My Terrible Rules for Earning Animal Companions || D&D with Dael Kingsmill
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- Опубликовано: 11 сен 2024
- This time on MonarchsFactory we have another dungeons and dragons video covering my stupid rules for familiars and other bonded animals I mentioned at some point, coz y'all want to hear them even knowing they'll be dumb.
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Music is from incompetech.co...
So if the rhino wins, do I have to become _its_ animal companion?
Ahahaha! I can't breathe!
no you become paste on the floor lol
...human companion 0___0
you get turned into goo
*group hits level three*
Fighter: Hey Wizard, what happened to the Ranger?
Wizard: I dunno...I haven't seen her since we killed those kobolds.
*Montage of the Ranger punching out a gorilla then spending a month eating ants with it in the jungle*
LaundryMonster lmfao
hahahaha
Sounds dangerous, from what i understand the stats for an adult gorilla in DnD 5 e would be somewhere around:
Str: 14-18(Gorrilas are extremely strong, they can usually pull themself up with just one arm, and that also applies to the 200 pound ones)
Dex:14
Int: 12
Wis: 6
CHa: 10
I'll take one!
Int 12! Thats a talking gorrila! Any creature with Int above six can speak in D&D its more like Int 4.
Only dumb thing you said was "capture and train a cat." Everyone knows that's not possible. Cats train humans, not the other way around.
cats are very obedient. something is wrong with yours.
Good human
Nah, the cats I know behave more like my girlfriend. I'm a bit confused now, are the cats are now like my girlfriend or is my girlfriend like a cat?
I disagree due to a crucial difference in behavioural motives. Cats occasionally do what they are told but never because you told them to.
(‘Why it was my plan to get of the table and stop eating your fish all along, I was simply reminded that this was the case by your suggestion’).
Cats need to be raised too, you know?
You meticulously draw the summoning circle, carefully laying your arcane candles on various sigils. After 7 hours of study and meditation, an image shimmers into being, and takes form in front of you.
You open your eyes, pleased with what you behold.
"It is good to see you again, Daniel Jackson."
"Teal'c, hi. So, you're a Wizard now?"
you. you are my hero.
OH MY GOD. i got this video in my recommendations and thought "meh why not click on it" AND i've just been on a binge of SG-1 the last few days. so i can literally hear their voices saying that in my head XD THIS IS EVERYTHING. thank you universe^^
Dave Douds “What are you talking about? My name is not Teal’c, boi.” -Kratos
thankyou for reminding me of my countless years spent watching stargate. Thankyou so much.
BRUH
Matt Colville sent me over, said I wouldn't be disappointed.
He was right!!
Love the video and you too! Glad to see more diversity in DM! Keep up the good work!
Wait a minute..these rules aren't terrible at all! I want my money back!
Matt Colvile just mentioned your channel, and I'm so very glad for that! I had just found you like, a week earlier, and loving your energy. Hope this brings you new viewers :)
Also, these are, without a doubt, very, very terrible rules.
I will, without a doubt, use them gladly. You're a genius. Of the terrible.
I'm here because Matt Colville mentioned this video, so hi!
Erick What video?! I need to see it
Dr. Enasni if im not mistaken, its this one, where he talks about how to make travel more interesting:
ruclips.net/video/UvQ2JgZIjVI/видео.html
Erick Bertolotti That's the one.
I'm here because of Mr Colville too, and I'm loving it because I totally relate to the self-criticism style she's got going on.
I initially read this as "My Terrible Rules for EATING Animal Companions"... I was horrified... but I sure as heck clicked right away! CURSE YOU IMAGINARY CLICK BAIT!
coolstream1 same here
same
My cacodaemon familiar approves of this interpretation. In fact, he's already stoked the fire beneath his cauldron.
Starving adventurers summon a Pig! Bacon!
coolstream1 I mean... I would like to know what kind of benefits and penalties come with eating your animal companion...
Your ideas are not stupid at all. You have taken a mechanical element of the game and turned it into a role-playing experience. You have an excellent mind. I love the Stargate being used as an Arcane Circle! Brilliant.
this is perfect, I run a game with two druids and a ranger and have had so much trouble with them just using animals as meat shields and then often eating them. YOU NAMED HIM MIFFY, AT LEAST PRETEND YOU'RE SAD AS YOU EAT HIS LEG. this might help them feel a little more atached
either that or just roll with having psychopathic players
Ahahaha! I should't laugh but I can't stop!
Make the forest turn against them. Maybe a few (owl)bears or a pack of wolves hunts them down.
I made them suffer for it once already when they killed a Tressym by using her to look for traps, the Tressym, Miyamo, was the pet of a powerful wizard that is no longer their ally and might currently be trying to hunt them down for revenge against the party that kidnapped and killed his cat, so I'm more than happy to make horrid consequences for their actions, but would prefer them to stop murdering pets
Give them an invisible counter for every pet's trust they break; once it runs out send a pack of whatever wild creatures you want at them under the guise of "nature's wrath".
