Ranger animal companions


Pathfinder Society

Liberty's Edge

I was looking through the Bestiary at the list for animal companions. (Appendix 7, page 316)
Are all of them allowed for Rangers? If not, which ones are? Is there anywhere I can get a comprehensive list?

The Exchange 5/5

Pathfinder Lost Omens, Rulebook Subscriber

From the PRD / Core rulebook:

PRD wrote:
The second option is to form a close bond with an animal companion. A ranger who selects an animal companion can choose from the following list: badger, bird, camel, cat (small), dire rat, dog, horse, pony, snake (viper or constrictor), or wolf.

I.E. you can only have those animals.


Orcsmasher wrote:

I was looking through the Bestiary at the list for animal companions. (Appendix 7, page 316)

Are all of them allowed for Rangers? If not, which ones are? Is there anywhere I can get a comprehensive list?

According to Josh in the FAQ thread, none of the Bestiary animals are available to rangers.


And this is exactly what the PFS Guide says about the Bestiary:

Quote:

Animal Companions: ankylosaurus, aurochs, brachiosaurus, dire bat,

dire rat, dolphin, elasmosaurus, electric eel, elephant/mastodon, frog,
goblin dog, hyena, monitor lizard, moray eel, octopus, orca, pteranodon,
rhinoceros, roc, squid, stegosaurus, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus;
Familiars: all familiars listed on pages 131–133; Feats: none of the feats
are legal for play.

It obviously does not specify which classes can have these, so waiting for an official ruling from Josh might be good.


Enevhar Aldarion wrote:

And this is exactly what the PFS Guide says about the Bestiary:

Quote:

Animal Companions: ankylosaurus, aurochs, brachiosaurus, dire bat,

dire rat, dolphin, elasmosaurus, electric eel, elephant/mastodon, frog,
goblin dog, hyena, monitor lizard, moray eel, octopus, orca, pteranodon,
rhinoceros, roc, squid, stegosaurus, triceratops, and tyrannosaurus;
Familiars: all familiars listed on pages 131–133; Feats: none of the feats
are legal for play.
It obviously does not specify which classes can have these, so waiting for an official ruling from Josh might be good.

Page 20 of the Society Guide states that rangers may only select from the animals listed on page 66 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook and that there is not an expanded companion list for rangers.


Page 20:

Quote:

As a ranger, what list of companions can I select my animal

companion from? As a ranger, if you choose an animal
companion for your hunter’s bond, you may only select the
animals listed on page 66 of the Pathfinder RPG Core Rulebook.
There is no expanded companion list for rangers.

Liberty's Edge

*sigh* That sucks. I really wanted something different from the usual list.

Are those animals legal in regular campaigns, say an adventure path like Council of Thieves or Kingmaker?

Are they legal for druids in PFS? If they are legal for druids in PFS and legal for rangers in non-PFS games, then why aren't they legal for rangers in PFS too?

Liberty's Edge

Oh, and thanks for the clarification.

Shadow Lodge 5/5

Orcsmasher wrote:

Are those animals legal in regular campaigns, say an adventure path like Council of Thieves or Kingmaker?

Are they legal for druids in PFS? If they are legal for druids in PFS and legal for rangers in non-PFS games, then why aren't they legal for rangers in PFS too?

Whatever your GM determines is "legal" is legal for playing through an Adventure Path. If your GM wants to let you have a Tarrasque as an animal companion, that's his prerogative, yet if your GM wants to limit you to the Core creatures only and prohibit even things listed in the Bestiary, that's perfectly possible as well. OP is a very different beast than a home game.

For druids, they're allowed to have whatever animal companion is allowed by the PHB and the additional sources starting on Page 31. As for why Rangers have a smaller list, I think the reason is twofold. One, the animal companion is one of the major class features of the druid, where it is a secondary class feature for the ranger. Two, I think Josh is keeping things simplified for the organized play environment.

Liberty's Edge

On page 33 in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play book it lists all the animal companions in the Bestiary as legal for play. At least some of those, like the roc for instance, are legal for Rangers in a regular game. Why aren't they in PFS?

It's not that I want a Roc necessarily. (Actually, I want an anklyosaurus. If druids can use velociraptors, why can't rangers?) Its not fair that a book says one thing, but another says you can't.

How come druids get a million choices but rangers are so limited?

OK I am starting to whine so I will end here.


Orcsmasher wrote:

On page 33 in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play book it lists all the animal companions in the Bestiary as legal for play. At least some of those, like the roc for instance, are legal for Rangers in a regular game. Why aren't they in PFS?

It's not that I want a Roc necessarily. (Actually, I want an anklyosaurus. If druids can use velociraptors, why can't rangers?) Its not fair that a book says one thing, but another says you can't.

