Animal companion as a meat shield [Archive] - Wizards Community

Animal companion as a meat shield [Archive] - Wizards Community

Post/Author/DateTime Post
Alric
08-07-06, 12:46 AM Well I am a 4th level druid with a wolf. What do you do when all the players think of your wolf as a meat shield. Since you can get a new one they act like I am wasting it if it doesn't die atleast once per day. And thats all they keep saying "You can get a new one every day so you can kill it all you want". And they keep telling me I should charge with it every time, no matter where we are, no matter what we are fighting, and no matter how many they are, they want me to just charge full on and attack it with the wolf.

Then one fight I use it as protection because I am trying to cast a spell and their all like "you don't need protection you have armor". And I go "yea but I am not a melee character" and they reply "Yea but your ac is high enough".

I wonder if this is why people in our group are always dying.
Salla
08-07-06, 01:45 AM Well, first and foremostly, a typical druid would be horribly offended by such exploitation of a noble beast, and wouldn't do so out of respect for the animal. Of course, that's a typical druid.

From an out of character perspective ... wow, these guys are twits. :)
Oakspar77777
08-07-06, 02:15 AM 1) Yes, that is why your party dies so often. If the LV4 Druid has a high AC, then they need a real tank (since a Druid, even with spells, is a mid-AC character).

2) You are right not to want your Companion to die day after day. Remind the other players that the wolf is (and should be) your best friend. If they mention the "back in a day", remind them that they can roll up another character that very afternoon, so they should be meatshielding.

3) Any Druid who consistantly suicided they Companion is free game for a DM who wants to ad hoc XP PENALTIES for poor role playing.

4) A Druid does not own the soul or mind of the Companion. They just comand it, as per a very boosted Handle Animal skill. Thus, if it is hurt and near death, it WILL run.

So, here are some correct uses for an Animal Companion:

1) Tracking things by scent.

2) Defending the Druid while spellcasting.

3) Entering Melee WITH the Druid to aid with Flanks and Tripping.

4) Being sent AROUND (note his speed) melee to engage ranged attackers and spellcaster (who are less able to deal with melee combat and tripping). Note that face to face with a melee foe will kill a Wolf, and should be avoided.

5) Wilderness scouting (where there are no traps, trapbaiting is not to be allowed).

6) Guard duty.

IF YOUR PARTY NEEDS A MEATSHIELD, let the wolf go. Instead, go with a Riding Dog. (Remember that RD's do not have to be used as mounts, but represent really large dogs, like St. Bernards...so make Cujo your companion, and have something that can walk through most any city as well).

The advantage of the Riding Dog is the extra AC. They are pretty much wolves in all ways, except +2ST and +2NAC. Furthermore, while they loose the Trip abilty, the text says that if they are "trained for war" they get it back (at the cost of a Trick, which you shouldn't mind).

So, as a LV 4 Druid, you get an advanced Companion, with 4d8+8 (26hp), which isn't bad. What makes it uber, however, is its AC. 16 gets advanced to 18 from the bonus +2NAC for advancement. Furthermore, the DX bonus ups it to 19.

Finally, at the cost of another Trick, you can put barding on it (readily available, thanks to Halfling's riding Riding Dogs). At just double cost, you can put it in Breastplate for 400GP or Chainmail for 100GP (and still keep the entire DX bonus to AC). That comes to AC24 (or AC23 with Chainmail). At level 4, that is pretty good armor, and will keep your Companion alive MUCH longer than a wolf.

Along with barding, which is a must for a front end combat Companion, I would suggest that you seek out magical items to further augment the Companion (coming out of the entire party's coffers, since you are filling an entire party hole outside of what a Companion is supposed to be doing). Depending on how your DM rules magic item resizing, many of these might have to be custom made. An Amulet of CN are a great way to boost your Companion's rather fragile HP. Magically augmenting the armor is another given. A Belt of ST will boost Attack, Damage, and those free Trip Attempts. A Cloak of Resistance, while silly looking, will do much as well. Also, don't forget all your animal boosting spells. If you are sending your Companion in, then boost him first (Share Spell can make general boosting doubly effective).

