Druids Companions HD rules how do you play them ?

[Rashak Mani]

Our group started with the Double the Druids Level in HD maximum for anyone creature... then we re-understood it as being HD = Level limit for anyone creature and total companions = double the level of the Druid. Now board threads indicate that the Druid that travels. (Basically EVERY PC druid) gets only Lvl = HD total and Max HD = LVL for anyone one creature.


How have you ruled or played Druids as regards HD in companions available and HD max....

Also do you think having only HD = Lvl makes Animal companions useless in combat ? Survivability of companions is severly low since they tend to advance little or nothing. 5th lvl characters wont get much help from a 5HD creature for example ? At higher lvls this tends to be even worse I think...

 

[Speaks With Stone]

I've found that I can work within the limits of the spell with some effort.

You get the HD creature up to your level (say 5) and it will travel with you. When you get to a new area where you are going to be operating, then you can befriend some local fauna for that adventure and use them there. My DM does not cause problems with the creature I brought with me since I'm following the spirit of the rule (in our opinions).

When I leave an area, then I must leave behind enough creatures to justify the HD requirement for travelling. We haven't worked out an exact science on this, but typically anything more than a week's travel requires a reduction in HD.

This allows the druid to interact with lots of critters and still keep a favorite.

As for combat, I'm sure that at higher levels it becomes trickier keeping the critters alive, but I don't see that as a major concern. There are lots of spells for boosting the critters or advancing their HD if that's your thing. I've always tried to keep my animal companions away from serious danger. If you submit the creatures to constant war, they may not consider you a friend.

The animal companions have allowed me to survive through lower levels. They provide additional sensing during camp. They've scouted out enemy positions. They've attacked familiars for me. And they provide backup for me if I get in trouble.

Maybe my opinion will change, I just traded in a flock of birds for a grizzly bear, but I haven't felt like the animal friendship spell was underpowered at all.

 

[shilsen]

In my campaign, adventuring druids (PCs or NPCs) get their animal companions with a max HD of the druid's lvl. A druid needs to be residing in a particular area for a long time to benefit from the 2 x HD rule, in my opinion, so staying in a place for a couple of weeks for adventuring purposes isn't long enough.

I am, however, allowing the animal companions to advance in HD (with benefits according to the MM) to keep pace with the druid. The druid in the party started at 3rd lvl with a 3HD wolf, and eventually moved up to 5th lvl. The wolf also moved up to 5 HD, making it a large creaturea and turning it into one of the most useful melee combatants in the party (horrible AC, of course). Since the MM doesn't have any advancement for wolves beyond 5 HD, I'm ruling that it has reached its full growth.

 

[Rashak Mani]

Neat interpretation Speaks with Stone... makes for some variety without sacrificing the Druid overmuch. The first Druid at 3rd level had a 6 HD tiger that was a war machine !! So much for the double HD since then... but the severe HD = Lvl seems too strong. Your way of "traveling" rules seems very good.

Soon my Druids will go up a lvl and I was thinking of getting some "spotter" critters... but it seemed to weaken the survival and combat effectiveness of my main animals. Got a lot of good experience from a familiar with a Wizard character... and small animals have great spot and listen checks !!

Shilsen how do you do the advancement of the Wolf ? The ritual detailed in MOTW ? Or they just get experienced etc... ?

 

[EOL]

I see in the spell animal friendship where it says twice the HD, where does it limit it to half that for anyone animal. I looked under Druid in the SRD and didn't find anything.

 

[Davelozzi]

Shilsen how do you do the advancement of the Wolf ? The ritual detailed in MOTW ? Or they just get experienced etc... ?

I'm just starting a campaign (as DM) and one of my players has a druid. I'm planning on using the same technique that shilsen uses.

Rashak, I believe that he's talking about the advancement rules that appear in the beginning of the Monster Manual.

 

[shilsen]

Shilsen how do you do the advancement of the Wolf ? The ritual detailed in MOTW ? Or they just get experienced etc... ?

Davelozzi is right. I just use the MM advancement. I just presume the wolf is picking up experience in spending time adventuring with the party, and TLC from a druid has got to help you grow (D&D version of the ent draughts Treebeard gives the hobbits in Tolkien's The Two Towers ). It's worked very nicely so far, and hasn't caused any balance problems. However, 2 x HD would definitely do so, in my opinion.