Class Features: Switching the Familiar for the Animal Companion

[Angel Tarragon]

I am starting up a one on one game soon wih a friend and since he knows the system well he is wondering if I might allow him to play a sorcerer with an animal companion instead of a familiar. Here is the thing though: since it is a one on one game I have told him to use the gestalt rules with his second class being a paladin. Would this be unbalancing to allow the switch?

 

[Nifft]

It's a 1-on-1 Gestalt game, right? Don't worry about it. There's not much balance left anyway.

He'll be closer to a "normal party" with an Animal Companion, so I think it's a good move, even though it would probably NOT be a good idea in a normal (multiple-PC) game.

Cheers, -- N

 

[Sammael]

In a 1-on-1 game, I'd let him have both (and a paladin mount when he gets there), because he will need all the help he can get (and gestalt won't help him that much until higher levels).

 

[Stormborn]

As others have said, in a 1 on 1 gestault game the issue of "balance" isn't really there. its going to take you a while to figure out what an appropriate CR/EL is for him anyway. Having said that, you mgiht want to consider letting him have something even a bit more powerful, sacrificing the familiar and the mount cause he is going to need the help at low levels, and as he gets higher the value of a more powerful creature will diminish. So yes, I think its fine for him to have a animal companion, but wouldn't allow it in a regular game, unless it was taken a few levels later.