Berzerk pets

[0-hr]

Rage (Ex): A dire wolverine that takes damage in combat flies
into a berserk rage on its next turn, clawing and biting madly
until either it or its opponent is dead. An enraged dire
wolverine gains +4 Strength, +4 Constitution, and -2 AC. The
creature cannot end its rage voluntarily.

Assume that the druid has a wolverine pet. It takes damage, goes berzerk, and kills all of the bad guys. Now what?

It can't end it's rage voluntarily and there are no more bad guys. But it's not supposed to turn on the party is it? Does it just stand there real angry for a while or what?

 

[Dingleberry]

Because "opponent" is singular, I'd say it's only the opponent who caused the damage, not ALL opponents - and definitely not allies.

 

[aliensex]

Well, the rage is supposed to be a response to a threat, so when the threat is gone, its rage should subside quickly. Being a pet (companion/familiar/etc.), it should know the difference between enemies and allies.

I think it would be good to have it only recognize the Druid as truly a freind, and be willing to attack other party members. The Druid would have to make Handle Animal or Animal Empathy checks to calm it and/or keep it form attacking allies.

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

The druid in my game has a wolverine companion. When it rages, everything is a potential target, since with an Int of 2 it doesn't really get the distinction when raging. It lasts until the druid manages to cast Calm Animal, or makes a successful Handle Animal check to calm it down. Makes sending the wolverine into melee exciting.

 

[0-hr]

Have you had any balance problems with the pet? In my case, it's a 5HD dire wolvarine in a party of four 5th level characters. On paper, it looks like this beast could easily monopolize combat to the point that the other players feel useless. Is this a common problem with druids, just this pet in general, or am I just wrong?

 

[Olgar Shiverstone]

I do think this pet is running the ragged edge of unbalancing (which I one of the reasons I work rage the way I do). I make sure the wolverine isn't too bright, and closely enforce the number of commands it knows, per the Handle Animal skill. I also reduced its HD so that it is appropriate to the party level.

Yes, animal companions can be a pain, and the druid can be a little over-powered, if abused. Keep them in line by:

- Playing them like animals. Remember low INT, frightened/skittish about things that are unfamiliar, and they don't necessarily do exactly what they're told.

- Enfoce the handle animal skill. The wolf might know the command "Attack", but WHO it attacks may not always be certain, or obvious. Most animal companions aren't awakened, so they'll only have a few commands down reliably.

- Animals put their interests above the druids, generally. The wolverine in question runs from strange magical beasts, constructs, and other things that are completely unfamiliar.

- Animals aren't likely to go into strange places of their own accord (like some strange dungeon settings).

- Large wild animals result in the druid being treated cautiously, or with mistrust, by the surrounding populace. Makes getting a room at the inn hard with a wolverine following you around, trying to eat the wizard's cat, growling at the patrons, etc.