Druids, Bows, and Bears, oh my!

[AcadiusLost]

So it strike me we haven't coded anything in the ACR yet with regard to animal companions- in NWN1-ALFA we had permadeath for ACs, and some pretty heavy variation in how different DMs or DM teams treated them- seemed like the majority opinion was that they shouldn't be used as tanks or regularly in combat, but should be more of an RP tool, like familiars are.

NWN2 animal companions, by default:
1. Are summonable once per day, then gone after death or unsummoning
2. Are back again after resting.

Seems to me 3.0->3.5 changed AC's a bit as well, do we want to adapt some of the scripts we had in NWN1-ALFA for them? What should we change or improve to reflect the differences, and cut down on the perennial friction between new players (who tend to expect the AC to be their combat pal) and DMs (who tend to look on that as bad RP and exploitive).

Just to stir the pot a bit more: druid weapons- are we dispensing with NWN1-ALFA's "oath" interpretation of the allowed weapons for druids? IIRC that was a 3.0E phenomenon. Again, a point of perennial frustration and disconnect, so I'd like to put some scripted things in place to reflect the oath if it's going to exist in NWN2-ALFA, even if it's just an OOC message warning/explaining to the player whenever a non-druidic weapon is equipped.

If the Weapon Oath is unnceccessary, great- one less thing to code. But animal companions are going to need work ASAP one way or another, so feedback is appreciated.

[Mikayla]

In 3.5 Druid weapon choices are only limited by their proficiency with weapons. If they have proficiency in the weapon, they can use it. I was just reading about this in a "Sage Advice" column. There are still restrictions on armor, but the weapon restrictions are no more - thus, as for NWN2 we are moving to 3.5, it seems logical that the we would follow 3.5 on this.

[AcadiusLost]

The opening of weapon choices is good news, implementation-wise- not sure how the balance works out, since druids actually seem "better" in 3.5E even discounting the weapon stuff.

Is armor supposed to work the same way, whereby they don't start with the extra proficiencies, but can wear it without penalty if they choose to take them down the line? As divine casters, they're not subject to the "arcane spell failure" chance associated with different armor types- but if certain penalties /should/ be applied (unable to cast while wearing metal armor, for example?) those would need to be scripted, applied, and tested. I know Elanee did fine as a singleclassed druid in chainmail and other metal armors in the OC, so it would seem the engine doesn't pay much attention to it at current.

How about animal companions?

[Mikayla]

Druids are prohibited from wearing metal armor or using metal shields, even if they have the proficiency. A druid who wears prohibited armor or carries a prohibited shield is unable to cast druid spells or use any of her supernatural or spell-like class abilities while doing so and for 24 hours thereafter.

As for the animal companion question, I do not know as I do not have the books in front of me, sorry.

[Rusty]

Mikayla is correct about the weapon change. It's a shit change, but one we'll have to go with. (Also quite correct about armour: light/medium but not metal.)

For AC, we'll have to draw up a list of NWN2 implementations and then throw it away and come up with something... sensible.

[Inaubryn]

Out of curiosity... why do we have to go with the weapon change?

[Rusty]

Only in the sense that it is 3.5; by default, we would use it.