|
I am building a halfling cavalier to try out a few ideas. He will start out with a Wolf for a mount.
1. Does the wolf/mount start out with the Animal Companion' training package of Combat or Riding? RAW does mention 'combat trained', but that seems to mean that your horse isn't skittish in combat...
2. If the wolf does not come with a training package, can it be trained in down time before the first adventure? I.E., a roll would be made before the adventure begins?
3. If the wolf is equipped with the Extra Slot Feat, could it have special versions of various Magical Boots be made available for purchase?
Boots of Spider Climb and Flying look interesting...
4. Could the halfling perform Ride-By-Attack, Spirited Charge or Death From Above while on a Broom of Flying? Or a Carpet of Flying? Boots of Flying? I understand that without the added mass of the mount, the full additional damage might not be imparted (part of the damage comes from increased speed), but these feats provide other benefits as well.
Odo Hillborne thanks you for sharing your knowledge!
|
I am building a halfling cavalier to try out a few ideas. He will start out with a Wolf for a mount.
1. Does the wolf/mount start out with the Animal Companion' training package of Combat or Riding? RAW does mention 'combat trained', but that seems to mean that your horse isn't skittish in combat...
2. If the wolf does not come with a training package, can it be trained in down time before the first adventure? I.E., a roll would be made before the adventure begins?
3. If the wolf is equipped with the Extra Slot Feat, could it have special versions of various Magical Boots be made available for purchase?
Boots of Spider Climb and Flying look interesting...
4. Could the halfling perform Ride-By-Attack, Spirited Charge or Death From Above while on a Broom of Flying? Or a Carpet of Flying? Boots of Flying? I understand that without the added mass of the mount, the full additional damage might not be imparted (part of the damage comes from increased speed), but these feats provide other benefits as well.Odo Hillborne thanks you for sharing your knowledge!
1) Yes, you can safely assume some of its tricks are taken up by the basic riding and combat tricks. However if you want your mount to attack undead and a few other specifically called out types you'll have to train it in game (or pre-game with GM permission).
2) Talk to your GM.3) Ask your GM.
4) Ask your GM. But RAW, Ride-By-Attack and Spirited Charge probably won't work because while you are "riding" the broom, you aren't in any way using the Ride Skill. Death from Above should work fine.
|
|
Mount (Ex): A cavalier gains the service of a loyal and trusty steed to carry him into battle. This mount functions as a druid's animal companion, using the cavalier's level as his effective druid level. The creature must be one that he is capable of riding and is suitable as a mount. A Medium cavalier can select a camel or a horse. A Small cavalier can select a pony or wolf, but can also select a boar or a dog if he is at least 4th level. The GM might approve other animals as suitable mounts.
A cavalier does not take an armor check penalty on Ride checks while riding his mount. The mount is always considered combat trained and begins play with Light Armor Proficiency as a bonus feat. A cavalier's mount does not gain the share spells special ability.
A cavalier's bond with his mount is strong, with the pair learning to anticipate each other's moods and moves. Should a cavalier's mount die, the cavalier may find another mount to serve him after 1 week of mourning. This new mount does not gain the link, evasion, devotion, or improved evasion special abilities until the next time the cavalier gains a level.
link
How can I teach tricks to an animal using Handle Animal?
You can teach any animal a trick so long as you follow the rules for Handle Animal on pages 97-98 of the Pathfinder Roleplaying Game Core Rulebook. A GM must observe your Handle Animal check, and must initial what tricks the animal gained on the scenario's Chronicle sheet. The first time a character with levels in druid, ranger, or any other class that grants an animal companion gains an animal companion, the animal enters play knowing its maximum number of tricks as dictated by the animal companion's Intelligence and the character's effective druid level. If the character replaces the animal companion for any reason, the new animal starts with no tricks known, save for bonus tricks granted based on the PC's effective druid level. Once per scenario, you may attempt to train the animal companion a number of times equal to the number of ranks you have in the Handle Animal skill. Each success allows you to teach the animal a single trick; a failed attempt counts against the total number of training attempts allowed per scenario, and you may not attempt to teach the same trick until the next scenario. Alternatively, you may train one animal for a single purpose as long as you have enough ranks in Handle Animal to train the animal in each trick learned as part of that purpose. You may take 10 on Handle Animal checks to teach an animal companion tricks.
With a base INT of 2, a wolf can know 6 tricks, such as combat riding. You also get a bonus trick (from the chart in the Druid Class in the CRB) with which you can get Attack a second time, thus allowing it to attack any creature.
Edit: fixed links
Venture-Lieutenant, Netherlands—Leiden
|
3. If the wolf is equipped with the Extra Slot Feat, could it have special versions of various Magical Boots be made available for purchase?
