-Cor-
2008-01-12, 12:19 AM
A quick intro:
I'm getting ready to start a new campaign, and while I have a considerable amount of experience "playing" 3.5 DnD and probably just as much experience DMing other games, this will be my first time DMing 3.5. So, like most, I'm riddled with a ton of questions and have one I just can't figure out on my own.
This campaign is starting at level 1 with a 32 pt buy. Core + MIC, AEG, and PHB2. (And MM2 and DMG2 for me. Core + 5 I call it.)
I have a player who has come up with an incredibly interesting character concept. I won't go into great detail, but suffice it to say for this character to work, it needs a mount from right out of the gate at level 1. And wants a really specific mount at that; a wolverine.
I'd love for him to have it as I love the character concept, but I'm finding it really hard to justify a level 1 character with a 3HD CR 2 mount.
Even if yes, part of his well written back story is he found it and raised it from a kit. And even though he is a Gnome and can literally speak with the animal for a short period of time every day and would therefore have at least a minor circumstance bonus with the Handle Animal checks. And even though he's dropping all of his skill points into Ride and Handle Animal and taking the Animal Affinity feat. And he's spending all of his starting money on an exotic saddle for it.
Despite all of this effort there's still something bothering me about a level 1 with a CR 2 "pet". Even if once he gets to level 5 it'll hardly matter anymore.
Now, I think I might have come up with something, but I'm a little nervous about it. I was reading about advancing monsters and thought "Why not de-advance one?" Basically, create a small progression for his mount that he's made all of these concessions for. It would go something like this:
~Player Level 1 = Wolverine Mount with 1HD, 1 rank in both of its skills, and no Rage ability. (now approximately a CR 1)
~Player Level 3 = Wolverine Mount with 2HD, all of its ranks in its skills, still no Rage ability. (CR 1 1/2?)
~Player Level 5 = Wolverine Mount with 3HD and it's Rage ability. (Basically the standard entry at CR 2 which the DMG says is an appropriate CR for a mount for a 5th level character).
That said, the questions for all you bright and attractive OOtS forum readers:
Am I taking this too seriously? Does it not matter that much? Does my advancement idea seem stupid or would that work? And lastly, can anyone think of any better ideas for giving this guy a mount?
Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.
I'm getting ready to start a new campaign, and while I have a considerable amount of experience "playing" 3.5 DnD and probably just as much experience DMing other games, this will be my first time DMing 3.5. So, like most, I'm riddled with a ton of questions and have one I just can't figure out on my own.
This campaign is starting at level 1 with a 32 pt buy. Core + MIC, AEG, and PHB2. (And MM2 and DMG2 for me. Core + 5 I call it.)
I have a player who has come up with an incredibly interesting character concept. I won't go into great detail, but suffice it to say for this character to work, it needs a mount from right out of the gate at level 1. And wants a really specific mount at that; a wolverine.
I'd love for him to have it as I love the character concept, but I'm finding it really hard to justify a level 1 character with a 3HD CR 2 mount.
Even if yes, part of his well written back story is he found it and raised it from a kit. And even though he is a Gnome and can literally speak with the animal for a short period of time every day and would therefore have at least a minor circumstance bonus with the Handle Animal checks. And even though he's dropping all of his skill points into Ride and Handle Animal and taking the Animal Affinity feat. And he's spending all of his starting money on an exotic saddle for it.
Despite all of this effort there's still something bothering me about a level 1 with a CR 2 "pet". Even if once he gets to level 5 it'll hardly matter anymore.
Now, I think I might have come up with something, but I'm a little nervous about it. I was reading about advancing monsters and thought "Why not de-advance one?" Basically, create a small progression for his mount that he's made all of these concessions for. It would go something like this:
~Player Level 1 = Wolverine Mount with 1HD, 1 rank in both of its skills, and no Rage ability. (now approximately a CR 1)
~Player Level 3 = Wolverine Mount with 2HD, all of its ranks in its skills, still no Rage ability. (CR 1 1/2?)
~Player Level 5 = Wolverine Mount with 3HD and it's Rage ability. (Basically the standard entry at CR 2 which the DMG says is an appropriate CR for a mount for a 5th level character).
That said, the questions for all you bright and attractive OOtS forum readers:
Am I taking this too seriously? Does it not matter that much? Does my advancement idea seem stupid or would that work? And lastly, can anyone think of any better ideas for giving this guy a mount?
Thanks in advance for any and all suggestions.