Justus
2016-06-04, 01:10 AM
Hi all,
Long time reader, first time poster. My group and I have been playing for about 7 year now have decided to go back to 3.5e after a stint playing 5e and Edge of the Empire. I have a character concept in mind and mostly fleshed out but having trouble with feats and animal companion advancement. It's not the most optimised but that's ok as I'm sacrificing certain abilities for flavour. The group is not going to be completely optimised either so I would be concerned of overshadowing at certain parts.We always have played in Forgotten Realms and in the same setting we have played in for 7 years (past character/story development can be stumbled upon). I am going with a Strongheart Halfling Druid. We are starting at level 2. Here are the details I have worked out as of now:
Druid
- Strongheart Halfling Druid 2
- Stats STR 10 (12-2), Dex 16 (14+2), Con 14, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
- Level 1 Halfling Druid Alternate class feature from Races of the Wild.
- Focused Animal Alternate Class Feature from Dragon Magazine 347
Level: 1st. Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain trackless step, wild shape, or woodland stride. Benefit: You gain the effects of a continuous speak with animals spell, but you may only use it to speak with your animal companion. In addition, for the purpose of determining your animal companion's bonus Hit Dice, natural armor adjustment, Strength and Dexterity adjustment, bonus tricks, and special abilities, you are treated as a druid two levels higher than you actually are. This does not allow you to gain a more powerful alternative animal companion at an earlier level.
- Skill Points Placed (lvl 1 - 7x4, lvl 2 - 5) : 5 Conc, 4 Diplomacy, 5 Handle Animal, 2 Heal, 5 Know (Nat), 5 Ride, 2 Spot, 5 Survival.
Animal Companion:
- Brixashulty (Races of the Wild), Warbeast Template through training
- Hit Dice: Starts with 2d8, +1 for Warbeast, + 2 for Focused Animal Druid treating Druid levels as 2 higher
- Stats - Str 17 (13+3+1), Dex 18 (17+1), Con 19 (16+3), Int 2, Wis 15 (13+2), Cha 4
I am stuck for feat selection, skills and attribute placement for the companion. I am also confused on how the Knockback (Ex) feature bonus is calculated and how it scales with advancement. I understand the Reflex DC Save is 10+1/2 HD+Str but the description based on base stats says it does a bull rush with a +7 bonus which includes a +4 Racial. I don't know how the other +3 is calculated and how it advances.
The concept I am going for is all focus on the animal companion that is ridden for the majority of the time. I wanted to go for a Halfling Outrider feel. I could not work out how to charge with a lance and Animal Companion attack at the same time so abandoned the lance charge feats. For the moment I am on the riding around buffing the companion with Magic train.
Depending on plan of attack the feats I were contemplating were lvl 1) Mounted Combat and Saddleback (Player's Guide to Faerun [GM approved taking it as a Halfling through Backstory training and growing with the companion whole life]) with Mounted Spellcasting or Mounted Mobility at lvl 3. I was planning on possibly 1 level dip of Beastmaster at level 6 by taking Skill Focus (Handle Animal) Feat then to further accelerate the animal companion.
Short Story recap: 20 yrs old, lives on families farmstead in Luiren with mother and father. While training to be an Outrider, after initial rejection, his elderly adventurer Grandmother comes back to his families Farmstead. Seeing the bond he has with his Brixa (born same day cliche) she begins to teach him the ways of Druidism without openly explaining what was going on. She dies 2 years into the beginning of training as she was ill (hence her return) and he qualifies to begin training with the Outriders. The GM's story starts with the group not knowing each and being taken/transported after a blinding light blacks us out. I have played the opening with the GM 1 on 1 and it appears we have been taken to another part of the world and the adventure begins with us all meeting each other in this transport.
Any and all help would be appreciated as I've been obsessing with it over a week now and need to lock it in to help ease my mind. Everything is pretty flexible and GM is normally fine with most 3.5 things if it can be explained in story.