At higher levels, you might consider changing out your Cujo for other tank-like AC's (Rhino has a good Powerful Charge attack, Raptors (Deino) have lots of attacks and are easy to boost with Bracers or AC and Rings, and, of course, T-Rex is the ultimate enchantable deathzone).

Here is the complete breakdown:

CUJO -
Riding Dog Animal Companion (LV3-5 Druid)
Magical Beast
HD: 4d8+8 (26hp)
Init: +3
Speed: 40' (30' in Breastplate Barding)
AC: 24 (+3DX, +6NAC, +5AR)
BAB/Grap: +3 / +6
Att: Bite +6 melee (1d6+4)
FA: Same
S/R: 5'/5'
SA: -
SQ: LLV, Scent, Link, Share Spells, Evasion
Save: F +6, R +7, W +2
Abilities: ST 16, DX 16, CN 15, IN 2, WS12, CH 6
Skills: Jump +9, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +4, Survival +1 (+5 when Tracking by Scent)
Feats: Alertness, Track
Carring capacity: 115 / 116-230 / 231-345 / 345 / 690 / 1725

8 (Suggested) Tricks: Attack, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel, Track, Trip Attack, Wear Armor
Alric
08-07-06, 02:41 AM Well they wanted me to send my wolf through an area to set off all the traps even though we had already set off a bunch and knew they targetted ac and the fighter with like 6 ac higher than the wolf practically walked through them without being hurt, all because if the wolf did die I could just get it back. They also wanted my wolf to charge a troll. It did end up fighting but I held it back so that it wasnt the first one into combat. They kept saying though, "Oh you should just charge it, you can get another" heh.
Salla
08-07-06, 03:03 AM "Oh you should just charge it, you can get another" heh.

"I can also get another teammate. GET THE **** IN THERE."
Alric
08-07-06, 03:09 AM They actually give bad advice in general. More than a few times they have egged people into moving up when they should have been moving back and it has got them smacked down really hard because of it. Actually last time I died from that. I don't know if taking a step back would have saved me because the monster was already targetting me but they talked me into stepping towards it and I died the next turn. Which is why I am not going to let them get my wolf slaughterd.
pres_man
08-07-06, 03:14 AM Why a druid (or ranger) should at least be semi-careful with their companion:
If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished.
24 hours wasted that could have been spent:
-crafting
-traveling
-adventuring
Also noted it is 24 hours uninterrupted, that means that the druid will have to rest after the 24 hours (no sleeping during that time), which only adds more delay.
Alric
08-07-06, 03:37 AM Yea I keep saying that but they all say its not a big deal. We waste so much time anyway, I don't even know what the storyline is for this game and I have played for like 5-6 weeks already. I know there is one in there some where but our group isn't doing anything. It took 4 weeks just to level from 3rd to 4th.
Sereno
08-07-06, 10:14 AM It sounds to me like you want to play your druid as one who actually respects his companion.

I'd just faithfully ROLE-play my druid and tell all to bugger off and give them a speech how living animals are not mere tools to be used and discarded like a broken sword.

If they want living, discardable tools suggest they make an artificer and craft some hommunculi....
Kradlo
08-07-06, 11:04 AM Your druid is doing exactly what he ought to be doing - treating his animal companion as a companion, a trusted friend, and is not treating him as a disposable resource. Keep it up!

As for your adventuring comrades, it sounds like they have a callous disregard for your wolf, and you. Your wolf is not a meat shield, is not a robot to be sent in to sweep for traps by detonating them, and is not a soda can to be discarded and recycled.

You're a druid, which means a mix between spells, skills, and abilities. You can hold your own in combat, but you're not a frontline fighter. Don't engage in melee when there are better ways to deal with the enemy. If you must close with your foe, do it in a way that maximizes your effectiveness and minimizes the danger you face. That means you and your wolf flank an opponent, making use of the wolf's trip attacks, and you make darned sure you've buffed your wolf beforehand and prepared cure spells to heal him afterward.

If your buddies complain, tell them to buy a golem and stop griping.
Reversefigure4
08-07-06, 06:22 PM Remind your party of the Ex-Druid rules.

A druid who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a nondruid loses all spells and druid abilities (including her animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies).

Keep in mind two things:

Purposefully and repeatedly cold-bloodedly sacrificing your animal companion just because you can get another one (without any thought for the value of it's life) will probably qualify as evil sooner or later. If your Druid is already LN or CN, this will push them to a prohibited alignment.

