So, I’m playing a Ranger in a campaign with some friends, and, in game, my character has acquired a number of Dire bats on top of his Animal Companion. I just wanted to pose a question, what happens if a Ranger has more than one Animal Companion? is it possible?
So, I’m playing a Ranger in a campaign with some friends, and, in game, my character has acquired a number of Dire…
So, I’m playing a Ranger in a campaign with some friends, and, in game, my character has acquired a number of Dire…
If the GM is fine with it, it’s good. Though you are a hunter & more animals will slow you down managing things. I think as long as you have a spot where you can keep the animals safe & switch them depending on what you need, it would work out.
I feel like your Animal Companion would/should be the only one you have any say over their actions because of the bond, and that the bats could be initially persuaded to do something but they would be a lot harder to control. But as always, *follow the fiction*.
It shouldn’t be an issue for a while, since they are still infants, yet I thought I should get some people’s thoughts on it before it becomes an issue
Anything is possible!
If that’s a goal of yours, let’s collaborate on some ways to make it happen in game. Something i really like in Dungeon World is that there is no worry about “balance”.
I figure you need to nurture them for a bit. then tame them. once that’s done, no reason they couldn’t be trained to become companions. What does that look like? some fictional time, then a custom move based off of CHA to determine how many remain?
When The Ranger raises Dire Bat young and tames them, roll + CHA. On a 10+ Hold three, on a 7-9, Hold 2:
Spend one Hold to tame a Dire Bat, it is a friendly creature.
Spend one Hold to train a friendly Dire Bat. It is a companion, develop it as a companion at The Ranger character creation.
That’s a very rough start. Would let you have up to three friendly Dire Bats, or a companion Dire Bat and one friendly Dire Bat.
On a fail, they may get away but remember and resent you. Or their colony comes looking for them. Or you tame them, but they eat the neighbor….
Thoughts on the move?
oh hey DM! I like the move, but I think it could be separated into two separate moves, for expample:
When The Ranger raises a wild animal and tames them, roll + CHA. on a 10+ Hold three, on a 7-9, Hold 2: You can spend hold, 1-for-1, to tame a wild animal, it is a friendly creature
When The Ranger trains a friendly wild animal, roll + CHA. on a 10+ Hold three, on a 7-9, Hold 2: You can spend hold, 1-for-1, to train the wild animal, it is an Animal Companion, perform the Animal Companion move
Jeremy Strandberg’s Stonetop Ranger playbook allows you to take the Animal Companion move twice – I would recommend looking throught his take on Animal Companions (they really bring your animal’s motivations etc to the fore).
I’d just follow the fiction. You’re going to have time to watch these animals grow up. Ask the ranger to describe how they raise them, protect them, interact with them. If the ranger forms a deep bond with these bats, why not treat them like another couple animal companions.
If you use the standard companion rules, the only thing I’d caution against is letting them stack bonuses from multiple companions helping out. Take the best, rather than both (or all three). Otherwise, no worries.
Jeremy Strandberg
I’m of a similar opinion, except that i think it could be interesting to have your multiple companions spread around the field. A pair of bats are harrying an archer. Your wolf is charging a melee warrior, another bat is circling the field looking for an invisible mage with its sonar.
If you fire at the archer, you get a bonus from one of those two bats. If you fire at melee warrior, you get a bonus from the wolf. If you discern realities for the mage, you get a bonus from the scouting bat. Any companions you’re not making a move with at the moment are in the field, adding to the fiction.
And when the GM makes a hard move, they’re all in the field… in the fiction…. targets.
^totally.
My gut reaction would be for the ‘Taming’ move to make the animal friendly toward you, and let you stat them out as described in the ‘Animal Companion’ move.
But: You would only develop the relationship required to use the ‘Command’ move with them after something more revealing in the fiction. Nursing a creature back to health after its near death, or seeing it show it’s true colors by risking its life for you or its pack, etc.