Does Impiltur Background extend to pets? - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Does Impiltur Background extend to pets?

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
movieholic
Jun 27, 2009 0:56:47 Greetings,

If i play a 11th level Bloodfury Savage Half Orc Hybrid Warlord/Ranger with a background from Impiltur, then by logic both me and my pet Bear are from it. Also I take Bloodfury Savage as my Paragon Path at 11th level. And I take New Sarshel Enforcer from Dragon 370 and Beast Training.

Here is the question: Does my beast as a standard action get to make an Intimidate check, with a +5 added to the DC since it can not speak any languages except grrrr and would it be allowed 1 roll with 2 D-20's picking the Higher Number or 2 Rolls both with 2 D-20's picking the highest number from the 4? Would i need to take Beast Training to enable this?

Clearly my Half Orc gets to roll 4 times picking the highest, but does that extend to my beast?

Thoughts?

Thanks for your time,

Michael

Below is the text word for word from the DnD Compendium for reference, note spoiler warning enacted
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SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER

- Allows:

(11th level): When you make an Intimidate check, you can roll twice and use either result.

- Allows:

Heroic Tier

Prerequisite: Impiltur regional benefit

Benefit: When you roll an Intimidate check, roll twice and use either result.

You also gain a +2 feat bonus to initiative checks.

- Allows:

Heroic Tier

Prerequisite: Ranger, Beast Mastery class feature

Benefit: Your beast companion gains training in a skill. If you change beast companions, you can also change the skill that this feat grants to your beast companion.

Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, your beast companion gains training in a skill.
#2
slobo777a
Jun 27, 2009 10:02:45 If I was DM-ing this:

1) Your Half-Orc gets to roll twice on Intimidate, and I'd advise you to find a different background that didn't give you the same benefit twice. If the background itself is cool from an RP perspective then I'd work with you to find a suitable alternative benefit from the same background. If you chose the background feat specifically to try and argue "double times double equals four", then shame on you :P

2) The ranger and beast share skill training, not feats.

I suggest you take it up with your actual DM though, he or she might not be a grumpy mean old DM like me! YMMV :D
#3
pluisjen
Jun 27, 2009 10:20:38 I'd rule that no background extends to pets; it's a thing of culture, and that requires the creature that has it to be part of that culture.

Wild animals aren't, so it doesn't matter where they come from, they get no bonus from it.

(Otherwise; you could arguably give wild animals a +2 bonus to Arcana if they came from a forest which held the magical capital of the world; it'd probably be the player background bonus but it makes no sense for the animal to have it)
#4
CorrinAvatan
Jun 28, 2009 22:45:39 First off, if I was DM, I wouldn't allow feats that allow you to roll twice for the same check to stack. This is implied with the fact that power bonuses don't stack, feat bonuses don't stack, and proficiency bonuses don't stack.

Rolling 4 times on any check is completely overpowered.

If I did what you did, I could argue that I would be within my rights to take Polearm Weapon Focus and Heavy Blade Weapon Focus, and then use a Glaive, I'd be able to apply both bonuses at the same time, as the Adventurer's Vault says that it counts as both.

Secondly, your background only applies to you. The feats you take don't affect other players or NPCs unless they say they do.
#5
swgeek77
Jun 29, 2009 5:02:29 I would agree with the others above, specifically; you do not share feats with your pets, so the double intimidate rolls from the feat do not apply to your pet. Second, you regional benefit is because you are a member of the culture and therefore applies only to the character, not the pet. Third, I know in 3.x doubling a doubling resulted only in a tripling, not a quadrupling, I would assume the same applies to 4e, but could be wrong.

