Inexperienced DM vs. MIN/MAX druid

[Saeviomagy]

I apologize for dragging out this old thread. I just didn't get a chance to thank everyone for the great feedback.

I decided to (1) not let him roll stats for his animals, (2) figure out some way to allow standard MM advancement as he raises levels (and check out MotW for more info), (3) put off a ruling on armor (but do some research on dragon hide for possible solutions)

Might I suggest you check out the 3.5 SRD for dragonhide armour?

His latest question was about whether or not the spell speak with animals should help with his training with the handle animal skill. After much thought I decided not to allow it, but also decided that the animal friendship spell itself would grant a +5 to his handle animal checks with regards to tricks, effectively making it a DC 10 on simple tricks (success on take 10) and 15 on complex tricks (success on take 10 with 5 ranks in handle animal of appropriate animal type).

IIRC, animal friendship already helps with tricks, by automatically teaching the animal a set number of them. Beyond that - I'd agree that speak with animals should certainly help with handle animal - give him a +2 circumstance bonus, like the DMG says you should for a given favourable circumstance.

 

[Norfleet]

You're just making this up. Animals vary as much if not more than humans do.

Actually, he's right. Animals do tend to be more "centered", because unlike with humans, there are cutoffs. When a human is stupid and weak, society expends its resources to keep him alive, trying to stop him from getting killed through warning labels and other whatnot. When an animal is stupid and weak, he becomes lunch for something else. It serves as a natural controlling mechanism that humans lack, so the human range is thus that much more variable, as we preserve specimens which otherwise would be unfit to survive. Animals don't do this, so the defective specimens simply die off and don't reproduce.

 

[Astragoth]

I'm a min-maxer. I am not ashamed to admit it. I have played druids on several occasions, and I love playing druids for one reason: they are very, very powerfull.

I'll tell you this: allow him the phb and masters of the wild and nothing else. Do NOT give him a inch outside the rules.

More than that: ban the spell miasma. Restrict the use of the spell power sight so that it can only be used on animals.

If your kind hand him a ring of animal friendship and/or a rod of python. This, together with the spell animal growth will grant him all the power he desires and more.

My 12th level druid once walked around with an army of 128 hitdice of animals. This is done strictly within the phb/dmg/motw. He doesn't need extra rules to min-max.

 

[Endur]

First Question: Are you playing 3.5 or 3.0 of D&D. Druid rules are significantly different in 3.5.

In 3.5, Druids don't have weapon or armor restrictions other than not wearing metal armor. So in 3.5 a Druid can wield a greatsword and wear full plate (made out of Dragonhide). Note that Druids aren't proficient with full plate or great swords, so he will have to multi-class or spend feats.

In 3.5, the animal companion advances hit dice in a special manner so I wouldn't have the animal companion gaining levels/hit dice too.

In 3.0, an animal companion that gains levels/hit dice would be fine.

Rolling Animal stats: no reason not to.

Am I being too paranoid? Too inexperienced with the rules? He plays a druid. Here is his current request list:

- can his animal companion stats be rolled (so he can eventually get a really rocking animal companion from good rolls)?
- can his animal companion raise levels? (I'd like to implement this just to offset the first request, so I can "simulate" a bond of friendship between him and his animal.)
- can he make armor other than hide out of critter skins (like plate mail from monster x) (he could use the AC, but is there a reason other than flavor for this restriction)?
- can he have weapons outside of his druid weapon restrictions (he reasons that the current restrictions are just flavor, and I worry that some are meant to keep damage low)?

So tell me... would this throw him off-balance? Were the restrictions there for a good reason? Hopefully Masters of the Wild will be a help.

Thanks ahead.

 

[Plane Sailing]

First Question: Are you playing 3.5 or 3.0 of D&D. Druid rules are significantly different in 3.5.

Check the date of the original post - it was 3.0 only in those days.

I only resurrected the thread in order to highlight how most of his quandaries had been resolved in 3.5. I'd not expected so many people to assume it was a new question being raised, and I apologise for any misconceptions I inadvertantly started!

Cheers