Muleback cords question

[poundpuppy30]

I was wondering what type of bonus the muleback cords fall under because I wanted to give my treant some muleback cords and a belt of giant stength. The belt says it gives an enhancement bonus but the cords just say bonus.

[Jeff Merola]

It's untyped, as far as I can tell.

[Nefreet]

Your bigger dilemma is that Plant Companions have no defined magic item slots. It's unclear if they could wear something on their "shoulders".

[poundpuppy30]

Thought they could use the feat "extra slot" to buy the shoulder and waist slots.

[Mathius]

As DM, belt seams fine but shoulders a no go. The feat works to. Also you could make the items slotless for 50 percent more money.

Dinos work better for this.

[Barathos]

poundpuppy30 wrote:

Thought they could use the feat "extra slot" to buy the shoulder and waist slots.

So is "weapon"/"grasped" a viable slot for this?

[Gwen Smith]

Muleback cords don't give any bonus to your strength at all. "The wearer treats his Strength score as 8 higher than normal when determining his carrying capacity."

Generally, permanent stat boosting items will always count as "normal" for that stat, so there shouldn't be any question as to whether they "stack".

Start with a 20 strength.
Belt of strength increases your strength by 2, so you have a 22 "normally".
Muleback cords treat your strength as 30 for carrying capacity.

Some GMs might not count temporary strength increases as "normal" for the purposes of muleback cords, but most that I play with do. (So Bull's Strength gets you to 24, muleback cords make that count as 32 for carrying things.)

[Cevah]

Mathius wrote:

As DM, belt seams fine but shoulders a no go. The feat works to. Also you could make the items slotless for 50 percent more money.

Dinos work better for this.

Slotless is 100% more, not 50%.

Add Muleback Chords, Heavyload Belt, and a Belt of Strength for even more strength.

/cevah

[poundpuppy30]

The cords are for lifting/carrying, but the belt would help with actual combat and lifting/carry.

[VRMH]

poundpuppy30 wrote:

Thought they could use the feat "extra slot" to buy the shoulder and waist slots.

Shoulders or waist - you can only take a feat once.

Choose wisely.

[Kazaan]

Gwen Smith wrote:

Some GMs might not count temporary strength increases as "normal" for the purposes of muleback cords, but most that I play with do. (So Bull's Strength gets you to 24, muleback cords make that count as 32 for carrying things.)

Bull's Strength adds to your Str so, if your Str, for the purpose of determining carrying capacity is 8 higher because of Muleback Cords, then Bull's Strength applies to that higher Strength when determining carrying capacity. To illustrate:

20 normal Strength; 28 for the purpose of determining carrying capacity.
Bull's Strength adds 2 str so it bumps your Strength from 20 to 22, and your Strength for the purpose of carrying capacity from 28 to 30.

[David knott 242]

VRMH wrote:

poundpuppy30 wrote:

Thought they could use the feat "extra slot" to buy the shoulder and waist slots.

Shoulders or waist - you can only take a feat once.

Choose wisely.

Unless the feat has "special" text that says otherwise. The feats in Savage Species and the Epic Level Handbook that grant additional magic item slots both have such text.

[CampinCarl9127]

In what possible scenario would a carrying capacity with 30 strength be that much more significant than a carrying capacity with 28 strength. Like, how many statues are you trying to bring out of the dungeon?

[poundpuppy30]

I see so you can't chose extra slot feat more than once for your companion?

"Unless the feat has "special" text that says otherwise. The feats in Savage Species and the Epic Level Handbook that grant additional magic item slots both have such text."

I don't have either of those but just the animal archives book. What extras text is added in those books?

[Darksol the Painbringer]

David knott 242 wrote:

VRMH wrote:

poundpuppy30 wrote:

Thought they could use the feat "extra slot" to buy the shoulder and waist slots.

Shoulders or waist - you can only take a feat once.

Choose wisely.

Unless the feat has "special" text that says otherwise. The feats in Savage Species and the Epic Level Handbook that grant additional magic item slots both have such text.

And that text is not present in the feat description.

So, you only get one extra slot per RAW.

[poundpuppy30]

"The feats in Savage Species and the Epic Level Handbook that grant additional magic item slots both have such text." I take it these two books are non-piazo books?

[poundpuppy30]

Just curious but what slots does a sapling treant get to begin with?

[Jeff Merola]

poundpuppy30 wrote:

"The feats in Savage Species and the Epic Level Handbook that grant additional magic item slots both have such text." I take it these two books are non-piazo books?

Both of them are 3.0 books, and notoriously poorly written ones, too.

poundpuppy30 wrote:

Just curious but what slots does a sapling treant get to begin with?

Undefined.

[poundpuppy30]

So how do you know what items you can put on them if they are undefined?

[VRMH]

poundpuppy30 wrote:

So how do you know what items you can put on them if they are undefined?

You don't, you ask your GM. And if you are your GM, you just make up a rule that seems fair, reasonable, balanced but above all: fun.

[Lvl1Druid]

poundpuppy30 wrote:

So how do you know what items you can put on them if they are undefined?

That would be a question for your DM. Generally, I think the rule is whatever the DM would say seems reasonable based on it's body shape. ie, it makes perfect sense that you could hang a necklace on a tiger if you look at them (Neck slot) but I'm not exactly sure how you would go about trying to get them fitted for a ring, shoes, or anything of that nature.

[poundpuppy30]

I asked this question sometime ago and got this for an answer:
http://paizo.com/threads/rzs2s56g?Plant-Companions-body-slots#10

"Plant companions are a special little subset of Animal Companions. I don't think there is enough material to support a book for them, but there might be a few things in the Heroes of the Wild.

As for rulings, treat them exactly like an animal companion, just with a plant sub type (Sheild companion should work just fine). Fortunately, as a Druid you can cast spells on your companion regardless of type (spells that you have prepared that is, no wands or scrolls), so things like Reduce Animal still work, too.

A sapling treant is basically humanoid in shape, so I would use those rules from the Animal Archive.

Do you have any other specific questions?"

So if it falls under humanoid like Biped(hands)--then it gets all slots to begin with so not sure why it would need extra slot feat. Is this correct? The picture in the advance race guide makes the sapling treant seem like its a biped(hands) with two tree type legs, head, neck, waist, etc.

[poundpuppy30]

"I think the rule is whatever the DM would say seems reasonable based on it's body shape. ie, it makes perfect sense that you could hang a necklace on a tiger if you look at them (Neck slot) but I'm not exactly sure how you would go about trying to get them fitted for a ring, shoes, or anything of that nature."

I think tiger falls under Quadruped (claws/paws) which doesn't let them have rings, but they can wear a lot of other stuff.