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Right. Do note that "natural weapons" is not a category in 2E like it was in 1E. They're all unarmed attacks.
Also, note that handwraps of mighty blows can probably be reskinned (possibly for specific unarmed attacks); for example, horseshoes of mighty blows for the hoof attacks of a mount (or a centaur, with Howl of the Wild out soon).
Also, note that handwraps of mighty blows can probably be reskinned (possibly for specific unarmed attacks); for example, horseshoes of mighty blows for the hoof attacks of a mount (or a centaur, with Howl of the Wild out soon).
A few things about that;
1. It isn't necessary, since the handwraps are a magic item that inguses runes into ALL unarmed attacks (fists, claws, bites, tail slaps, laser eyes, everything). It isn't just a striking surface with runes on it for fist based attacks.
2. It wouldn't be a re-skin, exactly, if you did that since "worn: gloves" is a mechanic, not just a flavor
3. Putting it on a mount would be a big mechanical change, if you're talking about a companion that normally can't benefit from items without a trait specifically allowing them
The precedent has already been set: alacritous horseshoes are just boots of bounding for a hooved quadruped.
The reason to reskin horseshoes for specific strikes is for game balance: horseshoes can be made of special materials (cold iron, silver, etc.); handwraps can't. Especially for a quadruped without hands (no hands, no handwraps).
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The Companion trait for animal companions. Runes for attacks are not on any item with that trait. They get their progression, in that regard, from feats that you take. Not from items.
The precedent has already been set: alacritous horseshoes are just boots of bounding for a hooved quadruped.
The reason to reskin horseshoes for specific strikes is for game balance: horseshoes can be made of special materials (cold iron, silver, etc.); handwraps can't. Especially for a quadruped without hands (no hands, no handwraps).
I think there's some awkward communication here. You're saying "reskin" which generally means changing the aesthetic of something, flavor only, but you're talking about actually changing mechanics. And more of them than I initially assumed, if you're bringing special materials into it.
I'm not saying that homebrewing new items is inherently bad, or anything, but why not call it what it is, instead of describing it as though it were something less impactful?
I'm with HammerJack on this. Handwraps in the shape of horseshoes would not be something that an Animal Companion could use. They don't have the Companion trait.
Adding that is a houserule/homebrew - not a reskin. And it would be imbalanced and hard to adjudicate since Animal Companions already get multiple die counts to their attack bonus when the PC takes feats that progress the Animal Companion.
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Companions aren't a separated char. For gameplay aspects they are an extra power that a PC can have at cost of one-action (or a free-action if they are independent) and some feats. That's why there's so many things are restricted to them. Don't try to use the same normal character logic to the companions that isn't the idea behind them. IMO they are just alternatives to Summon Animal spell.
Also companions cannot get benefit from items except from AC improvement (limited to +3) and Speed improvements:
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If the answer is they [the companions] don't have the trait
To clarify what I wrote: the answer is that the Handwraps don't have the Companion trait.
The Animal Companions are Animal Companions and can only use items that do have the Companion trait.
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As for the balance problems that I mentioned, it is very similar to the idea of allowing the handwraps to do their thing for a Druid after they use Untamed Form (Wild Shape) to shift into a battle form that specifies how many damage dice their attacks deal.
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Finoan why can't animal companions have runes tattooed or etched on them if their master has the tattoo feats of runic impressions feats if the master can put tattoos or runes on their bodies or NPC's. If the answer is they [the companions] don't have the trait that is just plain poor game design on the part of Pazo not completely contemplating what the master's capabilities are.
It's not that "the companions" are missing a trait.
It is specific that the only magical items that work on companion have to have the "companion" trait.
It is a deliberate limitation on their power level, so allowing an item to work for them, when previously it didn't, it goes way beyond what a "reskin" is.
Relevant Rule, which is awkwardly placed with the items rather than the Companion rules:
GM Core pg. 272 You might want to acquire items that benefit a creature that assists you, such as an animal companion, familiar, or bonded animal. These items have the companion trait, meaning they function only for animal companions, familiars, and similar creatures. Normally, these are the only items a companion can use. Other items can qualify at the GM's discretion, but a companion can never Activate an Item.Source
Any worn companion item needs to be invested. However, your companion needs to invest it, rather than you doing so. This requires you to use the Invest an Item activity alongside your companion, helping them attune to the item and ensuring it is properly fit. A companion has an investiture limit of two items (instead of the 10-item limit a player character has).
So, Animal Companions are limited to the 15 published Companion Items unless your GM rules otherwise.
No, the animal companion doesn't automatically gain Masterful Hunter benefits. No, this doesn't make Manifold Edge bad.
Rangers need to take the Masterful Companion feat at 18 to give their companion the Masterful Hunter benefits.
But my experience matches others where the animal companion really falls off by level 16 or so.
Fine. Then make horseshoes variations of gauntlets that do the same base damage as normal hoof strikes and don't require proficiency in simple weapons.
Any other petty hairsplitting?
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Fine. Then make horseshoes variations of gauntlets that do the same base damage as normal hoof strikes and don't require proficiency in simple weapons.
Any other petty hairsplitting?
As long as you understand that you are not doing a "reskin" but you add actual gameplay changes to the item, then that's fine.
But adding properties is not "hairsplitting" no matter how you want to downgrade it.
More significantly, allowing this option would be the GM's decision, not the player's...
