Animal Companion Death Timers.

[TheShadow]

A hold out from when we had the Taming System, in order to prevent people from having to go out and tame a new companion every single time it died, a 24 IRL hour timer was instituted as an half-way option. You no longer had to re-tame a companion at the cost of XP, but death still had a consequence.

However, with the new system, Companions have been wildly rebalanced and are generally not "OP" as the Ancient Cave Bears and Owlbears and Rocs of v5, or the Malarite Panthers, Cave Bears, etc. of v4.

Can we get the Death Timer reduced, or removed?

[Egon the Monkey]

What is the point of companions this chapter?
I think the question here is 'what are Animal Companions for?' and 'what class are they balanced to?' I've been playing with the Spider on a Ranger and it's a bit underwhelming. Low AC, low damage, low save DC on the poison bite. Even with access to Practiced Caster, Heal, and Astrologian 1 to buff it up with some temp DR and regen, stick a Resistance on, cheap heal with Cure Minor etc. I feel I'm better off with trying to wander round and AE something a bit tougher and more disposable. I reckon 60-90 minutes is all a Death Timer needs. Enough that you can't just kamikaze your Companion into a group of mobs, rest, then kamikaze it into some more. But if you lose it on one Quest, you'll have it back tomorrow or later.

If they're supposed to be a tank buddy, they need to be tougher. I like that the stats are more transparent when you pick them, and you can see if it's A bit Tougher and Stronger, Has a low Sneak Attack, or Has Some Utility. But having played the spider for a bit, I think I'd value the better damage and HP of a Dog or Turtle. Plus ofc they're more inoffensive than a massive spider, so can be kept out for the RP (I took spider for some different RP reasons). I'm having fun with mine, but it gets wrecked if I'm even slightly pressured, and I have to be very sure what I'm facing before risking it.

The Chad Druid vs the Virgin Ranger
It feels like if anything, Companion is balanced to Druids buffing the hell out of it with their full caster number of spellslots. Now they can do Mage Armour, Protect, Shell and ofc Bark/Stoneskin, yeah that's going to compensate for a weaker Companion by A LOT. Stoneskin covereth a multitude of AI stupidities.

Meanwhile, over here in Ranger Town, we can defend it with... Grace or Endurance? We just don't have enough spellslots to bring a Companion up to decent power. I can't take it on a quest because it's enough work to manage my own healing and consumables in combat without wanting buffs for a fragile NPC. It'd perhaps work if I could also pick a Spitting Cobra or Acid Spit Spider that came with a ranged weapon. I could keep one of those at the back where it's less likely to die doing something stupid and waste all the buffs.

Plz contribute to Save the Spider (tm)
I know Ranger FE Animal gives 5/+1 DR to a companion. What if that was moved to being a standard class feature at L6, and FE: Animal got something else?

Heck, what if Rangers got Awaken as a 2nd Circle spell? Hear me out here. Yes it's strong, but I reckon it's like Bless Weapon strong on a Ranger. It'll make a Companion's AB good but they still don't hit that hard or have decent AC. Bless Weapon being a nice example as is a 2nd Circle Paladin, 4th Circle Repose Domain Special Move. Awaken is disgustingly good on a class with access to tons more defensive buffs for their companion. But when you only have 1-2 2nd circle spells, you can't spare a bunch of them to buff someone else! It'd change the flavour of things so that a Druid Companion could be buffed up to tank levels, but a Ranger one would be more of a glass cannon. And because it's Companion Only, it's not abusable to selfbuff and krush.

Or if not full-fat Awaken, maybe an EfU-scripted Lesser Awaken as a Ranger Only spell.. Giving Rangers Mage armour etc would probably just end up with them buffing PCs (though TBH, Mage Armour could be a nice one for Dual-Wield rangers...). Giving them a Companion-Only buff would be a good use of spellslots.

Lesser Awaken: Ranger 2nd Circle
You call on your bond with your animal companion to strengthen it. It gains +1 AB, +2 CON, +2 Regen and the benefits of the Spell Mage Armour for as long as it is by your side.

Regen is good here because it means you're doing less micromanaging and healing of your valuable but low HP buddy. Essentially like someone with a perk permanently spamming a Healing Kit on it. It's there to replace the fact a Druid can chain Cure Minors to heal up after a fight.

Or, boost Magic Fang in a similar way that Sorcerers get a boost to Stone Bones.

Magic Fang
If the caster is a Ranger, the duration is 5 minutes per Level and it also applies the following bonuses.
CL5: +1 Natural AC, 10% Physical Damage Immunity.
CL7: +2 Natural AC, 15% Physical Damage Immunity
CL11: +3 Natural AC, 20% Physical Damage Immunity

I think it would be better than generally upstatting companions because:

• It won't benefit Druids, who already can buff.
• It costs you a valuable spell slot rather than being free. So there's a cost to having a strong pet.

Yeah that'll also affect summons but ranger summons are awful and they have sod all Summoning points. What it means is you're not having to feed your goat valuable Barkskins just so it doesn't end up a shish kebab.