The title pretty much says it all for this one; I'm looking to make a Blink Dog into my (druid/ranger) companion.
Yes, normally this wouldn't be possible because said creature is a "magical beast/animal" but I don't see why one particular Blink Dog might not be partnered with (rather than owned and trained) by a scion of nature such as Druids and Rangers.
I was wondering if anyone already had house rules pertaining to this concept or if I should just take the companion as-is straight from the Bestiary? I've already scowered the interwebs to no avail.
NOTE:
Typically, a pack of Blink Dogs has a single Sage (cultural equivalent of a Wiseman). I don't expect to take one as a Companion. But to see a set of rules for one would be interesting.
Blink Dog; Bestiary #2 Pg47
Also, as a back-up (in case Blink Dog seems too O.P'd or just wouldn't work conceptually), what about a "Blink Wolf" (half breed blink dog/wolf)?
I think you may have intended this to go in a different forum?
Um... Nope. This is a new forum I'm starting because I've not been able to find one where this discussion is already being held. I even mentioned this in my original post- "scowered the interwebs to no avail"
I think what he meant is, you probably should have posted in the Advice Subforum, not under the Homebrew forum, although I can see why you put it here, since such a thing would definitely be a homebrew thing.
General guideline for non animal creatures in projects like this is that you use the stats or similar stats to Bestiary, but the creature advances at -4 your class level.
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I think blink dogs are too intelligent to be animal companions (INT 10.) They seem like something you'd gain as a Cohort by taking the Leadership feat. I guess you could dumb it down but, otherwise, a blink dog would be better off taking class levels. I suggest Monk levels.
The idea of making a magical beast into an animal companion isn't bad though.
I'd make a feat for this similar to Improved Familiar and add Low-CR magical beasts to the animal companion list. Call it something like Monstrous Companion, give it a level 7 prereq and add maybe the following beasts:
shocker lizard, mobat, darkmantle, hippocampus, hippogriff, krenshar, slurk
Other creatures could probably be added. I just picked these as a sample of low-INT, low CR magical beasts.
As far as leveling the creatures, do as DeathQuaker pointed out. Start with the base stats for the creature, then apply the animal companion modifiers as if the druid was four levels lower.
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I think what he meant is, you probably should have posted in the Advice Subforum, not under the Homebrew forum, although I can see why you put it here, since such a thing would definitely be a homebrew thing.
General guideline for non animal creatures in projects like this is that you use the stats or similar stats to Bestiary, but the creature advances at -4 your class level.
Actually, when he posted this, he did so in the Gamer Connection forum! I flagged it as being in the wrong forum and it was MOVED here to the Homebrew forum :)
I think blink dogs are too intelligent to be animal companions (INT 10.)
I also considered it to be too intelligent; why would something that sentient willingly obey another creature as though it was the handlers pet?
So I can up with a possible substitute; Blink Wolves- essentially these are the half-breed pups of Blink Dogs and ordinary wolves. They keep the orange fur coat and the ability to "blink" from place to place [on natural instinct, rather than intelligence level]. But other than that, they operate as an ordinary Wolf companion. Though, I'd probably have them make some sort of check or save whenever blinking to represent their tainted blood- maybe a Reflex save?
I've never used cohorts before so I'll have to look up the rules.