Primitive Screwhead
First Post
Alrighty then...
After the discussion of my players able to allow a companion to leave in order to select one more in tune with the environs that the edventure has led.. or simply to replace the poor unfortunate recipeint of a beautiful Crit by the BBG...
I started looking at the companion tables in advance of the game tommorow, expecting at least one of the 2 eligible characters to seek a new companion while they are in a swampy enviroment.
Er... the companion lists sux. In a swampland enviroment, the only two eligible options are Crocodile and Dire Rat. Nothing else.
Continuing to look at the list, its very haphazard. You can get a companion Camel.. but not a Hyena. You can get a Large Shark {at 4th level}, but not a Manta Ray. Why did they limit the list in this manner?
Anyway, this has led to to the thought of redoing the Animal Companion rules in a much more simple fashion:
Animal Companions may be any Animal whose CR is equal to or lower than your Druid Class level {or Ranger class level -3}
In order to determine special abilities of the Companion, your effective level is reduced by the Companions CR {if greater than 1}
Using this, a 4th level Druid can select a Lion {CR 3..and not on the RAW lists even tho the Dire Lion is} and the Lion benefits as if the Druid is 1st level.
Doing this opens up a swampland list to:
Croc, Rat, Dire Rat, Bat, Viper, Lizard, Monitor Lizard, Raven, and {technically} Toad.
This ties into my expanded rules for acquiring a companion.. turning the 'spend a day and poof' RAW method with skill checks and effort/hazard on the part of the character better.. as a random calling will have some randomness to it courtesy of more options.
This does squish the results down, being able to have a Dire Tiger {CR 9} companion 6 levels before you could per RAW... but considering that Companions are generally considered a weak class ability at higher levels already... and I don't plan on going past 14th level anyway
Thoughts?
After the discussion of my players able to allow a companion to leave in order to select one more in tune with the environs that the edventure has led.. or simply to replace the poor unfortunate recipeint of a beautiful Crit by the BBG...
I started looking at the companion tables in advance of the game tommorow, expecting at least one of the 2 eligible characters to seek a new companion while they are in a swampy enviroment.
Er... the companion lists sux. In a swampland enviroment, the only two eligible options are Crocodile and Dire Rat. Nothing else.
Continuing to look at the list, its very haphazard. You can get a companion Camel.. but not a Hyena. You can get a Large Shark {at 4th level}, but not a Manta Ray. Why did they limit the list in this manner?
Anyway, this has led to to the thought of redoing the Animal Companion rules in a much more simple fashion:
Animal Companions may be any Animal whose CR is equal to or lower than your Druid Class level {or Ranger class level -3}
In order to determine special abilities of the Companion, your effective level is reduced by the Companions CR {if greater than 1}
Using this, a 4th level Druid can select a Lion {CR 3..and not on the RAW lists even tho the Dire Lion is} and the Lion benefits as if the Druid is 1st level.
Doing this opens up a swampland list to:
Croc, Rat, Dire Rat, Bat, Viper, Lizard, Monitor Lizard, Raven, and {technically} Toad.
This ties into my expanded rules for acquiring a companion.. turning the 'spend a day and poof' RAW method with skill checks and effort/hazard on the part of the character better.. as a random calling will have some randomness to it courtesy of more options.
This does squish the results down, being able to have a Dire Tiger {CR 9} companion 6 levels before you could per RAW... but considering that Companions are generally considered a weak class ability at higher levels already... and I don't plan on going past 14th level anyway
Thoughts?
