Post/Author/DateTime	Post
lifespeed 05-13-05, 08:47 AM	I have a druid in the party I run for, and he just traded up from an eagle to a panther. I go to thinking though, that since the animal companion is assumed to be taken into effect when balancing the classes, that denying the druid access to his animal companion is kind of harsh. Unfortuantly for me, I really want them to skydive into a vampire's castle after being taken there by a dragon. Also, there will be explosions (I just read Hellboy: Wake the Devil). Then I remembered the panther. For some reason, I have difficulty imagining a panther riding a dragon, although I guess with an Animal Handling check it's possible, then the druid could feed him the feather fall potion. But all this got me to thinking about the fact that I'd really like to run something aquatic or something aerial eventually, but I don't know what to do with that panther. How does everybody else treat animal companions in enviorments that they wouldn't normally be caught dead in?
CzarGarrett 05-13-05, 09:15 AM	A casting or two of Reduce and a panther in a pocket.
Kragg Bonemeal 05-13-05, 09:28 AM	Sometimes the Animal Companion is just sent out into the woods for a few days to play with the deer and field mice. We had a druid with a big 'ol grizzly bear... then we had to do a dungeon crawl through confined spaces.... big bruin just went back up topside and sat in the cave mouth for a couple days until we got back up. Balancing the classes (like having a powerful animal) doesn't mean "balanced in all situations, at all times, against any and all enemies". As long as the druid gets to use the animal >50% of the time, he is better off than most fighters with their feats that are situation specific. As a sidenote, if you look in the SRD, they talk about an Animal Companion being a best friend, hunting buddy, and warm blanket on a cold night in the woods (i.e. a companion), not a mindless, aggressive, buff-and-maul weapon of war. So if your druid is just sending in the animal as an extension of his sword arm, he is doing a disservice and injustice to his "best friend" and representative of natures glory that is the supreme hunter.
Ezrayah 05-13-05, 09:39 AM	Ehheh... 1. Bag of Holding / Heward's handy handbag... er... haversack. Just make sure it won't take awefully long to get from point A to point B and mister Panther should be perfectly alright. 2. A few reduces and a beltpouch. :P 3. Depending on the level of the party, ofcourse... I'm currently running a game with one wizard + viper familiar, one Ranger with eagle companion, one bear warrior with bear companion and one druid with wolf companion. Companions galore you see. Luckily they're pretty high level by now. The druid cast animal shapes and presto, 8 birds. An entire party + attached zoo, airborne. There's a lot of ways to Rome, I guess. Some of them are through the air.
lifespeed 05-13-05, 09:41 AM	That's a good point. I imagine that he wouldn't want the panther along for the ride anyway, it's just that he just got him and hasn't had a chance to play alongside him yet, and I was thinking it'd be kind of mean to deny him access to his animal companion on the first adventure he'd have with him.