Animal Companions

[Dark Dreams]

Are there any plans on looking into a custom animal table for familiars/companions?

[Theorem Of Neutrality]

There are already some Dread Familiars and Companions that you can already choose from.

Everyone and their grandma picks up the assassin imp. If only it tried to murder your friends and family like it was suppose too...

[Ehver]

There are already some Dread Familiars and Companions that you can already choose from.

Everyone and their grandma picks up the assassin imp. If only it tried to murder your friends and family like it was suppose too...

I think that's only an option for Familiar, not Animal Companion.

I could be mistaken though.

[Chaoshawk]

It would be quite strange if rangers were running around with Assassin Imps as Animal Companions.

[Bluebomber4evr]

We mostly changed the familiars for flavor/atmosphere reasons. Eyeballs and faerie dragons and the like were over the top. The animal companions didn't have this problem.

[Syl]

WOuld be cool though to actually have more selection also for animal companions.. like why don't druids get worgs or shadow snakes? what makes a wizard of a fancy cannon so special to get them?

[EO]

WOuld be cool though to actually have more selection also for animal companions.. like why don't druids get worgs or shadow snakes? what makes a wizard of a fancy cannon so special to get them?

Worgs and shadow snakes are considered magical beasts in DnD. Familiars can be either animals or magical beasts. Animal companions must be animals only.

[Syl]

WOuld be cool though to actually have more selection also for animal companions.. like why don't druids get worgs or shadow snakes? what makes a wizard of a fancy cannon so special to get them?

Worgs and shadow snakes are considered magical beasts in DnD. Familiars can be either animals or magical beasts. Animal companions must be animals only.

We can animal empathy them... and have 3 dire animal companions yet not a magical beast? well bugger them and their fancy pets.. Curse you rule books!!!! [finishes reading up on druid animal companion] Oh well..

Edit: I guess druids are stuck with the list of current pets and just have to hope for more to be added sometime in the near future?

[peps]

WOuld be cool though to actually have more selection also for animal companions.. like why don't druids get worgs or shadow snakes? what makes a wizard of a fancy cannon so special to get them?

Worgs and shadow snakes are considered magical beasts in DnD. Familiars can be either animals or magical beasts. Animal companions must be animals only.

We can animal empathy them... and have 3 dire animal companions yet not a magical beast? well bugger them and their fancy pets.. Curse you rule books!!!! [finishes reading up on druid animal companion] Oh well..

Edit: I guess druids are stuck with the list of current pets and just have to hope for more to be added sometime in the near future?

Animal Empathy is allowed to affect magical beasts.

[EO]

Edit: I guess druids are stuck with the list of current pets and just have to hope for more to be added sometime in the near future?

Adding a single new companion/familiar takes forever. I added the new familiars. You have to create 20 versions of the same creature (one for each level) and adjust items as they level up. Since there is no real problem with companions, as there was with familiars, that's not something urgent. If one of us feels like adding or replacing new ones, we will but there's no need for it except to add variety.

[Syl]

Edit: I guess druids are stuck with the list of current pets and just have to hope for more to be added sometime in the near future?

Adding a single new companion/familiar takes forever. I added the new familiars. You have to create 20 versions of the same creature (one for each level) and adjust items as they level up. Since there is no real problem with companions, as there was with familiars, that's not something urgent. If one of us feels like adding or replacing new ones, we will but there's no need for it except to add variety.

Ah. sorry didn't know exactly how much work went into making them or adding them. just got done reading up on the animals on the NWNwiki.. my last question about them is....how much of the current ones were changed if they were at all.... Like... say my druid hit level 20 and has a hawk. will that hawk at level 20 still get the +3 enhancment and 20/+1 dr?

[Feronius]

This thread lists all of the custom added familiars by the way as well as some very useful information about each familiar.
I never really understood why there are three different bats and only as familiars, two if you do not count skeletal bats.

I would not mind seeing a regular snake (like a viper or a large whip snake) as an animal companion and/ or a familiar.
The shadow asp is nice, but the fact they die almost instantly when exposed to daylight makes their use a bit restrictive.