My DM had me go out to find my Animal Companion (this was Pathfinder) once I reached the particular level. I basically went out hunting, feeling out the forest (which was some kind of rainforest or jungle), meditating... and seeking out a spirit animal, which would "want" to be my animal companion (as opposed to simply taming one... I had tried it with a wolf before. Did not work. The Wolf wound up being a second character I played - a Druid, in fact - but that's a whole other story).
Well. Up in the trees. I spotted an oversized Chameleon. He just kinda crawled onto my shoulders lazily. He was...the opposite of useful...for a very long time. I spent A LOT of time just trying to train him to scout and spot things for me. Most of the time, he just hung out on my shoulders. My DM didn't give me a wolf or a bear or a rhino... He gave me a lazy lizard that happened to be able to blend into my clothes.
God damn it I loved that lizard.
Croecho imagine getting a sloth.
Ok, but I've had three pet crows that came out of the wild and I hand tamed by myself, just bribing them with food. Does that make me a ranger?
... You just might be, that's dope
Cool, cool. I'll let Earhart know you say he's qualifying material.
Or a witch.... but that is badass..... do they bring you random shiny things??
That's not dumb, its a nice mechanic to encourage roleplay and story! I like it particularly the sorcerer one.
I like this a lot. I relate to “these are things I think make my gaming world more interesting but they are dumb” because that’s all my house rules
Firstly, your jacket is 10/10. Secondly, these rules are awesome. I now want to use them, both as a player and a DM.
Your rules aren’t terrible. They make your players value their companions more. Good on you for that.
Actually, you’ve inspired me to create a list of fantastical creatures that can be familiars beyond the imp/quasit/sprite/pseudodragon offerings, so take heart in that. :)
If I could ask a question it might be something like this:
Many DMs are just that - full time DMs. Some are Players that have taken up the reigns out of necessity.
Which are you, and do you have a preference?
And to that, if you could encourage one of your players to DM, what would you prefer to play?
Haha, I think I became a DM partly out of being a bit of a control freak and partly because, even though all my friends agreed we should play, I knew we never would unless I volunteered to learn the rules and run it. In fact, our game only started proper after I guilt-tricked them into playing a oneshot for my birthday and got them hooked.
My favourite classes to play as are probably Rogue and Fighter, though I have a tiefling bard character tucked away in the back of my brain to one day dig into.
MonarchsFactory Thsnks for the reply. Yeah, it often breaks down to “If I don’t DM, we don’t play.” I’m in that boat right now.
I tend to play martial classes myself, having played a LOT of bards in the past. I’d LIKE to play a Rogue, because I want to test myself against every trap, scam, and black op a DM could devise.
I also tend to DM because I can’t watch other people do it. I usually end up making at least one part time, DMPC.
This is often a god in disguise that helps lead the party (where they are led depends on the god).
Outer M. I understand your viewpoint although I think that you might misunderstand my intention:
Kratos the bizarre child with a knack for shamanism is in fact Cyric (illusion and murder) and his own separate, mortal NPC. The party meet Kratos early on and he is a bit weird and slightly selfish but friendly enough. Kratos encourages behaviour that appeals to the needs of Cyric such as lying to guards or tricking a merchant but is not very forceful. The device comes from the idea in Greek mythology that anyone you meet could be a god in disguise so you should be nice to everyone you meet just in case.
Most importantly, the NPC doesn’t necessarily prompt the other players to do things that I want them to do but suggest possible alternatives that the god in question takes pleasure in viewing. Nor do they help nor hinder the party.
Having used that same Stargate image for a teleportation circle, it made me grin so much when I saw the summoning circle X_X
I'm playing a ranger and i had no plan on taking on an animal campainion but then on a journey we saved this little fox cub from a poacher. Our DM let us train the cub and basically had to wait for the cub to grow enough to start fighting with us. It was a great way for the entire group to get bonded to the fox but also made it feel earned that she would fight with us
I'm sitting here and looking at this video, because it popped up as something I should watch, and it starts off with "Hello Humans" and I'm hooked. That's the way I great people, and it's always nice to see someone else use it.
If you and your players are fine with the rules then it's not terrible.
Definitely as long as it works for the players your doing nothing wrong.
Yeah this. So long as it fits the narrative and the rules are explained to the party/pc before hand this rule is rather fair. Also it adds mystery and challenge, expanding what could be a weak story for that PC into loving their class more.
Went thru some comments and I don't see enough people appreciating the randomness factor by drawing from hats, and also the dedication that takes. You just got a new sub, and I don't even really play d&d
Just wait until your ranger decides to use these rules to turn your game into How to Train your Dragon.
I would be interested in hearing about how much of your story you plan ahead and how much you improvise.
the story/world exploration/building aspect would be very interesting f'sure
I started doing that with one of my campaigns. We found chromatic dragon eggs and I hid one in my bag of holding from my group.
