Vermin Companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

Vermin Companion [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
sidneysockosai
04-24-07, 02:26 PM Interesting combo here, I don't know if this has ever been brought up. I was thinking of using the child of winter/vermin companion feats from the Eberron Campaign Setting, and then classing into arcane heirophant. The Vermin Companion feat states that the companion gains no feats or skills as normal for a vermin, although the effective intelligence is 1 for your companion. RAW, this means NEVER. But, with Arcane Hierophant, the intelligence is boosted and says the companion may gain more skills than a normal one because of this increase. Any thoughts either way on this? I'm inclined to argue (duh) that it would gain skills and feats once the int was above 1... also balancing out some of the very heavy disadvantages of a vermin companion.
Gnarl
04-24-07, 03:12 PM I doubt there's a clear answer to this question.

As a DM I wouldn't mind trading the vermin's immunity to mind-affecting spells against skills and feats for the blasted thing.
tarkin
04-24-07, 03:23 PM The reason why it gains no skills is that it is mindless.

If you want it to have skills, it needs to gain a mind.

I can't see ruling it has skills but is still mindless.
sidneysockosai
04-24-07, 05:22 PM Ah, it looks like I found my own answer: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#verminType

It states that there are 2 + int skill pts per level, except MOST vermin are mindless. Mindless creatures gain no skills or feats, as per the Vermin Companion feat. VC feat also states that the effective INT for your companion is then 1 so that you can empathize and give it tricks. Once it becomes a familiar companion from Arcane Hierophant however, that all changes. The creatures TRULY gains an INT score, thus completely allowing skills and feats. I guess the only problem would be up to an argument of how much; backtrack and give it all the feats and skills it should have, or count the HD at which it gained it's INT scores as it's first effective HD for such things...
The VC feat, by the way, is also nice because it states that you may cast spells on your companion as if it were an animal :D

EDIT: Yeah, I would be agreeing with losing the "mindless" trait when it gains a true int score as well, as it can communicate with the master and such.
EDIT EDIT: Heh, Magical Beast (Augmented Vermin) I wonder what other crazy companion feats could latch on to make a crazy "shouldn't exist" giant mantis :P

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
sidneysockosai 04-24-07, 02:26 PM	Interesting combo here, I don't know if this has ever been brought up. I was thinking of using the child of winter/vermin companion feats from the Eberron Campaign Setting, and then classing into arcane heirophant. The Vermin Companion feat states that the companion gains no feats or skills as normal for a vermin, although the effective intelligence is 1 for your companion. RAW, this means NEVER. But, with Arcane Hierophant, the intelligence is boosted and says the companion may gain more skills than a normal one because of this increase. Any thoughts either way on this? I'm inclined to argue (duh) that it would gain skills and feats once the int was above 1... also balancing out some of the very heavy disadvantages of a vermin companion.
Gnarl 04-24-07, 03:12 PM	I doubt there's a clear answer to this question. As a DM I wouldn't mind trading the vermin's immunity to mind-affecting spells against skills and feats for the blasted thing.
tarkin 04-24-07, 03:23 PM	The reason why it gains no skills is that it is mindless. If you want it to have skills, it needs to gain a mind. I can't see ruling it has skills but is still mindless.
sidneysockosai 04-24-07, 05:22 PM	Ah, it looks like I found my own answer: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/typesSubtypes.htm#verminType It states that there are 2 + int skill pts per level, except MOST vermin are mindless. Mindless creatures gain no skills or feats, as per the Vermin Companion feat. VC feat also states that the effective INT for your companion is then 1 so that you can empathize and give it tricks. Once it becomes a familiar companion from Arcane Hierophant however, that all changes. The creatures TRULY gains an INT score, thus completely allowing skills and feats. I guess the only problem would be up to an argument of how much; backtrack and give it all the feats and skills it should have, or count the HD at which it gained it's INT scores as it's first effective HD for such things... The VC feat, by the way, is also nice because it states that you may cast spells on your companion as if it were an animal :D EDIT: Yeah, I would be agreeing with losing the "mindless" trait when it gains a true int score as well, as it can communicate with the master and such. EDIT EDIT: Heh, Magical Beast (Augmented Vermin) I wonder what other crazy companion feats could latch on to make a crazy "shouldn't exist" giant mantis :P