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this is my first companion and im trying to figure out how to use this. there dosnt seem like that many uses for it and what there is, are the detection spells. D. poison, magic, pits Oh My.
It's useful for getting two copies of a spell out of a single casting (e.g. Barkskin, Bull's Strength, Resist Energy). But if you're referring to the ability to cast a Personal spell on your companion, I agree that there aren't many Personal range druid spells (Longstrider maybe, or Shapechange).
However, if you're a multiclass druid/wizard, say, then you get lots of good spells you can cast on your companion (e.g. Mirror Image, True Strike, Shield).
EDIT: Wait... The PFRPG explicitly prevents a druid/wizard from sharing wizard spells with his animal companion now! Ugh. That's lame.
Here are the PRPG spells that fit the description:
0 - know direction, read magic
1st - longstrider, speak with animals
2nd - N/A
3rd - meld into stone, speak with plants
4th - N/A
5th - commune with nature, tree stride
6th - transport via plants*, wind walk*
7th - N/A
8th - word of recall*
9th - foresight, shapechange
*these spells allow targeting other creatures anyway.
I can't find any mention of limiting the shared spells to druid only. That would mean a wizard/druid could use time stop for his companion.
The second line could be abused to mean being able to cast enlarge person on your companion (if you could cast it).
Didnt you used to be able to cast a spell AND share it with the companion? Now it is one or the other. Im not really familiar enough with the Druid to say how big of a drop that is.
It is true, but the previous version required the animal to stay next to you for them to keep the effect (if it had a duration and if they moved away, it stopped working for them even if you moved next to them again).
This version is more limited in that it only lets you cast personal spells on your animal companion, but now they can move away from you and maintain the effect. So you can cast longstrider on your companion and they would keep that +10 foot base speed boost even if it runs off to charge someone. It is a little bit more limited in usefulness given the small number of spells with a target of you, but there are some interesting possibilities opened up by it not needing to be next to you.
Didnt you used to be able to cast a spell AND share it with the companion? Now it is one or the other. Im not really familiar enough with the Druid to say how big of a drop that is.It's a drop, but one the druid can afford to have.
They can?
Or did you mean the 3.5 druid could afford to take this hit (in which case I agree).
Pathfinder druids have had many good spells nerfed and they definitely have the weakest spell list of all primary casters. Their wildshape went from 3.5 awesomeness (too awesome) to a parlor trick with a few minor utility uses, and they have gained nothing useful except the ability to trade in their almost worthless wildshape to get 1/2 of the cleric's domain ability (limited to only a handful of domains, too). To top it off, any druid who wants to be able to use all his class features needs to have more high ability scores than any other class except paladin (the two classes are tied for more MADness).
Animal companions seemed to beef up a bit at low-mid levels but seem weaker at higher levels - we'll need to play it out to be sure. This may be the only area where druids got an improvement, though I'm fairly sure the higher levels show little if any improvement at all.
No, Pathfinder druids don't need any help sucking.
People need to get over the decade of druid hating where we all pointed our fingers at druids and said "Oooh, the big bully is too powerful - we hate the overpowered druid" and move on to the reality of Pathfinder druids who have been hacked to bits and left begging in the street.
Our group has already unanimously agreed to give the druids a companion AND a domain, and I bet nobody would blink an eye to allow a druid to share any one-target spell he would cast on himeself.
I can't find any mention of limiting the shared spells to druid only. That would mean a wizard/druid could use time stop for his companion.
"Share Spells (Ex): The druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a spell with a range of touch) instead of on herself. A druid may cast spells on her animal companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion's type (animal). Spells cast in this way must come from a class that grants an animal companion. This ability does not allow the animal to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells."