My character kept sneaking off in the night to try and find help to hatch and train the dragon. My DM said it was something that could possibly be done, but would take a very long time.
I eventually left my dragon egg in the care of a shadowy organization. Not sure that part of my story will resolve as I got stuck in a different realm away from my group. That's what happens when you move on real life.
My first thought when you said that "you had to catch an animal and tame it with your bear hands". Was your ranger should try and catch a wyvern.
Now I'm picturing a ranger running around chasing animals with mittens that make his hands look like bear hands ... as opposed to his unadorned bare hands ... lol
Michael Roach I was waiting for a bear related pun for OPs entire comment
Kind of like the right to Bear Arms?
Ranger: I want that Tarrasque!
DM: You may certainly try...
Finally a reason to take the tavern brawler feat
The random animal table is neat. Would you consider something similar for critical failures? I find the idea of someone bonding to a random insect or something like that amusing - "you were careless in your ritual preparation (too many bug bits) and now your animal companion is a beetle".
Maybe that's too mean spirited, but it seems like a fun idea to toy with at least.
A beetle isn't that bad... Now a slug, or a leech... no thank you.
Brian Rutherford losing a familiar is a -2. So having an insect as a familiar would suck ass.
Have you considered some houserules for leveling up familiars and/or animal companions? I have some really terrible rules for scaling familiars and mounts. But they are kinda awesome and I really want to try them on some players. The short version: combine Find Steed into Find Familiar. Allow higher level casting with escalating gold and other requirements.
Kinda cool. I really dig making players work for their magic and cool stuff because it feels more mystical and earned that way and less gamey.
Just found your channel. For a first video that I've seen, it's convinced me to watch a few more. :) As for the content...I don't have a clue why you say it's "terrible". Your ideas and implementations are really cool! I've been DM'ing for longer than you've been alive, and I can honestly say that when I find another DM who describes the why's and wherefore's of their house rules, it's usually easy to tell if they are "good", "average", or "bad". You fall squarely into the "Good" level of DM'ing. Your ideas are well thought out, take the players desires into account, but put more weight onto your campaign world (your whole "old magic" spiel).
I've talked to a LOT of DM's over the decades, and, IMHO, the "bad ones" are the ones that basically say "yes" to everything a player asks for regardless of if what they want "fits" into the campaign world. They will say "yes", and then ret-con or create a situation in their campaign world to allow for that "yes" thing. In my experience, they ALWAYS leads to stale campaigns that die quickly...or campaigns with no rhyme, reason, or permanence...which leads to a quick death as well.
Keep it up, Dael! Great stuff! Oh, what do I want you to talk about? Your world and cool/unusual things you have in it and how you created/used/interpreted the game rules to make those things feel "real". Love to see some maps and stuff! :D
I dig these rules; especially the familiar rules. I do think that your Ranger rules could/should apply to any character who wants a companion even if a Ranger is more suited to the task. They'd obviously have a huge advantage, but if your monk wants to keep their eye out for a bear buddy, I'd let them try, lol. Also, I'd probably make the Beastmaster Ranger able to use that Druid-y ritual you mentioned, because it'd be odd for the subclass meant to have an animal to have a harder time than a class that can fully function as their own animal companion. Maybe a mix of the two would be cool? Like, the Beastmaster can summon an animal, but still need to earn the bond thereafter? I dunno.
P.S. Stargate for life.
You keep saying early on that your brew is stupid, but I strongly disagree. I think you are doing it the right way. Animal companions, special mounts and familiars should be something special and having them "just appear" is what is stupid. Besides, actually getting them adds depth and immersion which is what a good RPG should be all about :)
Edit: I think I am going to use something similar to this for my game. I really want to encourage immersive role playing, not just dice rolling. I was already planning on bringing back the old 2e thing of having Paladins quest for their mounts, so this works in quite nicely. I'll just borrow some of your brilliant rules if you don't mind!
Actually the complexity of that system sounds like it makes for a great story.
I came across this and misread the title at "My Terrible Rules for Eating Animal Companions" and that combined with the look on your face in the title card made for the best chuckle I've had all day.
These are really cool ideas, I loved some of them!
Also it makes me very happy that everything you have is so organized and your home-brew rules are written down!
The last couple Animal Companions we found in our campaigns (pathfinder, both clerics with the Animal Domain):
1. We found a wolf in a trap, the cleric. She released it from the trap and it ran away. Later when she gained the class ability to have a Companion, the wolf had made an appearance a few times. So the transition was pretty smooth.
2. We found a scene of carnage where a mother bear died protecting her cub (many dead enemies around her). But the baby bear was still with her. And the cleric adopted the small cub and raised it. It became the cleric's Animal Companion when it was appropriate.
I definitely like the idea of making acquiring an animal companion/familiar more difficult or at least more story driven than "I go out into the woods for a day and come back with a pet wolf". Though, I'm not sure I'd go with the exact things you say. I guess I'll see what works and what doesn't.
