Choosing animal companions for ease of mobility, tastiness and nutrition.

[Driddle]

The last time our party got in a tight spot for food resources, we opted to eat the druid's animal companion, a boar, rather than starve. (Much to our chagrin, we were rescued the following day!) In prep for our next adventure, we've overwhelmingly voted that Shadowleaf Windsong III should pick a bison as his companion instead -- more meat on the hoof and still pretty handy in combat.

What's been your experience with consuming companions? If you're forced to eat a wizard's familiar, how does your team help him compensate for the experience point penalty and a year without a replacement critter?

And now that I think about it, I wonder if the 'dire' template (at higher levels) makes an animal any more nutritious or tasty. Any thoughts on that?

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

The Dire animals are actually much more flavorful, but the meat is on the tough side so I recommend using a marinade that includes lots of vinegar or lemon juice. The longer you soak it in the marinade the better.

As a practical matter the bison is overkill. The Druid can slaughter his Companion for meat and get a new one the next day. Only a very large party could consume an entire bison in two days.

A real Druid would never approve of such wastage.

 

[DestroyYouAlot]

What, no cleric able to Summon Monster I up some dire rabbits?

 

[Driddle]

What, no cleric able to Summon Monster I up some dire rabbits?

What a great idea! I'm taking that one.

Our druid, Shad, wants a badger or wolverine. I've always been led to believe they would have stringy, tough meat.

 

[kenobi65]

What, no cleric able to Summon Monster I up some dire rabbits?

Alas, they vanish before you can finish skinning them, much less cook them.

A summoned creature also goes away if it is killed or if its hit points drop to 0 or lower. It is not really dead. It takes 24 hours for the creature to reform, during which time it can’t be summoned again.

 

[kenobi65]

Our druid, Shad, wants a badger or wolverine. I've always been led to believe they would have stringy, tough meat.

And probably highly gamey-tasting, as well.

Eating the halfling would probably be far better.

(And now we head off into Monty Python land... )

 

[Cor Azer]

The last time our party got in a tight spot for food resources, we opted to eat the druid's animal companion, a boar, rather than starve. (Much to our chagrin, we were rescued the following day!) In prep for our next adventure, we've overwhelmingly voted that Shadowleaf Windsong III should pick a bison as his companion instead -- more meat on the hoof and still pretty handy in combat.

What's been your experience with consuming companions? If you're forced to eat a wizard's familiar, how does your team help him compensate for the experience point penalty and a year without a replacement critter?

And now that I think about it, I wonder if the 'dire' template (at higher levels) makes an animal any more nutritious or tasty. Any thoughts on that?

...

...

...

WHA?

OOOookaaaaayy

Seriously though, any animal companion, paladin mount, familiar, etc. eaten by the party would see the loss of such an ability in my game. Note, of course, this doesn't mean I'd strip the character of the class - animals often have a "danger sense" and they wouldn't associate with the character's afterwords by choice.

On the other hand, I'd wouldn't be concerned if it was just an animal, like a pack horse, where there's no mutual trust/friendship/link implied.

 

[Wulf Ratbane]

Seriously though, any animal companion, paladin mount, familiar, etc. eaten by the party would see the loss of such an ability in my game. Note, of course, this doesn't mean I'd strip the character of the class - animals often have a "danger sense" and they wouldn't associate with the character's afterwords by choice.

Does the predator/prey relationship automatically track to an evil/good anaology?

Isn't Nature served by the predator/prey relationship?

Isn't it the proper and natural role for a prey animal to be eaten by a predator?

What if the animal companion volunteers?

 

[blargney the second]

Just eat the druid, and then you don't have to worry about them losing their important class ability.

 

[Ridley's Cohort]

Reincarnation really outshines Raise Dead in situations like this.