Where/What is Belkar's Animal Companion?

[Scarey Nerd]

This may have been answered in the past, but I looked through the most recent threads in this forum and couldn't find it.

Is it like V's familiar, in that it's forgotten about? Because he moans about only getting a little sausage-dog mount, but surely as a Ranger he could have something a lot more epic, for instance a wolf (Which, as a medium creature, he could ride if memory serves).

[Anonymouswizard]

The question is never answered, but I like to think it is...

Mr Scruffy!

[Scarey Nerd]

The question is never answered, but I like to think it is...

Mr Scruffy!

Warning: The above statement contains large amounts of win.

That is all. :smallwink:

[The Rose Dragon]

Unless it's Mr. Scruffy, he doesn't have one. Animal Companions are optional, not obligatory. For that matter, so are familiars (Xykon doesn't have one, as far as we know).

[Scarey Nerd]

Unless it's Mr. Scruffy, he doesn't have one. Animal Companions are optional, not obligatory. For that matter, so are familiars (Xykon doesn't have one, as far as we know).

Unless...

Would his phylactery be eligible for being a familiar, if it had properties that we didn't know about? Just a thought.

[Rin_Hunter]

Unless...

Would his phylactery be eligible for being a familiar, if it had properties that we didn't know about? Just a thought.

I believe there are rules for item familiars in 3.5E but I can't remember where... Unless I'm making it up :smalltongue:

But I doubt his Phylactery is his familiar.

[factotum]

A familiar has to be a living creature, AFAIK, whereas Xykon's phylactery is clearly an amulet (Redcloak's holy symbol, as it happens). Even if it were possible to have a non-living familiar, I'm really not sure what benefit he'd get from it anyway!

[Rin_Hunter]

A familiar has to be a living creature, AFAIK, whereas Xykon's phylactery is clearly an amulet (Redcloak's holy symbol, as it happens). Even if it were possible to have a non-living familiar, I'm really not sure what benefit he'd get from it anyway!

Those kinds of benefits (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm). Knew I wasn't making it up.

[LuPuWei]

Those kinds of benefits (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/magic/itemFamiliars.htm). Knew I wasn't making it up.

Reminds me of Roy's sword...

[The Rose Dragon]

Item familiars don't replace normal familiars, though. You can pretty much have both.

[The Dark Fiddler]

Although there are some Alternate Class Features that replace familiars, like that one that keeps metamagic from taking a full round action to apply.

[137beth]

Belkar killed it before he even met roy:smallsmile:

[Scarey Nerd]

Belkar killed it before he even met roy:smallsmile:

Is this canon or a theory (A realistic theory though :smallwink:)

[Escheton]

He multiclassed out of ranger before getting it?

[Scarey Nerd]

He multiclassed out of ranger before getting it?

It's never been suggested that he's multiclassed, though it's entirely reasonable that he has some fighter, or some barbarian from the college :smallsmile:

Edit: According to Lord Shojo, Belkar has a "Sprinkling of Barbarian".

[fwiffo]

Does Roy qualify?

[hamishspence]

It's never been suggested that he's multiclasses, though it's entirely reasonable that he has some fighter, or some barbarian from the college :smallsmile:

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0176.html

"Halfling rage jumping attack" may imply he has a barbarian level now.

[Nilan8888]

I'd probably think of Belkar, if played by an actual person, would be an example of a character that, for whatever reason, opted out of having an animal companion for most of his early levels and then chose to get one midway through the adventure, and the DM thus worked it into the campaign.

The real answer of course, is probably the more mundane "it was just written in".

[GrlumpTheElder]

It's never been suggested that he's multiclasses, though it's entirely reasonable that he has some fighter, or some barbarian from the college :smallsmile:

He does have some Barbarian in him;

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0610.html

Panel 9

[GlueDuck]

He does have some Barbarian in him;

http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0610.html

Panel 9
We've been knowing that for quite some time now. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0132.html)

[Nimrod's Son]

We've been knowing that for quite some time now. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0132.html)
Yes, and the last few posts have been discussing whether he took levels in Barbarian or just had a look round the college.

[DemLep]

I asked a similar question recently. The best answer I could come up with is that he opted out of a AC at a lower level to get a more powerful one later.

