What an absolutely overpowered animal companion!

[King of Nowhere]

I mean, Mr Scruffy is BROKEN!!! He can silence every caster with ease, has proven himself very difficult to hit, and he looks like a very nice cat, so everyone will understimate him. Probably, as a cat, he has a charming attack that makes foes trying to pet him in the middle of the battle. Probably he could have cleared the room without Belkar's help.
That's why Belkar is going to die: because against him, Xykon won't stand a chance! GO MR SCRUFFY!

[Jan Mattys]

I mean, Mr Scruffy is BROKEN!!! He can silence every caster with ease, has proven himself very difficult to hit, and he looks like a very nice cat, so everyone will understimate him. Probably, as a cat, he has a charming attack that makes foes trying to pet him in the middle of the battle. Probably he could have cleared the room without Belkar's help.
That's why Belkar is going to die: because against him, Xykon won't stand a chance! GO MR SCRUFFY!


As I said in another thread, I think Belkster is Mr. Scruffy's animal companion.
:smallbiggrin:

[Flame of Anor]

Yes, that seems to be the general consensus.

*shlict shlict shlict*

[Darth Stick]

Naw, as the owner (caretaker?) of several cats in my life, I completely understand why they can kill 1st level characters and disrupt casting of spells at most levels short of epic.

I had one that got spooked and she decided the top of my head was the safest place for her. My trying to get her down seemed to frighten her even more. The only thing I could concentrate on was getting her off! :eek:

So even though I would presume that Mr. Scruffy is indeed better than the average house cat, even a normal one could do the damage he has exhibited so far.

[Tempest Fennac]

I know his probably a companion, but I find it worrying that he's as powerful as he is against spellcasters. Do you think giving all melee characters a cat a s aclass feature would help to ofset the supposed warrior/caster balance issues in the 3rd Edition?:smalltongue:

[Krankheit]

then all casters are going to start carrying catnip as a countermesure, and a war of escalation shall begin between the two groups.

[The Vanishing Hitchhiker]

I'm inclined to start believing that Mr. Scruffy is no mere housecat, but a kitten white... panther, or something epic like that. :smallwink:

[factotum]

I know his probably a companion, but I find it worrying that he's as powerful as he is against spellcasters.

Anything that can interrupt their concentration is powerful against spellcasters, and that includes a cat doing maybe 1 point of damage per hit--given how absurdly powerful D&D 3.5 edition spellcasters get at higher levels, there has to be SOMETHING to balance it out!

[Lorn]

then all casters are going to start carrying catnip as a countermesure, and a war of escalation shall begin between the two groups.
Can I sig that? Please?


And @OP: I kind of thought you were referring to the Cleric of Loki being Belkar's second animal companion :smalltongue:

[Hydro Globus]

Anything that can interrupt their concentration is powerful against spellcasters, and that includes a cat doing maybe 1 point of damage per hit--given how absurdly powerful D&D 3.5 edition spellcasters get at higher levels, there has to be SOMETHING to balance it out!

Actually, the casters get to make a Concentration check - a skill check with a DC equal to the damage suffered. Which means that at low levels, they can make almost all Conc. rolls, and at high levels, they don't even need to bother with rolling, they have no chance. But not so against a cat, the 1 pt of damage each round won't interfere much.

Of course this is all number-chrunching, what I can add as a RPer:
:thog: me smash puny feline quadrupedal animal.

[zillion ninjas]

Naw, as the owner (caretaker?) of several cats in my life,

I hold by the old saying (and in keeping with Jan's comment at the top):


"Dogs have masters. Cats have servants." :smallsmile:

[chibibar]

Mr. Scruffy is more of a plot companion. I mean the joke is that if you follow the rules above, yea the cat does small amount of damage and you can still do a concentration check and cast spell.

But If you put real life situation in it (out of the rule book) have you ever try to do anything while a piss off cat clawing at your face??

[Draz74]

I'm pretty sure Belkar uses Scruffy on casters because he's grappling them. Even if the thing you're grappling is Tiny and can only do 1 damage per attack to you, you can't cast spells with somatic components while being grappled.

[King of Nowhere]

The point is not the 1 damage. The cat damage takes much more cconcentration than other damages. Because it's something that focus your mind on it.
I can imagine someone concentrating with a sword through his chest.
I can't imagine someone concentrating with a cat on his face.