My big ol beefy Goliath boy wrestled with, dominated, tamed and trained a baby Bullette until it grew to a full size Bullette. He's a wonderful metal dog and I love him.
Tell us more about the woooorld
i actually really like this system, your taste in magic is exactly what mine is at least in this case.
I really really love these rules and I don't think they're terrible at all! I think the random element almost always makes things better because when something is more organic rather than just being "hey I want a cat so give me a cat" then it ends up being more meaningful and memorable. I am 100% going to steal these rules thank you so much for the idea!
Nice! With my ranger I ended up going for a kind of improvised psychedelic kind of thing that ended up sort of suggesting that the wolf that he connected with may or may not have been one from centuries past that the ritual manifested back into existence, which made for a nice bonus. I love the idea of the semi-randomness with getting a familiar - definitely borrowing that if the opportunity arises.
I have a player who always asks for an animal companion, but never plays a ranger. I think these rules should come in handy; just enough of a challenge to dissuade them if it's not really important, but rewarding enough if they stick through it.
Okay, I don't think these are stupid. If your game has an RP focus, then I think they're great. I believe that animal companion and familiars should be considered more than a tool that can be considered disposable. Replacing them should be an ordeal, as a consequence of mismanaging the character's responsibility to them. I might simplify your rules a little, but otherwise, I think they're awesome. One think that annoys me is when tabletop games borrow too much from video games. I don't want, "poof, your companion/familiar appears."
What sort of villains do you throw at your players and what's your mindset when making said villains? Like, which usually comes first in your games, the villain or the characters?
usually bad guys
I allow much freedom for adventurers. I allow them to bend rules... but always remind them that villains can do anything the adventurers can do. I have had villains use things from years ago that players forgot about because they switched characters some time ago. Then the bad guy does it and the players are like, "CHEATING!" I calmly remind them of the player character doing the same thing......, "um...damn." yep.
Why not allow the players to become the villains in some cases and heroes in the others?
Everything can be turned into Something good for group A is devil worship to group B in some form or another.
I read a passage on rangers in AD&D. Ranger sitting with a bear and the text is. Oh some day he just came around, he hasn't left since. I think that is the best way to show the ranger's connection with the land and peace with animals.
I'm testing this out with my ranger soon. She's a joy to DM for and she tries to have fun with whatever she's given, so this will be interesting.
amazing ideas Dael, i have chills already thinking about how im going to pick them apart and use them to make my own. You're an inspiration
I totally agree with your ranger method! For my PC, I saved it from a band of orcs as a puppy, and as he finally grew up, he became a full on companion. I'm running a campaign now as a first-time DM, and for my ranger, I will DEFINITELY use your home-brew method.
Am I the only one who liked these rules? At least on the surface level as concepts. Obviously tune to taste but ritual is cool and it helps the world feel legit and the bond feel earned. I would feel very satisfied by a similar process.
I love this person. these rules seem super interesting and I just absolutely love the randomly pumping of fists in the middle of the video. thank you soo much for putting this up
While this system is a bit complex I definitely like the idea of it. Making families of piece of yourself, having Patronusy elements to it, the spectacle of the ritual, and the sheer intensity of it all- it feels right. It feels like that's what's needed to perform this type of old magic. And that is cool as heck. Really paints a picture of exactly what happens and makes it much more of a story instead of a bunch of numbers and words.
I think it's awesome, very detailed, and immersive. It reminds me of some of the old-school D&D books that had specific rules for subduing dragons. At that time, dragons were the only creatures that it was possible to subdue and it was directly tied to the idea of getting a dragon as a pet / mount. I think Gygax himself would be impressed by your system.
my very fist campain - in a e5 campaign. my character's a ranger thats gone through 2 animal companions already; due to reasons beyond my control.
1) Panther companion died due to friendly fire by the party's cleric... we don't talk about that past that detail. lol
2) Fox companion died due to--Take a wild guess'-- clearly a pattern has been established here.
3) current companion: A Giant Vulture Named Turkey. the joke there was because the DM didn't have anything remotely close to a vulture for character icons in our roll20 campaign; and used a turkey instead; so i made it more believeable by saying he's a giant turkey vulture - named turkey.
its funny because all its going to take is another bad roll from our cleric and turkey will be cooked victim number 3. we've all come to terms and accepted it as fact by now that that's going to likely be how i keep losing animal companions at this point. lol
Traps! Involving...
> Monsters & machinery?
> Bridges & ballistae?
> Poison & platforms?
> Codes & claptraps?
This is friggin' brilliant!!! Not stupid in any fashion whatsoever. :) I especially like the Patronus-y aspect of selecting the animal. It's super fun and a very well thought out method.
This is the first of your videos I've watched, I'm on to see more!
