So i have this character called Merlin Lockhart he is a veteran who suffers from PTSD which he got due to carious things that happened in his childhood, adulthood and what happened during his time in the arm and in the wars he partook in. he's a pretty stoic guy and hates the glorification of war ect his class is mix class rogue/fighter. also he is a tiefling for a bit of context so he has faced alot throughout his life. Lately i was considering that maybe he potentially has a emotional support animal of some sort [who he would of required from another character called Karmen aka "the gender wizard"] so questions i would want answered i guess is:
- Do you think he should have an emotional support animal/creature?
- Is there a specific support animal you think would be fitting that maybe isnt emotional but is support for something else? [as in like how people have animals for health considtions ect]
- What animal/creature do you think would be fitting? - anything else you think should be kept in mind or would be a good idea and well just any other addons
I have a suggestion... instead of a creature, though, I have an idea for a common magic item that could accomplish something similar...;
A Pot of Awakening! It's a magic pot where you can plant any shrub you want in it, and if you tend to it for 30 days the plant awakens, shattering the pot and becoming an Awakened Shrub. It's very weak (it deals 1d4-1 on its only attack), but it can speak one language you teach it, and it has a feature where it can 100%, guaranteed pass for a normal bush for anyone who doesn't actually watch it move, so it can logically remain out of combat by just seeming like a random plant.
I think the fact that you can decide what plant you place in the pot, in addition to the month of tending and speaking to it to teach it whichever language you want it to know gives a lot of "support animal" vibes to it. It's like taking up gardening and adopting a pet all in one.
They’re incredibly friendly and very affectionate. (They love to snuggle, and they’re ticklish and love to laugh.)
They’re Tiny, making them very easy to conceal, care for, and transport. (Being Tiny, your character could keep it in a pouch with some bedding to keep it safe and protected by the PC’s AC & Saves. Nothing sucks more than having an animal companion die, especially an emotional support animal.)
They’re very trainable giving the PC something to do in downtime to teach it tricks and stuff.
All my years, and never once have I had such an interesting request.
(Also, loved the gender wizard, since I am accused of running around with a wand and, well, yeah…)
I like the Rat suggestion above, especially for D&D, because Rats also have the capacity to literally be a tad bit more. And because rats are seen mostly negatively by a lot of folks (I mean, Fleas might have caused the Black Plague, but Rats took the blame, and historically rat catcher was a good living), there is a whole series of tings there.
Plus, rats are smart as hell. ANd I am biased because I had a pet rat once.
So, should he have such a thing? that’s a Player call, to me. The question would be how do I classify it mechanically, since technically as a DM running such things is my job. I don’t seem to think like most folks, so when you say “emotional support” instead of “pet”, I think about how would such a thing come to exist, and what would be involved there. As a result, I would classify them as something akin to “animal companion” more than a familiar, and of course there would be some way of having acquired an animal trained to provide emotional support (because if we have rules, then it does something).
That gives me a whole support system in place, too, should the worst happen.
Specific Animal other than a rat? Let’s see…
I would want to see something unusual, so going to skip the dog and cat and fish and turtle and bird things. Snakes work, but are kinda boring if you are giving them rules. Also, this is a fantasy game, lol. I might be inclined to create something. A six limbed critter with orange eyes that glow in the dark. Bred by a war mage in a distant land who needed an animal companion, the Lashawa are about six inches in size overall, with adorable faces and soft footpads that tend to stick to things (like Velcro). SOmewhat protean, they are known for their affection, devotion, and ability to sense the emotions of those they bond with, and respond to them.
I would reskin the rat for it, basically.
Since this is a stoic, war weary character, i would either give it a name that is a bit embarrassing or shockingly simple (think John Wick, where dog 1 is Daisy, named by wife, and dog 2 is Dog).
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never had a pet rat but ive always found them pretty cute also given the fact that if we go with rat [possible called crumb] given that he would of getten them from karmen [previous mentioned "the gender wizard"] i wouldnt be suprised if it wasn't an actual rat but probably had some sort of relic on it in the form of an accessory that gave it that appearence as to not freak out people who arent merlin. [ the gender wizard i talked about in a previous post but part of thier work and research involves spells, curses, relics, artifacts ect that can change the physical appearence or aspects among other things be it temporary or permenatly so if need be the "rat" could of been given one such of those things] so yeah i think the rat idea is pretty cute though can also look into the fact that it may not be an actual rat but just bestows the appearence of one. also the idea of this veteran tiefling having a rat named crumb is heartwarming. as for the actual things the rat does i would have to look into that since im not familliar entirely with game mechanics around animal companions cause...newb.
Type it into the search bar at the top of the page.
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Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities .-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-. An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more. Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
The rat wouldn’t really be an “animal companion” per se, just a pet. Animal Companions are a special thing for Rangers and have special rules associated with them. A pet is just a pet and doesn’t really do anything special, or have any special rules. If you want to know about a D&D rat, just click on the word in my post.
