Topic: Spell list for enhancing animal companion or bonded animal

[Hurin]

The list seems good in general JDale, though I do note that the similar list in the Mentalism Companion had additional language for 'Animal Bonding' that limited the caster to one bonded animal per five levels. I found that to be problematic because of the point that Majyk made: that some GMs at least won't want PCs to have multiple companions; and the companions could quite easily get overpowered. I can see a young GM get a bit frustrated when the party runs into an elephant at first level, the party caster bonds it, and then the party just uses the elephant to crush all opposition for the next few levels. Is there anything to prevent that in the list?

That's kind of why I liked Brian's solution of only having one companion animal, but allowing casters to have bigger and bigger versions of that animal as they level up.

[jdale]

The real limitation is the number of levels of companions. You only get a total of 1 level of companions until you have the 10th level spell. At that point you could have two or more companions, but you might be better off with one companion who is 4th level. The limit is 10 levels with the 20th level spell, and 20 levels with the 35th level spell. Even if you have multiple companions, it will probably make sense to have one low level companion (e.g. for scouting) and one higher level companion (who could enter combat) rather than a pack of weak low-level companions who will likely die in a fight. That could mean that, although you have several, only one is really suitable for any given situation. Or one is easy to handle, e.g. your fighting companion is alongside you in battle, while your crow is just watching your back and doesn't have to do anything aside from the occasional perception roll.

It would be a good idea to talk this stuff through with your GM though. Having your original companion increase in level (limited by the spells) would be a good way to give the appropriate power boost instead of adding more and more companions.

[Hurin]

Ah, ok, I get it now; I read the list a little too hastily. So the level 1 spell just gives you a level 1 creature, and the level 10 spell gives you a level 4. So a level 1 caster could never bond with an elephant (whew!  ).

One minor note: the level 5 spell says "A True companion gains enhanced intelligence (approaching human levels)". Might it be good to give some hard numbers here? Human intelligence ranges from 1 to 100. So maybe something like, "A True companion gains enhanced intelligence (equivalent to 20 Reasoning) if it does not already have such intelligence, or +10 Reasoning if it does", or something like that.

I like the list as a familiars list. If I were going full Beastmaster, though, I think I would like what Brian did with raising the size and level of the companion. That would also be a good way of distinguishing the open or closed familiar list from the base Beastmaster list.

[Fingolfin80]

It's an interesting list, though. I would go for it if I handn't the familar list in the game, but I have it and probably Brian's list is a better starting point for me.
In the end, I'll allow multiple bonded animals, but with restriction based on the level.
The elephant situation is a false problem, I think. If you are in such situation, start putting your party in places where the elephant is not an advantage but a burden: city adventures, mine, underground mission, infiltration...
He'll start to think that something more discrete cuold be a better option.