With the arrival of the Animal Archive, I've been tumbling the idea of using Leadership to gain an animal companion/familiar. What would you all feel would be a balanced way to do it? For example, should the effective druid/wizard level be Character Level -3, or should it be equal to the actual Character Level? What about feats like Boon Companion or Improved Familiar?
In 3.5 there used to be a feat that grants an animal companion:
wild cohort.
So it should generally be fine.
There's also the section on monster cohorts. So if monsters are ok animals should be too... Though companion progression is different.
Not sure about the familiar though. It should only be available to (arcane) casters imho.
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I'd also point you to the Kobold Quarterly #18 "Beast Masters" article, which does pretty much exactly what you are proposing (plus more :)
Here's a quote from one of the reviews:
“Beast Masters” takes a completely new approach to an old problem. The answer .... make a special Beast Leadership Feat instead. The Beast Leadership feat is very detailed and well thought out, allowing multiple ways to make your character a Lord of the Wild Things. I guarantee, with this feat you can make a very credible Andre Norton style Beastmaster.
Check it out here:
Kobold Quarterly 18
3.5 had an obtain familiar feat.
I tried doing this in our Kingmaker game, but the GM and I weren't sure how to advance a dire wolf, so it became a problem. I found the third party feat "Signature Mount" on the PFSRD, and it's working fine so far (one session, though)
In 3.5 there used to be a feat that grants an animal companion:
wild cohort.
So it should generally be fine.There's also the section on monster cohorts. So if monsters are ok animals should be too... Though companion progression is different.
Not sure about the familiar though. It should only be available to (arcane) casters imho.
I'd like to see a familiar, only to have certain non-magical tropes possible. Like, the rogue with a rat pet that can cut through ropes or pick pocket people.
I'd also point you to the Kobold Quarterly #18 "Beast Masters" article, which does pretty much exactly what you are proposing (plus more :)
Here's a quote from one of the reviews:
“Beast Masters” takes a completely new approach to an old problem. The answer .... make a special Beast Leadership Feat instead. The Beast Leadership feat is very detailed and well thought out, allowing multiple ways to make your character a Lord of the Wild Things. I guarantee, with this feat you can make a very credible Andre Norton style Beastmaster.Check it out here:
Kobold Quarterly 18
Interesting. I'll have to check it out.
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I know the Knights of the Inner Sea book had a whole list of mounts you could gain with the Leadership feat, so I think there's plenty of precedence for subbing level appropriate critters right in. The Base Animal Companion is balanced as a class feature instead of a true character, so I don't see any issue with you treating your character level as your druid level if you want to pull an AC off the druid list with the Leadership feat. It'll be around the same power level as monster's you could already obtain.
I know the Knights of the Inner Sea book had a whole list of mounts you could gain with the Leadership feat, so I think there's plenty of precedence for subbing level appropriate critters right in. The Base Animal Companion is balanced as a class feature instead of a true character, so I don't see any issue with you treating your character level as your druid level if you want to pull an AC off the druid list with the Leadership feat. It'll be around the same power level as monster's you could already obtain.
That's a good point. I guess I mentioned the druid/wizard level -4 part to keep it in line and balanced with similar options that exist (the ranger's animal companion, or the rogue needing two rogue talents to get one). I would like an option to get a creature that is listed as a familiar, but without some of the more "magic" abilities. Like Share Spells or Deliver Touch Spells. Those are things that a martial class probably won't have any use for. Of course, the Animal Archive does have options for Familiar Archetypes that can replace those options.