At the moment the only time I still use animal companions or familiars is purely as a roleplaying prop though.
It just cost me too much to keep bringing them back to live. And a lot of them certainly do tend to die a lot.

[herkles]

personally I rather have familars be mundane animals for the most part.

[Syl]

Well the bear works as a great meat shield and once it's buffed with the good stuff it can do a fair amount. Awaken is a fun spell

[Lady Dwayna]

Animal Companions aren't meant to be meat shields. They are obtained through a spell called "Animal Friendship"

(Player's Handbook 3.0, p. 173)

Enchantment (Charm) [Mind-Affecting]
Level: Druid 1, Ranger 1, Beastmaster (DF) 1,
Components: V, S, M,
Casting Time: 1 action
Range: Close (25 ft. + 5 ft./2 levels)
Target: One animal
Duration: Instantaneous
Saving Throw: Will negates
Spell Resistance: Yes

You win the loyalty of an animal, provided that your heart is true. The spell functions only if you actually wish to be the animal's friend. If you are not willing to treat the animal as a friend (for example, you intend to eat it, or to use it to set off traps), the spell fails. An animal's loyalty, once gained, is natural (not magical) and lasting.

You can teach the befriended animal three specific tricks or tasks for each point of Intelligence it possesses. Typical tasks include attacking, coming when called, guarding a place, and protecting a character. They cannot be complex (complex tricks, such as accepting a rider, require the Handle Animal skill; see page 68).

At any one time, you can have only a certain number of animals befriended to you. At most, you can have animal friends whose Hit Dice total no more than twice your caster level (though the demands of adventuring generally restrict a character to half that number). For example, a 3rd-level druid could use this spell to win the friendship of an animal of 6 HD or less, but an adventuring druid would only be able to maintain an animal of 3 HD as a friend. An adventuring 5th-level ranger would generally be able to maintain animal friends whose HD totaled 2 or less. You may dismiss animal friends to enable you to befriend new ones.

Material Component: A piece of food the animal likes.

I think using them as Meat Shields are considered ulterior motives, as it is a friendship, and friends look after one another, not put them in harms way. I would love the idea of more mundane animals, such as snakes, raccoons, deer, owls as they would make great druid companions, and excellent potential for Roleplay.

[Syl]

Getting an animal companion is a completely diffrent ritual i believe.

[EO]

Quoted from the d20srd:

Animal Companion (Ex)

A druid may begin play with an animal companion selected from the following list: badger, camel, dire rat, dog, riding dog, eagle, hawk, horse (light or heavy), owl, pony, snake (Small or Medium viper), or wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the following creatures are also available: porpoise, Medium shark, and squid. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the druid on her adventures as appropriate for its kind.

A 1st-level druid’s companion is completely typical for its kind except as noted below. As a druid advances in level, the animal’s power increases as shown on the table. If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.

A druid of 4th level or higher may select from alternative lists of animals. Should she select an animal companion from one of these alternative lists, the creature gains abilities as if the character’s druid level were lower than it actually is. Subtract the value indicated in the appropriate list header from the character’s druid level and compare the result with the druid level entry on the table to determine the animal companion’s powers. (If this adjustment would reduce the druid’s effective level to 0 or lower, she can’t have that animal as a companion.)

Keep in mind this is in PnP; NwN's Animal Companion system works differently.

[Lady Dwayna]

Oh I know EO, I was just pointing out, that animal companions aren't magical beasts like familiars, they are befriended and are cared for by the druid, and in turn serve the druid. I see the term "Meat shield" used so often, and it breaks my heart as a Roleplayer to see them used to trip traps and sacrificed so a druid can escape an overwhelming mob. The animals listed by you, show that they are simple animals, and a majority of them require tender loving care and aren't battle beasts

And that being said, I would love to see those listed added as animal companions, but as you said, it takes a lot of work having to make one for each level.

[Syl]

Oh I know EO, I was just pointing out, that animal companions aren't magical beasts like familiars, they are befriended and are cared for by the druid, and in turn serve the druid. I see the term "Meat shield" used so often, and it breaks my heart as a Roleplayer to see them used to trip traps and sacrificed so a druid can escape an overwhelming mob. The animals listed by you, show that they are simple animals, and a majority of them require tender loving care and aren't battle beasts

And that being said, I would love to see those listed added as animal companions, but as you said, it takes a lot of work having to make one for each level.

