Druidic Question

[flarewing]

This has been a topic of discusion between me and my DM (Being an accomodating type, he allows arguments). I have an animal companion with a mostly crappy AC, and was hoping to buy barding for it. Does the metal armor restriction that applies to druids apply to any armor one would buy for their animal companion, and if the animal companion is also used as a mount, would that make any difference?

[marjan]

RAW you can put any barding on it that you like, but remember that he is not proficient with it without taking a feat. RP-wise I don't think any druid would do that.

[Shas aia Toriia]

According to fluff, you shouldn't, but mechanically its no problem. Just remember, your Companion has to take the Armor Proficiency feats.

[marjan]

Just remember, your Companion has to take the Armor Proficiency feats.

With mithral chainshirt that isn't problem since it has no ACP. With other armors it will be.

[Seffbasilisk]

Also, don't forget to multiply the cost according to the table.

ARMOR FOR UNUSUAL CREATURES

Armor and shields for unusually big creatures, unusually little creatures, and nonhumanoid creatures have different costs and weights from those given on Table: Armor and Shields. Refer to the appropriate line on the table below and apply the multipliers to cost and weight for the armor type in question.
Humanoid Nonhumanoid
Size Cost Weight Cost Weight
Tiny or smaller1 x1/2 x1/10 x1 x1/10
Small x1 x1/2 x2 x1/2
Medium x1 x1 x2 x1
Large x2 x2 x4 x2
Huge x4 x5 x8 x5
Gargantuan x8 x8 x16 x8
Colossal x16 x12 x32 x12
1 Divide armor bonus by 2.

It's under Masterwork armor. http://www.systemreferencedocuments....age/armor.html

Edit: Ach that table came out miserably. Check the link. Like for my dire bat, the armor cost x4 and weighs x2 because he's non-humanoid and size large.

[Stephen_E]

I can't see any fluff reason that a Druids animal companion can't wear metal barding just because the Druid can't. The two don't have any connection.

Depending on the DM you may be able to argue that if you have the combat mount set of tricks, that for an additional trick you can gian the ability to wear light barding. Given that some animal companions get war training for free, which includes proficincy in the various armours, it doesn't seem unreasonable.

Stephen

[Everyman]

I have agree with the general public opinion: There is no rule that forbids it, so it technically not a breach of the rules. However, I would personally see it a BIG breach of character and class virtues.

Of course, you could bypass this whole messy debate by making the armor out of something other than metal. Perhaps dragonhide?

[Leon]

Does the metal armor restriction that applies to druids apply to any armor one would buy for their animal companion, and if the animal companion is also used as a mount, would that make any difference?

No, the restriction applies only to the druid.
If you have a good DM who accepts that not everthing in the Core rules is sane or play in a setting with differences, Metal Armour and Druids work fine.

As an aside, get a War Trained (MM2 Template) Animal - Proficancy in armour aswell as a number of other bonues

[kamikasei]

Of course, you could bypass this whole messy debate by making the armor out of something other than metal. Perhaps dragonhide?

Giant, scary dragon: "Insignificant speck! You dare to wear the skin of my slain brothers!?! I shall DESTROY you!"

Druid *offended*: "Of course I don't!...

"...I gave it to my dog."

[loopy]

On a slightly unrelated tangent... Do animal companions get feats? Ability increases?

[Talic]

On a slightly unrelated tangent... Do animal companions get feats? Ability increases?

All creatures with an int score get 1 feat per 3 hd.

[Stephen_E]

However, I would personally see it a BIG breach of character and class virtues.

I don't get it. Why would you expect the animal companion to meet the Druids class restrictions. It's like saying a lay assistant to a Roman Catholic priest should be celibate! An animal companion is merely a friend who helps the Druid, and consequently is given some minor powers, but in know way are they Druids, so even fluff wise there is no reason for them to mimic the Druid class restrictions.

Stephen

[Stephen_E]

On a slightly unrelated tangent... Do animal companions get feats? Ability increases?