It hasn't come up a lot in my game but I've always really liked Steven Brust's description of how the protagonist in Jhereg obtained his jhereg familiar. After a lengthy and dangerous ceremony to summon an adult jhereg mother he had to care for the egg she gave him. He had to protect it from breaking but also had to nourish and protect the psychic link as it developed. It was so good in the books from a narrative perspective but not all players would want to rp that whole thing. Half of my party are tacticians who really enjoy the nuts and bolts of combat and take a back seat for the rp sections.
If a familiar is an extension of self, I could easily see very bad things happening when it died. Repeated summoning/deaths could even result in a fractured soul, not unlike the horcrux effect on Voldemort. I would hope the familiar is slightly more useful than a standard 5e Familiar though if there were this much downside.
Definitely! For starters I want them to bestow an appropriate permanent skill boost, ala Pathfinder familiars
This just gave me an great idea (well, maybe not great, but it sounds funny in my head): your player tries to find a familiar. Maybe do this animal-parts-needed thing. Let them roll some dice to find out if they succeed. They roll terrible, but maybe not bad enough to fail, so you may let them "succeed". They finish the Ritual and *Bamph* Goldfish!
In my head it looks incredibly funny, the wizard, always running around with a goldfishbowl and talking to his magic fish.
I like these rules! My players wanted a shared animal companion so I gave them a creature of my own creation that they rescued from a goliath in the woods who had killed the lil baby's mother. They decided to keep her, named her Messian which they got from the mythical Teumessian fox as the creature is half fox half bird. (called a Griffox, it's a type of chaos creature which is a thing from my homebrew world's lore) She can't do much since she's young but they're spending hours training her and she's slowly growing so it'll pay off one day!
I really like this idea, it opens up a lot of chances for non-class exclusive companions in games, as well as a random element for the arcane ritual. I would maybe consider adding in a specific “recipe” for how to summon a specific creature, so the player who really wants an alicorn companion would have to track down the information on summoning/bonding to one.
That sounds like a really amazing system for magical users to find animals. It seems like it would really get the player involved and adds a nice bit of randomness to the moment which is really cool.
In the game I am playing we set up a three piece clock for my ranger character and every night she had to go out and try and gain the trust of the Giant Badger she wanted as a companion untill she got three successes.
Things like that make a game so much richer. You feel like you have Earned the honour of have this animal. I like it. =)
I like stupid homebrew that makes things harder/more engaging.
This is fantastic! I love it. In one of my campaigns I made the barbarian track then fist fight a grizzly in order to earn her bear totem spirit. This is a wonderful way to engage your players. Well done.
Hahaha. Loved the after-credit bit... again. I can see why you'd discourage using your system. I'll likely steal bits of it, but it does seem excessively difficult for some classes (coughArcherRangerWrestlingALioncough), but there are elements in there that I really like. Another great D&D video. Moar when you have time please.
Haha, well if an archer ranger wants a pet lion it's time for them to get crafty and learn how to make a net trap! :P
Honestly, love it. It reminds me of The Witcher III in a way. That setting has a lot of mixing between old magic and newer, more flashy magic. Like, the Pellar uses seeds, milk, blood, and a rat tail I think in order to cast what we would consider to be a type of foresight. Meanwhile, Yennifer can teleport and read minds and do that sort of thing. I do love the older magic feel though, like, ancient stones inscribed with mystical markings and they are used for powerful divination, but they're quite dangerous if used without the proper knowledge or bearing. Very cool.
Came for the "terrible rules". Subscribed for the Stargate magic circle!
Okay, but can we stop for a second and appreciate your jacket, as well?
Honestly, I kind of love this idea as a general premise. I don't know if I'd codify it into a real hard rule set, but for summoning critters I could see this making it far more interesting than just "okay, it's done. Poof!"
Everything you said makes alot of sense, its not stupid or terrible, its really actually common sense. This helps DM's think about how we can implement a challenging way to acquire animal companions. My players and I'm sure every DM has that one player who wants an animal companion (without being a Druid or Ranger) and we just give them the animal companion without making it a challenge or otherwise memorable.
So, thank you for the ideas and thoughts!
I love these ideas! Flavoring the bond to the class makes it so much more engaging for players as they get into the vibe of their character.
Wizard lvl1:im just gonna cast a spell real quick (find familiar)
You(dm):noo noo come wizy wizy
(Wizard casts spell) WIZY!
I did the same thing with my ranger!! He was looking for a dire wolf companion but I had him find it one level before so that he could spend some time with the bloodthirsty untrained beast, risking life and limbs to befriend it, before rules permitted him to have it. Long story short, the player ended up caring a lot more about the animal, all of the trouble he went through to earn his trust made it important to his character. This got even cooler as they levelled up, infact the beast was able to become the alpha male of a pack that hung around the forests close to the characters locations!
How the hell is your channel just recommended to me now and not earlier? So much interesting videos, so much Mythology, which I am a huge nerd for. And Stargate reference. I mean, it's Stargate. Plus, you seem like an absolutely awesome person who's genuinely passionate about what you're doing.
