Sir Kibble's page

Combat Reflexes, Bodyguard, Valiant Steed, Mobility

Bonus Tricks 2

Link (Ex) A master can handle her animal companion as a free action, or push it as a move action, even if she doesn't have any ranks in the Handle Animal skill. The master gains a +4 circumstance bonus on all wild empathy checks and Handle Animal checks made regarding an animal companion.

Low-Light Vision (Ex) You can see x2 as far as humans in low illumination. Characters with low-light vision have eyes that are so sensitive to light that they can see twice as far as normal in dim light. Low-Light Vision is color vision. A spellcaster with low-light vision can read a scroll as long as even the tiniest candle flame is next to her as a source of light. Characters with low-light vision can see outdoors on a moonlit night as well as they can during the day.

Scent (Ex) You can detect approaching enemies, sniff out hidden foes, and track by sense of smell. You can identify familiar odors just as humans do familiar sights. You can detect opponents within 30 feet by sense of smell. If the opponent is upwind, the range increases to 60 feet; if downwind, it drops to 15 feet. Strong scents, such as smoke or rotting garbage, can be detected at twice the ranges noted above. Overpowering scents, such as skunk musk or troglodyte stench, can be detected at triple normal range. When you detect a scent, the exact location of the source is not revealed--only its presence somewhere within range. You can take a move action to note the direction of the scent. When you are within 5 feet of the source, you pinpoint the source's location. You can follow tracks by smell, making a Wisdom (or Survival) check to find or follow a track. The typical DC for a fresh trail is 10 (no matter what kind of surface holds the scent). This DC increases or decreases depending on how strong the quarry's odor is, the number of creatures, and the age of the trail. For each hour that the trail is cold, the DC increases by 2. The ability otherwise follows the rules for the Survival skill. When tracking by scent you ignore the effects of surface conditions and poor visibility.

Shared Vigilance (Ex) A bodyguard and its master both gain Alertness as a bonus feat whenever they are adjacent. This ability replaces share spells.

Tenacious Guardian (Ex): At 3rd level, a bodyguard can always act in a surprise round (though it remains flat-footed until it acts). As long as its master is adjacent, a bodyguard remains conscious (though it becomes staggered) when its hit points fall below 0. While below 0 hit points, the bodyguard loses 1 hit point per round but gains a +2 morale bonus on attack rolls, saving throws, and skill checks, dying only if its hit points reach a negative total equal to its Constitution score plus its master’s class level. This ability replaces evasion.

Trip (Ex) You can attempt to trip your opponent as a free action without provoking an attack of opportunity if you hit with the specified attack. If the attempt fails, you are not tripped in return.

Combat Training An animal trained to bear a rider into combat knows the tricks attack, come, defend, down, guard, and heel. Training an animal for combat riding takes 6 weeks. You may also "upgrade" an animal trained for riding to one trained for combat by spending 3 weeks and making a successful DC 20 Handle Animal check. The new general purpose and tricks completely replace the animal's previous purpose and any tricks it once knew. Many horses and riding dogs are trained in this way.
Attack The animal attacks apparent enemies. You may point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to attack, and it will comply if able. Normally, an animal will attack only humanoids, monstrous humanoids, giants, or other animals. Teaching an animal to attack all creatures (including such unnatural creatures as undead and aberrations) counts as two tricks. Animal will attack all creatures
Come The animal comes to you, even if it normally would not do so.
Defend The animal defends you (or is ready to defend you if no threat is present), even without any command being given. Alternatively, you can command the animal to defend another specific character.
Down The animal breaks off from combat or otherwise backs down. An animal that doesn't know this trick continues to fight until it must flee (due to injury, a fear effect, or the like) or its opponent is defeated.
Flank You can instruct an animal to attack a foe you point to and to always attempt to be adjacent to (and threatening) that foe. If you or an ally is also threatening the foe, the animal attempts to flank the foe, if possible. While animals following the attack trick will flank when convenient, this trick instructs them to flank even if doing so denies it a full attack or puts the animal companion at an inconvenience or at risk, such as from attacks of opportunity, dangerous positioning, or difficult terrain. The animal must know the attack trick before it can learn this trick, and it performs it only against foes it would normally attack.
Guard The animal stays in place and prevents others from approaching.
Heel The animal follows you closely, even to places where it normally wouldn't go.
Aid The animal can use the aid another action to aid a specific ally in combat by attacking a specific foe the ally is fighting. You point to a particular creature that you wish the animal to aid, and you point to another that you want it to make an attack roll against, and it will comply if able. The normal creature type restrictions governing the attack trick still apply.
Exclusive The animal takes directions only from the handler who taught it this trick. If an animal has both the exclusive and serve tricks, it takes directions only from the handler that taught it the exclusive trick and those creatures indicated by the trainer’s serve command. An animal with the exclusive trick does not take trick commands from others even if it is friendly or helpful toward them (such as through the result of a charm animal spell), though this does not prevent it from being controlled by other enchantment spells (such as dominate animal), and the animal still otherwise acts as a friendly or helpful creature when applicable.
Flee The animal attempts to run away or hide as best it can, returning only when its handler commands it to do so. Until such a command is received, the animal does its best to track its handler and any accompanying creatures, remaining hidden but within range of its sight or hearing. This trick is particularly useful for adventurers and thieves in that it allows the animal to evade capture, and then return later to help free its friends.