They get feats, but ability increases, other than the Dex/Str increases are dubious. The aren't sepcifically mentioned, but neither are they specifically denied and there is some weasal room for claiming that it's just part of getting skill points and feats fir additional HD.

But RAW I think you have to say they get Feats and Skill points but not ability increases.

Stephen

[Feralgeist]

Animal companions should be able to wear metal armor, they're part of nature, and druids want to protect that.

Besides, the no metal armor thing is stupid, i mean they cant wear metal, but are fine wielding scimitars and sickles? EITHER HAVE NO METAL, OR USE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.

It annoys me.

[Saph]

Giant, scary dragon: "Insignificant speck! You dare to wear the skin of my slain brothers!?! I shall DESTROY you!"

Druid *offended*: "Of course I don't!...

"...I gave it to my dog."

This one made me laugh. The DM in our World's Largest Dungeon game rules that magic armour resizes to fit the wearer no matter his anatomy, so that's given me a use for all the +1 chain shirts we've been finding.

At one point a new PC joined with no equipment. I leant him a magic chain shirt. After a couple of sessions he managed to find one of his own, leading to this exchange:

Me: "Is it okay if I have the chain shirt back now?"
Fighter: "Sure, thanks."
Me: "Great. Here you go, Dusty."
Fighter: "I've been wearing your dog's armour?"
Rogue: "Well, that explains your Charisma score."
Me: "Good boy, Dusty. Now you get to have an AC of 29 again."

- Saph

[flarewing]

say my druid was of both limited level and gold supply. What would be the most efficient armoring technique for a low level druid for armoring ones animal companion (wolf)? If there is no good one, at what level might i be able to find a good armoring idea?

[Voyager_I]

Animal companions should be able to wear metal armor, they're part of nature, and druids want to protect that.

Besides, the no metal armor thing is stupid, i mean they cant wear metal, but are fine wielding scimitars and sickles? EITHER HAVE NO METAL, OR USE AS MUCH AS YOU WANT.

It annoys me.

It's based on Celtic Druids, who used Sickles to gather herbs (incidentally, I think it was Holly and Mistletoe) as parts of rituals.

It's a little weird, but it's not entirely unjustified. Besides, they don't matter. The Druid will be Wildshaped anyways.

...Unless you want that angry Dire Bear to be wearing magical Adamantine Full Plate...

[zaei]

Slightly off topic, but it's a little non-sensical for the nature-loving druid to only be allowed to wear armor made from the hides of slain animals or the wood from chopped down trees.

[Kalir]

It's not because they love nature. They're just sticking closer to naturalism than most. Fighters can wield state-of-the-art steel armor and weaponry without having to worry about the naturalism of it, but if druids want such equipment, they need to be closer to nature with it to actually use it. Metal is unnatural. Think like a long-time Linux user's reaction towards commercial OS.

[VeisuItaTyhjyys]

Exactly how, sir, is metal unnatural? Leather is tanned animal hide, metal is ore. Ironwood armour had a spell cast on it.

[LibraryOgre]

It's not because they love nature. They're just sticking closer to naturalism than most. Fighters can wield state-of-the-art steel armor and weaponry without having to worry about the naturalism of it, but if druids want such equipment, they need to be closer to nature with it to actually use it. Metal is unnatural. Think like a long-time Linux user's reaction towards commercial OS.

How is metal unnatural? Metal is, after all, part of the earth. Sure, you have to treat it to make it optimally useful, but that applies to leather, and even wood.

[Fax Celestis]

How is metal unnatural? Metal is, after all, part of the earth. Sure, you have to treat it to make it optimally useful, but that applies to leather, and even wood.

From my understanding, it's not that metal armor is "unnatural", but rather that the inventions of industry are required to forge it.

[Sleet]

My house rule is: Druids can use metal armor if they want, but the amount of inorganic material in metal armor mucks up their wild shape mojo. This sidesteps the "natural/unnatural" argument nicely.

[Kalir]

What Fax Celestis said. Wood and leather, I believe, takes much less industrial work to treat properly. And as for ironwood spells, those are from natural magic, which makes sense.

I don't make the rules, I just interpret them as best as my ranks in Decipher Script allow.