Shamira's page

Yes.

Ouch.

Ah well, looks like I'm going to have to turn the huge non-humanoid noqual fullplate (which I priced at 24150) into a tiny non-humanoid +1 fitting noqual fullplate which will cost me 21650 gp, so I'm actually getting 2.500 gp refunded, instead of having to pay 84.000 gp extra to keep it (huge non-humanoid noqual fullplate will cost 108.150 under the new rule).

It's going to be a real pain in the arse to get my mammoth to learn how to activate the resonance power.

It was so much easier when it was a simple always on anti-evil dominate/possession effect.

I guess I'm going to have to activate it for her on occasion (but at least she'll still benefit from not having to eat/drink, which is a huge boon).

Yay, I get to bring a mini for my bison and wagon to clutter up the battlemap even more.

Let's see I'll be taking up:
3x3 squares for myself and my mount
2x2 squares for the bison
2x4 squares for the wagon

Anyway, jokes aside I'm not entirely sure that having an extra mini on the map that only takes move actions is a practical idea.

To be honest, some scenarios/modules just aren't built to cope with such creatures. I love that you got it online, but isn't super optimal (but it isn't bad, either). :P

Not a lot of scenarios are optimal for large sized player creatures, let alone huge or gargantuan.

In fact I think mammothrider is a fairly suboptimal choice, because of the size of the companion, but to me there is just something deeply satisfying when I get to apply my mammoth to problems.

Mammoth Rider prestige class!

Mammoth Rider works perfectly (for me)! But I have to agree, it comes online so damn late :P

I'm all about mithral chain for my companions.

I managed to find a cache of noqual for the fullplate of my mammoth.

Damanta wrote:

Just put enough points into handle animal that you have a +26 bonus so you can reliably push your animal, even in combat.

That way you can make it perform any trick you can conceive.

That's burning skill focus territory levels of investment. Even at level 10 I'm pushing +20 (10 ranks +3 trained +3 charisma +3 circlet of persuasion, +1 trait)

+2 beast scent (sometimes), and +4 collar of obedience if the critter is large or smaller. Since you're probably not borrowing creatures in the scenarion, a training harness for +2 is probably on the menu. But +26 is not a very reasonable goal.

True enough.

Though you are forgetting the link bonus, and there is no reason not to have a training harness on your animal companion, which would put you at the +26 at level 10 without using the beast scent and collar of obedience.

This is what stone shape and explosives are for. ^_~

As the dwarves say... if it doesn't fit, break it until it does.

I tend to use Burrow, but the duration could be longer, 6x 20 minutes at 5 ft. doesn't really get me that far.

<snip too much text for the poor forum>

I have a huge woolly mammoth animal companion with 15/10, due to Mammoth Rider being fairly specific in how the reach is gained and upgraded.

I like (and understand) your reasoning for changing the statblock :).

Sadly a huge companion already has enough trouble getting around in a lot of PFS scenarios and modules because of 5ft wide corridors.

However, when you get in a situation you can actually let your companion grow to gargantuan (the wondrous item collar is called Dire Collar btw), it's quite satisfying to trample around.

That's a difficult one.

For most animal companions you can see if they have reach by looking at the animal they are derived from.

The Deinonychus will never get reach as it comes in small (level 1-6) or medium (level 7+)

The Tyrannosaurus has space/reach 20/20 so the animal companion at large should be 10/10.

The only discrepancy in this system is the elephant/mastodon as far as I know, which has both 15/10 (elephant) and 15/15 (mastodon).

Edit: keep in mind however that stand still does not work on reach, as the feat specifically mentions adjacent squares (and you need to make sure the companion has int 3+ ofcourse :))

SOooo many people on the butterfly walk after that style went desnan only..

Which is good. The stately lady riding an elk needs more followers, even if they use the butterfly version.

Just his horns?
I've had to cast Burrow on Libi to get her to pass through some caves. And buildings. And into rock to avoid an avalanche. And more buildings.

A huge mammoth is occasionally quite difficult to cater passage for. Luckily her tusks aren't flaring out to make her even wider.

Try to travel with a seasoned hunter. They can bring back animal companions really easy.

Shamira wrote:

I hope the churches provide for ample space.

Most buildings I've been to didn't really account for anything other than small or medium sized bipeds.

Have you considered desna? Most of the churches are open air

Yes, however even those were a little cramped with me inside.

I hope the churches provide for ample space.
Most buildings I've been to didn't really account for anything other than small or medium sized bipeds.

It still needs to fit through the entrance of the bag of holding, which I can image would be a bit more difficult?

Also, I'm not sure if 30 cubic feet is enough to hold a medium sized creature (which technically occupies a 5*5*5 = 125 cubic ft).

Also the poor Allosaurus would need mittens and boots to prevent it's claws from tearing the bag of holding from the inside out. Maybe even a muzzle to prevent it from chewing on the inside of the sack?