Boots of Spider Climb and Flying look interesting...
Animal companions can't activate magic items. They can use always-on items, but they couldn't activate for example these boots.
|
|
So, Boots of Spider Climb and Flying are out. Boots of Springing and Striding are acceptable. Could a special set of Horseshoes of Speed be made at Boots of Speed for the wolf? (Could have a smallish set of horseshoes embedded in the boots somehow?)
The main thrust of the Boots in the OP was to overcome problems with rope/vertical ladder climbing. The wolf starts as medium and the halfling is small... so boosting it up through a hole in the ceiling is going to be quite a chore. Using a scroll or potion to enable Spider Climb or Levitation could get expensive.
|
|
And you couldn't custom Doggy Booties of Spider Climb.
Why not? The CRB expressly calls out exotic saddles to fit wolf, alligator and axe-beak. I'm sure somebody would make exotic boots for wolves. Please note that 'leather foot coverings' (read boots) for canines are a real world thing, though rare.
Wolves are classified as "Quadruped [claws/paws]". They don't have the "Feet" Magic Item Slot.
This is why the Extra Slot Feat was called out in the OP.
|
|
Carry Companion is my go to choice for handling areas your companion cannot properly reach. This works as well for carrying them up rope ladders as it does for bringing them with you to the opera or wedding.
As a relative noob, could you provide links (or a brief explanation) when you make suggestions like 'Carry Companion'?
|
Carry Companion is my go to choice for handling areas your companion cannot properly reach. This works as well for carrying them up rope ladders as it does for bringing them with you to the opera or wedding.As a relative noob, could you provide links (or a brief explanation) when you make suggestions like 'Carry Companion'?
It's from a rather obscure source.
|
|
Carry Companion is my go to choice for handling areas your companion cannot properly reach. This works as well for carrying them up rope ladders as it does for bringing them with you to the opera or wedding.As a relative noob, could you provide links (or a brief explanation) when you make suggestions like 'Carry Companion'?It's from a rather obscure source.
Thanks, Nefreet. As it is a 2nd level spell, it's no real improvement over Levitate or Spider Climb. It would still require a wand, scrolls or potions on a repeated basis. As a second level spell, that's fairly expensive for a 1st level character.
Does anyone play a cavalier who isn't a Halfling on a wolf? Do they all belong to a special pathfinder society company? The Absolom Irregulars perhaps.
The point is to put a small character on a medium mount, so as to be able to go into buildings/caves while still riding your mount. If you aren't going to ride your mount half the time or more, why play a Cavalier? A Pony would work, but you would have the same problems with buildings & the Wolf is faster & tougher. I guess people choose halflings over gnomes 'cause of the Dex bonus. Also - you can unsaddle, etc the wolf and go around town with him. "That's my dog, he's trained. heel boy!" Can't do it in a little hamlet as the locals will know a wolf from a dog, but in a city? Probably.
I am considering the Dire Bat (Bestiary II, I think?), but it has a Str of 9, meaning low carrying capacity. A Roc animal companion also starts medium, but couldn't hover about indoors... It's also ~4000 for an egg!
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Thanks, Nefreet. As it is a 2nd level spell, it's no real improvement over Levitate or Spider Climb.
Its too expensive for a 1st level character but it very rapidly becomes very affordable (you can get a scroll with 5 of them on for 2 prestige, too).
All my pet characters of level 3+ have a scroll or two. They're rarely actually used (I'd guesstimate far less than 1 scenario in 10) but they're very, very worthwhile insurance for those times when either the situation really DOES mean your animal shouldn't be able to get somewhere or, perhaps especially, for those times when the GM decides that and you disagree. 150 gold is a cheap cost to avoid a long, possibly caustic, rules argument :-)
|
|
Its too expensive for a 1st level character but it very rapidly becomes very affordable (you can get a scroll with 5 of them on for 2 prestige, too).All my pet characters of level 3+ have a scroll or two. They're rarely actually used (I'd guesstimate far less than 1 scenario in 10) but they're very, very worthwhile insurance for those times when either the situation really DOES mean your animal shouldn't be able to get somewhere or, perhaps especially, for those times when the GM decides that and you disagree. 150 gold is a cheap cost to avoid a long, possibly caustic, rules argument :-)
Everything you say is true, but it will be six adventures before Level 3 play...
