Animal Companion abuse (?)

[Quickleaf]

[MENTION=8313]cperkins[/MENTION]
Why not use the Druidic Avenger alternate class? Variant Character Classes :: d20srd.org No animal companion for either of you to worry about and he gets compensated for it with some sweet barbarian features. That's seems like the easiest solution.

Overall this really sounds like a gaming style issue. They are mercenary or beer n pretzels gamers (or both), while you are an immersive gamer. No one is in the wrong/right. You've just got to find a way to live together (or cut your losses and run screaming ).

Oh, and since no one has said it yet, fighting rooster? frog? This guy is really scraping the bottom of the animal companion bucket!

 

[scruffygrognard]

Why not use the Druidic Avenger alternate class?

Because my game, while heavily based on 3rd edition D&D, is closer to Castles & Crusades mechanically. There are no prestige classes, alternate classes, or feats.

PS: A note of caution; the linked file above is BIG (about 18Mb) and will take a while to download or open in your browser.

 

[Herobizkit]

Well, if he's picking a rooster and a frog and sending them off to their death, it's clear that he doesn't want an animal companion. And (perhaps) because you aren't willing to bend on class features, he's stuck playing only most of the character he wants to play.

Seems like you need to meet in the middle somewhere.

Edit: After reading your PDF which (to me) is basically 1e, druids don't even get animal companions unless they cast animal friendship. Is there a reason he wants to cast it?

 

[Quickleaf]

Because my game, while heavily based on 3rd edition D&D, is closer to Castles & Crusades mechanically. There are no prestige classes, alternate classes, or feats.

PS: A note of caution; the linked file above is BIG (about 18Mb) and will take a while to download or open in your browser.

Yeah. Can't get to that monster file right now.

But you might want to flex a little here. As long as the classes you use are pretty close to the d20 core, the alternate I linked to doesn't rely on feats. It's basically a straight class feature for class feature swap. Obviously it's your game, but that strikes me as the most elegant solution.

If you disagree, by all means go back to death frog cock fighting

 

[scruffygrognard]

His choice of an animal companion (through the use of animal friendship) has been poor. I've tried to point him in the right direction but he seems adamant in choosing crappy animals (beats me as to why). The rooster had everyone at the table blinking their eyes in disbelief. The giant, poisonous toad was not really a bad choice... though his treatment of it left much to be desired.

BTW, I believe that druids and rangers had to cast animal friendship in D&D 3.0 in order to get an animal companion too.

 

[scruffygrognard]

After reading your PDF which (to me) is basically 1e, druids don't even get animal companions unless they cast animal friendship. Is there a reason he wants to cast it?

I'd say it's more like stripped down 3rd edition with AD&D window dressings.

As for why he'd want to cast animal friendship; I'm guessing that having an extra combatant in the party can't hurt... especially when it's free (other than initially using up a spell slot to befriend the animal).

 

[Wednesday Boy]

The first was a fighting rooster that he befriended through animal friendship (I'm running a modified 3.0 game) and, upon realizing that it wasn't effective in combat (?????), killed it and ate it.

...his Giant Toad companion, "Deathy,"...

I agree with everyone who's saying you have the right idea. And I don't like silly humor in my campaigns. But eating your worthless chicken companion and naming your trap-springing toad Deathy is really funny when taken tongue-in-cheek. For a pair of bad players they did make me laugh.

 

[jasper]

hmm. Wet bedding, slippery smelly spots under foot, horse farts in his face. What would happen if nature decided to get back at the druid? How many evil little things could be done to him.

 

[scruffygrognard]

Nice! I like the way you think Jasper.

 

[MarkB]

Yeah, this player needs some punishin'. Have his toad turn out to be a polymorphed prince... of Darkness.