[Shpadoinkle]

I'm pretty sure Belkar uses Scruffy on casters because he's grappling them. Even if the thing you're grappling is Tiny and can only do 1 damage per attack to you, you can't cast spells with somatic components while being grappled.

Isn't there a rule that prevents anything from grappling anything two or more sizes larger than itself? Or is it that you can't grapple anything MORE than two sizes larger?

[Hydro Globus]

Isn't there a rule that prevents anything from grappling anything two or more sizes larger than itself? Or is it that you can't grapple anything MORE than two sizes larger?

I can't find any such rule.

Also, grappling would work. Good idea, Draz! :)

[chibibar]

I can't find any such rule.

Also, grappling would work. Good idea, Draz! :)

I like it. Most of my gaming group have cats and they all know how it feels when a cat pounces and grapple you.

Rules, schmulez, In Real Life, a cat CAN grapple your face, you feel it.....

[Vladimir]

It could also be that the caster encountered thus far have just had lousy concentration scores. It was cross class for a few levels for that Arcane Trickster.

[King of Nowhere]

I don't think it is exactly a grappling. I mean, in a grapple the cat is too weak, he won't stand you, but the point is that since you are much bigger, HE can grapple YOU without YOU grappling HIM.
He have his claws under your skin, can move as he likes, but you are not grappling him, don't have a take on him, your arms are spinning helplessy in the air.
Once you can actively grab him, the fight is over. But it can take some time, so it can stops a spellcaster for a while.
I think the effect cat-on-face could be compared to some spell like a carrion swarm or insect something (I don't know an exact name): it deals minor damage, but it is explicitly stated that casting spells under its area of effect is impossible.

[Gez]

Actually, the casters get to make a Concentration check - a skill check with a DC equal to the damage suffered. Which means that at low levels, they can make almost all Conc. rolls, and at high levels, they don't even need to bother with rolling, they have no chance. But not so against a cat, the 1 pt of damage each round won't interfere much.[/B]

Actually, 10+damage dealt. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/Concentration.htm)

Unless you're talking 4th edition and they changed the rules.

That means that 1 point of damage is still a DC of 11, so there is a chance of it failing.

[Yendor]

Isn't there a rule that prevents anything from grappling anything two or more sizes larger than itself? Or is it that you can't grapple anything MORE than two sizes larger?

Yes. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/combat/specialAttacks.htm#grapple) "You automatically lose an attempt to hold if the target is two or more size categories larger than you are."

[ZtM]

In NetHack, feral kittens are one of the most dangerous enemies for a low-level adventurer to encounter. I would be doubtful that there is anyone who has played that game who has not lost a low-level character to one of those beasties. (At least until they learn that they can tame them by throwing meat chunks or other food items at them) What's more, housecats are what kittens turn into once they rack up enough experience points, and are significantly more powerful then their younger brethren. Maybe the campain of OOtS uses house-ruled felines based on those found in NetHack. :smallsmile:

[The Minx]

In NetHack, feral kittens are one of the most dangerous enemies for a low-level adventurer to encounter. I would be doubtful that there is anyone who has played that game who has not lost a low-level character to one of those beasties. (At least until they learn that they can tame them by throwing meat chunks or other food items at them) What's more, housecats are what kittens turn into once they rack up enough experience points, and are significantly more powerful then their younger brethren. Maybe the campain of OOtS uses house-ruled felines based on those found in NetHack. :smallsmile:

Cats were surprisingly lethal for 1st level characters in 1st and 2nd Ed AD&D too. After all, in those days you did not get full HP for your first level, but had to roll for it. :smallsmile:

[Corwin Weber]

Actually feral cats are pretty dangerous in RL too..... the description I usually use is 'furry buzzsaws.' If Mr. Scruffy actually is Belkar's animal companion, I'd think we can safely say that he'd fight like a feral when ordered to. (Ordinary domestic cats and ferals will usually only fight all out when cornered. As an animal companion, he can be told to fight like that and can understand the.... well with any other animal it would be an order, but with a cat let's call it a 'request.')

They're fast and if they're backed into a corner, they fight all out. They can do a surprising amount of damage for an animal that size. Even most dogs won't mess with them twice unless they're in a pack.

[EmperorSarda]

If Mr. Scruffy is indeed an animal companion, does that mean they share an mental link of some sort?

Does it also mean that Mr. Scruffy is all that more awesome for not going insane by sharing Belkar's thoughts?

