Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 rampant Oct 07, 2009 1:31:31	Ok I've been playing a little too much Pokemon recently and this particular idea got wedged in my head. A DnD campeign centered around using companion characters the same way you use a pokemon in the games. Here's what i'm seeing, each Player gets up to three companion characters, however they're different from normal companions. 1.) They have a shared healing surge pool, the PC's healing surges to be exact. The companion determines the surge value, but they're drawn from the PC's total. 2.) They have action points, again drawn from the PC. 3.) Same thing for Item Dailies. 4.) You can have one active at a given time, You can switch as part of a second wind, or summon a new one if the one you had out get's killed/ko'ed. Now in order for this to be anything resembling fair I have to devise a means of keeping the PCs from teaming up with their buddies to swarm the opposition under. So far my solution has been to start outlining a class that focuses on companion use.   So far I've worked out that it needs to be a Leader that tends towards controller Low Hp a High number of healing surges good defenses (including ac) powers/features geared toward making the companion(s) more effective, while keeping the enemy focused on your buddies to appeal to a wide range of stats allowing more varied characters to play it   So I'm asking for any advice you guys can give me.
#2 Qube Oct 09, 2009 0:27:39	check out martial power - the ranger variant in there has a beast compagnion ...
#3 AbdulAlhazred Oct 09, 2009 9:30:01	Sounds a heck of a lot like a Shaman. I'd say a shaman with specific fluff and maybe a few extra SC related powers would about get you there. Maybe a variant class feature.
#4 rampant Oct 09, 2009 17:32:49	Yeah I've looked at the ranger companion and that seems like the best way to rig the control scheme for the Companion characters. As for the shaman looking at him hasn't been as useful. The companion Creatures I'm thinking of are gonna be more like the Guys from DMG2
#5 yellerSumner Oct 19, 2009 13:09:41	I like your idea. I'm not quite sure what you mean about swarming the opposition. The companion characters rules have you treat the companion as another character for the purpose of building encounters, don't they? A party of 4 characters who each have a companion should be challenged with 8 monsters, not 4. At least 6 anyway, as long as the companions have their own actions unlike the Ranger's beast who uses the Ranger's actions. I'm not sure how I feel about a class entirely focused on the companions. If you're trying to keep it open to a wide variety of characters, why not make it one of those multi-classing feat chains? Come up with a few PPs which focus on different aspects of supporting the companions.