Secondly, murdering your animal allies repeatedly sounds like ceasing to revere nature to me.

All roleplaying aside, a good way to explain it to your party so they'll stop complaining is Murdered Animal Companions = Fallen Druid. Your party won't want a druid with no spells or powers.
Alric
08-07-06, 06:39 PM Thats actually one of the first things I said. I told them I would probably lose my powers if I just let it die everyday. The problem is the DM agrees with all the players. Oh its not a big deal, thats what they are there for.

I didn't understand that one at all. When I played a cleric it was "You want to lose all your spells?", all the time. Even stuff that I said out of character he was all, your character thought about it, your going to lose all your spells. Now hes like "Oh you don't follow a god kill your wolf all you want".
Sereno
08-08-06, 08:55 AM Thats actually one of the first things I said. I told them I would probably lose my powers if I just let it die everyday. The problem is the DM agrees with all the players. Oh its not a big deal, thats what they are there for.

I didn't understand that one at all. When I played a cleric it was "You want to lose all your spells?", all the time. Even stuff that I said out of character he was all, your character thought about it, your going to lose all your spells. Now hes like "Oh you don't follow a god kill your wolf all you want".

It sounds like you're playing with some very narrow-minded people.

Try reminding them that "nature" is every bit a god, to you, as Pelor is to a cleric or paladin. Just because "nature" doesn't take on an avatar form and walk around killing things doesn't mean it's not a "god".

And, stick to your guns. No one, DM or other players alike, have a *right* to tell you how to play your character ... especially if you're being consistent with the rules and the flavor of your chosen class. It'd be one thing if you were a CN rogue stealing acting like a game-breaking moron, but you aren't doing anything like that.

It's a simple equation; druids revere nature. Callously sending an animal companion (i.e. a FRIEND) to it's death is NOT showing any reverence, whatsoever, for the natural world.

Tell them to grow up.
HomebrewedMonster
08-08-06, 09:40 AM I would like to mention that wolves do not magical spawn either, eventually you would run out of wolves.
Morrowner
08-08-06, 10:17 AM Depending on feat choice you could retrain a feat and take Natural Bond and get a dire bat. 6d8, AC 23, not so offensively focus, and if it gets too bad you could always have him fly away.
Secondly, screw that advice. Its against everything a druid stands for and is poor mechanically, too.
LCD2YOU
08-08-06, 10:44 AM All I can say is if you're going to use a your companion as a meat shield, get a cow, pig or a sheep for some real meat.

At least after you can enjoy taste "meat off of the bone" in BBQ sauce as your once proud animal is now proudly served with a side of garnish.
Benicus
08-08-06, 11:50 AM I applaud you for good role-playing and second all the advice here.

If your fellow players/dm don't like it, screw um and tell them to grow up.
pres_man
08-08-06, 11:58 AM Of course you could go the other way entirely. Every round summon more creatures and just use them as cannon fodder. In fact always summon more lower level creatures then 1 higher level creature. See how many creatures you can summon in a given combat.
LCD2YOU
08-08-06, 12:35 PM Of course you could go the other way entirely. Every round summon more creatures and just use them as cannon fodder. In fact always summon more lower level creatures then 1 higher level creature. See how many creatures you can summon in a given combat.You mean the average Druid doesn't do that as a matter of course? Everyone I've ever seen played (no I don't play Druids) have done exactly that.
pres_man
08-08-06, 01:09 PM You mean the average Druid doesn't do that as a matter of course? Everyone I've ever seen played (no I don't play Druids) have done exactly that.
My point was to go for numbers not power. Keep summoning creatures that are meant only to be slaughtered and don't have really any chance of harming the target.
Reversefigure4
08-08-06, 06:40 PM If you really hate that your party keeps egging you on to kill your wolf, release him, telling him that he isn't safe here and he needs to return to the wild.

