Stephen_E
2008-12-15, 07:10 AM
I was wondering if anyone has ever tried playinga Animal Companion or Special Mount as a PC. That is someone is playing a Druid/Arcane Heriophant of Paladin and you take over and play their Animal Cpmpanion/Companion Familiar/Special Mount. No worrying about XP, just make sure your "friend" doesn't croak. You can even nag them to take feats to help you (Natural Bond, Leadership making you their cohort, ect).
It would help if you made a house rule to give animals realistic Int scores, especially for strainht Animal Companions - 1-5 is much more realistic for the smarter animals. It has been shown that some animals have devoloped a vocabulary of several hubdred words and even created new words for concept that their current vocabulary didn't cover.
Create the stats as normal but modify stats for animals with a book Int of 2 so that their Int stat is as below. Otherwise follow the normal rules for working out stat mods for race as per the Monster Manual (IIRC).
18=5
16-17=4
13-15=3
9-12=2
3-8=1
Int stats for book Int 1 animals are
17-18=4
14-16=3
10-13=2
3-9=1
Int 2 or less you're restricted to actions based on tricks you've been taught.
Companion Familiar and Special Mount abilities that increase your Int to a set score instead increase your Int by the set amount -2. i.e. A lev 5 Paladin's mount has a Int of "6". Instead you would add (6-2) to your Int, adding 1 when your Paladin reached 8th lev.
If the DM doesn't which to allow using Leadership to make the animal a Cohort you could always allow the bonus HD to become levs in Scout, Barbarian or mayber Ranger (creating a new Combat Style) as would seem fitting for the animal. i,e, Wolverines would take Barbarian levels. The slower advancement balanced by the higher start level, superior physical stats and the additional boosts in abilities from your "friend". No other base classes of Prestige Classes with anything less than a Wish AND the close eyeball and agreement of DM beforehand for "appropriateness"..
Stephen E
It would help if you made a house rule to give animals realistic Int scores, especially for strainht Animal Companions - 1-5 is much more realistic for the smarter animals. It has been shown that some animals have devoloped a vocabulary of several hubdred words and even created new words for concept that their current vocabulary didn't cover.
Create the stats as normal but modify stats for animals with a book Int of 2 so that their Int stat is as below. Otherwise follow the normal rules for working out stat mods for race as per the Monster Manual (IIRC).
18=5
16-17=4
13-15=3
9-12=2
3-8=1
Int stats for book Int 1 animals are
17-18=4
14-16=3
10-13=2
3-9=1
Int 2 or less you're restricted to actions based on tricks you've been taught.
Companion Familiar and Special Mount abilities that increase your Int to a set score instead increase your Int by the set amount -2. i.e. A lev 5 Paladin's mount has a Int of "6". Instead you would add (6-2) to your Int, adding 1 when your Paladin reached 8th lev.
If the DM doesn't which to allow using Leadership to make the animal a Cohort you could always allow the bonus HD to become levs in Scout, Barbarian or mayber Ranger (creating a new Combat Style) as would seem fitting for the animal. i,e, Wolverines would take Barbarian levels. The slower advancement balanced by the higher start level, superior physical stats and the additional boosts in abilities from your "friend". No other base classes of Prestige Classes with anything less than a Wish AND the close eyeball and agreement of DM beforehand for "appropriateness"..
Stephen E