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So I have a player who is playing an invulnerable rager barbarian who also wants an animal companion. This player doesn't want any spellcasting or any of the other abilities of a druid and a ranger gets its companion to late so multiclassing is out. So I decided to make an archetype that gains a companion and made it work with rage.
Tell me what you guys think of this, how balanced it is, anything you would change, etc.
Some barbarians learn to take on an animal that shares their primal urges. These barbarians are known as raging beastmasters. Some have even questioned whether the animal that accompanies the barbarian learns to rage like its master or if the master has learned from the companion.
Animal Companion (Ex)
At 3rd level, the raging beastmaster gains an animal companion. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the raging beastmaster on his adventures as appropriate for its kind.When a raging beastmaster enters a rage she may choose to allow her animal companion to enter a rage as well. The raging beastmaster must use up rounds of rage for the companion in addition to those she uses herself. Any effect that modifies a rage for the raging beastmaster, through rage powers, feats, etc., affect the rage of the animal companion as well.
This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the raging beastmaster's effective druid level is equal to his barbarian level – 2. A raging beastmaster may choose any animal companion that a druid in the same circumstances may choose.
This ability replaces greater rage and indomitable rage.
Mighty Rage (Ex)
At 20th level, when a raging beastmaster and her animal companion enter a rage, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +6 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +3.
And in advance thanks for taking the time to read and review.
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That's not really an even trade since you don't get greater rage and indomitable rage until 12th level anyways. An animal companion is a very powerful class feature.
I would suggest working with the Mounted Fury archetype instead and just replacing the 'must be a mount' rule with a small list of specific barbarian appropriate animal companions.
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Something like:
Bestial Spirit
[PH]Some barbarians really like big scary animals because they're strong and stuff.
Heart of the Beast (Ex)
[PH] Something to replace fast movement goes here.
This ability replaces fast movement.
Feral Companion (Ex)
At 5th level, the bestial spirit gains the service of a feral companion. This ability functions as a druid’s animal companion, using the barbarian’s level –4 as her effective druid level. This companion must be either a bear, wolf, lion, or constrictor snake. Whenever a barbarian is raging while adjacent to or flanking an enemy with her feral companion, the companion gains a +2 morale bonus to its Strength.
This ability replaces uncanny dodge and improved uncanny dodge.
Rage Powers: The following rage powers complement the bestial spirit archetype: [PH].
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Yeah I had thought about that. The reasoning for it though was that currently almost none of the archetypes can be used together and I wanted to create one that would allow you to take other archetypes as well.
I was thinking of lowering the effects of rage from +4 STR, +4 CON, +2 Will to half that, so +2 STR, +2 CON, +1 Will, then making it so that you improve it later but I wasn't sure when.
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Here is a modified version of the archetype to try and balance it a little.
Some barbarians learn to take on an animal that shares their primal urges. These barbarians are known as raging beastmasters. Some have even questioned whether the animal that accompanies the barbarian learns to rage like its master or if the master has learned from the companion.
Rage (Ex)
A raging beastmaster's morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution is only a +2 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +1 while raging instead of the normal +4 and +2 respectively.Animal Companion (Ex)
At 3rd level, the raging beastmaster gains an animal companion. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the raging beastmaster on his adventures as appropriate for its kind.When a raging beastmaster enters a rage she may choose to allow her animal companion to enter a rage as well. The raging beastmaster must use up rounds of rage for the companion in addition to those she uses herself. Any effect that modifies a rage for the raging beastmaster, through rage powers, feats, etc., affect the rage of the animal companion as well.
This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the raging beastmaster's effective druid level is equal to his barbarian level – 2. A raging beastmaster may choose any animal companion that a druid in the same circumstances may choose.
This ability replaces fast movement, greater rage, and indomitable rage.
Mighty Rage (Ex)
At 20th level, when a raging beastmaster and her animal companion enter a rage, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +4 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +2.
