If a Skald were to follow the Nature Soul -- Animal Ally path to obtain an animal companion, would they receive the +4 bonus to Handle Animal checks similar to a Druid or Ranger?
Also, if my idea is to take a Camel as my AC, and ride it in combat while using a reach weapon, if I am reading everything correctly I could park 10 feet away from the bad guy, my camel could spit while I swing my Nodachi and gain the "higher ground" bonus to attack.
Assume I will be Combat Training the Camel and then taking the Mounted Combat feat at some point to attempt to avoid melee attacks.
Am I missing anything?
Nodachis are not reach weapons. While you character effectively occupies all the same squares as your mount, this does not extend your reach. You could only hit creatures 5ft away with a nodachi. You would need to find another weapon with the reach quality.
Also, the ranged touch attack to spit provokes an attack of opportunity each time it is used, and there is a DC 13 on the sickened effect (which scales with con modifier).
Doh, thought Nodachi was reach...so I will buy a reach weapon.
Provoking the AoO should not be an issue in most cases as we will not be adjacent to the mob we are targeting in most cases. Can the DC be increased in any way? A Feat?
Curious about the DC 13.
Camel
Starting Statistics: Size Large; Speed 50 ft.; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4) or spit (ranged touch attack, target is sickened for 1d4 rounds, range 10 feet); Ability Scores Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2.
Sickened: The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
It appears to me to be a ranged touch attack, and I can't see where it lists a DC. I'm sure you are correct, but can you point me in the direction of where I will find the DC information?
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If it is an animal companion, referring to the druid section, then this passage (scroll down to animal companion special:) is in the section on companions, not on druids:
Link (Ex): A druid can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn't have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The druid gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.
This means it applies to all classes that get actual animal companions, not just druids.
Curious about the DC 13.
Camel
Starting Statistics: Size Large; Speed 50 ft.; AC +1 natural armor; Attack bite (1d4) or spit (ranged touch attack, target is sickened for 1d4 rounds, range 10 feet); Ability Scores Str 18, Dex 16, Con 14, Int 2, Wis 11, Cha 4; Special Qualities low-light vision, scent.
4th-Level Advancement: Ability Scores Str +2, Con +2.
Sickened: The character takes a –2 penalty on all attack rolls, weapon damage rolls, saving throws, skill checks, and ability checks.
It appears to me to be a ranged touch attack, and I can't see where it lists a DC. I'm sure you are correct, but can you point me in the direction of where I will find the DC information?
Unfortunately, the brief information the druid animal companion section provides does not provide all the needed details. However, if you look under the Bestiary entry here, it shows the save for it.
Ugh, seems fairly awful to me. Once an hour, has to hit on a ranged touch attack and then the target gets to roll a Fort save DC 13 to negate effects. I'm betting that by the time he lands his AC (level 5) that just about every enemy can succeed a DC 13 roll.
Time to consider the Velociraptor. Thanks for the info now, as I would have hated to find out after the fact!
Yeah, sorry to be the bearer of bad news