I'm humbled to join your following!
Gods, now I have a whole new channel to binge, don't I?..
As convoluted as this system is, I really like the flavor and I think I'm going to use something similar in my own game. Also, @mattcolville tipped me off to your channel and I'm very much in love with your content!
Some random questions for a future video or if you ever do a D&D Q&A: Where do you draw inspiration from for your stories? What kinda soundtrack do you like to use? Do you do a lot of homebrew (spells, magical items, monsters etc.) Would you ever consider running a mythology inspired D&D game? Would you ever consider livestreaming your D&D game? I’d also like to know more about your world and your adventure-making process. :)
This is actually super helpful. I have a druid who has been on a collection campaign and trying to adopt every single animal she comes across and it's honestly just super hard to keep track of them.
imagine getting a freaking platypus as a familiar or animal companion, like it's useless in combat. and imagine summoning it. "I call upon you, my beast!" and it just lazily plops out of the nearest body of water like "what? what do you want from me?" in like Danny Devito's voice.
“So anyway, I started blastin’.”
Druids should have to do a spirit animal / vision quest thing.
That's actually a pretty cool way of doing it for the wizard/sorcerer. I like playing magic users and love having an animal companion to keep my magic user company. Protecting them, helping them, keeping them company, etc. They're helpful and are great.
I mainly play 2nd edition, and typically when casting Find Familiar it will choose an animal from that area. You're in a forest you have a chance to get a forest animal like a Monkey or perhaps a bird of some kind. For example, my longest living wizard never used a Find Familiar spell until his party was sent back in time to save stop some people and happened upon an Oasis with white tigers. These tigers have 3 gems in their foreheads. My wizard cast Find Familiar, seemed like a good time to do so. Only creatures around. He was able to get one (though the DM rolled a percentile to see if it even worked, and it did). And that's how I got my Tiger Kyri.
My DM doesn't use components, they find it an unnecessary hassle when casting spells. Having to buy specific components, writing them down, erasing, writing them down, erasing, repeat.
But, your way of doing a sort of ritual for it is pretty neat. I love the idea of having to search out components or something for a special rituals. Even though my DM doesn't use components for spell casting I love the idea of doing it for this and for other summoning rituals.
Not to mention the idea of how you mix the names and they get to choose them and then choose between the couple they chose so as to personalize it. I love that. Kinda wish I could play with your group just to do that xD
I do wish there was a bit more to that list that you have, but still. I love that way of doing it. Could even go one step further and include certain types of scales, fangs, claws, feathers, fur, etc. Narrow it down a bit more by what your player has their character use for the materials. Idk, but I love your idea. Keep up the awesome ideas! It's not stupid at all.
A feature to represent ranger spending time to train their companion: each time you level up with the companion (4th plus), assign a +1 to any of the companion's skills or saving throws - to the maximum of its proficiency bonus.
I played in a campaign to where having any animal companion/pet/mount was a real chore. All the DM did was apply a little 'reality' to the game. Horses were expensive to feed and stable and you had to pay a tax equal to 10% of their value since you were riding it on the King's roads. Most normal NPCs (peasants, farmers, etc.) were afraid of war dogs and you couldn't take them into large towns unless they were muzzled. The halforc in our party had a Dire Wolf she had raised from a pup and once it was grown people accused it of eating livestock and children, and a group of Inquisitors even accused the halforc of being a werewolf because of it. And feeding it was expensive since it would only eat fresh meat. The DM made dealing with an animal was too much of a hassle. It was a shock at first but it didn't interfere with the flow of the campaign. We just did a lot of walking and riding in hired wagons.
I say the ranger has to make a skill check to track the (normal, local) animal, a skill check to befriend it using food, & a skill check to bond with it.
But certain characters at high level can get a “grand charger”. For this, they have go questing for it: ask around during adventures for leads about where to find a griffon, pegasus, hippogriff, giant lizard, giant panther, etc. Then they have to do the above. Then they have pay for any sheep it eats, if it's a predator.
You REALLY should not say this is bad or stupid. I just loved and realized a problem that I have and even did not noticed. Totally gonna use it!
I don't know if I like these pet summoning rules for things like familiars and animal companions, but the part towards the end with putting different animal parts and elements into the ritual and randomizing them did bring one thing to mind.
Chimera creation. Have the mad wizard or whatever go through all those steps with placing components on the circle and what they place where determines which random tables they roll on to determine what odd features are tacked onto the base creature.
Which random tables you ask? Well right now I'm thinking two good places to start are the Ravnica and Theros books. Use the random tables listed next to the stat blocks for the three Krasis types and the Theran Chimera.
The rule I generally use, is you have to have something the animal can eat, they must not have been in combat that day, and you have to role critical in animal handling. Generally, unless they have the goodberry spell, few animal companions are in the game, making them more valuable, and therefore, treasured. This also offers a chance for a fantastic sad death scene, as descriptions in taming can get the players attached to the animal's personality fairly easy. idk though, whatever works best for your campaign :p
That stargate moment was the best thing I’ve ever seen!!!