[Arkaim]

Cats should have the rage ability without the -2 penalty to Armor Class penalty and end rage fatigue penalty.

[Corwin Weber]

If Mr. Scruffy is indeed an animal companion, does that mean they share an mental link of some sort?

Does it also mean that Mr. Scruffy is all that more awesome for not going insane by sharing Belkar's thoughts?

I don't think so, but honestly I don't know in any reasonably modern version of D&D. I'd been under the impression that they didn't, and that this was one of the differences between animal companions and familiars.

Anybody who's played more recently have more recent info?

[EmperorSarda]

Ok, I checked the srd that was linked above, so you're right, no mental links. It does however make Mr. Scruffy the God King of Lolcats everywhere.

[Sereg]

As I have stated before, Mr. Scruffy is a herald of Good Cat (Check the link in my sig)

[Liwen]

I once had a very bad experience with a cat. I think it was a feral cat, didn't have any collars. Anyway it was pissed like in a really bad way. Never knew why but the first thing he does is jump on my face and start clawing a hell of pain. I tried to get it off and eventually succeded, yet he had like 10 seconds of fun on top of my head. Eventually, I grabed it's tail, so he jumped off me, making me lose my grap.

This cat was very mad, because he tried to bounce in my face again. But this time I was prepared. Got a critical blow in his face before he reached mine. Nearly broken my own arm in the process but that was instant kill for the poor cat.

I spent three days in the hospital recovering and the doctors were almost sure I had an lethal infection of some weird virus.

In other words, don't underestimate the cat. they are nasty.
I still love and respect cats these nowdays, but not the grey feral type variety.

[Prak]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c[/url]]Don't Mind Me [Feline]

You have a knack for maneuvering unnoticed into position for an attack.

Prerequisite: Reach 0 feet.

Benefit: You do not provoke an attack of opportunity when you enter an opponent's square.

Normal: A creature with a reach of 0 feet provokes an attack of opportunity upon entering an opponent's square.

Flop [Feline]

You can gracefully fall down and captivate a nearby humanoid with your remarkable cuteness.

Benefit: As a standard action, you can fall prone, forcing one humanoid of your choice within 10 feet of you to make a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. The target must be able to see you. This extraordinary ability is a mind-affecting effect.

Healing Chi [Feline]

Curling up with you makes injured creatures feel better. You know how to focus your chi to help heal the injuries of a favored creature.

Benefit: To provide healing chi, you must cuddle up with the wounded creature for one day or more. While so tended, the patient automatically recovers hit points or ability score points (lost to temporary damage) at twice the normal rate: 2 hit points per character level plus 2 ability score points for each day of light activity, or 3 hit points per character level plus 4 ability score points for each day of complete bed rest. You can tend only one patient at a time. Using Healing Chi counts as light activity for you. You cannot use Healing Chi on yourself.

Special: This feat can be used with the Heal skill to benefit someone under long-term care. Anyone benefited by both the feat and the skill recovers at triple the normal rate: 3 hit points per character level plus 3 ability score points for each day of light activity, or 4 hit points per character level plus 6 ability score points for each day of complete bed rest.

Improved Flop [Feline]

You can gracefully fall down and captivate multiple humanoids with your remarkable cuteness.

Prerequisite: Flop.

Benefit: As a standard action, you can fall prone, forcing each humanoid within 10 feet of you to make a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. The targets must be able to see you. This extraordinary ability is a mind-affecting effect.

Interspecies Grace [Feline]

You can captivate monstrous humanoids and giants with your remarkable cuteness.

Prerequisites: Flop, Improved Flop.

Benefit: As a standard action, you can fall prone, forcing each humanoid, monstrous humanoid, and giant within 10 feet of you to make a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier) or be dazed for 1 round. The targets must be able to see you. This extraordinary ability is a mind-affecting effect.

Slow Fall [Feline]

Contrary to popular belief, you don't always land on your feet. The Slow Fall feat helps you land unhurt from a fall.

Benefit: When you're adjacent to a vertical surface, you can use it to slow your descent in a fall. You take damage as if the fall were 20 feet shorter than it actually is.

Special: You can take this feat multiple times. The adjustments to the effective height of the fall stack.

Twining Trip [Feline]

You can use your Dexterity to make trip attacks by twining your body around the opponent's legs.

