Any Orc/Goblinoid Fans??

[Bhu]

Is there a Feat that would allow a Ranger to use spells that affect animals on an aberration? Or do I need to make one?

[Cieyrin]

Is there a Feat that would allow a Ranger to use spells that affect animals on an aberration? Or do I need to make one?

Rangers have plenty of spells that naturally only target animals. if you want those same spells affecting aberrations, that'd be something you'd have to come up with, as I can't think of anything that would work for that off-hand.

[imp_fireball]

...Or we could just use this feat as a prereq, just taking the Aberation Trainer variation: (Creature Type) Trainer from the Arms and Equipment Guide, though the DCs would have to be checked, as my searching of Handle Animal off of the d20 SRD reveals they removed training things other than Animals from the skill.

On the other hand, we could just utilize the statement you can use Handle Animal with other critters with 1 or 2 Int, which the Rust Monster certainly falls within, and just up the DCs by 5, which would then not require the feat. Either that or go by the Epic DCs, which says raising an Aberration is 40+HD, or DC 45, and training an Aberration is 60+HD, or DC 65. The feat is certainly a cost saver in the second case, though that may apply the Epic rules DC of 35 to raise and 45 to train, so sorting that out is a process I'll leave to Bhu.

Them's my 2 coppers. Take as you will.

Justifying that you have to be epic to train an aberration is silly.

+5 is a good enough difference to overcome any 'freaky mindset' that an aberration has. The only true deterent would be figuring out an aberration's accommodations, not having the aberration attack you with its insanity inducing cthulhu-derived SLAs, etc.

Also, is their rules for taming animals? If so, then the same would apply with aberrations - the DC shouldn't increase. Common sense should just be applied in that if an aberration can say, dominate you or otherwise kill you with an SLA (not to mention crushing you physically, which is more avoidable), they'll probably do it before you can tame them.

[Bhu]

Oh no this class isnt about being EPic required for training rust monsters. The Aberration Trainer Feat has few prerequisites, you can take it at low levels.

This class is about training your own personal army of rust monsters.


And riding one into battle too prolly...

[Cieyrin]

Justifying that you have to be epic to train an aberration is silly.

I wanna say that the 3.0 PHB had DCs for rearing and training beasts, which is what the A&EG feat refers to, though I'd have to go dig out my old book to find those DCs, since they aren't in the SRD, since it's 3.5 and the Beast type was absorbed into Animal and Magical Beast. The DCs are probably much more reasonable than what I got out of the Epic portion of the SRD for training stuff. I highly doubt A&EG was referencing Epic when it designed the Trainer feats.

Also, is their rules for taming animals? If so, then the same would apply with aberrations - the DC shouldn't increase. Common sense should just be applied in that if an aberration can say, dominate you or otherwise kill you with an SLA (not to mention crushing you physically, which is more avoidable), they'll probably do it before you can tame them.

Taming is what is referred to as the Rearing DC, as you can't generally tame something after it hits adulthood. You have to shape them as they grow older so that the mannerisms you want them to have stick.

[Bhu]

Herder updated

[Cieyrin]

Having your companion as a Favored Enemy seems an odd requirement, considering a similar feat, Spider Companion from Drow of the Underdark, requires just a companion and a Trainer type feat.

[steelsmiter]

I like Frederick KT Andersson's Trolls

[Bhu]

I spent the evening perusing monster manuals for Aberrations of the appropriate CR of Int 4 or less. Can anyone think of anything I missed? The list is edited into the Aberrant Companion Feat in the Herder post.

Still lookinf forward to the Innoculator being finished

[Cieyrin]

I spent the evening perusing monster manuals for Aberrations of the appropriate CR of Int 4 or less. Can anyone think of anything I missed? The list is edited into the Aberrant Companion Feat in the Herder post.

It looks pretty comprehensive, though I'll have to go peruse myself to see what is where. I also find it odd that there aren't any initial Aberration Companions, just powerful options. While I guess it makes sense, considering Aberration Trainer has a Handle Animal 8 requirement, you'd think there would be some options available for the Druid/Ranger who wanted to use their full Druid Level on a companion.

[Bhu]

I wanted to, but I couldnt find an Aberration with a CR of less than 1.

Also all the Feats should be done now except the extra abilities for Epic Companion, I still gotta figure those out.

[Cieyrin]

Also all the Feats should be done now except the extra abilities for Epic Companion, I still gotta figure those out.

I'm confused by what Epic Companion is actually giving, as Epic Druids and Rangers have that progression already: http://www.d20srd.org/srd/epic/class....htm#epicDruid

[Bhu]

It grants them special abilities too. I just have to figure out what to put in.

