Is there any point to taking a dog as a companion over a wolf, other than willingness to sacrifice for your art?
Wolf is larger, has trip, slightly better stats until level 4, at which point the dog's stats are slightly better than the wolf, until 7, at which point the wolf dominates again.
Am I missing something?
Is there any point to taking a dog as a companion over a wolf, other than willingness to sacrifice for your art?
Am I missing something?
No and no
The dog remains a medium size which some people might prefer, and in general dogs should be more welcome as companions within civilization.
For combat purposes, a wolf is strictly superior.
yes... why would the denizens of a city not want to kill this wild animal that has come into the city? why would an inn keeper ever let you bring one into an inn? why would the city guard ever not try to kill this wild animal if you were not right there to stop them?
Except a fair number of dogs and wolves look very much like one another. Do you think an inn keeper is likely to tell the difference between a husky and a timber wolf?
You're also making big assumptions about a gameworld with giant spiders, kobolds, and other wacky stuff, particularly given the animal companion list includes things like tigers and velociraptors.
Anyhow, looks like the answer is clear.
Think I may houserule something like 'dogs count as Int 3 (or maybe 4) for the purposes of tricks known' or add a bonus of +4 for Handle Animal, given dogs have innate qualities that make them better with humans than nearly any other animal.
Except a fair number of dogs and wolves look very much like one another. Do you think an inn keeper is likely to tell the difference between a husky and a timber wolf?
I could tell the differnce... could you?
You're also making big assumptions about a gameworld with giant spiders, kobolds, and other wacky stuff, particularly given the animal companion list includes things like tigers and velociraptors.
I would no sooner think a velociraptor would be welcom in a city or a tiger people should fear them... almost irrationally
Anyhow, looks like the answer is clear.Think I may houserule something like 'dogs count as Int 3 (or maybe 4) for the purposes of tricks known' or add a bonus of +4 for Handle Animal, given dogs have innate qualities that make them better with humans than nearly any other animal.
I think this is a good house rule for dogs actually
I probably could, but the difference is pretty small.
Consider:
http://www.characterrichmond.org/monthly%20qualities/timberwolf.jpg
vs.
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m17/AvalonAri/Animals/Canines/husky.jpg
Again, do you think a random innkeeper is likely to know the difference?
Also, do you think city guard or innkeepers will be thrilled seeing large dogs wandering the street unattended?
(granted, I'm almost cheating by selecting huskies, since they are on the very wild side of the dog family, but still)
I probably could, but the difference is pretty small.
Consider:
http://www.characterrichmond.org/monthly%20qualities/timberwolf.jpg
vs.
http://i100.photobucket.com/albums/m17/AvalonAri/Animals/Canines/husky.jpgAgain, do you think a random innkeeper is likely to know the difference?
Also, do you think city guard or innkeepers will be thrilled seeing large dogs wandering the street unattended?
no I don't ... and i would not be suprised if a dm decided that the inn keeper or city guard decided that you couldn't bring the husky into town...
that said that comes back to the idea that you chose this animal companion to be as it is and now have to deal with it... I would personally have a wolfhound or a mastiff as a companion... it solves this problem as they were not confused with wolves ;)
I would no sooner think a velociraptor would be welcom in a city or a tiger people should fear them... almost irrationally
In a world where people have magical versions of animals I am sure they would be used to it. A druid with his pet, and a "normal" version that just walks in out of the woods would not be treated the same of course. The PC classes seem to be common place, and with their abilities are well known in most settings.
then you are assuming there are pc classes in every town ... so they can be used to the pets...
I hardly ever come into a town where there are druids living in and about town with their animal companions... and find it unrealistic to think a druid would want to.. or even a ranger... they are nature based classes...
then you are assuming there are pc classes in every town ... so they can be used to the pets...
I hardly ever come into a town where there are druids living in and about town with their animal companions... and find it unrealistic to think a druid would want to.. or even a ranger... they are nature based classes...
The PC classes have been around for hundred of years at a minimum for most campaign worlds. I would assume that many of their capabilities are well known. There may not currently be a paladin or bard in town, but I don't think most of the classes are hard to recognize, especially if they display their powers.
It works well in novels, so I don't see the issue in a game.
Some AP's(Cot and AoW)also tell you a certain class will get a certain treatment. In order to be treated a certain way that would mean the class would have to be recognized.
That's cool and interesting, but it's not the default world assumed in the core 3.5 books. (I'm not sure about Golarion)
By the DMG, ALL small towns and larger communities will have at least one druid (small towns have at least one druid level 1-6). Many smaller communities will have druids and rangers (there's a 5% chance thorps and hamlets may have rather high level druids and rangers, in fact)
So, if you hardly ever come into a town with druids in them, you aren't playing the default world.
ALL small towns and larger communities will have at least one druid
So, if you hardly ever come into a town with druids in them, you aren't playing the default world.
