Pets

Pets are just normal creatures who form a special bond with a character.  These rules do not apply to familiars or any other creature where a magical bond gives the PC advantages.  :)

In my internet games it is  possible for a player to run a pet as minor character, and make in-game posts describing its  behaviour.  So long as those posts are appropriate to the creature, I will award  experience according the pet experience rules.  

What's the point?  Pets and animals  can't improve?  Well experience awarded here represents the times the creature is active around its owner, or on its owner's business.  It represents the bond between them and the way they learn to act together,  the  tricks they learn,  the knowledge that when Fiery Fred draws his  sword - it means get out of the way fast, or  even that the party like you to bark at strange  people, but not at people you know.

Even so, is it really worth it? To  some people, no, and that's fine.  They  don't have to make  posts  for their pets -  nor do they  have to register any  experience if they are awarded it.  Simple.    For  some people, however, it can add an extra dimension to the  game. they can enjoy the challenge of  making posts for  an unusual type of character, and can even develop that character as a reward for good  role playing.  So  for them, having a pet might be  worth it.

Can anyone have a pet?  Well  ...  It  doesn't  work too well if  all the characters  want pets, so there has to be some in-game justification, but no one is excluded.

So what can I have as a pet?   just  about  any creature without magical abilities.  Dogs, cats, birds, horses -  are probably going to be most common, though.  Although read through the categories as there are  restrictions, that  stop people trying to take advantage of the rules.  It should, after all, be a role playing thing -  not a 'How much advantage can I get' - thing.  :).

OK!  So  what are the categories?  Well there are five categories, and creatures with different hit dice start in different categories, they start in the lowest category for which they are eligible. The categories are:

  Hit dice  xp
Pet 1 up to 3hd 0-1,000
Pet 2 up to 5hd 1,001-3,000
Pet 3 up to  7hd 3,001-6,000
Pet 4 up to 9hd 6,001-10,000
Pet 5 9 or more  ... over 10,001

WOW!  Those are interesting category names  ....     Get Lost!

Ok!Ok!  So  what happens when a pet goes up a category?  Well that's  the hard  bit  ...  There are no  hard and  fast rules, it is going to depend on the creature, and come down to a discussion between the player and the DM.  With dog, or similar creature, we might  decide that all the special  care it gets from its owner, makes the dog physically bigger and stronger.  In  which case a d4 extra HP and a +1 damage to its bite  might be appropriate.  Or we  may  decide that the  closeness between the  two, has taught the dog a basic trick or skill -  such as following a trail. A  bird might be trained to  fly in a specific  way, or even fly a little faster because of the quality of the diet supplied by the owner.

Hey!  That sounds suspiciously like animal training skills from the Ranger's handbook  ... Spot on! That's where I stole it  from  :) And  what I  will use to resolve  any  disputes  ...

That's not fair on Rangers!  Oh!  They'll live. Anyway, Rangers still get those skills automatically -  but this  gives them the chance to  role  play their followers ...

Hmmph!  OK then ...