Battle Companion

Wild animals in Plunder! become Battle Companions after they are tamed by a Beastmaster. Any animal deemed tamable by the DM is available for the beastmaster to attempt to tame as a battle companion. Battle companions are grouped into three categories of utility, as detailed below. The DM typically decides where a pet will land in the categories.

Predator
Predators are DPS-based pets and are most useful when the beastmaster is adventuring with a group of players,



as predator pets are more intent on slaying their prey than actually protecting their master. This can prove to be a problem when the beastmaster is traveling alone, as the animal will hunt down only its prey as the beastmaster can be under attack by other enemies.

Predator pets include worgs (ferocious attack dogs, similar to a wolf only slightly larger), lions, tigers, pumas, agressive amphibious creatures such as the naga, and others.

Coercer
Coercers are aggressive, territorial, loyal, and courageous tanking pets. They are typically used for solo questing and sometimes large groups, if the Beastmaster is dual-classed with the Knight; as it adds a second tank to draw attention away from the rest of the party. Otherwise, beastmasters find them most useful as their personal bodyguards while exploring the world of Plunder.

Coercer pets include bears, boars, crocodiles, rhinos, jormungar (large armored worm-like creatures) and any others the player may encounter.

Advocate
Advocates are friendly, helpful beasts that assist the party more than do actual damage. Although the beasts may be aggressive when first met, taming them yields to their good side. Their helpful abilities vary, some are more offensive such as shots of sticky spider webs to slow an enemy, and some are more defensive such as the the Dragonhawk's ability to heal wounds with its warm breath. Advocates are unique in the way that they are extremely useful no matter if you're questing solo or with a group, and no matter the circumstance.

Advocate pets include dragonhawks, turtles, spiders, birds of prey, chimaerae (although a chimaera can also double as a Predator), wind serpents, and others.

Pet Skills
All pets have different abilites (usually determined by the DM) that are based on what category of utility it fits in. A general idea is shown below.

Predator Skills
Predators typically have skills that allow them to perform complicated, deadly forms of burst damage. An example would be an ability like Pounce, where a jungle cat could do heavy damage the first turn, but only that first turn.

Coercer Skills
Coercers typically have taunts and large Area-of-effect attacks to draw attention towards them. An example would be a Thunderstomp ability, which could stun the surrounding enemies and do a small amount of damage.

Advocate Skills
Advocate skills are by far the most unique. It's really up to the imagination of the DM and the players. Advocate skills all assist the master and his party members somehow, be it stunning the enemy, healing the player, poisoning the enemy, buffing the player, it's by far the most flexible category of utility in terms of skills.