but she read me the rules, so I allowed it, and had her roll an animal handling check vs. the grick's wisdom. She failed both times, but it would've been interesting had she succeeded.