That's not even speaking about the airflow that needs to be taken care off.

I bring a utility mammoth.
Also, a petting zoo and free healthy food and drink.

1. Why are you a Pathfinder?
More or less an accident. I was traveling around a few years ago, when I met up with some explorers in Thornkeep and earned a field commision by helping them out there. Ever since then I found out that the society has some very interesting travel destinations. I even impressed some people enough to be named Venture-Captain and allowed me my own lodge in the Realm of Mammoth Lords.

2. Do you have a name and surname that is not ripped straight out of existing Earth mythology or popular culture?
Shamira means Guardian in Hebrew. As is usual among the northern followings I do not have a surname.

3. Which nation did you grow up in? How did this nation influence you?
I grew up in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords. This influenced me in the way that I tend to be very independend, and helpful towards friends.

4. What do you look like? What are your wearing? How does this vary when you’re stalking through forests, sewers, deserts or in glittering cities?
This one is very easy. A short while ago I commissioned a fairly accurate drawing of me and my mammoth Libi. You can view it here. Thanks to extended castings of Life Bubble I tend to dress the same everywhere I have to go, which means leather and fur.

5. What do you love? (Treasure and experience doesn’t count)
I love to travel, and meet new people.

6. What do you hate? (Unclear and irritating darkness level rules don’t count)
Demons, and most arcane casters. A lot of the problems I encounter and help solve has been caused by wizards or other arcane casters doing something stupid.

7. Which other Pathfinders (PCs) do you rely on for teamwork, survival and butt-kicking? Do you have a bro? a mentor? a father figure? maybe a rival?
I rely on a couple of my fellow Venture-Captains. They are:
Carla, a bard who changes gender almost as often as others change their clothing. Very useful person to have around in difficult situations.
Lyrinn, one of the few arcane casters I like. Extremely good at fixing stuff other wizards f~~*ed up, especially when it comes to removing demons and devils.
Saa, a powerful cleric of Gozreh. Very useful to have along on adventures.
Vatra, a magus with a knack for killing demons and devils. Another one of the very few arcane casters I like.
Xuno, a barbarian like me, however she did not grew up in the Realms. Excellent fighter and an asset to have along.

8. How does your race influence your views? Are you a stereotype of a certain race? How are you different from most humans/elves/gnomes/orcs/tengu?
I'm seen as a fairly typical Kellid from the Realms, I even have my own mammoth. I'm better than most other humans at dealing with megafauna.

9. What are you afraid of? Do you have any phobias or worries?
Losing Libi. I worry about keeping my lodge safe in the harsh north.

10. What is your most treasured possession?
My mammoth Libi.

Spells:
- Air Breathing
- Antropomorphic Animal

Items:
- Collapsible bathtub (in combatination with create water and a cartload of salt in case of saltwater dependancy)

As for familiars, there's the line of Aquarium Ball items for up to tiny sized aquatic creatures.

I took Profession (Barbarian) to honor my clan.

The mammoth goad

I have one. It just cost me 50 gold, and is called Masterwork Tool instead of Mammoth Goad.

I obtained permission to start a lodge in the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.

For now I will be wandering around with a small following, providing a safe place to rest, and guides for those traveling in the Realms. Maybe in the future I will find a site to create a permanent lodge, but in the mean time it will be a wandering lodge.

- Venture Captain Shamira

Greetings Hashram,

You are looking in the wrong brochure for the tower. It can be found in the Society Primer, next to the option for obtaining your own Lodge, which I purchased, being recently promoted to Venture Captain.

With regards,
Venture Captain Shamira, Mammothrider of the Slothjaw Following.

Shamira has the membership: Hunting Lodge vanity and the property: Pathfinder Lodge vanity

Time for a little victory story, a tiny moment of animal companion to the rescue.

While on my most recent (and probably last in a very long time) mission for the Society, Libi has been quite the lifesaver.

During a fight in a cave, Xuno, our fighter had been separated from the rest of the group by two blade barriers. By granting Libi the ability to Burrow through the stone, coupled with a Haste spell to increase her burrowing speed, we could bypass the blade barriers and aid Xuno. While anyone else could probably have done the same, having a 15 ft. wide tunnel really helped with maneuvering.

That is not so say that everything went so smoothly, there were very tense moments in which we needed multiple Breath of Life spells and even a few Heals to keep everyone alive.

Our team of six prevailed against some very tough opposition, and we were rewarded with the position and title of Venture Captain.

Libi and I will be returning to the Realm of the Mammoth Lords, and will have a wandering Lodge there.

After going through Eyes of the Ten, Shamira is now a Hunter 10/Mammoth Rider 3

John Compton wrote:

After putting up with my inquiries over the past couple weeks, I believe the other designers and developers are also more cognizant that defining weapon groups when publishing new weapon statistics is an appreciated step in the process. Space in future publications permitting, we may not have to revisit the matter at all.

