Fortuna
2010-01-15, 01:45 PM
Faithful Friend
Some people form a bond with an animal. Such animals become close friends, sometimes closer than others of their race. For some animals, this bond defines their habits, their lives, and their abilities: these are Faithful Friends indeed.
Game Rule Information
Faithful Friend is an acquired template which may be added to any Animal (hereafter referred to as the "base creature") with an intelligence of 2 which forms a strong bond with another creature 1 to 4 size categories larger than itself (hereafter referred to as the "owner") with an intelligence of 3 or more. This template may be acquired only once.
Size and Type: A faithful friend's type changes according to the table below. The faithful friend gains any of the owner's subtypes which it is eligible for.
Hit Dice: The faithful friend's hit dice size also change according to the table.
{table=head]Owner's Type|Faithful Friend's Type|Faithful Friend's HD
Aberration|Aberration|d6
Animal|As base creature|As base creature
Construct|Construct|d8
Dragon|Dragon|d10
Elemental|Elemental|d6
Fey|Fey|d4
Giant|As base creature|As base creature
Humanoid|As base creature|As base creature
Magical Beast|Magical Beast|d8
Monstrous Humanoid|As base creature|As base creature
Ooze|Aberration|d8
Outsider|Outsider|d6
Plant|Plant|d6
Undead|Undead|d10
Vermin|Vermin|As base creature[/table]
Special Qualities: A faithful friend gains the following special qualities.
Avenge (Ex): When a faithful friend learns of its owner's death, it enters a barbarian rage for 2d4 rounds, during which it attempts to kill its owner's killers. It may use its Follow ability to teleport to any location for this duration.
Hear Cries (Su): A faithful friend is always aware of when its master cries out verbally for aid.
Follow (Sp): 3 times per day, a faithful friend may use greater teleport to its owner's location. It must arrive within 200 feet and line of sight of its owner, and may not use this ability if it fulfills either of those criteria.
He Can't Be Dead (Su): Once in a faithful friend's life, its owner may, as a full-round action, restore life to its body. This restores all ability scores, as well as hit points, to at least one.
Challenge Rating: by the nature of this template, it is impossible to determine a universal challenge rating modifier. In general, this template will not increase challenge rating by more than 2-3 levels.
Alter the following text in the Druid class:
Animal Companion: A druid may start the game having cast animal friendship on an animal. At level 4, if that animal is still alive, it gains the Faithful Friend template, with the druid as its owner. If a druid's animal companion dies, they may acquire a new one by means of animal friendship, but it will not gain the Faithful Friend template until the druid has had it befriended for at least one level and achieved a level of (4+number of animal companions lost).
Some people form a bond with an animal. Such animals become close friends, sometimes closer than others of their race. For some animals, this bond defines their habits, their lives, and their abilities: these are Faithful Friends indeed.
Game Rule Information
Faithful Friend is an acquired template which may be added to any Animal (hereafter referred to as the "base creature") with an intelligence of 2 which forms a strong bond with another creature 1 to 4 size categories larger than itself (hereafter referred to as the "owner") with an intelligence of 3 or more. This template may be acquired only once.
Size and Type: A faithful friend's type changes according to the table below. The faithful friend gains any of the owner's subtypes which it is eligible for.
Hit Dice: The faithful friend's hit dice size also change according to the table.
{table=head]Owner's Type|Faithful Friend's Type|Faithful Friend's HD
Aberration|Aberration|d6
Animal|As base creature|As base creature
Construct|Construct|d8
Dragon|Dragon|d10
Elemental|Elemental|d6
Fey|Fey|d4
Giant|As base creature|As base creature
Humanoid|As base creature|As base creature
Magical Beast|Magical Beast|d8
Monstrous Humanoid|As base creature|As base creature
Ooze|Aberration|d8
Outsider|Outsider|d6
Plant|Plant|d6
Undead|Undead|d10
Vermin|Vermin|As base creature[/table]
Special Qualities: A faithful friend gains the following special qualities.
Avenge (Ex): When a faithful friend learns of its owner's death, it enters a barbarian rage for 2d4 rounds, during which it attempts to kill its owner's killers. It may use its Follow ability to teleport to any location for this duration.
Hear Cries (Su): A faithful friend is always aware of when its master cries out verbally for aid.
Follow (Sp): 3 times per day, a faithful friend may use greater teleport to its owner's location. It must arrive within 200 feet and line of sight of its owner, and may not use this ability if it fulfills either of those criteria.
He Can't Be Dead (Su): Once in a faithful friend's life, its owner may, as a full-round action, restore life to its body. This restores all ability scores, as well as hit points, to at least one.
Challenge Rating: by the nature of this template, it is impossible to determine a universal challenge rating modifier. In general, this template will not increase challenge rating by more than 2-3 levels.
Alter the following text in the Druid class:
Animal Companion: A druid may start the game having cast animal friendship on an animal. At level 4, if that animal is still alive, it gains the Faithful Friend template, with the druid as its owner. If a druid's animal companion dies, they may acquire a new one by means of animal friendship, but it will not gain the Faithful Friend template until the druid has had it befriended for at least one level and achieved a level of (4+number of animal companions lost).