Then pick up either no animal companion, or one who clearly can't and won't be a meat shield - a hawk that flies away at the first sign of danger, a badger, etc.
ElvenOutlaw
08-08-06, 07:20 PM As a Druid-Junkie I applaud your role-playing and desire to stick with it. Personally from your description, I wonder why your friends bother with D&D rather than sit around the X-Box blowing each other apart with Halo 2 or something. "I'll charge him with my grenade launcher firing....I'll just respawn somewhere else." Because that seems to be the mentallity I'm picking up. I don't know how long / well you know these guys but I'd question finding a different group if you have the chance. Otherwise it's your character next time you need a animal companion summon something that's NOT really good for combat. Maybe a owl or a small viper. Better yet get a raven, then I'd just tell the idiots I was traveling with that if they continued to be stupid and get themselves killed in combat I'd have the raven steal their soul and carry it off to hades. But i'm a jackass like that :D
Turel
08-08-06, 08:44 PM I normally wouldnt add my 2cents like this, but i feel that i have to say something.
These ppl arent Roleplaying. from what ive read, they are making PC's up just to see whos "cooler". None of them seem to know what a druid is, and they aren't even letting you play a Druid. The average druid is a party in themselves, perhaps not quite so at lvl 4, but still... they are using you as a meat shield (note: "they are USING you...") when you should be using THEM as meat shields. Why'd you choose a wolf? or did they choose it for you?

I have an idea for you...
since you said that the party members often die, this should be great.
You (being your PC Druid) have seen your fellow party members complete disregard for Nature and the lives of the forest. You've had enough, even the trees are telling you that they aren't good for the forest. sort them out with a nice ambush, id sudgest 30 odd wolves (purely for irony) + a few treants and assorted woodland creatures. even a lvl 4 Druid can talk to the forest, surely with a DM like yours he'd even go for this. it wouldnt even matter if your Druid died, the animals would fight even harder.

then id look for another gaming group. these guys are all about Ego by the sounds of things.

good luck
Alric
08-08-06, 08:56 PM They are not that bad in general, they just don't respect the wolf at all. They keep calling it a dog too even though I told them like 10 times, its not a dog its a wolf. I only played a druid once though so I am hoping next week they will just drop it once they see I am not going let it die like that.

I don't know, I need to make them see that its a living animal and not a tool and maybe they will get it.
solbergb
08-08-06, 09:25 PM It's a roleplay decision.

My wife's druid has somehow managed to keep her wolf companion alive for 8 levels, even though its job is to be in harms way to buy time for her to summon and her father the archer to gun things down. She's gone so far as to cure mummy rot on the thing. She likes animals better than people in general, so she's never going to treat her companions as "disposable."

My barbarian/druid is a nomadic warrior who is training as a druid strictly to get control over her tendency to shapeshift (rage) and to mitigate the fact that she smells like a tiger (she spooks horses. she's learning how to make that work for her instead of against her). She gets her power from her ancestral ties to a wild animal, not the usual "I worshop nature" treehugger thing. She considers animals (except for her totem animal, the tiger) to be the servants of man, and yeah, her first companion died defending her. Her second dog has proved more durable but she'll keep "going to the well" with it until it dies...and just get another. And another.

How you treat your companion tells a lot about what kind of druid you are, and can differentiate you from other druids. It is a shame you seem to be playing with twits that don't let you just play your character. Especially since their tactical "advice" isn't especially good advice.
Elucidus
08-10-06, 03:36 AM I have a level 4 druid myself, and this is my first instance of playing a druid in 3.5, or even 3.0 I think. I played one game once and started at 11th level, so that doesn't count. My druid is raising his animal companion, a baby Dire Tiger, this is something I worked out with the DM. Anyway, no one in my party would consider sacrificing the tiger, in fact the fighter comes to her defense and the monk/cleric heals her sooner than some of the other party members. This isn't due to them wanting to protect my companion for no reason, this is because, or at least I belive it is because I have made her a part of the party. I call her by name at all times, Maribel. I have her show emotion when we travel, she plays with the fighter (they wrestle often when we camp), she dislikes the warlock and pushes him sometimes knocking him form his feet during travel. She falls alsleep next to the halfling that seems to find it relaxing to pet her. She has become an integral part of the party and has her own personality and I really enjoy having her contribute to the party int eh RPG aspect.