*ponders the weapon group of the pointy stick*

I'm going with the close weapon group. Something similar is in there already :)

Although the spears group might also work.

After a start as pathfinder exploring the Thornkeep dungeons, Shamira and her loyal mammoth companion Libi have been promoted to seeker status. Their final mission was to secure a base camp for the exploration of Jormundun in their homecountry, the Realm of the Mammoth Lords.

Shamira and Libi have decided to stay with a following near the basecamp in case assistance is required.

Shamira is a Kellid hunter 10/Mammoth Rider 2, with as mount and companion a huge mammoth wearing noqual fullplate named Libi.
Eyes of the Ten will be run in the first weekend of october here in the Netherlands, with 2 groups going through.

While a bit late for me to get missions better suited to my companion's size, I can suggest the following few:

- The Elven Entanglement
- The King of Storval Stairs
- Where Mammoths Dare Not Thread (maybe, going on this one in two days)

For the other missions I went on, I simply used a few scrolls of Carry Companion:
- Of Kirin and Kraken
- Race for the Runecarved Key
- The Flesh Collector

Even though Libi was a statuette for parts of those missions, I have been able to use her quite efficiently in other parts.

And in 3 weeks time we're going with 11 others through the Eyes of the Ten (2 groups, from friday until sunday), I have no idea how well suited those are for huge mammoths

So it was the heel command, coupled with a failed perception to notice the trap.

I'm thinking he took the poor kitty into a fight above her might.

Rangers really need to train their companions better in order to be in the thick of combat.

Ranger animal companion without boon companion, level 5 animal companion against CR 8+ I'm guessing

My "little" bundle of joy knows 17 tricks:

Tricks (12 from int, 4 from animal companion, 1 from hunter. Skirmisher tricks 5/day)
Attack (2), Defend, Guard, Flank, Heel, Watch, Down, Aid, Detect, Exclusive, Menace, Fetch, Rattling Strike, Tangling Attack, Catfall, Cunning Pantomime

Damanta wrote:

There is some disagreement about that.

I'm in the camp of (1500x4)+15000.

As for the mammoth lance, it's gotta wait. Need my mammoth protected first.

*squeees! A responsible companion*

It's also for entertainment value.

A mammoth wearing a pale green crystal fullplate using cunning pantomime to talk to random strangers is a very memorable sight. Also helps to distract people from whatever it is my partymembers are doing.

I see your large nonhumanoid adamantine fullplate and raise you a huge nonhumanoid +1 noqual fullplate :)

Oooh, thanks for reminding me that this vanity exist.

This is going to make the new fullplate for my mammoth more affordable.

Don't apply the special material cost before multiplication, but after.

Lamellar large barding 60*4=240, darkleaf cloth for light is +750, added to the large lamellar is a total of 990.

Done again.

Also added some extra calculations.

Done.

I seriously hope that item cost mofifier is added afterwards.
The fullplate for Libi would otherwise become way too expensive.

So, we had this situation come up yesterday, three different instances at roughly the same time.

Situation sketch: 3 beautiful women in a pool requestion rescue because they are bound in there.

Partycomposition: Female human hunter with mammoth animal companion (me), female tiefling eldritch knight, female human cleric, male elven druid with crawling vine companion.

Ofcourse we want to help the three poor ladies get out of the pool, so my mammoth and I walk around it, using the mammoth's strength to pull them out of it without us getting wet, because I couldn't see any chains in the pool, just some platinum tiles.

After arriving at the third, just after my mammoth has put her trunk around it the damn woman shimmers and turns into a succubus.
At the same time the druid (in Sargassum Fiend shape) and the crawling vine are near the other two succubi and as they start casting (hostile) spells they grapple them.

Now, I was fast enough to tell my mammoth to let go of the demon lady (having been at the receiving end of a succubus kiss before, even though I don't swing that way) before it could try to do naughty things to her and sap her of her strength, but the druid and his companion did not.

However the two succubi didn't try to drain them, and I wonder why that was.

(Also meanwhile the tiefling had failed a suggestion to get into the pool and was stripping naked to get in, while the cleric was facepalming)

Quickly stops Libi from trying to roll onto her back, while speaking to her in Hallit.
Not now dear, not while you're in your new armor. Also you're getting to big to roll over in the stables. Outside is okay, after I've taken the armor off.

Turning to Flutter.
I've been looking for Mammoth Goad all over the realm, but everywhere I go they say they've stopped selling it. Would you happen to know where I can find one?

It's sadly not legal for society play =[

While I'm not entirely convinced that trollhounds would make good companions or mounts, since I've seen a number of pathfinders riding on more such magical beasts I'm thinking that with a good way to support these disease ridden monstrosities they could be put in the kennels for the special needs companions?

kinda like the way the axebeak and owlbear have been introduced?