As for something that can change a creature’s appearance, perhaps take inspiration from the hat of disguise.
Well, there are some creatures that can turn into rats (imps), but they’re fiends and not entirely appropriate for a pet since they’re sentient and more than a li’l powerful.
There are some other creatures that can choose to serve PCs (typically wizards) as familiars (like pseudodragons), but again, they’re a little powerful for a basic pet.
Ultimately you should talk to your DM about this and see what they agree to. Crumb might end up being a regular rat at the end of the day.
I'll just say this - if it's purely for roleplay then there won't be any problem. But as soon as you want to "use" that companion for anything mechanically (scouting, help in various D20 rolls, etc), then that opens up the companion to danger or worse. For an emotional support companion, I'd recommend leaving them firmly planted in the "roleplay only" court.
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I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
I have found(from this forum) that including any mental illness into your character should be avoided. Eventually that illness will have to be played out ( why have it if your not going to role play it) and at that point it could become very insulting to those who do have the problem in real life.
But in the end its your table and if your players are ok with it then have fun with it.
im not a dm im a player and im not somone who slaps labels on characters for the sake of slapping them on. im somone who cares alot for mental health i do my research and this isnt the only character i have that ive applied mental health to. as somone who also deals with mental health issues it's a bit insulting to not create characters with realistic mental health issues. you cant create a veteran character and not exspect them to not have issues going on thats just being ignorant if you do. also mental health affects people in various ways you just have to figure out how it affects your character and what it is they deal with also make sure you do your research and consult people who know more about the topic if you have questions. ptsd isnt always something thats big and dramatic like shown in media in fact media often portrays ptsd increadily incorrent sometimes it can often be silent and not noticeable to the person on eht eoutside. it also affects them in smaller ways like for veterans they may not eat meat for various reasons, certain smells can trigger nausea or other reactions and so on. so no i won't be refraining from giving my characters mental health issues because thier important to cover instead of sweaping under the rug.
So i have this character called Merlin Lockhart he is a veteran who suffers from PTSD which he got due to carious things that happened in his childhood, adulthood and what happened during his time in the arm and in the wars he partook in. he's a pretty stoic guy and hates the glorification of war ect his class is mix class rogue/fighter. also he is a tiefling for a bit of context so he has faced alot throughout his life. Lately i was considering that maybe he potentially has a emotional support animal of some sort [who he would of required from another character called Karmen aka "the gender wizard"] so questions i would want answered i guess is:
- Do you think he should have an emotional support animal/creature?
- Is there a specific support animal you think would be fitting that maybe isnt emotional but is support for something else? [as in like how people have animals for health considtions ect]
- What animal/creature do you think would be fitting?
- anything else you think should be kept in mind or would be a good idea and well just any other addons
- could even suggest a name
I have a suggestion... instead of a creature, though, I have an idea for a common magic item that could accomplish something similar...;
A Pot of Awakening! It's a magic pot where you can plant any shrub you want in it, and if you tend to it for 30 days the plant awakens, shattering the pot and becoming an Awakened Shrub. It's very weak (it deals 1d4-1 on its only attack), but it can speak one language you teach it, and it has a feature where it can 100%, guaranteed pass for a normal bush for anyone who doesn't actually watch it move, so it can logically remain out of combat by just seeming like a random plant.
I think the fact that you can decide what plant you place in the pot, in addition to the month of tending and speaking to it to teach it whichever language you want it to know gives a lot of "support animal" vibes to it. It's like taking up gardening and adopting a pet all in one.
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I would recommend a rat for a few reasons.
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All my years, and never once have I had such an interesting request.
(Also, loved the gender wizard, since I am accused of running around with a wand and, well, yeah…)
I like the Rat suggestion above, especially for D&D, because Rats also have the capacity to literally be a tad bit more. And because rats are seen mostly negatively by a lot of folks (I mean, Fleas might have caused the Black Plague, but Rats took the blame, and historically rat catcher was a good living), there is a whole series of tings there.
Plus, rats are smart as hell. ANd I am biased because I had a pet rat once.
So, should he have such a thing? that’s a Player call, to me. The question would be how do I classify it mechanically, since technically as a DM running such things is my job. I don’t seem to think like most folks, so when you say “emotional support” instead of “pet”, I think about how would such a thing come to exist, and what would be involved there. As a result, I would classify them as something akin to “animal companion” more than a familiar, and of course there would be some way of having acquired an animal trained to provide emotional support (because if we have rules, then it does something).
That gives me a whole support system in place, too, should the worst happen.