Prerequisites: Don't Mind Me.

Benefit: When attempting a trip attack, first make a melee touch attack. If that succeeds, make a Dexterity check opposed by the defender's Dexterity check. Success at this check means you trip the opponent.

Normal: When attempting a trip attack, first make a melee touch attack. If that succeeds, make a Strength check opposed by the defender's Dexterity or Strength check, whichever provides the higher bonus. Success at this check means you trip the opponent.

Weight Focus [Feline]

You can accurately focus your weight to seem much heavier than you really are. In addition, you have an uncanny knack for finding sensitive points upon which to press in a grapple.

Benefit: When making a grapple check, use the special size modifier for a creature one size category greater than your own instead of the one you would normally use. If you successfully pin an opponent in a grapple, you can deal subdual damage as if you were one size category larger than you actually are.

Writhe [Feline]

You can make another creature want to pet you by stretching gracefully within its visual range.

Prerequisites: Flop, Interspecies Grace.

Benefit: While prone, you can use suggestion, as the spell, to make one creature within 30 feet of you use its next action to move into your square and attempt a melee touch attack to pet you. The target can resist this effect with a successful Will save (DC 10 + 1/2 your Hit Dice + your Charisma modifier). If an affected target is somehow prevented from carrying out the suggestion, it nevertheless spends its next action in the attempt. Using Writhe is a standard action.

funny thing is, I'm sitting with a little white cat on my lap as I read this thread.

[Roger_Druid]

Hi!

I registered so that I could suggest:

is it me, or should Mr. Scruffy be an albino panther kitten + THE BELKSTER! being a Ranger (mostly) remember you of a certain (other) notorius character with a figurine animal companion of a panther?

If I'm right, then Mr. Scruffy should be Scruffenh-var for real! I mean, just think about this: not only THE BELKSTER! but Mr. Scruffy also appeared before Lord Sojo (wherever the latter is)...

Roger_Druid

[GoC]

*cough*sig*cough*

[Hydro Globus]

Actually, 10+damage dealt. (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/skills/Concentration.htm)

Unless you're talking 4th edition and they changed the rules.

That means that 1 point of damage is still a DC of 11, so there is a chance of it failing.

Of course I'm not talking about 4.0. I personal opinion moderated by Hydro Globus that game.

And my point still stands except that in low-levels it's hard, in early mid-levels it's very easy, and it gets harder and harder again.

(And I don't think you suppose that a level ~8 spellcaster doesn't make a Conc. roll against 11.)

[Tre of the Wood]

Cats were surprisingly lethal for 1st level characters in 1st and 2nd Ed AD&D too. After all, in those days you did not get full HP for your first level, but had to roll for it. :smallsmile:

In first ed. concentration was a saving throw independent of damage (unless you died). Also if you were smart you would take advantage of the Ranger class and dual classing if you were a spellcaster to get 2d8 hp for 1'st level and extra proficiencies, so things were less deadly. Or you would just be a barbarian (The only class more overpowered than a bard :smalleek:) and ignore magic outright. 1'st edition is quite different...

[Tholok Razescar]

I'm inclined to start believing that Mr. Scruffy is no mere housecat, but a kitten white... panther, or something epic like that. :smallwink:

Seeing as he was the pet of the regent lord of Azure City, leader of the guardians of the gate of Soon? Quite possible, my friend.

[Hydro Globus]

[...] (The only class more overpowered than a bard :smalleek:)

Whadda...

Now I want a D&D1(.0) rulebook too...

[ObadiahtheSlim]

Well I think Mr. Scruffy if an animal companion would have bonus hit die, str/dex, AC, and evasion. Possibly multiattack if the Belkstar has enough levels in ranger. I'm sure all those extra attacks and dex bonus would make that little kitty a bit better

[King of Nowhere]

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/fools/20030401c[/url]]Don't Mind Me [Feline]

You have a knack for maneuvering unnoticed into position for an attack.

Prerequisite: Reach 0 feet.
...


That was great. And it is also totally true :smalleek:. We pet terrifying beasts.

[Krankheit]

Can I sig that? Please?

as long as you give credit sig away.

[littlequietguy]

I'm inclined to start believing that Mr. Scruffy is no mere housecat, but a kitten white... panther, or something epic like that. :smallwink:

He's the son cat of an ingenious Monarch who ruled over armies and palidin's. Isn't that good enough!

