I think this is the point where the rules take a back seat. Important to keep Mrs. Gamer happy! You might look at Savage Species rules which provide a pattern for how to set up monster advancement at low levels.
Look at the CR of owlbears and see how it compares with the listed possibilities for animal companions, then you'll know when the Owlbear should start to advance acccording to the normal rules. You can then use savage species to give you an idea how to advance the owlbear up to "mature" or regular owlbear stats while keeping the game in balance.
Make sure it gets into all kinds of trouble. Biting passers-by, harassing domesticated animals, getting the party into all kinds of trouble. Once Sheriff Cubbin hears that she has such a creature kept in town limits, he will most likely want to invent a statute about keeping exotic pets in Diamond Lake and then extort a heavy fee for an exotic animal license. This could be a side quest opportunity, getting the funds for the license or getting the charge dismissed (since Balabar Smenk's apes fall under the "exotic" category, and who knows if he has payed such a charge?). At the same time, make sure she is rewarded for keeping it around sometimes. Maybe the owlbear is adept at finding otherwise missed secret doors in the dungeon, or warning of impending ambush.
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I think this is the point where the rules take a back seat. Important to keep Mrs. Gamer happy! You might look at Savage Species rules which provide a pattern for how to set up monster advancement at low levels.
I agree wholeheartedly. Domestic tranquility is of infinitely greater import than a wee sleight to the "RAW."
Find the Owlbear Random Action chart.
In second edition, just seeing anything move caused massive pain for them.
Such powerful painkillers will be expensive.
First the little hoot will get a bite like a dire rat.
You could start it out at 1D2, then progress to full OwlBear
damage.
Next, claw damage will appear at 1D2 each and develope.
I think it's awesome when players want to do something slightly outside of the norm with their characters, and usually will allow them to attempt anything (within reason).
However, taking an owlbear as an Animal Companion is not something to be taken lightly. Here is some quick information to consider -
According to the Arms and Equipment Guide training a young owlbear requires a Handle Animal check of DC 23 (DC 30 for an adult).
An owlbear is CR 4 (5HD) when fully grown, and according to the information on Page - 36 of the Player's Handbook, a DRUID could probably take one around 7th-Level as a companion. That is more like 14th-Level for a RANGER, since they are equal to half of what a druid can take.
Since nobody wants to wait that long to get their companion, I would decrease the owlbears base Hit Dice down to 1 or 2, and allow the animal to be taken sooner (applying Animal Companion characteristics when the ranger is of appropriate level). Everytime the Ranger levels allow the owlbear to increase its base HD too.
Just my two cents!!!
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I think this is the point where the rules take a back seat. Important to keep Mrs. Gamer happy! You might look at Savage Species rules which provide a pattern for how to set up monster advancement at low levels.I agree wholeheartedly. Domestic tranquility is of infinitely greater import than a wee sleight to the "RAW."
Me Too! Good RolePlaying venture.
My suggestions:1. Find a small beast with a claw/claw/bite attack and roughly the same CR as whatever the ranger should have for an An. Companion. Use those stats.
2. Find a medium beast """""""(see #1) and use those stats for an older version.
Nailing the stats perfectly is really not that important. HOWEVER!!!!!! Role Play! Yes the lil' beastie stirs some (not too much) trouble but always seems really sorry and contrite when it's new mommy is upset with it and tries to chirp sweetly and snuggle up to get back into her good graces. The wifey will eat it up. There are lots of ways to make her love her new Wittle Fwend. And you want her to love it.
Don't shoot the load too soon but later in the path (maybe 12-15th level)throw it into harms way while it runs out to protect "mommy" and maybe have a BBEG kill it. Nothing breeds hatred for an NPC better than having a favored tag-along friend blasted to bits by a heartless evil dude. Have BBEG laugh and say stuff like "anyone for some fried chicken!?!" after toasting it with a flame spell, or "Good, I needed some extra feather for my pillow. Shame I'll have to wash them to get that foul beast's scent off of them."
If she feels a tear coming IRL then you executed this perfectly. Most people love a movie that makes them cry and the more emotion invoking situations in D&D the better the story and the better the memories.
This is a golden opportunity, don't let it pass you by.
FH
Nothing breeds hatred for an NPC better than having a favored tag-along friend blasted to bits by a heartless evil dude.
FH
I second that!
I must be honest - my favorite thing as a DM is to build up an NPC (companion, cohort, etc) character to where everyone loves him, and then have him get killed in a horrible and undignified manner! It's 100% proven to generate an emotional response!!!
That, and when the PCs get captured by hobgoblins; strip them near-naked, beat them, feed them dingy water, cage them in filth, mercilessly kill their NPC allies, and remember that the rogue CAN'T pick locks if he doesn't have his tools (and NO, a small twig will not do the trick)!
Trust me, a couple sessions of this and players will take your badguys more seriously!!!
There is nothing wrong with haveing strange co-horts, if worse comes to worse she could always take Leadership I believe and have him as a companion. Our DM did that for me in the past.
Now there is nothing wrong with tormenting PC by killing things and the such, However if you do this to often its just bad gaming, because your players are there to Rp and have fun, not be tortured and made to feel like no matter what they do, there just going to loose it.
This will breed players who are not interested in interacting with others, for fear of it just being another hook to get at them.
(I saw this happen in a gameing group.)
Though if your players enjoy that sort of thing,Meh--just my two cents on it.
For the reasons I mentioned (domestic harmony), I'd be very careful of setting up the Owlbear for an untimely demise. This is a matter of you thinking carefully how much of a good sport your wife is about this sort of thing. Some aren't. That doesn't mean there shouldn't be an element of danger, but I wouldn't set things up so that the Owlbear's death is inevitable--it will seem like railroading, especially if you as DM roleplay the creature and have it go into a berserk fury and get itself killed. Maybe if it sees "mommy" is going to die otherwise, this might work, but that is kind of a situational judgement call by you the DM, not something you can plan ahead easily.
If you do want to go that route, have the owlbear step in the way and take a blow intended for its mistress--perhaps from a poisoned blade, or something like a wyvern's sting. The owlbear can have a near death experience that evokes the same emotional response, without the wifely vengefulness that is likely to occur if you "kill off" her pet. (And yes, make sure you roll the dice behind the screen, in case they don't cooperate).
it looked like my groups ranger was gonna try this up until he took the alt ability form PHB 2 and didnt take an animal companion. the baby owl bear sits in the pcs base and chews the furniture for most of the time. the arms and equipment guide does indeed have details on how to train an owlbear so it does seem possible. i think savage species is the way to go to gauge how to handle its progression but id wait a few levels before the owlbear becomes combatative.
For my group, a Knowledge (local) check was sufficient for the rogue to know that they can fetch upwards of 3,000gp to the right buyer (which could have been Allustan).
Despite that they wanted to keep it, so I played by the books and told them that they would need (in accordance to A&EG) some very good Handle Animal checks and food to keep it inline.\
Though the MM states they cannot be domesticated, A&EG allows for I believe a DC 25 check in order to train one.
I told the group that at best it would readily attack strangers if scared or hungry unless they keep it on a very, very tight leash, though with time and patience they could train it to usually not attack them.
However, it would be an excellent guard animal if they decide to fix up the miner's office or get a house elsewhere!
Why not have it be a baby until 6th level, then have her take the Leadership feat and make it an animal companion/cohort?