How come druids get a million choices but rangers are so limited?

OK I am starting to whine so I will end here.

I think it should be simple like, "Rangers get an animal companion as the druidic class feature, save their effective druid level is three levels lower than their ranger level" and that's it, so they should have all the flexibility. It's a FANTASY game. One person's fantasy woodland warrior should be able to have a creature could be comparable to another character's fantasy woodland magician.

And there should be a simple feat that allows the Ranger to have a companion as effective as the druid's companion. Some of convoluted rules quagmires that TBTB have created are, quite frankly, ridiculous. Sure you one can say, "Well it's part of the druid's class features and blah blah blah" but if there's no impact on balance... and we all know that balance skews in favor of casters... then the ranger should be allowed to have a similar effectiveness animal companion.

But then again: that's what house rules are for!

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Orcsmasher wrote:

On page 33 in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play book it lists all the animal companions in the Bestiary as legal for play. At least some of those, like the roc for instance, are legal for Rangers in a regular game. Why aren't they in PFS?

It's perfectly legitimate for an individual Game Master or a campaign setting to restrict choices due to environment, or their may be class fluff which didn't make it into the page count which might suggest that Rangers do not have quite the deep connection that Druids do. Note that in Pathfinder Druids are not quite the shapeshifting combat monsters they used to be in 3.x.

Rangers are also more combat capable than Druids so they don't need to have quite as capable a companion. They're still considerably better off than they were in 3.5 which limited them to half level. They start out a bit weaker compared to 3.5 when they start but a 10th level Ranger will have a 7th level equivalent as opposed to a 5th level equivalent.

3/5

Orcsmasher wrote:

On page 33 in the Guide to Pathfinder Society Organized Play book it lists all the animal companions in the Bestiary as legal for play. At least some of those, like the roc for instance, are legal for Rangers in a regular game. Why aren't they in PFS?

It's not that I want a Roc necessarily. (Actually, I want an anklyosaurus. If druids can use velociraptors, why can't rangers?) Its not fair that a book says one thing, but another says you can't.

How come druids get a million choices but rangers are so limited?

OK I am starting to whine so I will end here.

Every game has a GM who set the rules for his/her setting. Home game, solo game, PFS game, Doug-Doug game, etc. they all have a GM. Those game level rules set the tone, fairness, setting and atmosphere for the game. Josh has made his ruling, it's his game. If I recall correctly, he may have hinted at opening some of these options up IF a feat were published to expand the rangers list.

If you don't like it, play another character type, play another game, don't play, ask Josh politely, off the boards to change the rule. (just don't whine about it)

Edit: Crap - LazarX beat me too it.

-Swiftbrook
Just My Thoughts
Ranger who really wants a Cooshee (Elven Hound) animal companion.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Enevhar Aldarion wrote:


It obviously does not specify which classes can have these, so waiting for an official ruling from Josh might be good.

As the poster above you said, he's already provided it in the FAQ as far as PFS is concerned. He's also said that what you do in your home campaigns is up to you.

Liberty's Edge 5/5 *** Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau

You can always take a level of Druid at 4th level before taking your 4th level of Ranger... this allows you to use the Druid list for animal companions (since it is a 1st level ability of that class. Any levels of Ranger afterword stack with your Druid levels for determining your effective level for your animal companion.

"If a character receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective druid levels stack for the purposes of determining the statistics and abilities of the companion." - Pathfinder Core rulebook

Sovereign Court

Robert Carter 58 wrote:
And there should be a simple feat that allows the Ranger to have a companion as effective as the druid's companion.

The feat, Boon Companion, out of the Seeker of Secrets book will give you an addition +4 levels to your animal companion. So a 5th level Ranger who takes the feat will then have an animal companion that is as strong as a druid's companion.

It still doesn't let you have any of the cool things out of the bestiary though.

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber
Arnim Thayer wrote:

You can always take a level of Druid at 4th level before taking your 4th level of Ranger... this allows you to use the Druid list for animal companions (since it is a 1st level ability of that class. Any levels of Ranger afterword stack with your Druid levels for determining your effective level for your animal companion.

"If a character receives an animal companion from more than one source, her effective druid levels stack for the purposes of determining the statistics and abilities of the companion." - Pathfinder Core rulebook

Only if both classes allow the same list. Since his ranger levels would not allow the other choices, he'd be stuck as a 1st level Druid for that pet. If he kept to Ranger choices than the levels would stack, as Druid choices include the Ranger ones.


LazarX wrote:
Only if both classes allow the same list. Since his ranger levels would not allow the other choices, he'd be stuck as a 1st level Druid for that pet. If he kept to Ranger choices than the levels would stack, as Druid choices include the Ranger ones.