So it's not quite druid only; it's druid-or-ranger only (and maybe Animal domain cleric). :-(
I didn't notice that Jason took away the possibility of getting an extra copy of a spell until you pointed it out, blope. :-(
"Share Spells (Ex): The druid may cast a spell with a target of “You” on her animal companion (as a spell with a range of touch) instead of on herself. A druid may cast spells on her animal companion even if the spells normally do not affect creatures of the companion's type (animal). Spells cast in this way must come from a class that grants an animal companion. This ability does not allow the animal to share abilities that are not spells, even if they function like spells."So it's not quite druid only; it's druid-or-ranger only (and maybe Animal domain cleric). :-(
I didn't notice that Jason took away the possibility of getting an extra copy of a spell until you pointed it out, blope. :-(
Hmm. It appears the d20pfsrd site needs to update some text - the entry is not in line with the final rules.
Thanks all for the advice. I see that no one with personal experiance voiced in though. from what I see here though its not that useful. there might be some decent uses I can come up with in the future.
Considering the games has been released weeks ago, there aren't that many people with "personal experience" yet, especially those able to compare low to mid to high levels within one characters...
As for experienced pathfinder players, some of those I have the most respect for already replied to you :)
'findel
Didnt you used to be able to cast a spell AND share it with the companion? Now it is one or the other. Im not really familiar enough with the Druid to say how big of a drop that is.It's a drop, but one the druid can afford to have.They can?
Or did you mean the 3.5 druid could afford to take this hit (in which case I agree).
Pathfinder druids have had many good spells nerfed and they definitely have the weakest spell list of all primary casters. Their wildshape went from 3.5 awesomeness (too awesome) to a parlor trick with a few minor utility uses, and they have gained nothing useful except the ability to trade in their almost worthless wildshape to get 1/2 of the cleric's domain ability (limited to only a handful of domains, too). To top it off, any druid who wants to be able to use all his class features needs to have more high ability scores than any other class except paladin (the two classes are tied for more MADness).
Animal companions seemed to beef up a bit at low-mid levels but seem weaker at higher levels - we'll need to play it out to be sure. This may be the only area where druids got an improvement, though I'm fairly sure the higher levels show little if any improvement at all.
No, Pathfinder druids don't need any help sucking.
People need to get over the decade of druid hating where we all pointed our fingers at druids and said "Oooh, the big bully is too powerful - we hate the overpowered druid" and move on to the reality of Pathfinder druids who have been hacked to bits and left begging in the street.
Our group has already unanimously agreed to give the druids a companion AND a domain, and I bet nobody would blink an eye to allow a druid to share any one-target spell he would cast on himeself.
Are Druids really that bad now? They seem like the best class for anyone who gets stuck with all average (13-14) ability scores. I've always liked their spell list too. Unlike the Cleric, who has to wait forever to get a decent attack spell and then gets mostly craptastic spells at level 7 and 8, the Druid seems to get a nice mix. Except for all those animal based ones early on. This are pretty worthless.
Are Druids really that bad now? They seem like the best class for anyone who gets stuck with all average (13-14) ability scores. I've always liked their spell list too. Unlike the Cleric, who has to wait forever to get a decent attack spell and then gets mostly craptastic spells at level 7 and 8, the Druid seems to get a nice mix. Except for all those animal based ones early on. This are pretty worthless.
Without the Spell Compendium, the general consensus is that Druids are poor spellcasters/their spell list sucks. Comparing spell lists (without Spell Compendium), Druids are worse than Clerics.
So when they lost their best Animal Companion buffing ability, and their best combat ability now isn't certain to make them useful in combat...
Yeah, they can be seen as that bad now.
Thanks all for the advice. I see that no one with personal experience voiced in though. from what I see here though its not that useful. there might be some decent uses I can come up with in the future.Considering the games has been released weeks ago, there aren't that many people with "personal experience" yet, especially those able to compare low to mid to high levels within one characters...
As for experienced pathfinder players, some of those I have the most respect for already replied to you :)
'findel
TOUCHE' I didn't think of the short time with new rules. And I do appreciate all the helpful advice. Sorry if sounded if didnt.
So when they lost their best Animal Companion buffing ability, and their best combat ability now isn't certain to make them useful in combat...
Which animal buffing ability? If that was the previous Shared Spells ability, I can't really see the ability to share a buff that vanishes when you have to move away to be that great of a loss.