Each of those benefits is intended to allow you to roll a skill check an additional time, hence you would normally roll once for the check, but either of those benefits allows you to roll an additional time, and thus taken together they allow you to roll 2 additional times. The way it should work is you roll once for your intimidate roll, then you roll again for your region, if you do not like those you roll an additional time for the path feature. Therefore, you could roll up to 3 times for intimidate skill checks, but not 4 times.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 movieholic Jun 27, 2009 0:56:47	Greetings, If i play a 11th level Bloodfury Savage Half Orc Hybrid Warlord/Ranger with a background from Impiltur, then by logic both me and my pet Bear are from it. Also I take Bloodfury Savage as my Paragon Path at 11th level. And I take New Sarshel Enforcer from Dragon 370 and Beast Training. Here is the question: Does my beast as a standard action get to make an Intimidate check, with a +5 added to the DC since it can not speak any languages except grrrr and would it be allowed 1 roll with 2 D-20's picking the Higher Number or 2 Rolls both with 2 D-20's picking the highest number from the 4? Would i need to take Beast Training to enable this? Clearly my Half Orc gets to roll 4 times picking the highest, but does that extend to my beast? Thoughts? Thanks for your time, Michael Below is the text word for word from the DnD Compendium for reference, note spoiler warning enacted . . . . . . . . . . . SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER SPOILER - Allows: (11th level): When you make an Intimidate check, you can roll twice and use either result. - Allows: Heroic Tier Prerequisite: Impiltur regional benefit Benefit: When you roll an Intimidate check, roll twice and use either result. You also gain a +2 feat bonus to initiative checks. - Allows: Heroic Tier Prerequisite: Ranger, Beast Mastery class feature Benefit: Your beast companion gains training in a skill. If you change beast companions, you can also change the skill that this feat grants to your beast companion. Special: You can take this feat more than once. Each time you select this feat, your beast companion gains training in a skill.
#2 slobo777a Jun 27, 2009 10:02:45	If I was DM-ing this: 1) Your Half-Orc gets to roll twice on Intimidate, and I'd advise you to find a different background that didn't give you the same benefit twice. If the background itself is cool from an RP perspective then I'd work with you to find a suitable alternative benefit from the same background. If you chose the background feat specifically to try and argue "double times double equals four", then shame on you :P 2) The ranger and beast share skill training, not feats. I suggest you take it up with your actual DM though, he or she might not be a grumpy mean old DM like me! YMMV :D
#3 pluisjen Jun 27, 2009 10:20:38	I'd rule that no background extends to pets; it's a thing of culture, and that requires the creature that has it to be part of that culture. Wild animals aren't, so it doesn't matter where they come from, they get no bonus from it. (Otherwise; you could arguably give wild animals a +2 bonus to Arcana if they came from a forest which held the magical capital of the world; it'd probably be the player background bonus but it makes no sense for the animal to have it)
#4 CorrinAvatan Jun 28, 2009 22:45:39	First off, if I was DM, I wouldn't allow feats that allow you to roll twice for the same check to stack. This is implied with the fact that power bonuses don't stack, feat bonuses don't stack, and proficiency bonuses don't stack. Rolling 4 times on any check is completely overpowered. If I did what you did, I could argue that I would be within my rights to take Polearm Weapon Focus and Heavy Blade Weapon Focus, and then use a Glaive, I'd be able to apply both bonuses at the same time, as the Adventurer's Vault says that it counts as both. Secondly, your background only applies to you. The feats you take don't affect other players or NPCs unless they say they do.
#5 swgeek77 Jun 29, 2009 5:02:29	I would agree with the others above, specifically; you do not share feats with your pets, so the double intimidate rolls from the feat do not apply to your pet. Second, you regional benefit is because you are a member of the culture and therefore applies only to the character, not the pet. Third, I know in 3.x doubling a doubling resulted only in a tripling, not a quadrupling, I would assume the same applies to 4e, but could be wrong. Each of those benefits is intended to allow you to roll a skill check an additional time, hence you would normally roll once for the check, but either of those benefits allows you to roll an additional time, and thus taken together they allow you to roll 2 additional times. The way it should work is you roll once for your intimidate roll, then you roll again for your region, if you do not like those you roll an additional time for the path feature. Therefore, you could roll up to 3 times for intimidate skill checks, but not 4 times.