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
If you're having problems with cliffs and the like, remember that with just 14 str you can haul 350 pounds up with a rope. A medium wolf weighs between 45 and 150 pounds, saddle and barding would likely weigh 60-65 pounds. Even with a couple saddlebags you should be able to tie up and haul the animal up a cliff if you have to. Same thing with lowering them into a crevasse or crevice (I've done both in PFS).
|
|
hello, welcome to the union
Thank you, Flutter, for the link to your previous post. Much of what is in there I have already read/figured out. Much is new. Frex, 3 extra tricks for pushing Int to 3 at 4th level. Snazzy! when it comes to tricks, gotta have 'em all!
Note: at Int 3 all skills and feats the creature (wolf, in my case) can physically use are available. That means Nimble Moves and Acrobatic Steps become available for my mount!
I will read through the whole thing when I have a little more time.
Vis hauling; yes the Halfling Cavalier has 14 STR... does hauling around a pulley help? How do you mount/attach it to a stable surface? (Besides Glue, he's not a magic users). Spider Climb is looking like a good bet here; he could just ride the wolf up the cliff.
|
|
I am on page two (I think?) of Flutter's guide, and I have seen a couple of things I would like to have expanded upon.
1) There is mention of giving your animal companion [u]a character's[/u] +2 stat bump. Humans were being discussed... so is this a human special ability at 1st level? Or is it a class ability that druids/rangers have and other people don't? What if the Animal Companion dies? Does the character get the +2 back, retroactively or does the +2 get applied to the replacement AC?
2) Similar to the question above, but transferring feats was mentioned.
3) Dire bat: is this legal for PFS? While I am curious as to rules I haven't come across yet (I don't have anywhere near all the books), I will most likely spend a most of my play time in PFS.
|
|
Humans in the Advanced Race Guide have the alternate racial trait:
PRD link
The PRD is the online resource for rules that Paizo provides. It isn't enough to use material in PFS, but it is a good way to find what books you might want to acquire in either dead-tree or PDF form.
|
|
Under normal conditions, I would need to get to 4th level to boost my Cavalier's mount/wolf's Int to 3 (skipping racial traits & magic not available to 4th level characters). Then the mount is able to take feats not specifically listed as available to Animal Companions.
Question: is it PFS legal to defer the 3rd level feat until 4th level, then take an Int 3+ feat? The tentative goal would be to get Improved Unarmed Strike at 4th level and Dragon Style at 5th. Primarily this allows charging through difficult terrain like it was normal terrain, and charging through allies.
|
|
Question: is it PFS legal to defer the 3rd level feat until 4th level, then take an Int 3+ feat? The tentative goal would be to get Improved Unarmed Strike at 4th level and Dragon Style at 5th. Primarily this allows charging through difficult terrain like it was normal terrain, and charging through allies.
Losing halfling luck hurts but..
Replaces Halfling Luck, Sure-Footed, Weapon Familiarity
[PFS Legal] Caretaker
Source Inner Sea Races pg. 212
Humans often entrust halfling families with the care of children and animals, a task that has helped them develop keen insight. Such halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive checks. In addition, when they acquire an animal companion, bonded mount, cohort, or familiar, that creature gains a +2 bonus to one ability score of the character’s choice. This racial trait replaces halfling luck, sure-footed, and weapon familiarity.
|
|
Question: is it PFS legal to defer the 3rd level feat until 4th level, then take an Int 3+ feat? The tentative goal would be to get Improved Unarmed Strike at 4th level and Dragon Style at 5th. Primarily this allows charging through difficult terrain like it was normal terrain, and charging through allies.Losing halfling luck hurts but..
Replaces Halfling Luck, Sure-Footed, Weapon Familiarity
[PFS Legal] Caretaker
Source Inner Sea Races pg. 212
Humans often entrust halfling families with the care of children and animals, a task that has helped them develop keen insight. Such halflings gain a +2 racial bonus on Sense Motive checks. In addition, when they acquire an animal companion, bonded mount, cohort, or familiar, that creature gains a +2 bonus to one ability score of the character’s choice. This racial trait replaces halfling luck, sure-footed, and weapon familiarity.
Thank you, BigNorseWolf. That would allow the wolf AC to take the feats at level 1 and 3, so charging becomes much easier. A wolf isn't a 'death kitty', so the whole charge thing needs to be buffed a little.
But it doesn't answer the question about whether you can defer a feat to an even level or not.
|
|
The Human alternate racial trait "Eye for Talent" works. Your Companion starts with +2 Int. It's not deferring.
I actually did that exact combo so my Grapple-focused Constrictor Snake could start with Improved Unarmed Strike.
The second feat desired, Dragon Style, requires Str 15. The wolf AC starts with Str 13, and gets a +1 to Str/Dex at level 3. But the second Str/Dex bump is at level 6... so to get the Str from 14 to 15 faster, I could bump it the level 4 add. But then I would still have to wait until level 5 to take Dragon Style, 'cause that's when the next feat becomes available. This is why I asked about deferring the 3rd level feat and actually taking it at 4th level.
