I have noticed in some older 3.0 modules and articles from WotC that sometimes non-prestige classes druids or rangers had more than one animal companion at a time. Is this a 3.0 thing? Because I cannot find anything about it in the 3.5 core books. Did this change in 3.5 or is this something druids and rangers can still do? Or is it now something that only Beastmasters or other prestige classes can do?
Hey,
As far as i know, Druids and rangers can have only one animal companion according to 3.5 rules. However there is a prestige class in complete adventurer called the BeastMaster that gets more animal companions as they level up. the animals are tiered, so one is powerful, then one is 3 lower in effective druid level, the third is 6 lower, and the 4th is 9 lower. its a cool prestige class check it out.
lemme know if you need any clarification.
Jay
Yes, certain prestige classes in 3.5 allow more than one animal companion. IIRC, Complete Adventurer actually includes a feat that allows a similar situation (as previously described) to the Beastmaster by allowing multiple companions, but I may be mistaken.
Why may I be mistaken when I could walk across the room and search the book for clarification? Answer: I'm lazy and I'm drunk.
Yes, certain prestige classes in 3.5 allow more than one animal companion. IIRC, Complete Adventurer actually includes a feat that allows a similar situation (as previously described) to the Beastmaster by allowing multiple companions, but I may be mistaken.
OK, thanks. And there's a feat in Complete Adventurer that also allows this? I don't have the 3.0 books, so I don't know, but was this an option in the 3.0 rules? If so, why did it change? Just curious.
I don't know the real reason it changed. But I have a practical example from a game I played in. We had a druid in our party in 3.0. He had with him at all times, a menagerie of animals. Everytime his initiative came up We would all go to the bathroom or order a pizza. Then a half hour later his turn would end with oh and I'll fire my sling. He would have his 3 bats, two snakes and wolf all attack and he would never use his druid spells. It was just annoying. The animals weren't even very effective either. The Beastmaster prestige class allows for you to get up to 5 animal companions over 10 levels by sacrificing almost all of your druid abilities. The beastmaster almost seems to me to fit the ranger better. The difference between this and 3.5 though, is the beastmaster actually allows you to get decent animal companions. You could have your most powerful ones be wolves and tigers. Then your less powerful animals be dogs or birds. The less powerful might not be sueful in combat, but can always use aid another, and can help track and spot outside of combat.
As to the feat in Complete adventurer that was mentioned. I don't remember anything for multiple animals companions. However there is a feat that raises your effective druid level by 3. This effective druid level cannot exceed your Hit dice hwoever. So really its for rangers or multiclassed druids. Still a good feat though. I'll look up the multiple animal companion feat though. Maybe it is in there and I missed it.
Does that answer a few questions??
Jay
It should be mentioned that the Beastmaster PrC don't require you to be a druid or ranger, as it doesn't require you to have an animal companion. It does require 8 ranks in the handle animal skill, though.
Also, I believe the leadership feat may grant you an alternative to an animal companion if you take an unusual cohort.
I don't know the real reason it changed. But I have a practical example from a game I played in. We had a druid in our party in 3.0. He had with him at all times, a menagerie of animals. Everytime his initiative came up We would all go to the bathroom or order a pizza. Then a half hour later his turn would end with oh and I'll fire my sling. He would have his 3 bats, two snakes and wolf all attack and he would never use his druid spells. It was just annoying. The animals weren't even very effective either. The Beastmaster prestige class allows for you to get up to 5 animal companions over 10 levels by sacrificing almost all of your druid abilities. The beastmaster almost seems to me to fit the ranger better. The difference between this and 3.5 though, is the beastmaster actually allows you to get decent animal companions. You could have your most powerful ones be wolves and tigers. Then your less powerful animals be dogs or birds. The less powerful might not be sueful in combat, but can always use aid...
That makes sense, I guess a lot of animal companions would really bog down combat. I just liked the idea of having several animal companions. Then I guess the Beastmaster is the way to go. Having several tiered animal companions and of course the tradeoffs for having more than just one makes it more interesting. I'll check it out. Thanks! Beastmaster was in the Complete Warrior, am I right?
Beastmaster is in The Complete Adventurer book. It doesn't require you to be a ranger or a druid, but can be a good focus for a Druid or Ranger character. Check it out, its cool. I had a player playign one in a recent campaign. The animals became an important part of our team.
Jay
In 3.0 there wasn't an animal companion ability- It was a spell(Drd1/Rgr1)that let you gain up to your Caster level in animal companions or CLx2 if you don't adventure(basicly only NPCs)so a high level Druid NPC could/would have like-a pair of Tigers for Flanking(6HD each)an Owl/Hawk/Raven for scouting(1HD each) a Dire Bear for the fighting(12HD I think)
the Beastmaster was in Comp. Adventurer
We always have the animal companions stay top-side when we go dungeon-delving, to guard mounts and whatever gear we leave up there. That way, there is a plausable reason for our stuff to still be there, the animals don't bog down combat... and why would a grizzly bear be in the Underdark anyway?
