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I wasn't actually thinking about sniping, partly because I've never really used it. I imagine that you're thinking that sniping is the only way to get more sneak attacks from a ranged weapon, whereas a melee rogue can get the sneak by flanking. I still find that rogues who flank are more likely...

Assuming your DM can't or does not want to make the campaign more skill-friendly, and assuming you still want to play a rogue, I would suggest the following: 1) Don't go the melee route. Rogues don't have the AC or the HP to stand toe to toe, so getting the flank for the sneak attack will get...

Actually, at least according to PHB p. 142, it just says that Total Defense is a standard action, that you can't combine it with Fighting Defensively or Combat Expertise (because you aren't taking the attack action), and that you can't make AoO. Although it might functionally be the same, it...

I think that makes sense, but presumably a character doing total defense is doing those same things, but with no attack penalty. --Axe

Actually, variant rules seem perfectly appropriate-- at least those that are actually published in D&D sources, such as the spell roll. Since these are alternatives that are endorsed by the game designers, people should be able to ask about them and discuss them, and the Rules forum seems most...

Couldn't that same interpretation be reversed to say that it's a drawback of attack? In other words, because defend (and guard) don't have any text limiting what the animal will attack, one could say that defending animals will attack anything attacking the defended. Thus, you could use defend...

Does DR apply to the attacks of a summoned monster? --Axe

I'm running a human rogue/cleric of Ehlonna with the Plant and Good domains. My DM and I both thought this was fine, but then he ran across a rule that said that clerics of a deity who's typical worshippers include a specific race must be of that race. We'd assumed that Ehlonna was a woodland...

Warhorses are not included in the animal companion list, only light and heavy horses. Does this impact the use of such animal companions in mounted combat? Specifically, the description for non-warhorses says they cannot fight with a rider, and the Ride skill says that such horses require a DC...

Well, actually you *could* wear the breastplate at first level, since it doesn't affect any of your ranger abilities (though it does impact sneaking skills and movement). Might work if you expect to be in melee a lot for this one level. You could also consider a mithral breastplate down the...

In fact, you probably shouldn't be wearing a breastplate, unless it's mithral, after first level, since you lose the benefits of combat style in medium armor. --Axe

Illusion is actually a good one to keep for summoners, because summoning doesn't break invisibility. --Axe

But this is the rules forum and we are talking about the rules. Whether you would allow something or not (as a matter of personal preference, rather than as per the RAW) or whether you think something is silly is irrelevant, because the question is how to interpret the rules as they are written...

Agreed. For some reason I thought a distinction was made in share spells between spells that can target any creature and spells that target "You." The rule itself, however, only mentions a spell the cast casts on "himself," which of course would include both categories (or, as Hyp. describes it...

I was under the impression (probably mistakenly), that spells with a target of "You" could only be cast on the familiar *instead* of on you, and that sharing (in the strict sense) was restricted to spells that targeted "a creature." Looking at the SRD, my interpretation is certainly not...

What I'm suggesting is abandoning the Concentration (or any other skill-based) mechanic. Otherwise, you are dealing with a check that goes up every level against a DC that goes up every other level (and only for the highest level spell). So, either you make the DC extremely high so that high...

I think anyone considering playing a 1st level spellcaster would care. What 1st level character can make a DC 20 Concentration check easily? Even if you include Combat Casting AND Skill Focus (Concentration), a character with full ranks and a 12 Con would fail one third of the time-- and that's...

The Will save is something I noticed in a recent session, when my druid was contemplating casting Calm Animals on a dire wolf, figuring it was an animal with a bad Will save. Imagine my surprise when I discovered that these things have a monk's saves! --Axe

Thanks for the comments so far. Lots of dog fans, it seems. I did forget to mention the advantages of evasion, etc. for sticking with a tier 1 companion. A few other questions, some of the Devil's Advocate nature: 1) Our campaign is core only, so Natural Bond is not an issue. 2) Regarding...

I have a halfling druid, currently 4th level with a riding dog companion. I've been trying to decide if I should stick with the dog for the long haul or switch to another companion at 7th or later. Here are the choices I'm considering, and I'd be happy to hear arguments for others. 1) Stick...