[RPG] Can a wizard use the Sleep spell to hunt for food

dnd-5efood-and-drinkspells

In the description of the Sleep spell (PHB p276):

This spell sends creatures into a magical slumber. Roll 5d8; the total is how many hit points of creatures this spell can affect. Creatures within 20 feet of a point you choose within range are affected in ascending order of their current hit points

Assuming the Wizard is alone, without proficiency in Survival (and even a -1 to WIS), but still wants/needs to eat something while lost in the jungle and not able to hunt properly. Is there any reason not to allow a wizard to find food by launching this spell in a rather luxuriant environment with supposedly a lot of game (i.e. jungle), or on a river?

Best Answer

Yes!

This will definitely work! Sleep does not have any requirement for you to see the creatures, so as long as there are creatures in range, then the spell will work as advertised.

However, you will still need to find these animals that are now sleeping and potentially out of your visual awareness and will need to work with your DM (or your players) on how discovering the sleeping creatures will work.

And then you still have to kill them.