[RPG] How to determine which beast appears during the Conjure Animals spell

dnd-5espellssummoning

According to the spell "Conjure Animals" on P. 225 of the PHB, the description states:

Choose one of the following options for what appears […]

Besides selecting one or more beasts based on the challenge rating, how do you determine exactly which beast appears?

Is this a random roll by the DM or can the player select the specific beast?

Best Answer

From the Sage Advice compendium:

Some spells of this sort specify that the spellcaster chooses the creature conjured. For example, Find Familiar gives the caster a list of animals to choose from. Other spells of this sort let the spellcaster choose from among several broad options. For example, Conjure Minor Elementals offers four options. The design intent for options like these is that the spellcaster chooses one of them, and then the DM decides what creatures appear that fit the chosen option.

Given that Conjure Animals only lets the player choose the beast's challenge rating, this would be one of the spells where the DM decides exactly what creature is conjured.