Hey hey hey Lady I would never use my animal companion to trigger a trap... as I said i just use it as more of a term of someone or something that can take a bigger beating then me. does not mean i'll be throwing them into the trap to save my skin I'll sonner send them away and trigger it myself. I love my pets.

Edit: I do apologize for using that word lightly, I've played so many either MMOs or RPG games also i'm not yelling or mad at anyone

[Lady Dwayna]

Hey hey hey Lady I would never use my animal companion to trigger a trap... as I said i just use it as more of a term of someone or something that can take a bigger beating then me. does not mean i'll be throwing them into the trap to save my skin I'll sonner send them away and trigger it myself. I love my pets.

Edit: I do apologize for using that word lightly, I've played so many either MMOs or RPG games also i'm not yelling or mad at anyone

Oh. I wasn't pin pointing you hun. I was just saying it is a term that is used way too often, and I've seen druids summon for the main purpose of triggering traps, or drawing aggro from spawns and it's one of those things where I have to bite my tongue, cause well, we can't tell people how to play right?

Anyways, I recently ran through the south woods and saw a small group of foxes, and thought how sweet! I would love to have a fox as an animal companion. Even a squirrel would be an amazing companion, it's the smaller mundane animals that get so underappreciated on a roleplay level.

[Syl]

Hey hey hey Lady I would never use my animal companion to trigger a trap... as I said i just use it as more of a term of someone or something that can take a bigger beating then me. does not mean i'll be throwing them into the trap to save my skin I'll sonner send them away and trigger it myself. I love my pets.

Edit: I do apologize for using that word lightly, I've played so many either MMOs or RPG games also i'm not yelling or mad at anyone

Oh. I wasn't pin pointing you hun. I was just saying it is a term that is used way too often, and I've seen druids summon for the main purpose of triggering traps, or drawing aggro from spawns and it's one of those things where I have to bite my tongue, cause well, we can't tell people how to play right?

Anyways, I recently ran through the south woods and saw a small group of foxes, and thought how sweet! I would love to have a fox as an animal companion. Even a squirrel would be an amazing companion, it's the smaller mundane animals that get so underappreciated on a roleplay level.

LOL I use to RP my druid getting upset with people and empathying a few squirlls to run up the tree and throw nuts at the person that annoyed the druid. Ahhh good times

[A normal snake]

Dude have any of you ever been on a dungeon run with a bunch of friends? The buff class uses the melee class as a meat shield, and the meat shield does things like trigger traps or run into things recklessly. That's what friends do when they're out grave robbing.

[Lady Dwayna]

Dude have any of you ever been on a dungeon run with a bunch of friends? The buff class uses the melee class as a meat shield, and the meat shield does things like trigger traps or run into things recklessly. That's what friends do when they're out grave robbing.

Lmao. Yes, BUT a melee character can tell the buff class "No. I am not throwing myself into the fire for you" if they want to. Due to mechanics and scripts, an Animal Companion cannot make that choice, because it's not in their AI to say "Screw this, I'm not going to die for you, I'm going back to my den and having a litter"

[A normal snake]

Clearly you haven't been in groups with the same sort of zeal mine have! Honestly I think player meat shields go even further to abuse themselves than casters abuse their familiars, because familiar deaths are awkward and costly and it's easier for players to recover or run away. And you can't do as much with a familiar as you can with a good player meat shield.

[Syl]

Clearly you haven't been in groups with the same sort of zeal mine have! Honestly I think player meat shields go even further to abuse themselves than casters abuse their familiars, because familiar deaths are awkward and costly and it's easier for players to recover or run away. And you can't do as much with a familiar as you can with a good player meat shield.

lol no one said player meatshields weren't protective and go for the abuse from the monsters.. but they do because they know they can take the beatings!!!

Edit: also -I- have been the meat shield many times on my fighter. I'll be the one that steps on the traps getting level drained and buffed byt the caster or cleric and i tell them to stay back. so I know what its like to be the meat shield lol