Natural Bond Poll

This poll is set up to see how people think the natural bond feat interacts with a Druid who is using an "Alternative Animal Companion" (as outlined on pg. 36 of the Player's Handbook).

In case it isn't clear from the poll, an example would be a 4th level druid with a black bear companion and the natural bond feat. Would the companion recieve the benefits as though the druid were first level (just Link and Share spells), or would his "effecitve druid level" for purposes of determining animal companion abilities be 4?

For the relevant texts on the matter:

SRD said:

A druid of sufficiently high level can select her animal companion from one of the following lists, applying the indicated adjustment to the druid’s level (in parentheses) for purposes of determining the companion’s characteristics and special abilities.

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...and...

Complete Adventurer said:

Natural Bond

Prerequisite: Animal Companion

Benefit: Add three to your effective druid level for determining the bonus hit dice, extra tricks, special abilities, and other bonuses your animal companion recieves (see page 36 of the Player's Handbook). This bonus can never make your effective druid level exceed your character level.

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Yep, it sure does!

of course it does

Absolutely yes.

This is an interesting example of spirit of the rules/letter of the rules interaction. The letter of the rules does not explicitly state whether the character's effective druid level is adjusted by the feat (a) before or (b) after the adjustment for a higher-level animal companion.

The spirit of the rule is also unclear. It could be a feat meant to increase the viability of animal companions for rangers or multi-classed druids, like Practised Spellcaster for paladins, rangers and multi-classed spellcasters, or it could be a feat meant to bust the metacap like Sudden Maximize.

In the end, I guess it boils down to personal preference. If you think that a single-classed druid's animal companion is powerful enough, then he shouldn't benefit from Natural Bond. If you think that it needs a boost, then it should.

For the record, I'm the only one that voted "No" so far.

Definitely no, it's just a mess-up with the terms.

Bye
Thanee

I'm normally inclined to rule in favor of the player (and then stick to it no matter if it helps or hurts them later), but druids don't exactly need a power boost, so 'No'.

Thanee said:

Definitely no, it's just a mess-up with the terms.

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So which did you vote?

-Hyp.

NO

This bonus can never make your effective druid level exceed your character level

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Therefore it offers no benefit to a single class druid.

To calculate a companions abilites, you must know the druids effective level first.

Therefore, you ADD the benefits from Natural Bond, choose your companion, and take its adjustment into account.

Feegle Out

Hypersmurf said:

So which did you vote?

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No!

(Hey, it didn't say 'per the RAW' there... )

Bye
Thanee