Author Topic: Question about a proposed Sorceror/Druid multiclass (Read 1202 times)

zenvidar · « **on:** June 21, 2008, 06:23:17 pm »

I was thinking about creating a character which held a great interest in arcane magic and later became very involved with nature. The character would have a love for animals and the environment from the start, possibly being a Katian and treating their familiar as a best friend instead of a tool for combat.

This character would like to further their connection with nature and become a druid and eventually a shifter, taking great interest in the animals of layonara, surrounding themselves with them and taking their shapes as his own.

I know the difficulties of becoming a druid. My first character back in 2006 wsa originally to be a druid/ranger and was accepted as so before I decided to start as a ranger. (which I regretted)

So, I was wondering about the use of familiars and animal companions at the same time for a multiclass sorceror/druid. I have not seen any (that I know of) in the game yet, so I did not have the opportunity to ask. It would be beneficial to how I would want to roleplay the character, often travelling with two separate core animals, each with a different personality.

Can summoned familiars and animal companions be used at the same time?

Marswipp · « **Reply #1 on:** June 21, 2008, 07:00:42 pm »

I'd assume "no," since I believe the game considers both to be summoned creatures.

Dorganath · « **Reply #2 on:** June 21, 2008, 07:04:39 pm »

Quote from: zenvidar

...possibly being a Katian and treating their familiar as a best friend instead of a tool for combat.

heh...this is how familiars and animal companions should be treated.

As for having both at the same time, I think NWN limits you to having only one present at a time. They are treated as summons, even if they aren't summons at all.

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #3 on:** June 21, 2008, 07:46:19 pm »

I know that you can have, at the least, one henchman, one companion/familiar, and one summon. Dunno if you can have a companion and a familiar at the same time, though it bears playtesting in Single Player.

aragwen · « **Reply #4 on:** June 21, 2008, 08:23:36 pm »

You can actually have your animal companion and familiar with you at the same time. Tested it ingame myself.

In actual fact you can have both and a spell summoned animal as well and a dominated one as well. Would be kinda neat to run around with four animals

zenvidar · « **Reply #5 on:** June 21, 2008, 08:27:10 pm »

Quote from: aragwen

You can actually have your animal companion and familiar with you at the same time. Tested it ingame myself.

In actual fact you can have both and a spell summoned animal as well and a dominated one as well. Would be kinda neat to run around with four animals

This was actually my intention, to have a band of animals at least some of the time. I want animals to be a big part of that character as I mentioned above. A sorcerer who enjoyed nature from the start, but due to time with the familiar, animal summons and other players really increased that desire. It would be fun to run with say a bear, panther, wolf and falcon while shapeshifted as another animal.

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #6 on:** June 21, 2008, 08:32:18 pm »

A 5 Sorc/5 Druid with the Pixie and Bear companions, respectively, pulling a Dire Wolf as a summon... Buff 'em up, let 'em roll.

Dorganath · « **Reply #7 on:** June 21, 2008, 08:36:24 pm »

Quote from: Stephen_Zuckerman

A 5 Sorc/5 Druid with the Pixie and Bear companions, respectively, pulling a Dire Wolf as a summon... Buff 'em up, let 'em roll.

*points to the comment about not using them as a tool for combat.*

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #8 on:** June 21, 2008, 09:23:34 pm »

*Points to the still-awesome nature of the HORDE OF SUMMONS for just one player.*

And think what three of these things could do! Nine summons, two crossbowmen. xD

zenvidar · « **Reply #9 on:** June 21, 2008, 10:22:57 pm »

I'm actually toying with the idea of using a familiar panther and an animal companion panther. That might be cool to have two panthers following me around. I'm not sure yet, but it would be really fun. The animal companion starts at 2d1 sneak attack instead of 1d1 like the other panther, so the two could become a huge sneak attack force, unless I wanted a nice big bear to trod around and take the brunt of damage.

zenvidar · « **Reply #10 on:** June 21, 2008, 10:25:08 pm »

Quote from: Stephen_Zuckerman

*Points to the still-awesome nature of the HORDE OF SUMMONS for just one player.*

And think what three of these things could do! Nine summons, two crossbowmen. xD

It would be a really cool experience to have a character that walks around with four animal friends.

Obviously the summoned ones will drop out a bit, and occasionally the charmed ones will too, but a good animal empathy could keep them from becoming hostile and another summon could be cast.

Walking around alone wouldn't be as lonely and my character would have fun talking to the animals and petting them. Talking with them once he's both sorc and druid.