Looking slightly worried at the shapes around THUNDERLIPS!, Shamira gently pets the mammoth.

As long as you remain a bit calmer you can pet her, she's been trained to listen to my commands. Also, if you ask her nicely in Hallit, she might be willing to let you ride her for a short while.

Attempting to quietly adjust the fullplate on her mammoth

I have to agree with Flutter here.
Some people need to learn how to treat their companions before they are to be allowed to take care of creatures that will rely upon them a lot more.

This Cinderdance is the first trick I learn of that's not in either the CRB or the Animal Archives.

It's not on d20pfsrd because the source was written in/under the 3.5 ruleset and not the pathfinder ruleset.

Edit:
I just noticed that Belkzen: Hold of the Orc Hordes is on the additional resources. It adds 2 new legal companions (the bristle boar and whisperfall vulture) and best of all, it adds my new favorite toy for my mammoth: Tusk Blades

My only question would be, can they be made from adamantine (for +3000 gp as per the weapons entry in adamantine).

Wait, me joking about having my companion make linguistics checks sparked a serious debate -_- I really should have bolded the joke part I guess?

I'm so going to teach Libi the skirmisher trick:
Cunning Pantomime (Ex): As a standard action, the ranger can communicate with a single creature as if using the tongues spell for 10 minutes. Because the communication is slow and lacks subtlety, the ranger suffers a –4 penalty on all Bluff and Diplomacy checks relating to the creature he is communicating with when using this trick.

What's a mere -6 penalty for bluff/diplomacy when you can have a mammoth do the talking :P

I tend to joke about having Libi help out with ancient language translation if no-one in the group has the language learned or comprehend languages. The odds of assisting aren't even that bad (4 int so a -3 stat modifier, since it's not a class skill I end up at -2 with 1 rank, and I can cast Guidance for a +1 to raise it to -1.) 45% chance to be able to aid. =]

I'm at the moment contemplating on teaching her the skirmisher trick

<snip> For me, the extra point in INT was far more valuable than getting another +1 on STR or CON or DEX, but I play a more tactical character. If I were a Mad Dog Barbarian, I'd probably just go with a physical boost.

And that's why I went with +2 int at level 1 from the human racial alternate Eye for talent. I also like to have an animal companion with lots of tricks, especially being a hunter with those skirmisher tricks available.

I'd like you to meet Libi, a fairly bright mammoth (Int 4) and my companion.
She's been trained to understand my native language, Hallit.

I like to talk to her in that language and issue my commands to her in that language. She currently knows 16 tricks (12 from 4 int, 4 from being the companion of a level 8 hunter (3 from animal companion progression and 1 bonus trick from level 7 hunter), and thanks to my affinity with mammoths I have no issues with having her perform those tricks.

Pushing her to do tricks she doesn't know is still a bit risky while under duress (I only have a +21 handle animal for her), but when I have time it's easy to do.

Your first proposal sounds a bit harsh to me, completely removing options is something that I don't condone unless it's gamebreaking, which I don't think this is. More table variance than some people would like maybe, but not gamebreaking.

Your second proposal, however sounds at least partially interesting. The +X should be a flat +2 to handle animal in my opinion, similar to an aid another or masterwork tool (but stacking with those), and not go up with more ranks.

The rest I'm not so sure about tying it into linguistics. Making it an extra attack trick option sounds interesting, but there is already a trick for maneuvers, and I think a case could be made that fight defensively/total defence could be shoveled among the maneuvers.
Flank is already a trick and with several feats which animals know how to use they'll try to get into flanking positions to benefit from their feats anyway.

As Flutter already mentioned, there will always be bizarre situations that will get table variance. I've had to make Libi understand that a flag while carried by a certain person is a friend ("swear allegiance" for the Flagbearer feat), and GM's have ruled that it works because of her brightness and my high handle animal coupled with her understanding a language.

It seems Adowyn specific.

For us normal hunters it means our animal companion has died in order to use that ability.

Libi has gone unconscious once (but that was in a tier 1-2 scenario against a tier 4-5 npc, GM made a mistake there). No permanent harm was done as I was able to heal her back up quickly enough.

::A rough looking Kellid woman with a (mediumsized) mammoth at her side steps up::
It makes no bloody sense.

I don't understand those people who keep mourning over their lost companions. Friends, whether humanoid or animal or maybe even stranger die, you mourn them, and then you make new friends.

Your first companion dying will be terrible, and it'll take longer to mourn them, they'll never leave your memory, but if you react to each death that way you have no business being an adventurer. Become a hermit, or start working as a clerk in the Grand Lodge library where you have less risk of loss.

However, I am too quite disturbed by the amount of mourning that is going on for verminious companions. Someone needs to give those people a good talking to about the way of life.