[RPG] How many of the Tiny Animated Objects can attack each round and where are they

animated-objectsdnd-5emonstersspells

The spell Animate Objects can create a host of tiny creatures that attack at +8/1d4+4, adding up to hefty damage for many monsters.

We have been assuming lately that all 10 objects occupy the square of the enemy round-after-round, but I am not sure if this is correct. If some limited number could occupy the enemies square, I assume that that number would jump in, jump out, then the next number would jump in and jump out transparently, so in effect, there are still 10 attacks happening, which I would just roll 10d20.

However, then the enemy cast Cone of Cold at other PC's. For lack of knowledge of the rules, me and the DM just decided that 1/2 the objects died.

What is the correct way to handle these hordes of tiny creatures? How should the enemy wizard go about killing them all easily?

Best Answer

The Spell Animate Objects effectively turns 'objects' into 'creatures.'

Each target animates and becomes a creature under your control until the spell ends or until reduced to 0 hitpoints.

Creatures occupy space on a battlemap, they don't just hover in an enemy's space. In fact, they can't.

Whether a creature is a friend or an enemy, you can’t willingly end your move in its space.

As these creatures are Tiny, per PHB 191, they take up a 2.5 ft x 2.5 ft space...meaning you can fit four of them into a standard 5 foot battlemap hex.

So, in dealing with this spell, you would track the location of each 'creature' created by Animate Objects separately on the battlemap, where they have a Fly speed of 30' for the purposes of moving around. If you want to make your life easier, clump them into groups of 4, and track them that way.

In essence, Animate Objects works just like a conjuration spell where you summon up a pack of wolves. They have a space they occupy just like every other creature on the map. And you determine if they were hit by a spell the same way. Technically, they should even roll their own initiative, as the spell specifies:

You decide what action the creature will take and where it will move during its next turn

Emphasis Mine (For simplicity, I personally just have them all act on the caster's turn)

As for how many attack each round? As many as all of them, assuming they are in range of a creature they can hit.

As a bonus action, you can mentally command any creature you made with this spell if the creature is within 500 feet of you (if you control multiple creatures, you can command any or all of them at the same time, issuing the same command to each one).