How much for a trained fox?

[avin]

A player wants to buy a trained fox.

How much would it cost at Baldur's Gate 4E?

 

[lukelightning]

What does said trained fox do? For one that doesn't do combat stuff , I'd say 5-15gp. It's just a pet, albeit a semi-exotic one.

For combat, well, I don't know any rules for having combat pets.

 

[avin]

He wants an animal companion, sending messages using that ritual, etc.

 

[Klaus]

That'd cost about $40 for Martial Power and some rebuilding to be a beastmaster ranger.



I'd say about 15gp, plus the player has to pay to learn a ritual that makes the fox return after delivering the message. For stats, take a gray wolf and reduce its level to 1.

 

[avin]

Heheheh...

I'm changing it to a game plot...

 

[77IM]

One of my PCs wanted a tracking dog to help with tracking checks. I decided it would give him a +2 bonus on Perception checks to track. Since this is similar to thieve's tools (+2 bonus on certain Thievery checks), I ruled it would be the same price (20 gp). Since then I've decided that any piece of equipment that gives a +2 bonus to some subskill should cost 20 gp. (The climbing kit only costs 2gp but it is the exception that proves the rule.) So if someone wanted a healer's kit, or a disguise kit, or a survival kit, or whatever: 20 gp.

I gave the dog the stats of a wolf (level 2 skirmisher) and decided that commanding it was a minor action. But I told the player that if the dog took part in combat that the XP value of the encounter would be reduced by the XP value of the dog (125 XP), so the party did a good job of keeping the dog on the sidelines. I also told them that no, they couldn't kill their own dog for XP.

-- 77IM

 

[Majushi]

One of my PCs wanted a tracking dog to help with tracking checks. I decided it would give him a +2 bonus on Perception checks to track. Since this is similar to thieve's tools (+2 bonus on certain Thievery checks), I ruled it would be the same price (20 gp). Since then I've decided that any piece of equipment that gives a +2 bonus to some subskill should cost 20 gp. (The climbing kit only costs 2gp but it is the exception that proves the rule.) So if someone wanted a healer's kit, or a disguise kit, or a survival kit, or whatever: 20 gp.

I gave the dog the stats of a wolf (level 2 skirmisher) and decided that commanding it was a minor action. But I told the player that if the dog took part in combat that the XP value of the encounter would be reduced by the XP value of the dog (125 XP), so the party did a good job of keeping the dog on the sidelines. I also told them that no, they couldn't kill their own dog for XP.

-- 77IM

That's one cheap dog.

If I was your player I'd then ask to buy 20 dogs (400gp. Oh noes). 10 male 10 female.

And start breeding.

Only problem is to train the pups to become equally good tracking dogs...

 

[Tale]

The climbing kit only costs 2gp but it is the exception that proves the rule.

This doesn't mean what you think it does.

 

[77IM]

That's one cheap dog.

If I was your player I'd then ask to buy 20 dogs (400gp. Oh noes). 10 male 10 female.

And start breeding.

Only problem is to train the pups to become equally good tracking dogs...

I have rules for that, actually. The PC could have made a whopping 2-3 sp per week as a dog trainer.

Or, he could go on an adventure, kill some monsters, and take their money.

Step 1. Venture into a forlorn monster-filled subterranean complex.
Step 2. ???
Step 3. Profit!

-- 77IM

 

[Stogoe]

This doesn't mean what you think it does.

Yes, it does. It didn't mean that before (to prove the rule meant to test the rule), but the language has evolved through usage. Yes, the new meaning is nonsensical (how could something that breaks the rule uphold the rule?), but it's become an idiom anyways.

EDIT: Majushi, you're forgetting the cost of food at least. It's not an infinite money scam by any means. Add in the time spent training or the cost of hiring a trainer and it's become a risky venture at best. Much simpler to hunt down some goblins and steal their treasure.