I'm not sure how you're getting that interpretation. As far as I know, the levels would stack, no matter what the companion is.

Liberty's Edge 5/5 *** Venture-Captain, Missouri—Cape Girardeau

To me, "levels stack" mean just that... even if it seems broken!

Liberty's Edge

I agree with Hogarth and Arnim. They stack.

Mr. Frost, can we get a ruling on this?


This is a rules forum question.


Then to phrase it in a PFS way, if a druid takes an animal companion from an allowed expanded list and then adds levels of ranger, do the levels stack even though it is an animal not allowed to a ranger in PFS?


1 person marked this as a favorite.

That's still a rules forum question.

But ...

Druid and ranger animal companion levels stack. A multi-classed ranger/druid selects his animal companion from the most permissive list. In your example, a druid selects animal Z at level 1 (which is not on the ranger list). When he then takes a level of ranger later, that level of ranger stacks with his levels in druid for animal Z even if animal Z isn't on the ranger list.

In reverse, a ranger would have to select only from the ranger list at level 1. If that ranger were to later take a druid level, he would now have access to the druid list and when he was able to do so by the rules, he could select a new animal companion from the druid list.

Any other questions about this topic go here. :-)

Grand Lodge

Pathfinder PF Special Edition, Starfinder Roleplaying Game Subscriber

You're going to see a lot of rangers taking a one level Druid dip. GM's should remember and enforce the armor restrictions that Druids have..


LazarX wrote:
You're going to see a lot of rangers taking a one level Druid dip. GM's should remember and enforce the armor restrictions that Druids have..

Actually, I disagree entirely. There's no reason a Ranger shouldn't have a selection of beasts to choose from.... again this is a FANTASY game. One character's fantasy woodsman can have the selection of beasts as another character's fantasy woodland magician... So what? Is there a balance issue there? Not likely. Balance tends to favor the casters in terms of power. So what is the issue? Subjective flavor. Some feel that the "animal companion" is more iconic for druids than it is for rangers. Um... yeah. Go with that. The Pathfinder book just became the bible, and folks on this side of the argument just became hard core fundamentalists. But, there are always those who see a rule and go... in robotic voice "I MUST FOLLOW RULE. MUST NOT SHIRK THE RULE. MUST NOT THINK FOR MYSELF EVEN THOUGH THE RULE DOES NOT AFFECT GAME BALANCE"

Sorry to be abrasive... but wow! It's a fantasy game. Enjoy your fantasy. As long as game balance isn't affected, go for it. If you wanted your ranger to have a gold dragon "animal companion" there could be an issue, but I'm sure the druid companions are balanced and there is no need whatsoever for a level dip into druid. Just play your game. And if you have a GM who is that anal about the rules and isn't just focused on telling a good story... well, I'm sorry :(

Sovereign Court

Robert Carter 58 wrote:


Sorry to be abrasive... but wow! It's a fantasy game. Enjoy your fantasy. As long as game balance isn't affected, go for it. If you wanted your ranger to have a gold dragon "animal companion" there could be an issue, but I'm sure the druid companions are balanced and there is no need whatsoever for a level dip into druid. Just play your game. And if you have a GM who is that anal about the rules and isn't just focused on telling a good story... well, I'm sorry :(

I don't believe anyone is disputing that in a home game the DM can hand-waive it and allow them to pick from a batter list. In a PFS game though, it needs to be highly controlled etc.

3/5

Robert Carter 58 wrote:
Actually, I disagree entirely. There's no reason a Ranger shouldn't have a selection of beasts to choose from.... again this is a FANTASY game.

The DM create the setting and in PFS rangers don't have a larger list. Many, many reasons have been stated as to why Rangers in PFS don't have access to a larger list of animal companions. You can argue this until you're blue in the face. I play a ranger. I'd like a bigger list. I'm still playing a ranger. The DM has made his decision. Play a ranger or don't.

LazarX wrote:
You're going to see a lot of rangers taking a one level Druid dip. GM's should remember and enforce the armor restrictions that Druids have..

I don't think so. The ranger is a very good class on it's own and taking a one level dip in any other class is one less level of ranger. And PFS is a short 12 level, 36 games per character campaign. Plus, if you do take a level of Druid, then you need to decide if you're going to wear only non-metal armor and have the druid stuff, or have better armor and skip the druid stuff.

-Swiftbrook

5/5

Josua Frost above and Michael Brock (here) are at odds.

Which of these reflects the current campaign management's stand point?

Sczarni 5/5 5/55/5 ***

The FAQ clarifies it.

5/5

Thank you Nefreet

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