Also correction if anything scruffy's a ethereal marauder!!!:smallamused:

[Aergoth]

No. Scruffy is a cat. With the "whirling death" feat.


Whirling Death [Humorous]

You are whirling death.
Effect: You maim 1d2 people every round, preventing them from taking action.
Prerequisites: A Name, Humor Value.

[Scion_of_Darkness]

Mr. Scruffy is a miniature giant space cat.

[Hydro Globus]

That was a looong time ago. I was thinking about writing this on the forum but I decided I won't since no one would get it.

I'm so happy that I was wrong... :smallsmile::smallsmile:

[Tomada]

Mr. Scruffy is a miniature giant space cat.

Man, you just remembered Minsk and Baldur's Gate. Here, have a cookie, you deserve it. Such good memories.

[Tass]

I wonder. Has any army ever experimented with using cats as soldiers?

By the way ten points for the signature to Hydro Globus.

[Hydro Globus]

By the way ten points for the signature to Hydro Globus.

I have already seen a generation after me :)


Man, you just remembered Minsk and Baldur's Gate. Here, have a cookie, you deserve it. Such good memories.

Sorry, I usually am not this nitpicking, but it's BG, so I has to correct this: Minsk is a city. You meant Minsc.

[Tomada]

I have already seen a generation after me :)



Sorry, I usually am not this nitpicking, but it's BG, so I has to correct this: Minsk is a city. You meant Minsc.

Yep, I totally meant Minsc (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsc), not Minsk (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Minsk).

[Roderick_BR]

Of course it's overpowered. It's a house cat :smallbiggrin:
And I think he REALLY became Belkar's animal companion. Notice that the first time he used Mr.Scruffy to disrupt a caster, he just threw him at the goth's face (forgot her name), and she had trouble to take him off. This time however, Belkar told him to attack the guy casting spells, and it went to the attack all by himself, and he was not only trying to hold on to not fall, he is actually attacking the caster's face.

[Fri]

I wonder. Has any army ever experimented with using cats as soldiers?

By the way ten points for the signature to Hydro Globus.

No, but they said that british army experimented with using badgers (http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/middle_east/6295138.stm) as soldiers.

[King of Nowhere]

I wonder. Has any army ever experimented with using cats as soldiers?

You can't use cats. Cats use you.
Also, the Geneva convention outlawed them. Too terrible weapon, even if sometimes you can persuade them to spare you by giving them food.

[trajan]

I'm in favour of Scruffy having the Monster of Legend template.
Considering it only has CR+2, it would even be somewhat reasonable.
On a side note, anyone else amused that Belkars' companion has a higher wis score than he does?

Scruffy, Cat of Legend:

Size/Type: Tiny Animal
Hit Dice: 1d8 (9 hp)
Initiative: +9
Speed: 30 ft. (6 squares)
Armor Class: 22 (+2 size, +5 Dex, +5 natural), touch 17, flat-footed 17
Base Attack/Grapple: +0/-7
Attack: Claw +7 melee (1d6+1)
Full Attack: 2 claws +7 melee (1d6+1) and bite +5 melee (1d8+1)
Space/Reach: 2½ ft./0 ft.
Special Attacks: Frightful Presence
Special Qualities: Low-light vision, scent, DR 10/Magic, Reflective Hide
Saves: Fort +10, Ref +10, Will +4
Abilities: Str 13, Dex 21, Con 20, Int 4, Wis 14, Cha 9
Feats: Stealthy, Weapon Finesse, Multiattack, Improved Initiative
Environment: Temperate plains
Organization: Domesticated or solitary
Challenge Rating: 2¼
Advancement: As Animal Companion

[Hydro Globus]

On a side note, anyone else amused that Belkars' companion has a higher wis score than he does?


No, I'm not... I once lead a(n all-half-orc) 4-men party and my INT exceeded that of the sum of the entire party (except me, and dicsounting a familiar). Also, the familiar was smarter then its sorcerer.

Too bad that party was TPK-ed by another RPing group (the GMs were brothers and we decided we would have a crossover).

[Knolan]

Well, many DMs use house rules, since rangers aren't very powerful they can be using some.

