Player pets

[Vala Rift]

I don't even know if this is possible, but figured I would bring it up anyway.

I intend to take a single wizard class just for the familiar to increase my RP. I intend to use it as strictly a normal animal as opposed to a magical one.

Is it possible to script an item that allows you to "summon" a henchmen? Could that henchmen be a small animal? With this concept, you could create a pet store and sell tokens that allowed every player the opportunity to raise their own pet. If the pet dies, the token is lost forever. Pets probably shouldn't be meant to fight, so the ability to 'leave it at home' (ie, unsummon) would be needed.

This idea came to me from the discussion about familiar feats - since familiars are basically just pets in this game to help a caster RP, I don't see why it wouldn't be installed [available for all classes], assuming it can be installed.

I imagine there are probably NWN2 game mechanics (like possessing a henchmen/henchmen inventory) that would cause problems. Especially if you were in a party.

[Saulus]

There already is a small pet system but we never made it widespread use.

We don't use henchmen because of all the bloated AI that comes with it.

It's unlikely we will revisit pets again as I don't want people using them for combat and most other people will use familiars anyway.

[Lothoir]

I think the pet system would be used more if the price was brought down a bit, 10,000 gp for a chicken? Even if it were a thousand, or 800 it would be much more reasonable.

[Vala Rift]

You have to assume that much time and energy was spent training that chicken..
Can you imagine how hard it would be to train a chicken!?

I would charge 10,000 as well. Much more if I could train him to raise one leg without falling over.

[Phantom Lamb]

I was never a big fan of the pets. It got to "carebeary" for me with people pulling out their dogs, cats and chickens in areas like bars and libraries.

[Vala Rift]

Ah, one of those 'I can own a pet, so I will own a pet' scenarios. I can see how that would cause some problems. Heh, your signature wouldn't happen to be a reference to players using pets in battle, would it? xD

btw, I've never heard of the 'I can own a pet, so I will own a pet' scenario either.. So don't feel left out.

[Azulfae]

Mozgul hires himself out as a petstitute at weekends.

Depending on what animal you want him to be depends on the price.

There is also an additional fee if you want to ride him, but whether he lets you ride him is at his own discretion.

[Kaeldorn]

I think the 10k's a bit much as well, considering you can get magical weaponry for less and gold isn't nearly as easy to get as it used to be. 2-3k would be more within reason.

I don't see why having a pet would be carebear-ish either. If someone lets their pets run rampant in places where they don't belong, just give out warning which - if not heeded - can lead to fines. Trained animals can actually be made a part of RP. For example to serve as messengers or guard dogs, and characters can grow a personal attachment to them that can open up ways to 'get at' them. It's a bit simple to see them only as huggable hairballs

Just like it's too simple to see a character as a collection of statistics and abilities. They are people in a fantasy world, each with their own mind and feelings.

[Azulfae]

How about children?

[Vala Rift]

Hah, let's not even get started on that...

But seriously, that would be interesting assuming is was like a DM RP reward or something... Not so interesting when people start pulling out their little boys, girls and "other" in areas like bars and libraries. >_>

[Azulfae]

It depends on the PC, I mean if Cybil comes to the sundren comfort with 20+ street urchin little freeloading brats expecting to get their hands on a barrel then NO sir!

[Sorry Cybil.]

Could it be possible to make a green meaty looking halfling though?