Beast Companion (Feat)

[Crothian]

Beast Companion (General)
Prerequisites: Animal Friendship spell, Handle Animal 12 ranks, Animal Empathy 12 ranks
Benefit: You can gain a beast companion of your HD or less. You may only have one beast companion at a time and cannot have an animal companion. You can advance a beast like an animal companion at the cost of 500xp per HD. You can teach the beast 3 tricks per point of Int, like an animal.

List of Beasts from MM: Ankeg, Bulette, Dinosaur (Deinychus, Elasmoraurus, Megaraptor, Triceratops, Tyrannosaurus Rex), Girallon, Gray Render, Griffon, Hippogriff, Hydra, Owlbear, Purple Worm, Roc, Sea Lion, Stirge

 

[Limper]

Mechanicly it sounds fine... however the prereqs are thematicaly off. I don't think any of them would work on a Beast (maybe Handle) so I'd recomend changing them.

If I had my books here at work I'd offer some suggestions.

 

[Crothian]

Animal Frienship is there because the beast companion replaces the animal companion.

Animal Empathy works on beasts at a -4 modifier.

Animal Empathy of 9 ranks gives a synergy bonus of +2 to Handle Animal skill applied to beasts.

Animal Handling can train a beast at DC 25+ HD of Beast.

So, they actually all have a reason for being there. I had to reread these skills to realize it myself.

 

[Crothian]

Here are more beasts from the other monster books I have

CC: Aquantis, Blight Wolf, Bloodmare, Dread Raven, Dune Delver, Emperor Stag, Firedrake, Low Gorgon, Great Harrier, Grippett, Hill Howler, Huror, Iron Tusker, Paragon Crocodile, Sand Burrower, Siren Vulture, Spire Wyvern, Wolf Spider Giant

CC2: Flesh Strippers, Keel Crusher, Shockbat, Spined Lizard, Wolfrat

MoF: Bat Deep (Bonebat, Night Hunter, Sinister)

ELH: Brachyurus


The strength of these creatures and the limited HD that can be befriended seems to be it's own limiting device. I'm not sure the Ranks in the skills needs to be so high. Thoughts?

 

[The Iron Mark]

Why are you turning an epic feat into a non-epic one?

 

[Crothian]

Why are you turning an epic feat into a non-epic one?

It's an epic feat?

Edit: Okay, so it is. However, this way it's open to Rangers which is important, and it is more limited then there's is.

 

[Crothian]

So, no one likes the idea of Beast companions? Think of it this way, I'm strengthning up the Ranger. We all like that. Ranger got the Shaft, remember?

 

[Crothian]

Okay, I'd like to make it a stepping stone to the Epic version. THe one problem is the epic version has a prerequite of Wildshape 6/day which limits this to Druids only. I want this feat open to Rangers as well.

 

[Marshall]

So, no one likes the idea of Beast companions? Think of it this way, I'm strengthning up the Ranger. We all like that. Ranger got the Shaft, remember?

Well, the Feat is balanced if that is what youre asking. If anything its on the weak side, since technically a Druid gets Beast Companion for free when he casts Awaken.

Personally I'd allow Rangers/Druids to befriend Beasts normally and just count it as 2-4HD higher against their limit.

 

[Sidran]

Mechanically I like the look of the Beast Companion. Textually I would say Must be able to cast animal companion (Spell), But that is just me being picky.

As for the step up to Epic Level Feat, I like that but show it in the text give it a prereq of either Cha +15 or Int +15 to use this feat

And perhaps write the feat up as part of a feat chain

For instance have a feat

Beastshape

After spending many years in the wild and magical places of the world you have started to gain some qualities associated with magical beings.

Prerequisites Must be able to cast Animal Companion, Dex +13, Wilderness Lore + 9 ranks, Knowledge (Nature) +8 ranks

Benefits: You have gained the Spell like ability to polymorph self into a Small or Medium-size creature, and back again once per day. Unlike the standard use of the spell, however, you may only adopt one form. As stated in the spell description, you regain hit points as if you have rested for a day. You do not risk the standard penalty for being disoriented while in the Beastshape.

Choices for the shape that you can take after gaining this ability our: Bulette, Girallon, Gray Render, Griffon, Hippogriff, Owlbear, Purple Worm, Roc, Sea Lion, Blight Wolf, Bloodmare, Dread Raven, Dune Delver, Emperor Stag, Firedrake, Low Gorgon, Great Harrier, Grippett, Hill Howler, Huror, Iron Tusker, Paragon Crocodile, Sand Burrower, Siren Vulture, Spire Wyvern, Wolf Spider Giant, Shockbat, Spined Lizard, Wolfrat

Special: This feat may be taken multipule times. Each time it is taken you recieve an extra 1/day modifier and may choose a new form that you know.


This allows you to specify that the Beast companion must be a form that the character can take via this feat.