My only complain with the video is no discussion of say, a Paladin's divine mount. :(
Great vid, though!
The smile on my face when the circle was the stargate. xD
These rules seem fine. I like them and they are in no way stupid
Home-brew is awesome... if you game and don't express your vision.. to form your own atmosphere of adventure, drama, comedy, emotional impetus, and other variances then you are letting yourself and your fellow gamers down. Even if your ideas and creations aren't so great in hindsight... they can spur the creativity of others and help you redefine or form your worlds to be more effective formats of fun and conflict.
Just be wary to balance your concepts as they develop... without challenge there is nothing to really overcome... no real test of fate or ability, and nothing to earn but expect-able (boring) outcomes.
We have tactical brains for a reason... allow others the privilege to use and exercise them so gaming doesn't suffer. No risk = no reward, and limited options simply suck.
Something that may help you out with your companion systems... retainers, pets, and mounts are generally light relationships at best with little return input. Companions are actual relationships...involving Force (will), Reward, and Exchange. They develop over time from positive to negative and may vary widely... A captured wolf may take a year to train, and in the beginning its will must be broken or it will never respect your authority. Hierarchy pack animals all exhibit this nature, but over time they can then become more resolute and dependable as their trust in you is reinforced... even to the point that Separation is the RIGHT thing to do (the greatest display of true affection is the gift of Autonomy). And at that point they should be considered independent NPC's. Many relationships begin as enemies or opposed forces, only to discover over time that their differences weren't really all that important... or that their desires actually shared common ground.
I like to think of this as the smoke in the mirror. The prejudices and circumstances that must be cleared away to really see ourselves and others for who we truly are. No matter our background, culture, etc... we are all living sentient beings... as are our companions to some degree. We all reflect in one another what we dislike about ourselves, what we respect, what causes our pain, what lifts us from our burdens, and what enlightens our perceptions so we may honestly grow alongside one another. And on the flip... it exposes the boundaries and standards by which we define not only our individuality... but also the precedent of behavior we (rightfully or not) expect from others. Which often define the terms through which our relationships must change or come to an end.
Hope this helps, in real life and your gaming, HuGGz
I *THINK* your channel was recommended to me because I've been re-listening to a bunch of DnD Beyond and Web DM content for inspiration. I'm glad I clicked, +1 Subscriber.
I enjoy your rulings quite a bit. Parotting what some others have said, they aren't stupid. If it works for your group, then great! Maybe I am spoiled, but my group loves focusing more on character development and role-playing than combat effectiveness. Often times those two can go hand in hand, but on more than one occasion my players will shoot themselves in the foot because it makes sense for their character.
Entire rest of the party: Keys! Do not pick up the glowing green skull! It is clearly a trap!
Monk Player(Keys): Now, out of game, I know this is a trap. In game, Keys knows this is a trap. But damn, if he isn't excited to spring that trap and overcome whatever pops out.
*Player rolls self-imposed Will Save to resist his own impetuousness, which he fails*
Edit: As an additional thought, I'm giddy with excitement at the thought of an Owen Grady inspired Ranger who wrestles a raptor to the ground to make it his companion.
Awesome idea, as always
I would very much enjoy a video about keeping a big mystery from the players and how to tip them without revealing too much but still set them on track
*The system you lay out sounds like the "Pocket Monsters" style of acquiring animal companions: prove your strength, then work with it to become the very best!
*Then there's the Manly Hero method, which involves impressing the creature in some way, earning its trust, and then it decides to hang around you. It's still a wild creature, but it's on your side. The Lone Ranger got Silver this way in the original radio program (he shot a bison that was about to gore Silver to death), and Tarzan got...well, a pretty significant menagerie after a while.
*Finally, there's the Pretty Pony Princess method. In this, you're special, and so creatures are just drawn to you >because< you're special. Elena of Avalor is a good example of an immediately adventure-worthy version of this sort of character, with her magic fox-spirit-thing and her flying felines all ready to lend a paw when she's in need. Of course, it's not at all hard to see how somebody like Snow White could be turned into a combat monster with just a little tweaking: ruclips.net/video/P-wGG8vYbZU/видео.html - yikes!
You really got my creative juices flowing with this video, making one of those "mental links" for me, so that now I see different ways to make getting an animal companion or a familiar can be part of the narrative of the story being told. All I needed was that little nudge in the right direction, and for that nudge, I thank you.
Misread the title as "My Terrible Rules for EATing Animal Companions" like in a starvation situation and the beginning where you talked about wanting them to form emotional bonds seemed SAVAGE!!! Man i did click like a mofo tho.
