I have a character who is considering coming into the game with a horned spirestalker (the giant gecko that the klar is usually made from). Can anyone give me details about this creature? (I mean, other than from Pathfinder #1's bestiary.)
Also, I'd like opinions on how much this should cost? Trained/Untrained?
I don't think they are really for sale as domesticated animals. I'd probably get him to hunt it down and tame it himself as a backstory to his character.
Just get him to throw a few ranks in Handle Animal, which he should have anyways, and maybe make some Survival checks to track one down.
Cost
Trained: Two fingers.
Untrained: One finger.
Heh. I can appreciate that.
I don't think they are really for sale as domesticated animals. I'd probably get him to hunt it down and tame it himself as a backstory to his character.
That was my first inclination as well, and yeah, I don't think they are readily for domestic sale. I was more thinking of fairness. Other characters have to pay for animals - horses, dogs, etc - that are not part of character special abilities (familiar, animal companion) so it seems like I should assess a charge of some kind for this animal.
I guess you could call it a monetary representation of what he would have had to expend to track down the creature, lure it out, feed it, and, essentially, domesticate it.
Creative Director
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The best bet here may be for that character to play a druid or a ranger. A giant gecko's not a terrible choice for an animal companion for a druid.
If he just wants a big pet giant gecko, though... I guess the easiest solution is to charge him like 150 or so gp, about the same price as a light warhorse. In response, I'd require from that player a creative reason HOW he got his gecko... since yeah, they're not generally sold in domesticated format at the store. At least, not in Varisia. MAYBE in Riddleport. CERTAINLY in Kaer Maga or Urglin.
All the above assumes, of course, the plain-jane CR 1 giant gecko. All bets are off if you're talking about an 8 HD horse-sized behemoth!
The best bet here may be for that character to play a druid or a ranger. A giant gecko's not a terrible choice for an animal companion for a druid.
The character in question is a Shoanti Ranger, but since we're starting at first level, no animal companion yet. He was talking about making one his animal companion when he can.
If he just wants a big pet giant gecko, though... I guess the easiest solution is to charge him like 150 or so gp, about the same price as a light warhorse.
My concern, price-wise, is that the gecko is a medium-sized animal, which means it can't serve as a mount. It's weaker (hit dice-wise), has fewer attacks, and the attack that it does have is also weaker. It does have a different movement form, though.
In response, I'd require from that player a creative reason HOW he got his gecko... since yeah, they're not generally sold in domesticated format at the store. At least, not in Varisia. MAYBE in Riddleport. CERTAINLY in Kaer Maga or Urglin.
Yeah, that's a given with me. My initial setup of the game said, basically, 'you want wierd stuff, you gotta give me a story behind it'.
All the above assumes, of course, the plain-jane CR 1 giant gecko. All bets are off if you're talking about an 8 HD horse-sized behemoth!
Nope. We're just talking that CR 1 giant gecko. If they'd broached the idea of a horse-sized (i.e. mountable) gecko, I'd probably add something like 'it is a coward - at the first sign of combat it panicks and runs in <1d8> direction'.
Actually, now that I think about it - it might be comparable to a pony. Medium-sized animal, two hit dice, still not as many attacks, though.
Well if he's a Ranger, just tell him to wait until he gets his companion at 4th level.
After all, you aren't letting other people take 4th level class abilities at 1st are you?
Problem solved :)
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Well if he's a Ranger, just tell him to wait until he gets his companion at 4th level.
After all, you aren't letting other people take 4th level class abilities at 1st are you?
Problem solved :)
He hasn't said he wants it as an animal companion as of yet, just that he'd like to take it as such when he gets to where he can. You don't stop people from buying guard dogs or horses at first level (if they can afford them), do you?
So he has a semi-tame giant gecko, which he, personally, is too large to *ride*, but which could, in fact, help carry gear or add to a fight the same way a horse could, only biting rather than kicking. Nothing unbalancing there, particularly if he has ranks in Handle Animal.
a) You could just not let him start with one, but with the promise that one would become available latter on.
b) The other solution I would offer him, is to give him a very young (teenager) Gecko, so it is about the same strength as hunting dog (possibly guard dog) to start with. So reduce its size to small, HD, str ect, in line with the guides for reducing/increasing size in the monster manual. I would charge him the same cost as a hunting dog if he had brought it.
The advantage of this, is that Geckos are fairly quick growing creatures, so this will allow you to age him (advance his HD) as the adventure progresses. You could also break the animal companion rules and allow this particular one to grow to Large size, so he can serve as a mount.
By 12th level, the Gecko would have 6HD more than the standard creature as an animal companion of a ranger, but their would be better options available to him. This is why I would start the Gecko as a base 8HD large sized creature as per the creature advancement rules, then regress it to 1HD as a teenager for him to start. Compare its progression against the rangers animal companion advancement to see how it works out in comparison. I am at work so I can't do the math at the moment, but it would be a nice way of giving him what he wants early, but not allowing it to over power the group. It also keeps it useful through out the adventure.
In meta gaming terms, Geckos are cold blooded, this means they need heat to function. Could be a problem latter on in adventures. But a ring of warmth could solve that problem.
Hope this is less confusing than it sounds.
*schtuff*That's actually a fairly good suggestion, as long as he doesn't mind the book-keeping... Kudos to you.
Glad to help, i appreciate it when characters think out of the box, I wish a few more of my party did the same. My ranger hasn't even considered his companion yet and he is now 3rd.
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Glad to help, i appreciate it when characters think out of the box, I wish a few more of my party did the same. My ranger hasn't even considered his companion yet and he is now 3rd.*schtuff*That's actually a fairly good suggestion, as long as he doesn't mind the book-keeping... Kudos to you.
Heh. You'd either absolutely love or absolutely hate having me as a player... I have a great fondness for coming up with intensely off-the-wall ideas. At one point I was angling to have a monk/wizard who supported his monastery by brewing ale with cantrip effects in it. Another time I had a fighter/mage (in 2e) who was well on his way to becoming a local tyrant (ironically, he was NE; the party's cleric was LG; they were childhood friends, and he took pains to 'behave himself' when she was paying attention. Left quite a few thoroughly terrified 'villains' in his wake when they thought he'd let attacks on a Priestess of Good slip by...), and a third who was a completely neutral and extremely mercenary dwarven cleric. The group gave him his 'share' of the loot as payment for his services... Never realizing that he'd decided he liked them and was going to stick around anyhow, until the day he just about batted off a rich antihero's head when the guy tried to bribe him to poison the rest of the party.