leveling with an ecl???

[chip079]

ok this is a question about an animal companion gaing levels in a class... curently he is an awakened dire bear with three levels in barbarian. we started with a brown bear, added the dire templete(from a book if templetes), then i awakened him, and he has starteld taking levels in barbarian (3). this gives him a total of 13 hit dice. the max for an animal companion for a 13th level druid. now the question is, what is his ecl? right now we are saying 13, his number of hitdice. now if he gains expwerience as a 13th level character, does he need the equivelent experience to reach 14th levle in order to take his fourth level of barbarian, or does he gain experiance as a 13th level, but only need enough experience to advance to fourth from third? any light shed on this subject is greatly appreciated, and thanks in advance.

chip

 

[Korin Tempest]

i don't happen to have my copy of savage species with me at the moment to give you a level adjustment in addition to the hit dice, but i can tell you this much.... he shouldn't be capped off at 13 HD.... druids, rangers, and anyone else with access to animal friendship are allowed to have animals equaling double their caster level in HD... so unless you have other companions taking up the other 13 HD, you're looking at a max of 26 HD, I think... I'll check to see if there's a flat max on the spell, but I'm fairly certain there isn't a cap beyond caster level.

 

[Broken_Dreams]

While its true that a druid can have up to 2 times his/her HD in animal companions, an adventuring druid can only have up to there HD in animal companions. Comes from the revised(newest) version of the animal freindship spell from the PHB. Can't help you with the bear though.

 

[melkoriii]

Not sure what the ECL for a Dire Brown Bear is. Don’t have Savage Spices with me. Just so you get a idea, a Ogre 2HD CR2 is a ECL of 8 so the Dire Bear may well be more than that.

For EXP. The Bear is a character lvl (Class + ECL) and need exp to go to the next lvl as if it was a character of that lvl.

So in your example, ECL of 13 = character lvl 13 need exp same as a 13th lvl PC going to 14th lvl.

 

[chip079]

yes while it is true that a druid or anyone else with access to animal friendship can have companions equal to twice thier hit die, no one companion can have more hit die than that of the caster.(per MotW). and ok so he will gain exp as a 13th level and needs to accumulate enough to reach 14th level in order to take his fourth level in barbarian. thanks for the help. if anyone else has somethig to add please do.

 

[melkoriii]

yes while it is true that a druid or anyone else with access to animal friendship can have companions equal to twice thier hit die, no one companion can have more hit die than that of the caster.(per MotW). and ok so he will gain exp as a 13th level and needs to accumulate enough to reach 14th level in order to take his fourth level in barbarian. thanks for the help. if anyone else has somethig to add please do.

I would take a look at Savage Spices as that will tell you the correct ECL for the Bear.

 

[Destil]

If memory serves awakened creatures are no longer sutable animal companions. Instead the druid / ranger needs to take leadership and use them as their cohort.

 

[melkoriii]

If memory serves awakened creatures are no longer sutable animal companions. Instead the druid / ranger needs to take leadership and use them as their cohort.

This is in the MotW book.