A druid and his dog

[jason_gosse]

Some may remember my "dispel happy druid" trouble well it has just donned on me that this druid may be braking other rules. And one jumped out at me.
Can my happy druid have a blink dog as a companion?
He is ecl 14 cl 11.
A half dragon elf.

I am currently looking at Druid Companion ability and I don't see how you can tell at what level you can take a Companion of this type. I mean in the MM it does not state weather this creature can even be a companion. Could some one please help me out?

This would not bother me but he abuses the dimension door ability by saying his dog can blink him away from danger (Oh no I need to make a reflex save. nope my doggie blinks me away with his reflex save). Witch I just checked it is a standard action so he can’t do it.

Sorry I just spoke to my dm the "happy druid” used his dogs blink ability to getaway from danger. I have a feeling my happy druid problems may becoming to an end. But any way.


So can any

 

[The Souljourner]

The only suitable animal companions are those in the player's handbook. Make him show you where blink dog is in that list. It's not. For one thing, it's not even an animal, it's a magical beast, so it doubly isn't legal.

Get the DM to go over this guy's character with a fine toothed comb, 'cause he's just blatantly not following the rules.

 

[Legildur]

Well, lets look at this piece by piece:

1. Is a Blink Dog listed as an alternate animal companion? A quick check of the SRD shows no.

2. Is a Blink Dog of the animal or dinosaur type? (which might then make it an option for an animal companion as a house rule of sorts) A quick check of the SRD shows that it is in fact a magical beast. (although there may be another source that allows it under certain conditions, eg a PrC).

3. Can a Blink Dog take someone with it when it uses its Dimension Door (Su) ability? From the SRD:

Dimension Door (Su)
A blink dog can teleport, as dimension door (caster level 8th), once per round as a free action. The ability affects only the blink dog, which never appears within a solid object and can act immediately after teleporting.

So the answer is clearly no.

4. Can a Blink Dog use Dimension Door when making a Reflex save? Once again... NO! Generally you can only take actions on your turn, unless explicitly stated otherwise. While the Dimension Door (Su) ability is a Free Action, the only response that can be made to a Reflex save is, well, a Reflex save. The saving throw is not an action.

The more I read about your Druid player, the more and more I dislike his ethics.

Edit: Souljourner beat me to it. I got interrupted by work when drafting the reply!

 

[jason_gosse]

Never even crosed my mind that it was MB jesus christ.

 

[Ovistavin]

There is a feat that allows a Blink Dog companion. It's the Exalted Companion feat in BoED (Book of Exalted Deeds).

 

[jason_gosse]

There is a feat that allows a Blink Dog companion. It's the Exalted Companion feat in BoED (Book of Exalted Deeds).

I do not know wether he has that feat or not but he can't have a blink dog . the feat states that only a ranger can have one. for the companion has to be of the same alignment as you. a blink dog is LG he is TN. thank you thank you one more thing to catch him on.

 

[amethal]

Well, lets look at this piece by piece:

1. Is a Blink Dog listed as an alternate animal companion? A quick check of the SRD shows no.

2. Is a Blink Dog of the animal or dinosaur type? (which might then make it an option for an animal companion as a house rule of sorts) A quick check of the SRD shows that it is in fact a magical beast. (although there may be another source that allows it under certain conditions, eg a PrC).

3. Can a Blink Dog take someone with it when it uses its Dimension Door (Su) ability? From the SRD:

So the answer is clearly no.

4. Can a Blink Dog use Dimension Door when making a Reflex save? Once again... NO! Generally you can only take actions on your turn, unless explicitly stated otherwise. While the Dimension Door (Su) ability is a Free Action, the only response that can be made to a Reflex save is, well, a Reflex save. The saving throw is not an action.

The more I read about your Druid player, the more and more I dislike his ethics.

Edit: Souljourner beat me to it. I got interrupted by work when drafting the reply!

Is this some kind of rule-breaking record?

Having a magical beast as an animal companion
Having an animal companion with a completely incompatible alignment
Allowing animal companion to dimension door as an immediate action
Allowing animal companion to dimension door with a passenger

 

[irdeggman]

Based on the sum total of "issues" so far and the "newbie" DM, I would say that you started at too high a level game.

My logic is that the rules are complicated enough to follow for a Dm, but they become almost exponentially more so as the "options" that become available at higher levels come into play.

I would personally never recommend a "newbie" DM/group started at anything higher than 3rd level. This gives you that first bonus feat, but keeps the spells to 2nd level and thus avoids that first big step up in power that comes with 3rd level spells.

 

[jason_gosse]

Based on the sum total of "issues" so far and the "newbie" DM, I would say that you started at too high a level game.

My logic is that the rules are complicated enough to follow for a Dm, but they become almost exponentially more so as the "options" that become available at higher levels come into play.

I would personally never recommend a "newbie" DM/group started at anything higher than 3rd level. This gives you that first bonus feat, but keeps the spells to 2nd level and thus avoids that first big step up in power that comes with 3rd level spells.

Not quite what happenned. We did start at level 4 but the problem came from his trusting us to know what our spells and abilities did.

 

[cmanos]

...amnd also trusting the PC's not to try and pull things over on the DM...