Those two statements seem to contradict. Was that a typo?
That's cool and interesting, but it's not the default world assumed in the core 3.5 books. (I'm not sure about Golarion)
By the DMG, ALL small towns and larger communities will have at least one druid (small towns have at least one druid level 1-6). Many smaller communities will have druids and rangers (there's a 5% chance thorps and hamlets may have rather high level druids and rangers, in fact)
So, if you hardly ever come into a town with druids in them, you aren't playing the default world.
do you have any page references to support this?
and no not likely playing in the the default dmg setting
What about a climate uncomfortable for wolves and a strict GM.
Wolves: Environment: Cold or Temperate Forests
Dogs: Environment: Any
The wolf may have issues with a hot environment with thick fur. If you've ever owned a husky and lived in the south, the need to keep them trimmed in the summer time should speak for itself on this... but that's just my two cents.
'Those two statements seem to contradict. Was that a typo?'
... no?
The book says all communities of at least 900 people have at least one druid. Even the smaller communities are rather likely to have at least one druid, and some of them have rather high level druids.
The chance of the average person bumping into or at least seeing a druid in a community is very close to 100%. In fact, the only people likely not to see a druid is someone living off by themselves.
So if this doesn't mesh with your game experience, your game experience is non-standard.
Joseph Raiten:
First printing DMG 3.5
p. 138-139, details how to generate the NPCs present in a community.
That's cool and interesting, but it's not the default world assumed in the core 3.5 books. (I'm not sure about Golarion)
By the DMG, ALL small towns and larger communities will have at least one druid (small towns have at least one druid level 1-6). Many smaller communities will have druids and rangers (there's a 5% chance thorps and hamlets may have rather high level druids and rangers, in fact)
So, if you hardly ever come into a town with druids in them, you aren't playing the default world.
do you have any page references to support this?
and no not likely playing in the the default dmg setting
Page 139
edit: ninja'd by a full minute
'Those two statements seem to contradict. Was that a typo?'
... no?The book says all communities of at least 900 people have at least one druid. Even the smaller communities are rather likely to have at least one druid, and some of them have rather high level druids.
The chance of the average person bumping into or at least seeing a druid in a community is very close to 100%. In fact, the only people likely not to see a druid is someone living off by themselves.
So if this doesn't mesh with your game experience, your game experience is non-standard.
For some reason I read them as opposites.
Bah, who needs reading comprehension anyway.
actually... having read that... it is wildly confusing... because it seems to indicate that yes... most of the player classes are very common around the world and even in small towns... with that in mind why would any community ever have problems with monsters? why would any adventuring party be welcome in any town? after all there are others there who they will be taking work from... and treasure from... why would there ever be an unexplored ruins...
I agree thatn tyhat seems to be how it is written... and will sae I would not enjoy play in a "standard world"
actually... having read that... it is wildly confusing... because it seems to indicate that yes... most of the player classes are very common around the world and even in small towns... with that in mind why would any community ever have problems with monsters? why would any adventuring party be welcome in any town? after all there are others there who they will be taking work from... and treasure from... why would there ever be an unexplored ruins...
I agree thatn tyhat seems to be how it is written... and will sae I would not enjoy play in a "standard world"
Most of the time heroes have to defend villages and hamlets which may not have heroes, or if a town(small or larger) is having issues then it is beyond the scope of the local NPC's to deal with. A few of the one-shots from wizard's website had fighters, clerics, and so on, as but then the author would explain why they would/could not get involved.
What about a climate uncomfortable for wolves and a strict GM.
Wolves: Environment: Cold or Temperate Forests
Dogs: Environment: AnyThe wolf may have issues with a hot environment with thick fur. If you've ever owned a husky and lived in the south, the need to keep them trimmed in the summer time should speak for itself on this... but that's just my two cents.
[threadjack]People who live in hot climates and trim their Huskies in the summertime are simply ignorant of how their coat works and cause the dog to be hotter than it would be with their coat.
Basically, the coat regulates the air near the skin of the husky. If it's cold, it warms them, if it's hot, it cools them.[/threadjack]
EDIT: I spel gud.
Just because a town has the PC classes represented doesn't mean that the town has their own heroes. The town druid may be old and feeble, unable to adventure. The town cleric may be a bureaucrat who has very low physical ability scores and never really adventured (he gained his XP through political and religious RP, I guess). The local wizard may consider adventuring to be beneath him as he researches the spell that will keep his name in the spell books for generations.
Having local characters with PC class levels does not mean having local adventurers.
That having been said, I would probably have guards and anyone that doesn't have commoner levels make Perception or Knowledge (Nature) checks to tell the difference between a dog and a wolf unless they just hate canines in general or don't care.
It's been a very long time since my PCs were in town and I seem to remember the druid didn't take his wolf into town at the time.
You could also describe your animal companion as a really tough dog that has a wolf's stats (and advancement). It is just flavor text, after all.