That would be my suggestion, if they can role play, have your wolf warm up to them. The wolf should treat each person differently, once they see the personality, hopefully they will get protective of your wolf just like any other party member.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Alric 08-07-06, 12:46 AM	Well I am a 4th level druid with a wolf. What do you do when all the players think of your wolf as a meat shield. Since you can get a new one they act like I am wasting it if it doesn't die atleast once per day. And thats all they keep saying "You can get a new one every day so you can kill it all you want". And they keep telling me I should charge with it every time, no matter where we are, no matter what we are fighting, and no matter how many they are, they want me to just charge full on and attack it with the wolf. Then one fight I use it as protection because I am trying to cast a spell and their all like "you don't need protection you have armor". And I go "yea but I am not a melee character" and they reply "Yea but your ac is high enough". I wonder if this is why people in our group are always dying.
Salla 08-07-06, 01:45 AM	Well, first and foremostly, a typical druid would be horribly offended by such exploitation of a noble beast, and wouldn't do so out of respect for the animal. Of course, that's a typical druid. From an out of character perspective ... wow, these guys are twits. :)
Oakspar77777 08-07-06, 02:15 AM	1) Yes, that is why your party dies so often. If the LV4 Druid has a high AC, then they need a real tank (since a Druid, even with spells, is a mid-AC character). 2) You are right not to want your Companion to die day after day. Remind the other players that the wolf is (and should be) your best friend. If they mention the "back in a day", remind them that they can roll up another character that very afternoon, so they should be meatshielding. 3) Any Druid who consistantly suicided they Companion is free game for a DM who wants to ad hoc XP PENALTIES for poor role playing. 4) A Druid does not own the soul or mind of the Companion. They just comand it, as per a very boosted Handle Animal skill. Thus, if it is hurt and near death, it WILL run. So, here are some correct uses for an Animal Companion: 1) Tracking things by scent. 2) Defending the Druid while spellcasting. 3) Entering Melee WITH the Druid to aid with Flanks and Tripping. 4) Being sent AROUND (note his speed) melee to engage ranged attackers and spellcaster (who are less able to deal with melee combat and tripping). Note that face to face with a melee foe will kill a Wolf, and should be avoided. 5) Wilderness scouting (where there are no traps, trapbaiting is not to be allowed). 6) Guard duty. IF YOUR PARTY NEEDS A MEATSHIELD, let the wolf go. Instead, go with a Riding Dog. (Remember that RD's do not have to be used as mounts, but represent really large dogs, like St. Bernards...so make Cujo your companion, and have something that can walk through most any city as well). The advantage of the Riding Dog is the extra AC. They are pretty much wolves in all ways, except +2ST and +2NAC. Furthermore, while they loose the Trip abilty, the text says that if they are "trained for war" they get it back (at the cost of a Trick, which you shouldn't mind). So, as a LV 4 Druid, you get an advanced Companion, with 4d8+8 (26hp), which isn't bad. What makes it uber, however, is its AC. 16 gets advanced to 18 from the bonus +2NAC for advancement. Furthermore, the DX bonus ups it to 19. Finally, at the cost of another Trick, you can put barding on it (readily available, thanks to Halfling's riding Riding Dogs). At just double cost, you can put it in Breastplate for 400GP or Chainmail for 100GP (and still keep the entire DX bonus to AC). That comes to AC24 (or AC23 with Chainmail). At level 4, that is pretty good armor, and will keep your Companion alive MUCH longer than a wolf. Along with barding, which is a must for a front end combat Companion, I would suggest that you seek out magical items to further augment the Companion (coming out of the entire party's coffers, since you are filling an entire party hole outside of what a Companion is supposed to be doing). Depending on how your DM rules magic item resizing, many of these might have to be custom made. An Amulet of CN are a great way to boost your Companion's rather fragile HP. Magically augmenting the armor is another given. A Belt of ST will boost Attack, Damage, and those free Trip Attempts. A Cloak of Resistance, while silly looking, will do much as well. Also, don't forget all your animal boosting spells. If you are sending your Companion in, then boost him first (Share Spell can make general boosting doubly effective). At higher levels, you might consider changing out your Cujo for other tank-like AC's (Rhino has a good Powerful Charge attack, Raptors (Deino) have lots of attacks and are easy to boost with Bracers or AC and Rings, and, of course, T-Rex is the ultimate enchantable deathzone). Here is the complete breakdown: CUJO - Riding Dog Animal Companion (LV3-5 Druid) Magical Beast HD: 4d8+8 (26hp) Init: +3 Speed: 40' (30' in Breastplate Barding) AC: 24 (+3DX, +6NAC, +5AR) BAB/Grap: +3 / +6 Att: Bite +6 melee (1d6+4) FA: Same S/R: 5'/5' SA: - SQ: LLV, Scent, Link, Share Spells, Evasion Save: F +6, R +7, W +2 Abilities: ST 16, DX 16, CN 15, IN 2, WS12, CH 6 Skills: Jump +9, Listen +5, Spot +5, Swim +4, Survival +1 (+5 when Tracking by Scent) Feats: Alertness, Track Carring capacity: 115 / 116-230 / 231-345 / 345 / 690 / 1725 8 (Suggested) Tricks: Attack, Defend, Down, Guard, Heel, Track, Trip Attack, Wear Armor
