Great White Games/Pinnacle Entertainment Group

[Tavis]

I have a player that wants to play a 'Beastmaster' type character, but is wanting more than just an animal companion that they can share bennies with. I've suggested the use of Leadership Edges, but she isn't interested in leading troops, just her animal companion.

These are the solutions I'm intending to put forward, any comments or suggestions would be great.

1) Take the restriction on Leadership Edges that they only apply to Animals 'Bonded' to the character through the Beast Master edge and this will double the range at which those command edges work. So out to 10” with the standard Command Edge and out to 20” with Command Prescence.

Add the Following Edges.

Beast Sense
Requirements: Seasoned, Beast Master, Beast Bond
Your hero is in tune with her bonded animals to such that she can gain sensory input from her wards for a short period of time, though it is tiring. The beast in question need not be with the Beastmaster at the time the power is used, but must be within half a mile. Spend and action and make a spirit roll. On a success she may view the world through the eyes of her animal companion, with a raise the beast may be as far away as the Beast Masters Spirit die type in Miles. Each minute that this edge is maintained she must pass a Vigour roll or lose a level of Fatigue that may be recovered with an Hours rest.

Improved Beast Sense
Requirements: Veteran, Beast Master, Beast Bond, Beast Sense
As Beast Sense but a second sense may be added (chosen at the time the edge is activated)

What do folk think?
_________________
Currently Playing:

SWD: 50 Fathoms (GM)

[SlasherEpoch]

Hm. I think that applying a trapping that Leadership Edges only affect animals would work just fine. Instead of increasing the range, why not just give the PC more animals to work with, and maybe +2 to Charisma (animals only)?

Beast Sense is really high fantasy, which is fine if that's your campaign. However, I'd say maybe the character is just gifted enough to understand the animal's "speech?" Also high fantasy, but that way the critter could go scout and then report back.

Let us know what you decide. This is an interesting idea.

In a game I just ran, a bounty hunter wanted to have a dog. I ruled that his dog had 3 Wounds like a Wild Card, but no Wild Die, plus it clearly understood his commands no matter how they were worded. Just food for thought.
_________________
Proud Savagepedia contributor.

Evil Wig Enterprises Minion #15 - "The
Machete"

[Lord Lance]

In the Fantasy World Toolkit you will find some very nice idea to have a powerful companion, with some option like powers sharing, animal trait gaining, wounds tranfers and go on... However I suggest you to wait the new edition of this Toolkit: it will in the shops in short time, I think...

[Sherman]

Maybe a Hindrance? Major Hindrance of "Animal Empathy" or something. Makes it so you can only use Leadership edges on Animals. Basically would give you one edge for free down that path at the cost of never being able to get those edges as they relate to things with greater than animal intelligence.
_________________
Gryphon Games & Comics
2020 S College Ave, Suite B
Fort Collins CO 80525
www.gryphongamesandcomics.com

[DeMyztikX]

Assuming you're talking about the movie Beast Master for the character style.
In beastmaster he was only able to share one sense with one animal. His hawk was his eyes. He could see what it could. I don't recall him doing this with another animal in the first movie (maybe with the tiger or whatever though). I'm almost certain that he didn't really control or share senses with Podo or Codo at all. In fact at one point in the movie I recall the beast master worrying because he didn't know where the ferrets were or what they were doing. I don't think he knew that the female was pregnant either.
Basically they each were something special but provided really only one benefit to the beast master. The Hawk gave him sight (but mostly did his own thing) the ferrets acted like fingers, they were his thieves. The tiger was muscle.
I know I didn't really help directly, but hopefully this will help some how.

[UmbraLux]

[Tavis]

Thanks guys, this is giving me plenty of food for thought.

I'm leaning towards the idea of additional edges that buy 'powers' linking master to beast further - essentially making the Beast Master edge like an AB that unlocks various Powers (taken with further edges) I shall work on it further.
_________________
Currently Playing:

SWD: 50 Fathoms (GM)