Which would you prefer: summon a tiger, or be one?

[Pielorinho]

I'm messing around with a magical item for my game. Specifically, Keng-Thi, the White Tiger Guardian sword from Relics & Rituals 2.

It's a very cool sword, and one of its properties is that it can, once per week, summon a celestial tiger per Summon Monster VI (actually Summon Monster V -- I think that's an error on the writer's part).

But my PCs already have tons of summoning capability, and I don't particularly want to add yet another creature to be summoned in climactic battles. So instead, I was thinking of changing this power.

Instead of summoning a celestial tiger, the sword's bearer could, once per day, wildshape into a normal tiger using all the normal wildshaping rules, except that the effect's duration is ten minutes.

Is this roughly equivalent in power-level? At first, it looks much more powerful: longer duration, coupled with the once-per-day frequency compared to once-per-week.

But I'm thinking that adding a combatant to battle is far more powerful than changing the shape of a combatant, and that many fighter-types (the ones likeliest to use the sword) would prefer to fight in their traditional form -- the one that lets them use their cool armor, magic items, and weapon-related feats. 'Sides which, a celestial tiger is better than a normal tiger.

What do y'all think? If you were a typical fighter, which power would you prefer?

I've already told my players what the powers of the sword are, so it's too late for me to change it; mostly, I'm looking for feedback to help me judge power-levels of future goodies I hand out.

Daniel

 

[Nightfall]

Pel,

Interesting you mentioned that...I've already done a totem animal sword using a dragon. But for me, shapeshifting into a dire tiger is a little better than summoning one. (Though there is the draw back of if you're doing more damage just summoning the tiger than fighting as one.)

 

[Pielorinho]

But for me, shapeshifting into a dire tiger is a little better than summoning one. (Though there is the draw back of if you're doing more damage just summoning the tiger than fighting as one.)

Nitpick: it's a normal tiger, not a dire one. But the argument is the same either way, I think.

Why would you rather transform into one than summon one? Because transforming is cool, or because it would be more advantageous?

If transforming is just cooler, that's great by me. But if there's some serious power-benefit to transforming (rather than summoning), I wanna know about it, so that I don't hand something unbalancing to my PCs.

Either way, I give kudos to R&R2 for this item; it's got plenty good flavor.

Daniel

 

[Nightfall]

Pie,

I thought it was a celestial dire tiger. My bad. As for my own preference, depends on the fighter. While it IS cool to change, also understand, a tiger tends to be stronger than most normal humans. (Non-magically enhanced of course.) But to my knowledge there's no serious power scaling into changing into a tiger. (Dire or otherwise.)

 

[Pielorinho]

While it IS cool to change, also understand, a tiger tends to be stronger than most normal humans. (Non-magically enhanced of course.) But to my knowledge there's no serious power scaling into changing into a tiger. (Dire or otherwise.)

True -- tigers, with a str of 23, are wicked strong, stronger than most 10th-level PCs (and definitely stronger than my party's strongest PC).

On the other hand, if you summoned a tiger, you'd have your regular fighter with a str of (say) 18, AND a new "fighter" with that 23 str.

Back on the first hand, the original rules allow the summoned creature to hang around for 11 rounds once per week, whereas my interpretation will allow the transformed creature to hang around for 100 rounds once per day, nearly seventy times as long.

Back on the second hand, a transformed tiger cannot used ranged weapons, cannot speak with comrades, probably has a worse armor class, and cannot use any equipment she was wearing before she transformed (including potions and buffing magical equipment).

Back on the first hand, the transformed tiger is entirely under the player's control, and can take full advantage by focusing the tiger's improved grab ability where it'll do the most good: on a spellcaster preferably, or else on a fighter who uses medium or large weapons (which cannot be used in a grapple). A summoned tiger, depending on how you play, might just go after the most obvious threat.

Hmm. Like you said, I can't see a huge power difference. I'm thinking the change in duration and frequency makes the transformation version slightly more powerful, but if I left it at once/week, it would be significantly weaker than the summoning version.

Heh. Just watch my players tell me that they're going to try to sell this sword, like they did with the last cool magic weapon they found. I'll kick their butts, I will, see if I don't.

Daniel

 

[Nightfall]

Doh! If they sell this sword he's a fool. But good luck. I do think the change isn't that bad and certainly fits with the totem animal as well.

 

[LGodamus]

I would sell the darn thing.

but my guy is a arcane spell caster, and I dont have much use for a sword.

On subject though I believe you have made the sword more powerful, but only because of the duration boost.

 

[arwink]

Tigers have pounce, don't they?

The abilitiy to take a full attack action after moving is worth it all on its own, I think. Especially when you conceptualise it as a mage-killer.

 

[Richards]

Tigers are wicked! Tigers are fierce!
Tigers have teeth and claws that pierce!
Tigers are vicious! They can't be beat!
If I was a tiger, that would be neat!

Quote (or possible paraphrase; I'm going from memory here) from "Calvin and Hobbes," where Hobbes makes Calvin recite the Tiger Song before lowering the rope to their tree fort.

Seemed oddly appropriate here.

Johnathan

 

[s/LaSH]

They're strong, they're fast. They're not too great at tool use or communication, however, which is a downside to tiger-shaping. The druid in my campaign utterly pweened when he wildshaped into a polar bear and started grappling enemies. The ten-minute duration doesn't sound too bad, though. I think it could be quite fun. (And if balance problems come up later, well then, just throw in a couple of suspicious-looking teutons in fancy clothing looking for tigers for an 'act'. Then have them spring out and annoy anyone abusing the sword with ineffectual capture attempts.)