Alric 08-07-06, 02:41 AM	Well they wanted me to send my wolf through an area to set off all the traps even though we had already set off a bunch and knew they targetted ac and the fighter with like 6 ac higher than the wolf practically walked through them without being hurt, all because if the wolf did die I could just get it back. They also wanted my wolf to charge a troll. It did end up fighting but I held it back so that it wasnt the first one into combat. They kept saying though, "Oh you should just charge it, you can get another" heh.
Salla 08-07-06, 03:03 AM	"Oh you should just charge it, you can get another" heh. "I can also get another teammate. GET THE **** IN THERE."
Alric 08-07-06, 03:09 AM	They actually give bad advice in general. More than a few times they have egged people into moving up when they should have been moving back and it has got them smacked down really hard because of it. Actually last time I died from that. I don't know if taking a step back would have saved me because the monster was already targetting me but they talked me into stepping towards it and I died the next turn. Which is why I am not going to let them get my wolf slaughterd.
pres_man 08-07-06, 03:14 AM	Why a druid (or ranger) should at least be semi-careful with their companion: If a druid releases her companion from service, she may gain a new one by performing a ceremony requiring 24 uninterrupted hours of prayer. This ceremony can also replace an animal companion that has perished. 24 hours wasted that could have been spent: -crafting -traveling -adventuring Also noted it is 24 hours uninterrupted, that means that the druid will have to rest after the 24 hours (no sleeping during that time), which only adds more delay.
Alric 08-07-06, 03:37 AM	Yea I keep saying that but they all say its not a big deal. We waste so much time anyway, I don't even know what the storyline is for this game and I have played for like 5-6 weeks already. I know there is one in there some where but our group isn't doing anything. It took 4 weeks just to level from 3rd to 4th.
Sereno 08-07-06, 10:14 AM	It sounds to me like you want to play your druid as one who actually respects his companion. I'd just faithfully ROLE-play my druid and tell all to bugger off and give them a speech how living animals are not mere tools to be used and discarded like a broken sword. If they want living, discardable tools suggest they make an artificer and craft some hommunculi....
Kradlo 08-07-06, 11:04 AM	Your druid is doing exactly what he ought to be doing - treating his animal companion as a companion, a trusted friend, and is not treating him as a disposable resource. Keep it up! As for your adventuring comrades, it sounds like they have a callous disregard for your wolf, and you. Your wolf is not a meat shield, is not a robot to be sent in to sweep for traps by detonating them, and is not a soda can to be discarded and recycled. You're a druid, which means a mix between spells, skills, and abilities. You can hold your own in combat, but you're not a frontline fighter. Don't engage in melee when there are better ways to deal with the enemy. If you must close with your foe, do it in a way that maximizes your effectiveness and minimizes the danger you face. That means you and your wolf flank an opponent, making use of the wolf's trip attacks, and you make darned sure you've buffed your wolf beforehand and prepared cure spells to heal him afterward. If your buddies complain, tell them to buy a golem and stop griping.
Reversefigure4 08-07-06, 06:22 PM	Remind your party of the Ex-Druid rules. A druid who ceases to revere nature, changes to a prohibited alignment, or teaches the Druidic language to a nondruid loses all spells and druid abilities (including her animal companion, but not including weapon, armor, and shield proficiencies). Keep in mind two things: Purposefully and repeatedly cold-bloodedly sacrificing your animal companion just because you can get another one (without any thought for the value of it's life) will probably qualify as evil sooner or later. If your Druid is already LN or CN, this will push them to a prohibited alignment. Secondly, murdering your animal allies repeatedly sounds like ceasing to revere nature to me. All roleplaying aside, a good way to explain it to your party so they'll stop complaining is Murdered Animal Companions = Fallen Druid. Your party won't want a druid with no spells or powers.
