DM Q&A: Skill: Animal empathy vs ninja looting

[guest]

Just wanted some clarification on using animal empathy. Is it wrong to leave your dominated spawns after you're through with them? Generally being a good druid or ranger you would heal the animal if necessary, then leave him where you found him or in some out of the way place. Unfortunately, this sounds like it also fits the "dont leave your spawns/ ninja looting scenario".

Some clarification on this would be greatly appreciated. I have enough trouble staying out of trouble as it is. Thanks in advance.

[Aodhan the Unusual]

Most of the time, when you have a temporary animal companion like that, the empathy wears off and the animal attacks before anything else can be thought of to do with it. As of yet, I have not seen anyone use empathy on a creature where it did not break at some point.

[guest]

aodhan said:

Most of the time, when you have a temporary animal companion like that, the empathy wears off and the animal attacks before anything else can be thought of to do with it. As of yet, I have not seen anyone use empathy on a creature where it did not break at some point.

While this is true. I've also seen judicious use of the skill that allowed someone to take a bear from just beyond the bug cave in the bramblewood, journey completely around the ettercap area, and then return the bear safely to where he was found.

With some luck on your empathy rolls, it's just a matter of timing.
So now I'm back to the original question. Is it good use of your skills or an exploit? Thanks again

[Panros]

I would think it to be fine as long as one brings the bear back to the spot it was found. If one has no intentions to bring it back one should slay it or move it far away from any road.

I am no DM thought, it is just an opinion.


Feel free to comment if this is brought up under the General Discussion. We ask that questions posted to the forum be reserved for DMs to answer.

DM Valkyrie

(Good answer, bad place to post....)

[olwentheold]

Thank you, DM Panros for answering for us DMs

The answer in my books is, it's fine to leave your animal emphatized animal as long as you RP it. My character often does that too, and she totally dislikes killing animals for just that reason. When the server used to suffer from severe bellyaches of lag, however, I used to perform an //OOC kill, on the animal I had under control just to lighten the server's clean up script. While there the lag beast is slain, you could still perform an //ooc kill on your controlled animal or you could just RP sending it off, or leaving it behind. I'm sure the DMs won't mind and won't consider it ninja looting, especially when you're only leaving 1 poor animal alone.