Specific Animal other than a rat? Let’s see…
I would want to see something unusual, so going to skip the dog and cat and fish and turtle and bird things. Snakes work, but are kinda boring if you are giving them rules. Also, this is a fantasy game, lol. I might be inclined to create something. A six limbed critter with orange eyes that glow in the dark. Bred by a war mage in a distant land who needed an animal companion, the Lashawa are about six inches in size overall, with adorable faces and soft footpads that tend to stick to things (like Velcro). SOmewhat protean, they are known for their affection, devotion, and ability to sense the emotions of those they bond with, and respond to them.
I would reskin the rat for it, basically.
Since this is a stoic, war weary character, i would either give it a name that is a bit embarrassing or shockingly simple (think John Wick, where dog 1 is Daisy, named by wife, and dog 2 is Dog).
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
never had a pet rat but ive always found them pretty cute also given the fact that if we go with rat [possible called crumb] given that he would of getten them from karmen [previous mentioned "the gender wizard"] i wouldnt be suprised if it wasn't an actual rat but probably had some sort of relic on it in the form of an accessory that gave it that appearence as to not freak out people who arent merlin. [ the gender wizard i talked about in a previous post but part of thier work and research involves spells, curses, relics, artifacts ect that can change the physical appearence or aspects among other things be it temporary or permenatly so if need be the "rat" could of been given one such of those things] so yeah i think the rat idea is pretty cute though can also look into the fact that it may not be an actual rat but just bestows the appearence of one. also the idea of this veteran tiefling having a rat named crumb is heartwarming. as for the actual things the rat does i would have to look into that since im not familliar entirely with game mechanics around animal companions cause...newb.
Type it into the search bar at the top of the page.
Only a DM since 1980 (3000+ Sessions) / PhD, MS, MA / Mixed, Bi, Trans, Woman / No longer welcome in the US, apparently
Wyrlde: Adventures in the Seven Cities
.-=] Lore Book | Patreon | Wyrlde YT [=-.
An original Setting for 5e, a whole solar system of adventure. Ongoing updates, exclusies, more.
Not Talking About It / Dubbed The Oracle in the Cult of Mythology Nerds
The rat wouldn’t really be an “animal companion” per se, just a pet. Animal Companions are a special thing for Rangers and have special rules associated with them. A pet is just a pet and doesn’t really do anything special, or have any special rules. If you want to know about a D&D rat, just click on the word in my post.
As for something that can change a creature’s appearance, perhaps take inspiration from the hat of disguise.
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rat wears a lil hat?
crumb the rat with the lil hat
though if they are just disguised as a rat what would be intresting for what they actually are? [if not homebrewing a creature]
Well, there are some creatures that can turn into rats (imps), but they’re fiends and not entirely appropriate for a pet since they’re sentient and more than a li’l powerful.
There are some other creatures that can choose to serve PCs (typically wizards) as familiars (like pseudodragons), but again, they’re a little powerful for a basic pet.
Ultimately you should talk to your DM about this and see what they agree to. Crumb might end up being a regular rat at the end of the day.
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If the gender wizard and the DM are feeling very generous they might give you an awakened rat.
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Oh what's an awakened rat 👀?
It's a rat that, through magic, has human level intelligence and can talk
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And now you too can play with the amazing art and assets we use in Roll20 for our campaign at Hazel's Emporium
a lil rat with a lil hat that can have a lil chat
I'll just say this - if it's purely for roleplay then there won't be any problem. But as soon as you want to "use" that companion for anything mechanically (scouting, help in various D20 rolls, etc), then that opens up the companion to danger or worse. For an emotional support companion, I'd recommend leaving them firmly planted in the "roleplay only" court.
I know what you're thinking: "In that flurry of blows, did he use all his ki points, or save one?" Well, are ya feeling lucky, punk?
I have found(from this forum) that including any mental illness into your character should be avoided.
Eventually that illness will have to be played out ( why have it if your not going to role play it) and at that point it could become very insulting to those who do have the problem in real life.
But in the end its your table and if your players are ok with it then have fun with it.
im not a dm im a player and im not somone who slaps labels on characters for the sake of slapping them on. im somone who cares alot for mental health i do my research and this isnt the only character i have that ive applied mental health to. as somone who also deals with mental health issues it's a bit insulting to not create characters with realistic mental health issues. you cant create a veteran character and not exspect them to not have issues going on thats just being ignorant if you do. also mental health affects people in various ways you just have to figure out how it affects your character and what it is they deal with also make sure you do your research and consult people who know more about the topic if you have questions. ptsd isnt always something thats big and dramatic like shown in media in fact media often portrays ptsd increadily incorrent sometimes it can often be silent and not noticeable to the person on eht eoutside. it also affects them in smaller ways like for veterans they may not eat meat for various reasons, certain smells can trigger nausea or other reactions and so on. so no i won't be refraining from giving my characters mental health issues because thier important to cover instead of sweaping under the rug.
See someone got insulted right off the bat.