FINALLY, MY RECOMMENDED SECTION IS ACTUALLY DOING ITS JOB
Great video, probably will binge watch a lot more, really enjoyed this video
I prefer to get more touchy-feely with ranger companionship than "wrestle your potential friend into submission," but I like a lot of your ideas for familiars. As written in 5e, there's very little consequence for treating your familiar as disposable (as compared to 3.5, where I started, and the spellcaster would face significant penalties for allowing their familiar to die).
Adding randomization to the summoning process is a cool idea, too. It prevents players from picking up a specific familiar for a purely mechanical advantage, and from a flavor standpoint, it gives the impression that this creature is something that exists outside of and independent of your character.
None of this has been a problem at my table, mind you, but these are great for helping a player/character establish a special bond with their companions.
I would honestly do something like this as a more powerful version of summon familiar (and have it available for all magic classes and maybe even non-magic ones). Basically, it'd be a ritual that requires a higher level casting and collecting rare natural items normally unseen in shops. If there's a Bazaar or caravan in town, you'd better be quick and find a rare magic vendor, or you'd be lucky enough to wander into town during a large auction or estate sale where your components are ripe for the taking, and you either pay up (whether fairly or by cheating isn't my concern unless you get caught) or steal it. Finally, I'd probably have a small level up system to make sure the pet/familiar has more powers. I'd also like to use them as how witches do in Pathfinder, as a mini-spellbook filled with extra spells you always have prepared as a way to free up slots, and give them access to their own slots and some special spells that modify their physical traits for fighting that can also be used by the wizard, like a 2-way Pathfinder eidolon. I'd also b cool just to have a Summoner class as an biologist wizard that could also go the route of grafting/Frankenstein or a spiritualist with JoJo Stands or Personas.
I appreciate the Stargate reference. I support your choice and hope no one begrudges you it.
I like these rules. They're not dumb at all. They make perfect sense, so they're right up my alley.My wood elf ranger has a dog which she found as a stray puppy in a ruin and nursed back to health, so I'm very down with the idea that there HAS to be bonding for someone to have a wild animal become their companion. I just tend to work in a very compassionate flavor to that, vs the whole "break it like a horse" idea. I want to also have a hawk, but it will require finding one injured and helping it, and it choosing to remain with me. I'm still working out how I'm going to port my panther mount from neverwinter to dnd... (Way in the future, mind you) They kind of bond as the panther is companion to one of her dear friends and then becomes hers when he dies, I think. (ie, the panther CHOOSES to stay with my ranger as they are already bonded from years of traveling as a group) But given this character doesn't exist in our dnd realm, I have to find some other logic as to HOW she gains the trust of the great, wild, cat. o .o
I mostly GM Pathfinder, but I've played a bit of 5e. The only thing I'd never use it the ability to catch and tame any creature as an Animal Companion. Honestly, though I don't remember how 5e's Animal Companions work. In my games, it's a mystical ritual and connection. The person meditates with nature for the required time then a creature will appear. I do allow players to make animals they've encountered to become their animal companions. I allow my players roll a Wisdom-based ability check to see if they get a special Animal Companion. The creature could acquire through their connection to you or already have a template. Such as fiendish, celestial, or advanced...etc.
Squirrels all around!❤🐿 Play it safe. Great rules. Not dumb. Good job! ❤😻🐿😊
I think this is perfect! The creatures that beasmasters are stuck with are complete garbo. I find it really great that you allow your players to push themselves for a much better option (:
I did something similar with one of my Players that was a Pact of Chain, Warlock. Even though they would normally choose a Pact with the Otherwordly Patron, I still have them choose their Patron along with the Familiar that they plan on wanting when they get to Level 3. However, instead of having already made the Pact getting into the game, I actually have them be a Magic User at Level 1 & 2. They reached Level 3 at the end of the Game Session, after most of the others had left, I pulled the Warlock Player aside and told them what was going to happen in the next Session.
In the next Session, the group had made it to the tavern, where they all had drinks and stuff. Then when they went to bed, the Main Villain (The group came into possession an mystical/magical artifact that the Main Villain wanted) had some subordinates sneak into the town and made there way to the Inn where they were sleeping. As they were taking the Warlock Player, a scuffle broke out alerting the rest of the group, and a chase ensued in which minor baddies would attempt to stop capture the other party members. The group was able to take down those subordinates, but the main subordinates managed to get away with the Warlock.
From here, it was a split scenario with the Group tracking down the whereabouts of their missing Warlock and the Warlock being tortured to find out where the Artifact was. It was through that "torture" that the Warlock's chosen OP would contact them & help them in exchange for making the Pact. The OP would come in the form of the Familiar, and with the Warlock choosing The Fiend OP (Glasya) the Familiar was an Imp, through whom the Warlock would make a Pact through. The Imp would then convey stuff to the Warlock that Glasya would want the Warlock to do or get, while the Warlock would try to get information on Glasya from the Imp.
Aaand subbed. I think I might do this for a bunch the cool abilities the classes get, not just companions. So, like, you don't just get the ability when you ding whatever level, you unlock it. It's up to you to then do the thing and claim it.