Alric 08-07-06, 06:39 PM	Thats actually one of the first things I said. I told them I would probably lose my powers if I just let it die everyday. The problem is the DM agrees with all the players. Oh its not a big deal, thats what they are there for. I didn't understand that one at all. When I played a cleric it was "You want to lose all your spells?", all the time. Even stuff that I said out of character he was all, your character thought about it, your going to lose all your spells. Now hes like "Oh you don't follow a god kill your wolf all you want".
Sereno 08-08-06, 08:55 AM	Thats actually one of the first things I said. I told them I would probably lose my powers if I just let it die everyday. The problem is the DM agrees with all the players. Oh its not a big deal, thats what they are there for. I didn't understand that one at all. When I played a cleric it was "You want to lose all your spells?", all the time. Even stuff that I said out of character he was all, your character thought about it, your going to lose all your spells. Now hes like "Oh you don't follow a god kill your wolf all you want". It sounds like you're playing with some very narrow-minded people. Try reminding them that "nature" is every bit a god, to you, as Pelor is to a cleric or paladin. Just because "nature" doesn't take on an avatar form and walk around killing things doesn't mean it's not a "god". And, stick to your guns. No one, DM or other players alike, have a right to tell you how to play your character ... especially if you're being consistent with the rules and the flavor of your chosen class. It'd be one thing if you were a CN rogue stealing acting like a game-breaking moron, but you aren't doing anything like that. It's a simple equation; druids revere nature. Callously sending an animal companion (i.e. a FRIEND) to it's death is NOT showing any reverence, whatsoever, for the natural world. Tell them to grow up.
HomebrewedMonster 08-08-06, 09:40 AM	I would like to mention that wolves do not magical spawn either, eventually you would run out of wolves.
Morrowner 08-08-06, 10:17 AM	Depending on feat choice you could retrain a feat and take Natural Bond and get a dire bat. 6d8, AC 23, not so offensively focus, and if it gets too bad you could always have him fly away. Secondly, screw that advice. Its against everything a druid stands for and is poor mechanically, too.
LCD2YOU 08-08-06, 10:44 AM	All I can say is if you're going to use a your companion as a meat shield, get a cow, pig or a sheep for some real meat. At least after you can enjoy taste "meat off of the bone" in BBQ sauce as your once proud animal is now proudly served with a side of garnish.
Benicus 08-08-06, 11:50 AM	I applaud you for good role-playing and second all the advice here. If your fellow players/dm don't like it, screw um and tell them to grow up.
pres_man 08-08-06, 11:58 AM	Of course you could go the other way entirely. Every round summon more creatures and just use them as cannon fodder. In fact always summon more lower level creatures then 1 higher level creature. See how many creatures you can summon in a given combat.
LCD2YOU 08-08-06, 12:35 PM	Of course you could go the other way entirely. Every round summon more creatures and just use them as cannon fodder. In fact always summon more lower level creatures then 1 higher level creature. See how many creatures you can summon in a given combat.You mean the average Druid doesn't do that as a matter of course? Everyone I've ever seen played (no I don't play Druids) have done exactly that.
pres_man 08-08-06, 01:09 PM	You mean the average Druid doesn't do that as a matter of course? Everyone I've ever seen played (no I don't play Druids) have done exactly that. My point was to go for numbers not power. Keep summoning creatures that are meant only to be slaughtered and don't have really any chance of harming the target.
Reversefigure4 08-08-06, 06:40 PM	If you really hate that your party keeps egging you on to kill your wolf, release him, telling him that he isn't safe here and he needs to return to the wild. Then pick up either no animal companion, or one who clearly can't and won't be a meat shield - a hawk that flies away at the first sign of danger, a badger, etc.