You're on a better track now, imho - but I'm still not sold on what's being given up for the animal companion.
Ideally,I would suggest the following:
Animal Companion: As you have written, except "this ability replaces fast movement and trap sense (or fast movement and uncanny dodge/imp uncanny dodge if you'd rather hold on to trap sense)."
"Greater Rage: At 11th level, when a barbarian enters rage, the morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution increases to +3 and the morale bonus on her Will saves increases to +2. This ability replaces Greater Rage."
Mighty Rage would stay as you have it.
However, as you want this to overlap with Invulnerable Rager - uncanny dodge, improved uncanny dodge, trap sense, and damage reduction aren't available to tweak.
That being said, I'd then perhaps suggest the following:
Animal Companion: As you have written, except "this ability replaces fast movement and the rage powers obtained at levels 6, 12, and 18"
Greater Rage: At 11th level, when a barbarian enters rage, the morale bonus to her Strength and Constitution increases to +3 and the morale bonus on her Will saves increases to +2. This ability replaces Greater Rage.
Mighty Rage would stay as you have it.
those're my 2 cps.
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Ok, I made some modifications based off of Dal Selpher suggestions. I just modified the greater and mighty because the use of odd bonuses to ability scores are not really seen in the game and are kind of non standard and I would rather keep to the norm.
I think that the drop in power of the rage does hinder things a bit and I hope the loss of a couple of the rage powers make up for the gaining of an animal companion. Also the fact that you can have your companion rage but at the cost of your own rage rounds per day should make it so that you have to decide to either rage longer or have your companion rage as well.
I have also limited the list of animals that the barbarian can choose from, adding the GMs approval clause on others. This makes it so that a GM who is running a game in the Mwangi Expanse can allow a tyrannosaurus rex for example.
Thank you all for leaving feedback and helping me to develop this into a working and usable archetype.
Some barbarians learn to take on an animal that shares their primal urges. These barbarians are known as raging beastmasters. Some have even questioned whether the animal that accompanies the barbarian learns to rage like its master or if the master has learned from the companion.
Rage (Ex)
A raging beastmaster's morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution is only a +2 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +1 while raging instead of the normal +4 and +2 respectively.Animal Companion (Ex)
At 3rd level, the raging beastmaster gains an animal companion. The raging beastmaster can choose from the following list: ape, bear, boar, cat (big or small), snake (constrictor), and wolf. If the campaign takes place wholly or partly in an aquatic environment, the raging beastmaster may choose a crocodile or shark instead. The GM may choose to add other animals to this list. This animal is a loyal companion that accompanies the raging beastmaster on his adventures as appropriate for its kind.When a raging beastmaster enters a rage she may choose to allow her animal companion to enter a rage as well. The raging beastmaster must use up rounds of rage for the companion in addition to those she uses herself. Any effect that modifies a rage for the raging beastmaster, through rage powers, feats, etc., affect the rage of the animal companion as well.
This ability functions like the druid animal companion ability (which is part of the Nature Bond class feature), except that the raging beastmaster's effective druid level is equal to his barbarian level – 2.
This ability replaces fast movement and the rage powers at levels 6th, 12th, and 18th levels.
Greater Rage (Ex)
At 11th level, when a raging beastmaster and her animal companion enter a rage, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +4 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +2.Mighty Rage (Ex)
At 20th level, when a raging beastmaster and her animal companion enter a rage, the morale bonus to their Strength and Constitution increases to +6 and the morale bonus on their Will saves increases to +3.
I would play this.
I like the look of this a lot. Seeing the list of possible animal companion types immediately makes me want to play a halfling barbarian with a cat companion.
Definitely looks like a fun archetype. Nice idea!
Include Badger on the animal companions list and I'm sold. Wolverines are the most apropriate type of animal for a barabarian to have as a companion, since they are known for their rage.
Cool. I like the idea of a barbarian with a Honey Badger, Wolverine, Tazmanian Devil or even Mongoose companion. It just seems fitting.