[Eikonos]

Heh, if you are talking about Rust Monsters, there are of course their slightly more dangerous cousins - annihilators (basically a "breed" of Rust Monsters existing in the Underdark, that disintegrate everything touched by their antenntae; Int 2, CR 15, can be found in the 3,5 Forgotten Realms accessory Underdark)

[Bhu]

Herder has new ability, I edited in a few more aberrations for the Aberrant Companion Feat, and I'm including more at higher levels if you have the Aberrant Companion and Epic Companion Feats. Hopefully I have the CR progression right. I'd like there to be 4 options each for Aberration companions at lower levels so I need to make 4 at CR <1, two at CR 1-2, and one at CR 7-8. The Higher CR's for the Epic Companions will need to be templated critters or new ones cause I'm not sure there's many Int 4 or less Abs that high in CR.

[Bhu]

Okay I peeked through the books for CR 12-16 Aberrations with an Int of 4 or less, and nfortuneately the Annihilator was it, so the rest of the spaces are occupied by various critters with the Arachnoid Template (coincidentally the only template that I could use that resulted in the critter becoming an Abberation). If you guys like I can whip up a template of some sort if the choices seem too iffy.

[Bhu]

Herder has new class abilities, working on new aberrations still.

[Cieyrin]

Favored Enemy is a strange way to apply vengeance on things that attack your critters. Maybe have some kind of Smite against them would be more in order, as Favored Enemy implies you've studied them and their methods to get advantage, which is difficult to imagine against some guy that came up and smacked your favorite rust eater.

[Eikonos]

Hello Bhu !

I've been thinking about this for some time now - is there any chance you could create (a collaboration maybe, I'am certain at least some of your fans here would throw in their two cents) a different version of your School feats from the Samurai Redux thread, but based around martial traditions of Hobgoblins and Orcs (Orogs seem disciplined enough, heck, even normal Orcs are bound to have created at least one "school" or "tradition") .

[Bhu]

Sounds interesting to me.

Maybe we can base the next class around it

[Eikonos]

Sounds interesting to me.

Maybe we can base the next class around it

Bhu....man...are you made of awesome ??

[imp_fireball]

Reminds me of the orc blademaster from warcraft 3. Basically, orc samurai.

"For you I pledge the sights of agents!"
"My blade can cut through armor - and still cut a tomato!"

Spoiler

Show

[Bhu]

I redid one of the class abilities, and started adding the abilities for the Epic Companion Feat.

[Bhu]

The Epic Companion Feat abilities are done except the last level. Still tryin to decide on it. Now, for the Summon the Horde ability: Would you prefer more of a summon, or multiple companions?

[Cieyrin]

The Epic Companion Feat abilities are done except the last level. Still tryin to decide on it. Now, for the Summon the Horde ability: Would you prefer more of a summon, or multiple companions?

Multiple Companions would create a parallel to the Beast Heart Adept and Beastmaster, so you could go with that, most certainly.

[Bhu]

Got level penalties up for hte more powerful Aberration companions, working on the Faux Beholder as a Companion, got the Summon the Horde ability mostly done. Let me know if you think the extra companions not taking a penalty is too powerful.

[Edge]

Given that the Rust Monster Herder is an epic PrC, it seems odd that it has only one epic requirement, that being epic companion. At the very least, I'd bump up the required skill investment. Handle Animal should certainly require epic skill ranks (24+), and a case could be made for the Knowledge (nature, dungeoneering) as well. On the subject of the latter, is a Rust Monster Herder required to meet the required ranks for both knowledges, or just one of them? If the latter, then an 'or' should be added in.

[Bhu]

It has few Epic Requirements because it's intended to be entered quickly.

Both Knowledges are requirements, I always put an 'or' in if it's one of the other

[Cieyrin]

Given that the Rust Monster Herder is an epic PrC, it seems odd that it has only one epic requirement, that being epic companion. At the very least, I'd bump up the required skill investment. Handle Animal should certainly require epic skill ranks (24+), and a case could be made for the Knowledge (nature, dungeoneering) as well. On the subject of the latter, is a Rust Monster Herder required to meet the required ranks for both knowledges, or just one of them? If the latter, then an 'or' should be added in.

I agree with this, as I failed to notice the lowish skill rank requirements. Putting the ranks at 24 means they can get in at 22nd, if you want immediate entry at Epic level, though I don't recall any epic PRCs that allow immediate entry like that. Plus, Epic Companion should have the same treatment, methinks, as epic feats don't otherwise usually say 21st level, they have requirements that would require you needing to be epic to pick up. Either that or it's implied by the [Epic] tag on the feat.

[Bhu]

Rust Monster Herder now has all class abilities. Epic Companion has the last ability for it (and the missing Epic tag), and I put up a link to the new Aberration critters (which are almost done).

When I made the example NPC he needed 3 levels of Epic Ranger to qualify for the class unless I made an oopsie. If necessary I'll make some changes, but I cant push the skills up much higher than they are or he wont have many points for other things.