Post/Author/DateTime	Post
RedKnightofKet 02-12-07, 06:06 PM	How do Natural Bond and Beastmaster interact? Does it work like Practiced Spellcaster as per the FAQ? i.e., the benefits are applied as most beneficial to the character Thoughts? Particularly from some Circle-type folks, since this may impact the direction of my druid rebuild.
Mithreinmaethor 02-12-07, 07:02 PM	Natural Bond can not increase your effective Druid level for animal companion stats higher than your HD. So you would need 3 levels in a class that doesnt stack with Druid for animal companion advancement. Otherwise its a waste of a feat for you (plus you have to find meta-orgs that give access to it) The Beasmaster Bonus can take your effective Druid level above your HD however. So if you had 15 levels of classes that stacked for animal companions you would be considered 18th level for the animal companions stats.
Jay_Ibero_911 02-12-07, 07:05 PM	How do Natural Bond and Beastmaster interact? Does it work like Practiced Spellcaster as per the FAQ? i.e., the benefits are applied as most beneficial to the character Thoughts? Particularly from some Circle-type folks, since this may impact the direction of my druid rebuild. After looking at the FAQ, it seems that a druid3/wiz3/beastmaster1/Arcane Hierophant2 with natural bond would effectively be a 12th level druid with respect to animal companion, just how the FAQ says on page 26 that a cleric4/fighter4 with practiced spellcaster and the healing domain would cast healing spells as a 9th level caster. Natural Bond/Practiced Spellcaster fill in the missing levels first, then beastmaster/healing domain bump it above your character level...That said, I think it is a pretty broken combination...A companion familiar getting 5th level familiar benefits and 12th level druid benefits...
Bold 02-12-07, 07:06 PM	How do Natural Bond and Beastmaster interact? Does it work like Practiced Spellcaster as per the FAQ? i.e., the benefits are applied as most beneficial to the character Yes, this is the interpretation I've seen most often, with the same rules justification you've quoted (i.e. the FAQ clarification on the order benefits are applied, as with Practiced Spellcaster). It came up a year ago in a thread (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Infinite_Monkeys/message/35073) in the Infinite Monkeys (http://games.groups.yahoo.com/group/Infinite_Monkeys/) forum for LG Rules discussion. You should probably expect table variation, and prepare stats for an alternate animal companion just in case.
Swiftbrook 02-12-07, 08:18 PM	Natural Bond can not increase your effective Druid level for animal companion stats higher than your HD. So you would need 3 levels in a class that doesnt stack with Druid for animal companion advancement. Otherwise its a waste of a feat for you (plus you have to find meta-orgs that give access to it) The Beasmaster Bonus can take your effective Druid level above your HD however. So if you had 15 levels of classes that stacked for animal companions you would be considered 18th level for the animal companions stats. Natural Bond is a good feat for a Ranger. My 8th level Ranger with Natural bond can choose any 4th level Druid animal companion then advance it as if I were a 7th level Druid. -Swiftbrook