Turning an Animal Companion into an undead.

[Big Mara Bill]

I know this sounds a little silly, but I have a player that wants to turn his animal companion into an undead with the create undead spell (or other means if he can think of it).

If he turns it into a skeletal champion, a juju zombie, or a zombie lord zombie, would it still be the druid's (or in this case, cleric's) animal companion? If so, what types of undead would he be able to turn it into and still have it loyal? I'd prefer to have this answered as per RAW.

[Astral Wanderer]

An Undead Animal Companion is a dead Animal Companion, and as such must be replaced.
The Druid has a Nature Bond, not an Unnatural Bond.

[Big Mara Bill]

Logic states that would be true. But do you have a source for your answer? Because he is a cleric of the animal domain, he has no nature bond. He just has an animal companion.

[James Jacobs]

The druid class rules is the source for this answer.

Animal companions must be animals, not undead.

[Big Mara Bill]

James Jacobs wrote:

The druid class rules is the source for this answer.

Animal companions must be animals, not undead.

What about vermin companions?

According to the bestiary, "Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2".

So raising your animal companions Int to a 3 makes it a magical beast even though, according to the animal companion section, "they remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them." This implies that they can be of different types than animals.

[wraithstrike]

Big Mara Bill wrote:

James Jacobs wrote:

The druid class rules is the source for this answer.

Animal companions must be animals, not undead.

What about vermin companions?

According to the bestiary, "Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2".

So raising your animal companions Int to a 3 makes it a magical beast even though, according to the animal companion section, "they remain creatures of the animal type for purposes of determining which spells can affect them." This implies that they can be of different types than animals.

You are incorrect. "Magical beasts are similar to animals but can have Intelligence scores higher than 2" is not the same as "Any animal with an intelligence of 3 or greater becomes an magical beast".

Vermin are a specific rules exception. Undead are not.

Quote:

Vermin Companions

In addition to the normal choices of animal companions, a druid who is so inclined may select a vermin as her companion.

edit:There is also this which allows them to remain animal companions:

Quote:

Animal companions with an Intelligence of 3 or higher can purchase ranks in any skill. An animal companion cannot have more ranks in a skill than it has Hit Dice.

As you can see they are still animal companions, but are allowed an intelligence greater than 2.

[blackbloodtroll]

If he can become a Vampire, then he can get a Vampiric Animal Companion.

If you want to make a houserule for getting another kind of Undead companion, I suggest using the linked feat as a starting point.

[Tandriniel]

I did this when my animal companion died, so I would have a new animal companion, as well as an undead made of the remains.

Funny thing is my new animal companion really didn't like its predecessor....

[Kobold Catgirl]

You could always get your GM to handwave a certain requirement to give you Corpse Companion.

[LazarX]

You're looking for a rules answer. You're not going to find one that isn't written using the template as follows.

Player: I want an undead animal companion.

GM: Sure. I'm the GM I can allow anything I see fit to do so.

[Dread Knight]

You could also talk to your GM about taking the Ossuarite Druid Archetype.

[Trekkie90909]

KC casts 'raise thread,' increasing his mighty Kobold horde by 3 companions.