What is the highest number of pets I can have?

Question

What is the maximum number of pets a character can have, within the rules?

I would like to figure out the greatest number of minions specific to a character (animal companions, familiars, raised undead, constructs, homunculi, and so on) available through the greatest number of mechanisms that can be available to a single character.

I have a few ideas, beastmaster ranger, find familiar...

I'd prefer the most powerful version of the pet, so for example, a third level warlock, with pact of the chain, is better than a level 1 wizard for just find familiar.

What is the greatest number of pets I can gain, via the greatest number of distinct mechanisms, with a single character?

Criteria

• A pet is An animal or other creature, that can be permanently around and has mechanical implications*.
• Permanent meaning the pet is around, and under my direct control, indefinitely unless it is killed, dispelled, etc. Example: Phantom steed needs recasting every hour, but find familiar, could technically stay until it is killed. So find familiar is permanent but phantom steed is not.
• All official books and UA are allowed.
• Only one pet per spell/ability - so creating 10 undead with a spell is only one pet, and casting find familiar twice is still only one pet.
• Sidekicks do not count.

*I'm only interested in minions that have an official impact in the game, such as stats, defined capabilities, etc., and an official mechanism by which they can become associated with my character, and be under my direct control. So options like starting a ranch with repeated uses of Animal Handling are out of scope. I'm also only interested in creatures that do not expire after a set amount of time (so spells like Summon Greater Demon don't count, because the summoned creature will disappear after an hour).

Answer 1

Nine

For this we will need a Luck Blade with at least one charge.

School of Necromancy Wizard 14

1. Find Familiar: 1st level spell

   Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands.

2. Create Homunculus: 6th level spell

   It is your faithful companion, and it dies if you die.

   A homunculus is a construct that acts as an extension of its creator

3. Simulacrum: 7th level Wizard spell

   The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in combat.

4. Create Magen: 7th level spell

   Magen make ideal servants. At creation, each is instilled with an instinct to protect itself and its creator, and it follows its creator's instructions without hesitation.

5. Command Undead: 14th level Necromancer feature

   it becomes friendly to you and obeys your commands until you use this feature again

Battle Smith Artificer 3

6. Steel Defender: 3rd level Battle Smith feature

   It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.

7. Homunculus Servant: 2nd level Artificer Infusion

   The homunculus is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.

Beast Master Ranger 3

8. Ranger's Companion: 3rd Level Beast Master feature

   The beast obeys your commands as best as it can

Luck Blade

9. Use Wish to cast Find Greater Steed: 4th level Paladin spell

   You control the mount in combat.

   It is possible that you can only directly control the steed while it is serving as your mount. Either way you can control it.

Honorable mentions

• Manifest Mind: I don't consider this a creature because it appears to lack individual cognition

• Buy a mount might provide a 10th pet. I think this gets into a mushy area because you could theoretically tame an infinite number of animals to obey your commands. I don't think it unarguably would count as "under your direct control"

Answer 2

Thirteen

13 levels in wizard, for

1. Find Familiar: 1st level spell

Your familiar acts independently of you, but it always obeys your commands.

2)Create Homunculus: 6th level spell

It is your faithful companion, and it dies if you die.

A homunculus is a construct that acts as an extension of its creator

3. Simulacrum: 7th level Wizard spell

The simulacrum is friendly to you and creatures you designate. It obeys your spoken >commands, moving and acting in accordance with your wishes and acting on your turn in >combat.

4)Create Magen: 7th level spell

Magen make ideal servants. At creation, each is instilled with an instinct to protect >itself and its creator, and it follows its creator's instructions without hesitation.

3 levels in battle smith artificer for

5. Steel Defender: 3rd level Battle Smith feature It is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.

6. Homunculus Servant: 2nd level Artificer Infusion The homunculus is friendly to you and your companions, and it obeys your commands.

1 level in a pact of the raven (UA) warlock for

7. Sentinel Raven, first-level Pact of the Raven Queen feature The spirit assumes the form and game statistics of a raven, and it always obeys your commands

Three levels in Beast Master Ranger, for

8. Ranger's Companion: 3rd Level Beast Master feature The beast obeys your commands as best as it can

Luck blade

9. To cast wish for Find Greater Steed: 4th level Paladin spell You control the mount in combat.

A Deck of Many things for

10. The Knight card You gain the service of a 4th-level fighter You control this character.

A Manual of Golems for

11. A golem (any type) It is under your control, and it understands and obeys your spoken commands

The Staff of the Python

12. The staff becomes a giant constrictor snake (see the Monster Manual for statistics) under >your control If the snake is reduced to 0 hit points, it dies and reverts to its staff form

A Moonblade for

13. You can use an action to call forth an elf shadow You control this creature, deciding how it acts and moves. It remains until it drops to >0 hit points or you dismiss it as an action .