Suggestion: Pet mechanics done right

[lankyplonker]

Hey all

 

In all my journeys through RPGs I don't know that I've really seen pet mechanics done right. Some games do parts of it right, but no game does it really well. I thought about this a bit and come up with a wish list of mechanics that make sense to me. I just thought I would share and see what other ideas are out there in the community

 

Ranger (and possibly Druid):

Rather than the BG style "summon monster" spells, let the nature classes have a true companion as a pet. Early on the in the game, or even from the very start, allow them to befriend an animal from a large selection (bears, canines, felines, birds, giant spiders, giant lizards (my personal favourite!)). From here treat the pet as a full blown companion. Give it a handful of combat abilities and make them as powerful as any humanoid companion you can pick up through the adventure. They have hit points and can die, at which point you are left to either ressurect the fallen, befriend a new animal or go without a pet

 

Mages:

Early on in the game, have a quest chain that allows a mage to pick up a familiar. The familiar cannot die and stays with the mage for the whole adventure. The familiar is not treated as a companion, and from a mechanical point of view it simply gives an additional bonus to the player. Let the mage pick from a large selection of familiars, both natural and unnatural, each of which grants a different bonus. Examples include:

- A 'good' mage may want a sprite or fairy familiar which grants + charisma

- A more stereotypical mage may want an owl (+ intelligence) or a cat (can run ahead of the party, granting an 'eagle eye' type abilitiy)

- A warlock themed mage may want a demonic imp (in combat it attacks the mages target for +x damage every 5 seconds)

- A necromancer themed mage may want a severed hand, which can retrieve a single small item in the mages line of sight

 

All characters:

Give them the option of having a pet dog that can act as a companion through the game, much like the Ranger suggestion. I suggest a dog just because it is a common domesticated animal that anyone can have access too. This way everyone gets a pet if they choose, even if they aren't a true "pet" class

 

Tech:

We know there are guns in game, but we don't yet know the level of tech featured in the game. If there is a sufficient amount of steampunk, then perhaps you can allow characters that focus on inventing to have some kind of clockwork pet

 

Summoned creatures:

Don't allow natural creatures to be summoned via spells (bears don't appear out of thin air), only unnatural creatures like demons, undead and elementals. Allow summoned creatures to stay by the casters side until they are either killed, dispelled or unsummoned. Don't unsummon just because the player zoned into the next area. Have NPCs react to any summoned creatures by the players side. If a necromancer tried to walk into a town with 3 skeletons in tow, the guards would refuse to let him into the town and would probably attack him on sight. A merchant isn't going to be willing to open his doors to a warlock with a felhound by his side

 

Anyway those are my thoughts. Pet's are a popular mechanic in RPGs so hopefully this generates some discussion and gives the Obsidian guys some ideas to consider!