Advising a player to 'just get a custom magic item' isn't particularly useful advice unless you happen to be that player's GM...
To be fair, once the Centaur Ancestry becomes available, reskinning handwraps as a pair of horseshoes makes perfect sense and is just a reskin ... when worn by a player character. Not when worn by an Animal Companion.
An Animal Companion couldn't wear or wield reskinned gauntlets either for the same reason. Gauntlets don't have the Companion trait.
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To be fair, once the Centaur Ancestry becomes available, reskinning handwraps as a pair of horseshoes makes perfect sense and is just a reskin ... when worn by a player character. Not when worn by an Animal Companion.
An Animal Companion couldn't wear or wield reskinned gauntlets either for the same reason. Gauntlets don't have the Companion trait.
As noted by a prior poster, Centaurs have hands so they can just use the normal handwraps: Reskinning them into horseshoes is more along the lines of converting them to boots for humanoids...
Adding "Usage: worn boots" to make them conflict with other boots is also adding traits and mechanics that the handwraps don't initially have.
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Fine. Then make horseshoes variations of gauntlets that do the same base damage as normal hoof strikes and don't require proficiency in simple weapons.
Any other petty hairsplitting?
That's still homebrewing because it allows for animal companions to use special materials which isn't intended.
This isn't hair splitting, this is you presenting a concept that flagrantly disregards both the letter and the spirit of the rules as a mere reskin. Worse yet, you're doing it to a new player who is clearly already confused about the rules. Get off your high horse, pun intended.
IMO Manifold edge is a trap feat it does not allow you to progress in your flurry or precision and you have to take other feats for flurry and Manifold edge negates the effectiveness of those feats without giving you anything that matches them. It is a very bad feat.
No you Have to take Masterful Hunter for your 18th level Ranger feat Masterful Hunter is a rockin 18th level feat Your companion gets both your flurry or precision abilities and your hunted prey bonus.
Not sure what you're talking about. There is no Masterful Hunter 18th level feat, it is a 17th level feature. Rangers with animal companions can take Masterful Companion, which is a pretty good if your companion is even still worth using at that level.
Manifold Edge isn't amazing, but it does a few cool things.
1. Takes you off precision damage against precision immune foes, or helps flip between flurry and precision depending on you're dealing with weakness or resistance.
2. Lets you swap to Outwit for scouting, Recall Knowledge, or defensive purposes. You could potentially do some cycling between them in combat, but I think you'd mostly use Outwit to scout before combat. (Rangers are really good at this and benefit greatly from a chance to Hunt Prey, set Snares, and attack from super long range.)
IMO Manifold edge is a trap feat it does not allow you to progress in your flurry or precision and you have to take other feats for flurry and Manifold edge negates the effectiveness of those feats without giving you anything that matches them. It is a very bad feat.
No you Have to take Masterful Hunter for your 18th level Ranger feat Masterful Hunter is a rockin 18th level feat Your companion gets both your flurry or precision abilities and your hunted prey bonus.
Not sure what you're talking about. There is no Masterful Hunter 18th level feat, it is a 17th level feature. Rangers with animal companions can take Masterful Companion, which is a pretty good if your companion is even still worth using at that level.
Manifold Edge isn't amazing, but it does a few cool things.
1. Takes you off precision damage against precision immune foes, or helps flip between flurry and precision depending on you're dealing with weakness or resistance.
2. Lets you swap to Outwit for scouting, Recall Knowledge, or defensive purposes. You could potentially do some cycling between them in combat, but I think you'd mostly use Outwit to scout before combat. (Rangers are really good at this and benefit greatly from a chance to Hunt Prey, set Snares, and attack from super long range.)
Tangent: How does manifold edge work with shared prey/triple threat? Could you switch to outwit and share the skill buffs with allies in a social encounter?
Tangent: How does manifold edge work with shared prey/triple threat? Could you switch to outwit and share the skill buffs with allies in a social encounter?IMO Manifold edge is a trap feat it does not allow you to progress in your flurry or precision and you have to take other feats for flurry and Manifold edge negates the effectiveness of those feats without giving you anything that matches them. It is a very bad feat.
No you Have to take Masterful Hunter for your 18th level Ranger feat Masterful Hunter is a rockin 18th level feat Your companion gets both your flurry or precision abilities and your hunted prey bonus.
Not sure what you're talking about. There is no Masterful Hunter 18th level feat, it is a 17th level feature. Rangers with animal companions can take Masterful Companion, which is a pretty good if your companion is even still worth using at that level.
Manifold Edge isn't amazing, but it does a few cool things.
1. Takes you off precision damage against precision immune foes, or helps flip between flurry and precision depending on you're dealing with weakness or resistance.
2. Lets you swap to Outwit for scouting, Recall Knowledge, or defensive purposes. You could potentially do some cycling between them in combat, but I think you'd mostly use Outwit to scout before combat. (Rangers are really good at this and benefit greatly from a chance to Hunt Prey, set Snares, and attack from super long range.)
That makes sense to me, and is a pretty interesting way to use it. That's pretty solid if your allies don't already have circumstance bonuses.
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can a pc that has a claw or bite attack put runes on his claw or bite?
same answer as before, the solution is Handwraps they put runes on "all your unarmed attacks" dont care where they are or how you got them
Apart from Battleforms, poor Wildshape druids