The alternative is to take Nimble Moves followed by Acrobatic Step.
with Caretaker +2 Int, this comes on line at 3rd level. It allows movement through 20 feet (four squares) of difficult terrain is if it were normal. It's not as usefull as Dragon Style (described above), but is available two levels earlier.
Which is better?
|
|
For PFS, dragonstyle is far and away the better option.
Why?
In a home game if you're making the melee you're likely one of 2 melee. Some PFS groups are absolutely crawlinig with melee , and the level of teamwork can amount to "herd of cats" on a good day. So you're going to want to charge through them.
|
|
Interesting. If I can charge through my team mates, can this feature allow me to attack through them?
Not quite tic tac toe set up. X is villain, A is Ally, W is wall, E is empty.
.
.
W E .A
W A .A
W X .A
W W A
So, four allies have surrounded the enemy, and the Cavalier attacks downward/south through the AAAA column. I can charge through my Allies, but is attacking the enemy whilst passing through allied squares legit?
1) If I charge with a lance (reach 1), do I attack the villain when entering the first A square? There are two allies between me and the villain, but this is where the lance could first reach the villain.
2) If charging as above, with a sword, do I attack the villain while passing through the second A square? This is where the wolf mount would attempt to bite & trip.
Both of these cases assume that the Cavalier will continue through all four A squares before stopping (can move through allies, but not stop there).
* * * *
Oh, extra question. The Cavalier gets to share his teamwork feat with his allies X times a day. If he has more than one teamwork feat, can he choose which one he shares? or is it only the one that comes with Tactician?
|
|
The feat you want for attacking through your allies is Phalanx Formation from the melee tactics toolbox. This makes your allies not give soft cover to the enemy. Dragon Style is strictly about moving through the spaces of your enemies.
|
|
1) If I charge with a lance (reach 1), do I attack the villain when entering the first A square? There are two allies between me and the villain, but this is where the lance could first reach the villain.
If you charge with a lance, (from down i'm presuming) you would attack from the X square at -4 because you have to aim through your friends legs and they don't want you hitting the three nearest and dearest things to them. Your wolf would be unable to attack.
2) 2) If charging as above, with a sword, do I attack the villain while passing through the second A square? This is where the wolf mount would attempt to bite & trip.
Without ride by attack you wouldn't be able to end your movement in a legal square and could not charge. With ride by attack you'd go by and your wolf couldn't attack.
|
|
If you spend one of the companion's skill points in climb, there's a decent chance they're a better climber than you are.
There is a LOT of GM variation on how well an animal can climb (even with ranks) based on animal type.
I can understand some of it. A horse climbing a wall (Not a steep slope, a wall) seems pretty silly to me too :-). But I've seen GMs disallow tigers from climbing.
It becomes particularly onerous when a GM is CLEARLY wrong (ie, his vision of what an animal can do disagrees with mine :-) :-)). But the GM wins the argument :-(.
Hence my carrying a scroll of animal companion :-) :-).
|
|
Because you have the Ride-by-Attack feat, your wolf does not.
The wolf would need Spring Attack to execute an attack at the same time you attack.
Spring Attack requires Dodge and Mobility first, meaning it would not be available without two preceeding feats; feats taken up by Improved Unarmed Strike and Dragon Style. Oh well...
Thanks for the help, guys!
|
|
| 1 person marked this as a favorite. |
Because you have the Ride-by-Attack feat, your wolf does not.
The wolf would need Spring Attack to execute an attack at the same time you attack.
Spring Attack requires Dodge and Mobility first, meaning it would not be available without two preceeding feats; feats taken up by Improved Unarmed Strike and Dragon Style. Oh well...
Thanks for the help, guys!
Also spring attack is a separate full round action and can't be combined with a charge.
|
|
Also spring attack is a separate full round action and can't be combined with a charge.Because you have the Ride-by-Attack feat, your wolf does not.
The wolf would need Spring Attack to execute an attack at the same time you attack.
Spring Attack requires Dodge and Mobility first, meaning it would not be available without two preceeding feats; feats taken up by Improved Unarmed Strike and Dragon Style. Oh well...
Thanks for the help, guys!
So, Thomas, how does one get his mount to attack during a Ride-By Attack?
|
Does anyone play a cavalier who isn't a Halfling on a wolf? Do they all belong to a special pathfinder society company? The Absolom Irregulars perhaps.
I have a Grippli cavalier... he ride everything and everyone... and punched them in the face before tying him up.
Constable w/ Order of the Penitent.There's a feat a friend of mine uses, that got him a Warg as a "mount" for his kitsune mouser.