ElvenOutlaw 08-08-06, 07:20 PM	As a Druid-Junkie I applaud your role-playing and desire to stick with it. Personally from your description, I wonder why your friends bother with D&D rather than sit around the X-Box blowing each other apart with Halo 2 or something. "I'll charge him with my grenade launcher firing....I'll just respawn somewhere else." Because that seems to be the mentallity I'm picking up. I don't know how long / well you know these guys but I'd question finding a different group if you have the chance. Otherwise it's your character next time you need a animal companion summon something that's NOT really good for combat. Maybe a owl or a small viper. Better yet get a raven, then I'd just tell the idiots I was traveling with that if they continued to be stupid and get themselves killed in combat I'd have the raven steal their soul and carry it off to hades. But i'm a jackass like that :D
Turel 08-08-06, 08:44 PM	I normally wouldnt add my 2cents like this, but i feel that i have to say something. These ppl arent Roleplaying. from what ive read, they are making PC's up just to see whos "cooler". None of them seem to know what a druid is, and they aren't even letting you play a Druid. The average druid is a party in themselves, perhaps not quite so at lvl 4, but still... they are using you as a meat shield (note: "they are USING you...") when you should be using THEM as meat shields. Why'd you choose a wolf? or did they choose it for you? I have an idea for you... since you said that the party members often die, this should be great. You (being your PC Druid) have seen your fellow party members complete disregard for Nature and the lives of the forest. You've had enough, even the trees are telling you that they aren't good for the forest. sort them out with a nice ambush, id sudgest 30 odd wolves (purely for irony) + a few treants and assorted woodland creatures. even a lvl 4 Druid can talk to the forest, surely with a DM like yours he'd even go for this. it wouldnt even matter if your Druid died, the animals would fight even harder. then id look for another gaming group. these guys are all about Ego by the sounds of things. good luck
Alric 08-08-06, 08:56 PM	They are not that bad in general, they just don't respect the wolf at all. They keep calling it a dog too even though I told them like 10 times, its not a dog its a wolf. I only played a druid once though so I am hoping next week they will just drop it once they see I am not going let it die like that. I don't know, I need to make them see that its a living animal and not a tool and maybe they will get it.
solbergb 08-08-06, 09:25 PM	It's a roleplay decision. My wife's druid has somehow managed to keep her wolf companion alive for 8 levels, even though its job is to be in harms way to buy time for her to summon and her father the archer to gun things down. She's gone so far as to cure mummy rot on the thing. She likes animals better than people in general, so she's never going to treat her companions as "disposable." My barbarian/druid is a nomadic warrior who is training as a druid strictly to get control over her tendency to shapeshift (rage) and to mitigate the fact that she smells like a tiger (she spooks horses. she's learning how to make that work for her instead of against her). She gets her power from her ancestral ties to a wild animal, not the usual "I worshop nature" treehugger thing. She considers animals (except for her totem animal, the tiger) to be the servants of man, and yeah, her first companion died defending her. Her second dog has proved more durable but she'll keep "going to the well" with it until it dies...and just get another. And another. How you treat your companion tells a lot about what kind of druid you are, and can differentiate you from other druids. It is a shame you seem to be playing with twits that don't let you just play your character. Especially since their tactical "advice" isn't especially good advice.
Elucidus 08-10-06, 03:36 AM	I have a level 4 druid myself, and this is my first instance of playing a druid in 3.5, or even 3.0 I think. I played one game once and started at 11th level, so that doesn't count. My druid is raising his animal companion, a baby Dire Tiger, this is something I worked out with the DM. Anyway, no one in my party would consider sacrificing the tiger, in fact the fighter comes to her defense and the monk/cleric heals her sooner than some of the other party members. This isn't due to them wanting to protect my companion for no reason, this is because, or at least I belive it is because I have made her a part of the party. I call her by name at all times, Maribel. I have her show emotion when we travel, she plays with the fighter (they wrestle often when we camp), she dislikes the warlock and pushes him sometimes knocking him form his feet during travel. She falls alsleep next to the halfling that seems to find it relaxing to pet her. She has become an integral part of the party and has her own personality and I really enjoy having her contribute to the party int eh RPG aspect. That would be my suggestion, if they can role play, have your wolf warm up to them. The wolf should treat each person differently, once they see the personality, hopefully they will get protective of your wolf just like any other party member.