As for the familiar there are class variants and feats that either don't give you one or take it away for a bonus. This could explain Xykon's lack of a familiar.

[factotum]

Or maybe Xykon doesn't have a familiar because he doesn't want one? The characters in the strip are more than the sum of their stats and feats, after all...

[Morquard]

Xykon had a familiar once.
Then he forgot about it.
And forgot to feed it too
So its dead now. If he ever remembers it, he can zombify his familiar.

[Cizak]

Granted I do now play DnD, but is there any question that Mr. Scruffy is his familiar? He follows Belkar around pretty much all the time and he helps him out in combat. Isn't that what a familiar do?

[Lecan]

Xykon had a familiar once.
Then he forgot about it.
And forgot to feed it too
So its dead now. If he ever remembers it, he can zombify his familiar.

It probably has his keys.

[Morph Bark]

It's always possible Xykon's familiar got killed within one year and a day since we last saw him.

But it's more likely that it's the case as with V's familiar and he forgot about it.

[slayerx]

I asked a similar question recently. The best answer I could come up with is that he opted out of a AC at a lower level to get a more powerful one later.

Hence Mr.Scruffy

[factotum]

Granted I do now play DnD, but is there any question that Mr. Scruffy is his familiar? He follows Belkar around pretty much all the time and he helps him out in combat. Isn't that what a familiar do?

Animal companion, not familiar--they're two different things.

[Cizak]

Animal companion, not familiar--they're two different things.

I meant animal companion.

[Amarsir]

What if Belkar's not really a ranger?

I mean, I know he says he is. They think he is. But what if he's a Ranger in the same way that Miko was a Samurai (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html)?

It could explain the lack of an animal companion, and why he can't track, and why he's so much more lethal than he justifiably should be. Sure, I know there are problems with this theory, but it would be an amusing angle.

Or his animal companion is the ferocious Mr. Scruffy. That works too.

[Scarey Nerd]

What if Belkar's not really a ranger?

I mean, I know he says he is. They think he is. But what if he's a Ranger in the same way that Miko was a Samurai (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0209.html)?

It could explain the lack of an animal companion, and why he can't track, and why he's so much more lethal than he justifiably should be. Sure, I know there are problems with this theory, but it would be an amusing angle.

Or his animal companion is the ferocious Mr. Scruffy. That works too.

An interesting idea, seeing as no Favoured Enemy has ever been suggested, and whilst he can Track and uses TWF, most classes can do this with feats.

[Kish]

What if Belkar's not really a ranger?

I mean, I know he says he is. They think he is.

What else could he be? Note that your answer has to explain Evasion, Wild Empathy, the Track feat with no ranks in Survival and a Wisdom penalty, and being able to cast from divine scrolls when his Wisdom is boosted sufficiently--and, incidentally, it also needs to retain the dual-wielding, the light armor, not gain Sneak Attack unless your theory includes Belkar being so dedicated to his facade that he wouldn't use Sneak Attack if he had it, and, for one of your premises to not be directly contradicted, avoid making Belkar wind up weaker than a standard ranger.

[Gift Jeraff]

seeing as no Favoured Enemy has ever been suggested

It would be really out-of-character for him not to have Favored Enemy: Humanoid (human) and (reptilian). His third is anyone's guess (though probably another humanoid), and since his hypothetical fourth would be after his faked character development, I would think it would be goblinoid or undead to be productive.

In regard's to X's familiar: I remember reading a theory about Xykon's familiar being Barky from SoD. Or maybe it was the roaches. (Though DStP lists them as the MitD's "animal sidekick" (as with V & Blackwing, Scruffy & Shojo, the paladins & their mounts)--OR IS HE THEIR ANIMAL SIDEKICK?!)

Also, what about Nale? Maybe Thog originally had an intelligence of 1 or 2 and then became Nale's familiar and thus will become super-intelligent by the time Nale reaches a high enough level.
Or maybe the fiends will send Qarr under an Alternate Form to be his familiar.

[137beth]

Belkar is definitely a ranger. He is really stupid, which is why he probably doesn't talk about his favored enemies. Also he didn't even realize that he COULD cast spells if he had a higher wisdom. His animal companion probably died a painful death before we ever saw it.