Dorganath · « **Reply #11 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:06:00 pm »

Quote from: Stephen_Zuckerman

*Points to the still-awesome nature of the HORDE OF SUMMONS for just one player.*

And think what three of these things could do! Nine summons, two crossbowmen. xD

*slaps forehead*

zenvidar · « **Reply #12 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:14:58 pm »

still think it would be fun just to run around and talk with em. All the time when you're not in battle, hanging out with your pack.

zenvidar · « **Reply #13 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:22:01 pm »

Wait, I know a druid cannot multi-class freely with anything except a shifter, but at level 5 could I go from sorcerer right to druid?

I don't need a CDQ going sorcerer to druid, like I would if I tried rogue going monk for example?

Dorganath · « **Reply #14 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:31:39 pm »

You would have to have the combination approved either at submission or do a resubmission after you've gained a few levels. The Character Approvers will give you guidelines on what they'd like to see.

We did have a Wizard -> Druid for a long time, so the combination is certainly possible.

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #15 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:35:21 pm »

[strike]Not correct, actually. You'll need a very good reason for the class change, either in or out of Druid - it's a pretty heavy class, really. My jests aside, the 5 Sorc/5 Druid would be... A very tricky thing to actually manufacture reasoning for.

Multi-classing isn't exactly free, ever. I mean, you don't always need a CDQ, (for most classes,) but you still need a fairly compelling reason - either in the submission, or the CDT (after approval as a single class).

To boil it down:

You could start as a Sorcerer, and slowly find your connection to Nature... And, whenver you chose, (possibly) progress to Druid with a successful CDQ. Then, you'd be stuck taking Druid levels, and be subject to all class restrictions.

Or, you could start as a Druid, and, when you chose (possibly) breaking from your class to be a Sorcerer, via CDQ... But that would entail the loss of all Druidic abilities other than Auto-calm, and you wouldn't be able to return to the Druidic path, excepting MAYBE through another CDQ.[/strike]

Edit: Wait, what? Huh. I was under the impression that it was impossible to have a Druid multiclassing with anything, without CDQs and such between. Well. You learn something every day.

Dorganath · « **Reply #16 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:42:03 pm »

Joining the path of Druids is a lot easier than leaving it, since it's not just a "job" but a way of life.

But again, whether the combination is approved or not is going to depend on how the bio is written and what the Character Approvers say about it. It's far, far easier to multi-class into a Druid, but once a druid, free multi-classing is not permitted except with the Shifter PrC, meaning once a character takes levels as a Druid, he/she cannot take levels in any other class (except Shifter) without a CDQ, and that involves leaving the Druidic path, etc.

Stephen_Zuckerman · « **Reply #17 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:45:43 pm »

Ohhhh, so this was NOT a Wizard/Druid dual-class?

Dorganath · « **Reply #18 on:** June 21, 2008, 11:57:05 pm »

I'm not sure what you mean.

This character is Brisbane, by the way.

She started out with 5 levels of Wizard and switched to all Druid through to Epic levels. Part of her ECDQ/WLDQ outcome would have permitted her to go back to taking Wizard levels again, though she never exercised that option.

Her class combination was approved at submission time and it was stipulated then that she had to take the wizard levels first.

zenvidar · « **Reply #19 on:** June 22, 2008, 12:10:52 am »

Yeah, I'd like to start out as a sorceror and maybe at around 5 levels or so I would begin time as a druid. I don't think it will be too hard to have a good reasoning as stephen suggested. Every character needs reasoning for their choices to pursue different talents.

The choice is going to affect a character raised by naturalists, katians. One who was amazed by magicians as a child and wanted to harness magic. Although, nature was important to his parents and he had owned pets as a child that he really loved, his family sometimes taking in injured wild animals for brief periods. He showed a knack for taking care of sick animals, who seemed to respond well to his gentle and patient nature. When he starts off in layonara, he will be able to summon a familiar. Because of that ability, his backstory will already include that familiar for a brief time. He was excited when he could use magic to summon a specific animal to him, and would develop a close bond with it. Soon, due to his background and further exposure to his companion, his love for animals and nature would grow and he would desire to become much closer to nature, respecting the druids and their amazing connection with nature. At this point, he would decide to "leave magic tricks to the magicians" and pursue his new life of animal companions and a greater spiritual bond with nature as part of the druid order.

I usually like to flesh out the character a little bit and get a few things together before I submit it. I'm pretty close, but his parents and social background and history need some more thought. He has a name so far, an age, a birthplace in mind and a race. So I'm almost there. I don't want to do a skimpy job, but I'm relieved that the process will likely not run as much difficulty as the monk submission for Vanther Koehmus. It's been two years since Trathar Taliesin was accepted, but I think this new character will be the kind of person I wanted Trathar to be and much more.

If you have any tips before I'm fully prepared for my submission on how you think it is so far Dorg, please let me know what you think.