Thanks,
Justin
Long time reader, first time poster. My group and I have been playing for about 7 year now have decided to go back to 3.5e after a stint playing 5e and Edge of the Empire. I have a character concept in mind and mostly fleshed out but having trouble with feats and animal companion advancement. It's not the most optimised but that's ok as I'm sacrificing certain abilities for flavour. The group is not going to be completely optimised either so I would be concerned of overshadowing at certain parts.We always have played in Forgotten Realms and in the same setting we have played in for 7 years (past character/story development can be stumbled upon). I am going with a Strongheart Halfling Druid. We are starting at level 2. Here are the details I have worked out as of now:
Druid
- Strongheart Halfling Druid 2
- Stats STR 10 (12-2), Dex 16 (14+2), Con 14, Int 12, Wis 16, Cha 12
- Level 1 Halfling Druid Alternate class feature from Races of the Wild.
- Focused Animal Alternate Class Feature from Dragon Magazine 347
Level: 1st. Replaces: If you select this class feature, you do not gain trackless step, wild shape, or woodland stride. Benefit: You gain the effects of a continuous speak with animals spell, but you may only use it to speak with your animal companion. In addition, for the purpose of determining your animal companion's bonus Hit Dice, natural armor adjustment, Strength and Dexterity adjustment, bonus tricks, and special abilities, you are treated as a druid two levels higher than you actually are. This does not allow you to gain a more powerful alternative animal companion at an earlier level.
- Skill Points Placed (lvl 1 - 7x4, lvl 2 - 5) : 5 Conc, 4 Diplomacy, 5 Handle Animal, 2 Heal, 5 Know (Nat), 5 Ride, 2 Spot, 5 Survival.
Animal Companion:
- Brixashulty (Races of the Wild), Warbeast Template through training
- Hit Dice: Starts with 2d8, +1 for Warbeast, + 2 for Focused Animal Druid treating Druid levels as 2 higher
- Stats - Str 17 (13+3+1), Dex 18 (17+1), Con 19 (16+3), Int 2, Wis 15 (13+2), Cha 4
I am stuck for feat selection, skills and attribute placement for the companion. I am also confused on how the Knockback (Ex) feature bonus is calculated and how it scales with advancement. I understand the Reflex DC Save is 10+1/2 HD+Str but the description based on base stats says it does a bull rush with a +7 bonus which includes a +4 Racial. I don't know how the other +3 is calculated and how it advances.
The concept I am going for is all focus on the animal companion that is ridden for the majority of the time. I wanted to go for a Halfling Outrider feel. I could not work out how to charge with a lance and Animal Companion attack at the same time so abandoned the lance charge feats. For the moment I am on the riding around buffing the companion with Magic train.
Depending on plan of attack the feats I were contemplating were lvl 1) Mounted Combat and Saddleback (Player's Guide to Faerun [GM approved taking it as a Halfling through Backstory training and growing with the companion whole life]) with Mounted Spellcasting or Mounted Mobility at lvl 3. I was planning on possibly 1 level dip of Beastmaster at level 6 by taking Skill Focus (Handle Animal) Feat then to further accelerate the animal companion.
Short Story recap: 20 yrs old, lives on families farmstead in Luiren with mother and father. While training to be an Outrider, after initial rejection, his elderly adventurer Grandmother comes back to his families Farmstead. Seeing the bond he has with his Brixa (born same day cliche) she begins to teach him the ways of Druidism without openly explaining what was going on. She dies 2 years into the beginning of training as she was ill (hence her return) and he qualifies to begin training with the Outriders. The GM's story starts with the group not knowing each and being taken/transported after a blinding light blacks us out. I have played the opening with the GM 1 on 1 and it appears we have been taken to another part of the world and the adventure begins with us all meeting each other in this transport.
Any and all help would be appreciated as I've been obsessing with it over a week now and need to lock it in to help ease my mind. Everything is pretty flexible and GM is normally fine with most 3.5 things if it can be explained in story.
Thanks,
Justin