Collar and leather (3.5)

[Adamaro]

Not a BDSM thread!

I just play lvl 1 fighter who also has a wolf and would really like to improve his pets chance of surviving. I was thinking of having a leather armor tailored specially for my war buddy and I would also get him a collar with spikes.

There are at least two important questions regarding that:
- how much do you think this should cost?
- leather armor gives AC bonus. What do you think collar should give? IMO immunity to critical hits but that would probably make DM go crazy, so no.

So: How would you present leather armor for a dog and a collar for him in game mechanics, besides the fact it should not make my wolf too powerfull? (party is lvl 1, but will advance soon)

tnx

[Mikka]

Assuming its non-magical, why do you think a collar should do anything whatsoever? Regarding the armor its just an exotic leather armor / barding , it also requires your animal to have Light Armor proficiency or it will receive various penalties. . i think its -armor penalty to hit and such.

[Lev]

Wolf barding made of leather?
First of all, if you want to improve his chances of survival, buy more wolves and perhaps a healing potion or salve.
Second of all, putting armor on assumes you will be hit in the first place, if you don't want your wolf hit I suggest not getting it hit.

[Adamaro]

@Mikka
Armor check penalty for Leather armor is 0. So no to-hit penalties?

[Escheton]

You can just spend a trick on armorprof later if you plan to have a wolf in (mountain) plate at some point.
Though you will prolly just go for masterwork studded leather till mithril chain/breastplate becomes cheap nuff.
And have a black bear in mountainplate instead and such.

[Fouredged Sword]

leather armor has no non prof penelty due to having no check penelty. Masterwork studded leather is much the same, but really if you want to decide how much effort you need for how much you really want to kep that wolf alive. He will, unless you have a feat or class ability that causes him to advance with you, degrade in comparison with the foes you will face. I strongly recoment the wild cohort feat from the web additions.

Besides that you need to decide just how much you want to throw behind keeping him alive. a wolf can learn armor prof with feats and as a trick (I believe). If you really want to make him survivable you will need more than leather. Think mechanus armor, or whatever the spelling on that is. Wolves in powered armor survive better than wolves without. Simple fact of life.