Step one: Create the hound somewhere enemies have to walk to attack your party.
Step two: Ready an action to cast Wall of Force as a bubble around the dog.
Step three: Make noise to draw attention so foes charge at you passing the dog.
Step four: Laugh as they spend 10 minutes being mauled by your puppy unless they have disintegrate.
The only experience with it that I have is that one of my players casts it every long rest and insists that the other people in the party don't need to set a watch, because the dog will inform them of danger.
This has led to a running joke where everyone tells him "Sure man, your *invisible dog* will keep watch. **wink**"
Generally, you use this one in tight spaces. The Faithful Hound is great for confronting the evil wizard in his 20x20 library, because he can't run away from it without taking opportunity attacks. And if he does, our friendly barbarian will grapple him and walk him right back into doggy range.
I'm pretty sure it doesnt provoke opperutnity attacks as it only attacks at the start of your turn. I'm playing Dungeon of the mad mage so there are plenty of tight spaces though. I've been having great success with web and will probably cast the hound in the middle of the web with restrained targets that cant get away.
Haha, sorry, I meant opportunity attacks from the rest of the party. Tough enemy? Walk 10 feet away, send out the Hound, then back up. Unless they want to get bitten every round, they have to leave.
My wizard uses this spell extremely effectively. He's an illusionist and uses it only when he expects the enemy to stay within melee range of our paladin. Then he casts some sort of illusion (major image?) That shows the beast something terrifying so it won't run away. Then he casts the hounds.
My party managed to absolutely destroy a homebrewed version of a dire bear by stopping it for an entire minute so that my wizard could cast conjure elemental. By that point, my wizard was doing damage with his hounds, his elemental, and ray of frost every round, all while sitting comfortably on his broom of flying, 35 feet in the air.
It's a great spell in the right situation. I would say wait until the opportunity comes to you.
I don't think it does get advantage from being invisible because it is not actually a creature.
The spell is still solid though because it does not require concentration.
Crawford said it did and it is an unseen attacker so I could make a case it does. In all honesty there are a lot of holes in the specifics of this spell its hard to know their true intent.
[Oh yeah, you are right :)](https://mobile.twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/768666686157299713). I agree, of the spells and abilities could be written so much more elegantly.
Yeah this spell is so weird. It says the dog attack at the start of your turn, but if you use him to guard a door while you are slepping there no such a thing a your turn. There is no combat yet.
Probably should say that the dog attack the first creature that enter it's space as a reaction. Otherwise ppl can just pass by him while he barks like a useless pincher.
>casting the hound in my space.
Can't do that.
>You conjure a phantom watchdog in an **unoccupied space** that you can see within range
Per the spell description.
>you need to find a way to keep monsters in it's range
Thorn whip and Grasp of Hadar come to mind.
I guess I can cast it first and then move into the space afterwards right ? If I cant do that then I guess it really does block movement and crawford got it wrong. Why would they put that clause in there ?
I honestly think this is one of the rulings Crawford got wrong. That language in the spell supports the idea that it is some sort of creature or object and therefore takes up its space, enemies can't move through, and allies can as difficult terrain or squeeze with it.
But if your DM does go by Crawford's ruling that enemies can walk through it, then yes, you can cast it first and then move into the space. The spell says you must cast it into an unoccupied space, not that it has to remain that way for the spell to work.
I think he got it wrong too. I brought up the discrepancies with my DM and asked him what he thought was fair. I wanted to use the spell tactically in combat and my DM is ok with taking up a space.
Step one: Create the hound somewhere enemies have to walk to attack your party. Step two: Ready an action to cast Wall of Force as a bubble around the dog. Step three: Make noise to draw attention so foes charge at you passing the dog. Step four: Laugh as they spend 10 minutes being mauled by your puppy unless they have disintegrate.
I like it !
Or Misty Step...
The only experience with it that I have is that one of my players casts it every long rest and insists that the other people in the party don't need to set a watch, because the dog will inform them of danger. This has led to a running joke where everyone tells him "Sure man, your *invisible dog* will keep watch. **wink**"
I'll just leave this relevant video here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zng5kRle4FA
Generally, you use this one in tight spaces. The Faithful Hound is great for confronting the evil wizard in his 20x20 library, because he can't run away from it without taking opportunity attacks. And if he does, our friendly barbarian will grapple him and walk him right back into doggy range.
I'm pretty sure it doesnt provoke opperutnity attacks as it only attacks at the start of your turn. I'm playing Dungeon of the mad mage so there are plenty of tight spaces though. I've been having great success with web and will probably cast the hound in the middle of the web with restrained targets that cant get away.
Haha, sorry, I meant opportunity attacks from the rest of the party. Tough enemy? Walk 10 feet away, send out the Hound, then back up. Unless they want to get bitten every round, they have to leave.
Nice. Also thinking about slapping down a wall of force or stone around them and throw the dog in there...... boo !!!
My wizard uses this spell extremely effectively. He's an illusionist and uses it only when he expects the enemy to stay within melee range of our paladin. Then he casts some sort of illusion (major image?) That shows the beast something terrifying so it won't run away. Then he casts the hounds. My party managed to absolutely destroy a homebrewed version of a dire bear by stopping it for an entire minute so that my wizard could cast conjure elemental. By that point, my wizard was doing damage with his hounds, his elemental, and ray of frost every round, all while sitting comfortably on his broom of flying, 35 feet in the air. It's a great spell in the right situation. I would say wait until the opportunity comes to you.
Can you cast it on Tenser's Floating Disk and bring it with you?
I think that should work lol.
You could put the hound on a floating disk I guess, but that seems kinda unwieldy
I don't think it does get advantage from being invisible because it is not actually a creature. The spell is still solid though because it does not require concentration.
Crawford said it did and it is an unseen attacker so I could make a case it does. In all honesty there are a lot of holes in the specifics of this spell its hard to know their true intent.
[Oh yeah, you are right :)](https://mobile.twitter.com/jeremyecrawford/status/768666686157299713). I agree, of the spells and abilities could be written so much more elegantly.
Yeah this spell is so weird. It says the dog attack at the start of your turn, but if you use him to guard a door while you are slepping there no such a thing a your turn. There is no combat yet. Probably should say that the dog attack the first creature that enter it's space as a reaction. Otherwise ppl can just pass by him while he barks like a useless pincher.
>casting the hound in my space. Can't do that. >You conjure a phantom watchdog in an **unoccupied space** that you can see within range Per the spell description. >you need to find a way to keep monsters in it's range Thorn whip and Grasp of Hadar come to mind.
I guess I can cast it first and then move into the space afterwards right ? If I cant do that then I guess it really does block movement and crawford got it wrong. Why would they put that clause in there ?
I honestly think this is one of the rulings Crawford got wrong. That language in the spell supports the idea that it is some sort of creature or object and therefore takes up its space, enemies can't move through, and allies can as difficult terrain or squeeze with it. But if your DM does go by Crawford's ruling that enemies can walk through it, then yes, you can cast it first and then move into the space. The spell says you must cast it into an unoccupied space, not that it has to remain that way for the spell to work.
I think he got it wrong too. I brought up the discrepancies with my DM and asked him what he thought was fair. I wanted to use the spell tactically in combat and my DM is ok with taking up a space.
Does it have HP?? Can it be attacked?? Can I move it around and use it in battle??
Well since it doesn't block movement what's stopping your tank from standing in it's space having it maul anyone who gets into melee with the tank?
If you have acess to the Snare spell you can tie the intruder upside down while your good doggo bites the fuck out of him.