For example, I created an alternative combat style system, you can choose 2 out of 4 combat styles (added poison and animal companion), you pick one on level 2 and the other on level 6, so you gain the benefits of the first on level 2, 6 and 11, and the benefits of the second at level 6, 11 and 16.
The poison fighting style gives you the ability to use your knowledge(nature) to gather and produce some poisons, also gives the poison use ability.
The animal companion style gives you a stronger animal companion and some maneuvers, such as charging with your animal companion and finishing the charge at flanking position.

[Lord Zentei]

In first ed. concentration was a saving throw independent of damage (unless you died). Also if you were smart you would take advantage of the Ranger class and dual classing if you were a spellcaster to get 2d8 hp for 1'st level and extra proficiencies, so things were less deadly. Or you would just be a barbarian (The only class more overpowered than a bard :smalleek:) and ignore magic outright. 1'st edition is quite different...

There are exploits for most games. Too bad for you if you wanted to play a low level mage (err.. "magic-user") in 1st Ed... yeah, roll for hit points. :smallamused:

I still remember a game where some poor schmuck played a 1st level wizard and had only 1 hit point. He met an angry goat one day. :smallbiggrin:

[derfenrirwolv]

I know his probably a companion, but I find it worrying that he's as powerful as he is against spellcasters. Do you think giving all melee characters a cat a s aclass feature would help to ofset the supposed warrior/caster balance issues in the 3rd Edition


I think its just that in OOtS its incredibly easy to disrupt spellcasting in general, more for dramatic flavor than adherence to the rules. Not only are the concentration checks not made for situations that call for them ( a DC 15 concentration check for being entangled, MAYBY 20 with the storm) but no one ever seems to cast on the defensive, and casting invites attacks of opportunity from people walking by you.

[Akisa]

Mr Scruffy is not Belkar's animal companion!

Let's assume if Belkar was level 16 (rangers are half level of druid for purpose of animal companion advancement) which gives him a druid effective level of 8. He would gain an additional +3 Bab and 2 strength mod (1 from the 2 strength increase provided by animal companion raising and 1 from HD advancement) and even using trajan's legendary housecat it would still have a -2 to the check. Ms Tsukiko's has a 9 of Bab (Math done here (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5376422&postcount=6)) would mean she has a natural +11 to the check. Now if Belkar uses -3 rule Mr Scruffy would have +3 to his grapple check so Ms Tsukiko would still have a natural +6 advantage. So all in all I have to say Mr Scruffy is not an animal companion but a separate creature perhaps an awaken animal with full bab class and feats that provide bonus to grapples?

Oh one more thing, because Tarjan's Mr Scruffy has 4 int it would no longer be considered an animal and thus invalid for animal companion unless he took some feats for his animal companion.

Edit Her Bab would 7 if she cast teleport through her domain slot and used bead of karma, but her her grapple check would still be 3-4 higher then Mr Scruffy assuming of course Ms Tsukiko has 8-10 strength which is reasonable.

[King of Nowhere]

Why everyone keep quoting the rules for grappling? What is the problem in accepting that it is an homebrewed form of grapple-like fighting?

[King of Nowhere]

Why everyone keep quoting the rules for grappling? What is the problem in accepting that it is an homebrewed form of grapple-like fighting?

[zillion ninjas]

I wonder. Has any army ever experimented with using cats as soldiers?

Well, there was this one (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040315) time (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040317)...

[hamishspence]

while this may be legendary, I remember reading that Egyptian army was defeated once because their enemies figured out how to use their cat-worship against them- every soldier in front rank of the enemy army carried a cat, and the Egyptians feared to harm the cats- they surrendered.

EDIT: The book was Your Cat by Vincent Landel

The date was 525 BC- Persian king Cambise apparently used this stratagem to capture Egyptian city of Pelusia.

[David Argall]

while this may be legendary, every soldier in front rank of the enemy army carried a cat, and the Egyptians feared to harm the cats- they surrendered.

The date was 525 BC- Persian king Cambise apparently used this stratagem to capture Egyptian city of Pelusia.

While the legend is old, there are several conflicting descriptions of the battle. They seem the more reasonable.

[Corwin Weber]

Well, there was this one (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040315) time (http://www.girlgeniusonline.com/comic.php?date=20040317)...

You saved me from going and looking up those strips. Good show. :)

[hamishspence]

which descriptions are these? I was going with- I have one book, so treat it as possible but not proven until I find better evidence.