[Devils_Advocate]

Would his phylactery be eligible for being a familiar, if it had properties that we didn't know about?
A familiar has to be a living creature, AFAIK
I think that some non-standard familiars are undead and constructs. And intelligent magic items are constructs, so one of them could conceivably be an Improved (not Item) Familiar. Not that Xykon's phylactery is at all likely to even be intelligent, never mind also his familiar, but it's theoretically possible.


It's never been suggested that he's multiclasses
:smallconfused: What comic have you been reading? It's about as clear that Belkar took at least one level of Barbarian as it is that he's Chaotic Evil. He joins the Barbarians' guild after thinking about multiclassing, he mentions his rage (only once, but even Thog only explicitly rages once), Roy mentions Survival being a class skill for Barbarians as well as Rangers, Miko (who demonstrates Evasion and thus should only wear light armor) isn't able to outrun him, he ponders whether to take another Barbarian level after leveling up killing wights, he mentions being slightly Barbarian to the apparition of Shojo... and that's just off the top of my head. How do those not suggest that Belkar is a multiclassed Ranger/Barbarian?

Now, he probably had more than enough Ranger levels to have an animal companion in the first strip, if not before. (His lack of Wisdom would have made casting animal friendship problematic at best in 3.0.) But he's clearly a Ranger/Barbarian now.


not gain Sneak Attack unless your theory includes Belkar being so dedicated to his facade that he wouldn't use Sneak Attack if he had it
We've seen Belkar sneak attack (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0107.html) upon a few occasions, with no particular indication that he isn't getting bonus damage dice. He may not do it very often, but neither does Haley, really. (What sort of high-level archer Rogue lacks some sort of convenient means of concealment? Srsly.) Belkar's facade would simply require that he not announce this.

... and have to account for several other things you mentioned, but hey, I nitpick. It is theoretically possible for him to have Rogue levels, though. (He wouldn't be the only multiclass Rouge not to call his Sneak Attacks. (http://www.giantitp.com/comics/oots0056.html)) It just seems unlikely that it would never be mentioned.


Also, what about Nale? Maybe Thog originally had an intelligence of 1 or 2 and then became Nale's familiar and thus will become super-intelligent by the time Nale reaches a high enough level.
Or maybe the fiends will send Qarr under an Alternate Form to be his familiar.
Obviously*, he has some sort of homebrew cohort/familiar feat, hence Sabine.

*"Obvious" and "improbable" are synonyms, right? :smalltongue:

[RMcMurtry]

Belkar didn't have one; until he connected with Mr. Scruffy, we've never seen him have that sort of concern for anything. Best guess is that Mr. Scruffy is now his animal companion, and he simply hadn't wanted one before (or, if he had one, it was killed before he joined OotS.) He didn't have one in Origin of PCs. We don't really have a lot of backstory on Belkar; he represents the character of the player who shows up with a name, alignment, class, stats, and equipment but not a backstory.

Xykon has never shown a familiar. My guess is that he's uninterested in anything that might hurt him if it gets in his line of fire.

[137beth]

Sorcerers do not need to have a familier, thus Xykon doesn't.

Also, Nale was not necessarily sneak attacking Elan without announcement, though it does seem likely as Elan was distracted and Nale is a rouge.

Why Belkar can't track: he didn't put any skill points into tracking. It doesn't mean he isn't a ranger. Such a low wisdom modifier would also potentially give him a penalty to tracking, hence he may not have tried to put skill points into tracking. He also has a relativity low intelligence score, giving him less skill points to spend.

[Zen Monkey]

I've just assumed for a while that Scruffy was Belkar's companion. Belkar has shown ignorance of his own class abilities before (tracking) and this seems to fit along those lines. He'd also probably have spells by now, if he knew that other rangers with better wisdom scores have them. We have reason to believe that he took at least one level in barbarian, by doing their introductory guild quest, but seems to have spent the majority of his levels in ranger.

If Xykon has a familiar, it will likely be either undead or dead-by-neglect and only brought out for a quick joke. I guess it's also possible that it will be used against V someday in a 'you forget, I have one too' sort of joke.

[Yeoman]

Now, he probably had more than enough Ranger levels to have an animal companion in the first strip, if not before. (His lack of Wisdom would have made casting animal friendship problematic at best in 3.0.)


Which explains it all right there. They upgraded to 3.5 in the first strip.