Charm animals at a certain "rate"?

[Togo Galthus]

I'll probably ask a few questions of this kind in the future, hopefully you get used to it. Even though it isn't totally foreign, English is not my first language, which may "help" my lack of understanding.

Anyways, the spell Charm Animal has a certain "rate", which I don't understand (italics added):

"This spell allows the caster to charm one or more animals, in much the same fashion as charm person, at a rate of 1 hit dice per caster level. The caster may decide which individual animals out of a mixed group are to be affected first ..."

A spell is usually cast upon someone or something or a group, and it works or not, so this "rate" thing seems odd and I can't get my head around the mechanics. Any help appreciated.

[lars_alexander]

The effect is as in charm person, and the caster may charm a number of hit dice of animals equal to his experience level.
E.g. a 2nd level caster may control 2 hit dice of animals (a group of mice, and 1 dog), while a 6th level caster may control 6 hit dice of animals (a group of mice, 1 dog, 2 cats, and 4 large squirrels )

It think, that's what it means.

[Hywaywolf]

I think it means that you get to choose the animals in a group that you charm up to the number of hit die the spells allows. example: A 5th level cleric comes across 6 normal wolves (2nd lvl) and 1 dire wolf (4th lvl).

As a 5th level cleric he can charm 5 hit die worth of animals.

1 dire wolf (4 hit die) or
2 normal wolves (2 hd each)

if he were 6th level he could charm 1 dire wolf and 1 normal wolf or 3 normal wolves.

[Togo Galthus]

Thank you for your replies, lars_alexander and Hywaywolf, it clarifies the spell casting effects and I appreciate it. -- But the "rate" and the "first" thing (which isn't in the description of charm person)... does it mean anything... or perhaps I'm reading something into this that isn't really there...?

[dymondy2k]

I think rate is maybe the wrong word..

[Dimirag]

not a native English speaker but maybe instead of "rate" it would be "ratio"? A level 6 caster has 6HD worth of creatures...

[-1warrior]

Yeah, I would say "ratio" might be a better word. Then again, that's just my opinion.

[Togo Galthus]

Yes, but then the description says "... to be affected first". If there's a "first", then there's an implicit second, and one must assume a series of animals, no?, one after another - at a certain rate?

[lars_alexander]

Imagine there is a group of 4 furry animals, each with 1 hd. One is yellow, one is green, one is red, and one is purple.
The caster (3rd level cleric) wants to charm some of the animals, and tame them, eventually.
Now, the cleric's favourite color is purple, he likes yellow, too; but not green.
He casts his spell, and may charm up to 3 hd of animals, because he is 3rd level.

He decides to charm the purple animal first, then the yellow one, and the red one, too.

Now, he's got (level+1d4 rounds) to cuddle with them.

[-1warrior]

Your description is very "interesting."