[David Argall]

“Herodotus reported he saw the still unburied bones of the dead on the field at Pelusium almost a hundred years later.” [Hdt. III.12]

http://books.google.com/books?id=nNDpPqeDjo0C&pg=PA47&dq=Cambise,+Persia,+Egypt&source=gbs_toc_r&cad=0_0#PPA49,M1

would be one link.

[hamishspence]

and can you quote anything from it to support or deny the Cat Story?

[Lord Zentei]

Mr Scruffy is not Belkar's animal companion!

<snip rah rah rah>

Was it really necessary to post that in over-sized font?

Here LINK (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=97942). It is incorrect to assume that Mr Scruffy is using grappling, since that is not necessary for the effects shown in the comic. Moreover, your analysis does not show that Mr Scruffy is not Belkar's animal companion in any case.

[GSFB]

There is no grappling involved here. As a tiny creature, Mr Scruffy can enter a square occupied by a medium sized creature without grappling. Mr Scruffy is simply using a full attack with bite, 2 claws and a rake. With some natural BAB, some bonuses from being an animal companion, and a size modifer, the attacks pretty much all hit. Even at 1 hp damage per attack, that's enough to do 5 damage per round. That means 15 DC for concentration check - enough that a low-level caster will fail more often than not. Add in circumstance bonuses - a DM can righfully decide that the horrific sound of an attacking cat right up in your face is good for a -2 to your roll. Add in the sheer startlingness of being attacked by a cute fluffy house cat for another -2, and suddenly your effective 19 DC is enough to make it hard for mid-level casters to succeed.

Now, how many times have we seen Mr Scruffy against a high level caster? Not many. Few enough that a perfect record against them is easily explainable by simple luck with die rolls.

This is not overpowered. This is how animal companions (and familiars) work. Rangers are underpowered compared to fighters. They are even more so against calculated multi-classed ranger/barbarian/figher/prestige class combinations. Even in 3.5. That is, underpowered in terms of one on one pure combat. Ranger abilities like animal companions, spells, and nature skills make up for that. Belkar is simply FINALLY figuring out how to take advantage of a class feature designed to give him balance compared to a pure hack-and-slash killing machine.

If you want to see an overpowered animal companion, compare Mr Scruffy to a falcon!

I see nothing at all wrong with Belkar gaining the added power of Mr Scruffy. It works in game mechanics, and it REALLY works as a humor and plot device.

[ericgrau]

This is disrupting spellcasters not grappling. Not only can you not grapple a creature 2 sizes larger than you, he can't grapple you back either.

[Roderick_BR]

Mr Scruffy is not Belkar's animal companion!
Pointing back to my post on how it mighty be his animal companion... :smallamused:
http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=5370807&postcount=49

[RaptorSLH]

Is it possible to designate a target in D&D? I've been playing more WoD than D&D lately, and don't remember. A Medium humanoid may be too big for a Tiny creature to grapple, but the head of said humanoid would not be, if it can be separately targeted.

[Raging Gene Ray]

Mr Scruffy is not Belkar's animal companion!

Don't overdo font formatting, you'll just regret it later. I know from experience.

Now that that's out of the way, I'd just like to say that Mr. Scruffy is indeed NOT Belkar's animal companion, but is, in fact (Extremely Unlikely Speculation):

Eugene's familiar! He hung out with Shojo for quite a while in between the destruction of Dorukon's gate and the trial...and who's to say he doesn't have some magical item or feat that lets him maintain an interplanar link with his familiar? Mr. Scruffy could have been discretely delivering touch spells that screw up the caster's concentration, or Eugene might have been transdimensionally buffing the little fluffball. Maybe Belkar's fever dream was actually an Illusion spell (Eugene's specialty) delivered when Mr. Scruffy started lickin' on Belkar's hand? OF this, I am confident.

[kopout]

Mr Scruffy is not Belkar's animal companion!



No. Belkar is his.


As I have stated before, Mr. Scruffy is a herald of Good Cat (Check the link in my sig)
Ah, Sereg. It is good to see a fellow worshiper of Cat . But I think that Mr. Scruffy is a herald of Snuggles. Based on the fact that he consorts with Belkar an obviously Evil character.

[Raven Blackwell]

I think the effect cat-on-face could be compared to some spell like a carrion swarm or insect something (I don't know an exact name): it deals minor damage, but it is explicitly stated that casting spells under its area of effect is impossible.

It's called Distraction. You have to make a 10 + 1/2 HD Fort save or be nauseated for 1 round.