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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 5:53 pm 

Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 3:59 pm
Posts: 27
Wow Josh, I missed that. With the prices I am seeing for animals, very few backgrounds will be able to afford an Loyal companion (at character creation at least) unless they take a Heirloom talent with an Animal as their Heirloom.

Wolfs are so prominent in the rules and examples, I find it hard to believe that there is no way to get one.

1,2,3 ) don't really matter now does it.
4) I have no clue how I missed the skills for the Mastiff :( Thanks

5) The only way I can think of getting Loyal Companion twice in one tier is to Take the talent, then take a path that has the talent. Which means I have to wait until tier 3 before my mastiff can have the same stamina as me.
But doesn't the infernal servants rules kind of form a precedent for how to handle getting a loyal companion later in tiers? That is how I would handle it in court :)

The air elemental I think is a elorii spell and I put it in only for completeness.

This is why we need a guide, but while I was once enthusiastic about putting one together and had it 90% done, now I hardly see a reason. :( Need to dump or redesign 2 of my characters.

I love this game, but why in the world are we making things so complicated.


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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:24 pm 

Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 6:45 pm
Posts: 639
SIMPLE. BLAME ME.

In the last campaign Summoning and Companions where a real problem. Personally I played a Druid/Sorcerer that had an animal companion attack goose, a Raven Familiar, two pet normal geese, plus an almost unlimited ability to summon more. I'd shape change into a goose and lead the whole attack wing with the raven using my Handle Animal skill ranks to command the second flight. I used the stats of an Eagle for the geese, and just reskinned them. I called the gaggle the Paldarian Air Corps, and frankly that is what it was. My own personal Air Force. At one encounter I managed to field some 30 attack geese on the battlematt plus an nearly limitless ability to replace them. It was perfectly legal under the 3.x rules in place at the time. But in hindsight wholly abusive.

Think about the math for a second. With each goose getting three attacks per round, I had over 90 attacks to complete in a given round in the above example. The other players, got one or two attacks in the same time period.

While I have no direct confirmation that I was named specifically when writing the new rules set, limited the power and presence of summoned or owned creatures was clearly to eliminate abuses of the 3.x system I took advantage of. Namely FLIGHT, Animal Companions, Summoning, excessive wealth and Magic Items.

If you step back and look at the new system, there is one stark contrast between A:RPG and the 3.x rules, in A:RPG

:arrow: it isn't about what your character owns it is about what your character does.

Animals are just another form of equipment. By making them hard to obtain, it compels the player with the animals keep his character first, and his pets second.

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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 6:57 pm 

Joined: Fri Sep 27, 2013 8:36 am
Posts: 1554
well I would say the system is designed to discourage this kind of character... and thats a good good thing.

so after you become a Knight of the Phoenix at Tier 2, take the We are all her children Val Dellenov talent for a bump to loyal companion

after tier 2 take holy champion of saluwe, the 2nd tier of master of the hounds to get the bump you desire, you have to see this system for the long haul not the instant gratification of I want it now.

elemental companion is a binding spell and doesnt follow these rules, but the ulfian ranger can get an elemental companion this way, i noteiced that when searching for an answer here.


and Eric is absolutely correct and I'll repeat it for emphasis "it isn't about what your character owns it is about what your character does."

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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 9:57 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:23 am
Posts: 1026
Location: Miami Florida
pmk_chance@yahoo.com wrote:
This is why we need a guide, but while I was once enthusiastic about putting one together and had it 90% done, now I hardly see a reason.


for the next guy or gal

sometimes it's about teaching what you know...

also you can dig deep into your guide and talk about how best to use them in combat and out of combat as well as talents the hero may take to work better with their animal companion

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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Thu Feb 20, 2014 10:00 pm 
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Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:23 am
Posts: 1026
Location: Miami Florida
Eric Hughes wrote:
While I have no direct confirmation that I was named specifically when writing the new rules set, limited the power and presence of summoned or owned creatures was clearly to eliminate abuses of the 3.x system I took advantage of. Namely FLIGHT, Animal Companions, Summoning, excessive wealth and Magic Items.


When I was writing the rules I kept both you and a local Miami player named Ramon in mind.

Animals are still a good investment, and summoned a elemental can come in handy...

never mind infernal and the like..

they are useful but don't take over the table

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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 11:30 am 

Joined: Sat Sep 28, 2013 6:45 pm
Posts: 639
Glad to know I'm remembered.

Actually the fact that I could not break the new rules was what attracted me to come back. Good work.

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There once was a gnome called Oozy,
Who kissed a Yaricite floozy.
But rather than wed,
She drowned him instead,
Now he is a Yaricite toosey!


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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Fri Feb 21, 2014 1:59 pm 

Joined: Sat Oct 05, 2013 12:46 pm
Posts: 1353
Eric Hughes wrote:
Actually the fact that I could not break the new rules was what attracted me to come back. Good work.


The rules got pounded on pretty extensively not just tier 1.0, but up through tier 4.5. One play test group went heavy melee and had a hard time finding the value in spellcasting. Another group went heavy spellcasting and the melee had a hard time keeping up. Not intentionally breaking focusing on two different angles, just what happened. I think the rules are pretty solid.

With a sweep of his hat,

Paul


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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 11:54 am 
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Joined: Fri Oct 04, 2013 10:23 am
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Location: Miami Florida
Eric Hughes wrote:
Actually the fact that I could not break the new rules was what attracted me to come back. Good work.



thank you ;)

funny I think that is also the reason why some of our older players have not come back

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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Mon Feb 24, 2014 12:39 pm 
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Some people play games as a form of escapism (to play the character). Some people play games to solve problems (those who like puzzles). Some people play games to be immortal badasses who cannot be beaten (typically to counteract deficiencies in life). Arcanis appeals to the first two, while the third group tends to twink out characters because it isn't about the experience or the puzzles, it is about winning and that is it. Since Arcanis does not typically reward the last groups efforts, they leave the game.

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 Post subject: Re: Animal Companions
PostPosted: Fri Feb 28, 2014 11:59 am 

Joined: Wed Oct 02, 2013 3:59 pm
Posts: 27
Sorry for being away so long, but I was busy. :)

So what I am reading, you can take Loyal companion as a talent only once per tier, but you can also get it in the same tier if you take a path that gives that talent.
Is this correct?


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