Ranger Summoned Pets

[Akiira69]

Ok I've read over the 3.5e Rule books dealing with ranger pets and none of them put a timer on how long they can stay "summoned", not only that but the Ranger gets to chose its traveling/hunting companion. So my question's are:
1)Why do the pets the rangers get in game only stay in game for less than a minute? First a ranger only gets 15 points of mana to begin with then you make it so that the spell required to summon them take 10 of those points away. Then you give the rangers a pet that only lasts 45-60 seconds not only is that a joke but those points of mana can be used better on other spells.
2)Whydo you say your going to try to follow the D&D 3.5e rulebooks then take away the freedom for the ranger to chose his/her traveling/hunting companion? I dont know about the rest of the people who play the ranger class but I for one if given the choice would not chose a wolf for my hunting companion. A spider would be my choice for the simple reason that it would be unique.

[Turial]

The "Ranger summons" your are referencing come from the ranger spell line and involve summoning monsters from the natures ally table. In the case of DDO with few animals coded it was easier to just assign the summoned animal based on level.

Rangers in DDO do not receive an animal companion class ability. Why? Only the Devs really know. Below is how I would like to see animal companions implemented. If they don't have plans to allow animal companions the devs should look through the Dnd source material and look for alternative options to take the place.

"I know it might be a coding nightmare but animal companions could be coded for with feats. At level 4 rangers get the feat Summon animal companion. At this point the ranger would summon a wolf (for ease of implementing we will look at just wolves for now). This wolf would be exactly identical to the wolf that can be summoned through the summon nature's ally spell except it would receive the following boosts link and share spells.

The link ability would include options like defend (animal defends you by attacking first mob to approach within a radius like that of the pally auras), attack (targeted mob), and heel (stay within a radius of the player). The share spells ability would allow spells that the ranger casts upon him/herself to also be cast upon the animal companion.

At 6th level the ranger gets a feat called summon ________ animal companion. This summoning this companion locks out the use of the summon animal companion feat (the 4th level version of this feat would also lock out any higher versions of the feat when used). The wolf summoned by this feat will have an additional 2 HD, +2 to its natural armor, +1 to base str and dex, and the feat evasion added to its abilities.

A 12th level the ranger obtains a feat called summon _______ animal companion. Again summoning this companion locks out all other summon companion feats for the character. The wolf summoned by this would have an additional 4 HD, +4 to its natural armor, +2 to base str and dex, and the enhancement devotion which gives it a +4 moral bonus on will saves against enchantment spells and effects.

At 18th level the ranger obtains a feat called summon ______ animal companion. Same as before for the locking out. The wolf summoned by this would have an additional +6 HD, +6 to its natural armor, +3 to base str and dex, and the feat multiattack as per DND.

Its a start. We still have the issues of determining BAB (should follow cleric progression), saves which are equal to a player with the same HD (its good ones are fort and reflex), skill points (placed into move silently, hide, spot, and listen evenly), and monster feats (assign a series of feats that the companion receives as the new feat becomes available to the PC.

A level 12 companion (in pnp) would have 6 HD, +4 BAB, +10 fort/+10 reflex/+7 will saves (math is off on this one I think), Str 14, Dex 17, and +6 total natural armor bonus. Obviously this may not cut it in DDO but maybe they will change it so that the animal companion will work out to be something more then a squishy summon."

I am also all for any system to get mounts or something of equal value to our paladin brothers. For them I think a summoned weapon that gains powers as they advance would work very well. Perhaps I will have to post something along those lines later.

[Sokar6000]

You, my friend, are confusing the Ranger's Animal Companion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#theDruidsAnimalCompanion) with the Summon Nature's Ally (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonNaturesAllyI.htm) spells.

Yeah, I know, the SNA spells still let you choose the animal, whereas in DDO it is set, but I guess that was due to technical reasons. (Coding and what not.)

[wiglin]

The summons you are talking about are not the animal companion. They are a summon spell that rangers have. Turbine in all their wisdom have not released animal companions for rangers or familiars for arcanes.

Rangers also get a boost in spell points as they level. As far as the cost of the spell. They are standardized so that level 1 cost 10 level 2 cost 15 and so forth.

[Balthazar_No_Oni]

You, my friend, are confusing the Ranger's Animal Companion (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/classes/druid.htm#theDruidsAnimalCompanion) with the Summon Nature's Ally (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/spells/summonNaturesAllyI.htm) spells.

Yeah, I know, the SNA spells still let you choose the animal, whereas in DDO it is set, but I guess that was due to technical reasons. (Coding and what not.)

What technical reason? They already have a multiple result spell, resist energy, SNA should have been imped the samed exact way. I guess the only real possible tech reason could be that the animals dont exist, but since the created a whole new animal skin (lioness) for the spell already I dont see the issue.

[negative]

What technical reason? They already have a multiple result spell, resist energy, SNA should have been imped the samed exact way. I guess the only real possible tech reason could be that the animals dont exist, but since the created a whole new animal skin (lioness) for the spell already I dont see the issue.

That's just it. It's only a skin, applied to the same cat's that were being added with Gianthold anyways (razor cat's and the like).

Adding in new animals, of different shapes and sizes, means new animation skeletons, new animations in general, etc, etc.

I'm sure we'll see more options as more animals are added into the game, but for now, I'm just happy they added the spell in at all.