Hi... I'm kind of new in this game... I'm playing like a Naga-ti druid but yet have no animal companion because I haven't found a list it's and their abilities...and I want to know wath kind of creature do you recomend me to have... right now I am at 3th level...
I remember back when we played with 3.0 that one druid we had in our party. He had a group of shocker lizards following him around. Don't remember how many but it was a fair number. Used them to surprising effectiveness. They hurt like nothing else we could match in one round damage.
Till the dragon roasted them all with one breath attack...
While we're on the subject, am i interpreting the advancement rules correctly for a druid's animal companion at third level? Say a druid has chosen a wolf as his companion at the start of his adventuring. Upon reaching 3rd level, the wolf gains 2HD, +1str/dex, +2 natural armor, a couple of tricks, etc (pg. 36, PHB). No big deal, eh? well, in the MM a 4 HD wolf is considered a large creature, which further gives this beastly another +8 str, +4 con, +2 natural armor, etc (pg291, MM) and now makes his trip attacks very, very powerful VS medium-sized creatures...your thoughts?
Actually it says somewhere that these extra HD for your Animal Companion never result in a size increase. Even by the time you reach level 12 and your Wolf has 8+ HD, he is still a Medium-sized animal.
I am not sure if it is written in the PHB or in the official FAQ (that you can get from WotC's website), but that's 100% sure.
Bocklin
While we're on the subject, am i interpreting the advancement rules correctly for a druid's animal companion at third level? Say a druid has chosen a wolf as his companion at the start of his adventuring. Upon reaching 3rd level, the wolf gains 2HD, +1str/dex, +2 natural armor, a couple of tricks, etc (pg. 36, PHB). No big deal, eh? well, in the MM a 4 HD wolf is considered a large creature, which further gives this beastly another +8 str, +4 con, +2 natural armor, etc (pg291, MM) and now makes his trip attacks very, very powerful VS medium-sized creatures...your thoughts?
There is also the Wild Cohort feat.
It advances differently than the animal companion.
First of all, Bocklin's right about animal companions not increasing in size as they go up in power. Its more a function of their spiritual connection with the druid or ranger than anything else.
I think one of the reasons they got rid of multiple animal companions was that it was becoming a bit of a pain to run multiple animals in combat. Either the DM had all these extra rolls to make or the druid got a lot more combat time than other PCs. It also resulted in a large number of animal fatalities as the druid's animal companions were slaughtered by powerful monsters. The new animal companion rules makes combat far easier, and gives the animal more chances of surviving in combat.
Finally, one of the things no one has addressed is that the wild empathy class ability of both druid's and ranger's allows them to take multiple animal companions, basically replacing the animal friendship spell. A druid can have his special animal companion, plus a number of animals he has made friendly or helpful (or even fanatic) with his wild empathy class ability and subsequently trained. In fact druids or rangers in 3.5 can have more animal companions than their 3.0 counterparts (since there is no hit dice limit in 3.5).
For those of you who still use the old animal companions rules from 3.0, I am surprised your game isn't either:
1) Bogged down too much and has taken a week to resolve combat or any situation for that matter
2) Your players to really screw you over, since if I were in your games I certainly would show you the flaws of doing that
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The current 3.5 animal companion rules is fine as it is and here is the reason. Druids (and Rangers, to an extent) have their choice of one animal companion which receives more power and special abilities depending on the animal and the effective druid levels.
On top of that, they could take the Wild Cohort feat, essentially having another animal companion though with not as much strength as would your animal companion, but effective nontheless.
Next you have spells like Charm Animal and Dominate Animal. Crafting a few wands of each, well, you have another repertoire of animals you can have at your command along with the other two. Considering the fact that these could be animals well beyond my own strengths, I'll be having a ball with such creatures.
Next is the fact that the Handle Animal skill has been clarified and improved in 3.5 I can capture animals and tame them all to my bidding, spending a few months training whatever I wish using Handle Animal, even dumb magical beasts as well. Then bring them along with me.
Next, druids can spontaneously cast Summon Nature's Ally. That's even more animals right there, or maybe some fey and elementals if I wish.
Finally, let's not forget about Wild Empathy. Exactly like Diplomacy, but only with it affecting animals and magical beasts of 1 or 2 Intelligence, grabbing a bunch of animals I made "Helpful" with Wild Empathy is another horde I could bring along.
Pretty much, I don't think you'd want me to play a druid (or ranger) in your campaigns, or anyone that figures this one out for that matter. I think it's wise NOT to include the old way of animal companions (2 HD/caster level).